Death by Water

Retired policeman Sir John Appleby is having a meal en garcon with a new neighbor, Owain Allington. Allington had bought back what used to be his family's house and ruined castle, and is expecting his nephew and heir to visit that night. He and Appleby find a dead body in the control booth for the r......more

When Cromwell went around indecorously levelling aristocratic piles, many of the unfortunate occupants buried their family heirlooms for later retrieval, living in hope of the Restoration. Some, however, did not survive to truffle it up, and talk still persisted into the present day (the middle-twen......more

Chief Inspector Appleby is retired and living in Dream Manor, the house belonging to his wife's aristocratic family. As part of the life of a retired gentleman, he is expected to get to know his neighbors. And one such neighbor is Olwain Allington, owner of a stately estate. In a curious twist of ec......more

I had never read a Michael Innes (J.I.M. Stewart's pseudonym) previously. Prior to his death in 1994, he authored 33 Sir John Appleby mysteries. This book was about 2/3rds of the way through the series. The deconstruction of events was nicely constructed with subtle guidance throughout the book to t......more

Witty dialogue, interesting twists, sharp and unique characters, fun mystery. Great read.......more