From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

The Cornish Coast Murder

John Bude,

Martin Edwards (Introduction)

Start date: March 1, 2021

Finish date: March 31, 2021

Discussion: Group reads

Why we're reading this: Winner of the poll for our March group read.
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What Members Thought

Nov 28, 2015 Susan rated it liked it · review of another edition

This is a charming mystery, first published in 1935, and was the crime writing debut of Ernest Carpenter Elmore (who chose ‘John Bude’ as his pseudonym). The book begins with two friends; the Reverend Dodd, Vicar of St Michael’s-on-the-Cliff and Dr Pendrill. The two meet up weekly for dinner and to share their love of detective fiction, both enjoy attempting to solve the fictional mysteries they read. However, on a stormy night, their evening is interrupted by Ruth Tregarthan, who calls to say t ...more

19 likes · Like · see review

Apr 23, 2017 Christine PNW rated it liked it · review of another edition

Taking more than a few cues from Murder at the Vicarage, published in 1930, Bude's 1935 mystery is quite entertaining if a bit derivative.

I love books set on the coast of Cornwall - and this one is also set in March, so it has all of the blustery, windswept charm that we might expect. The vicar and the doctor in the village of Boscawen spend their evenings reading detective novels by the fireside. When real murder intrudes, the Vicar is delighted with the opportunity to exercise his skills in a ...more

11 likes · Like · see review

Sep 26, 2022 Lady Wesley rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-golden-age-or-similar, listened, british-library-crime-classics

Review of the audiobook narrated by Ben Allen.

As another reviewer said, this is a "gentle mystery." Partly police procedural; partly amateur detective (the mystery fiction obsessed vicar). Lots of suspects. I had no idea who the culprit was. I think, perhaps, it was too gentle to really engage my interest.

Ben Allen's narration was okay but way too slow for me. I upped the speed to 1.2, which helped. ...more

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Dec 14, 2016 Jill rated it liked it · review of another edition

Although I quite liked this book , the description of the location of the crime did not fit in with the method that was used to murder the victim. From the point where an explanation was put forward all I could think was " that's impossible ".
I did think there was a lot of repetition along the way, which sort of niggled me, but I did warm to police and vicar . I do not think the crime of perjury should ever be acceptable though, and Ruth should really have been punished. ...more

1 like · Like · see review