Pignon Scorbion & the Barbershop Detectives by Rick Bleiweiss
Series: Pignon Scorbion #1
Genres: British Mystery, Mystery
The year is 1910, and in the small and seemingly sleepy English municipality of Haxford, there’s a new chief police inspector. At first, the dapper and unflappable Pignon Scorbion strikes something of an odd figure among the locals, who don’t see a need for such an exacting investigator. But it isn’t long before Haxford finds itself very much in need of a detective.
Luckily, Scorbion and the local barber are old acquaintances, and the barbershop employs a cast of memorable characters who—together with an aspiring young ace reporter for the local Morning News—are nothing less than enthralled by the enigmatic new chief police inspector.
Investigating a trio of crimes whose origins span three continents and half a century, Pignon Scorbion and his “tonsorial sleuths” interview a parade of interested parties, but with every apparent clue, new surprises come to light. And just as it seems nothing can derail Scorbion’s cool head and almost unerring nose for deduction, in walks Thelma Smith—dazzling, whip-smart, and newly single.
Has Pignon Scorbion finally met his match?
For fans of Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot, author Rick Bleiweiss’s quirky new detective and ensemble cast of characters set against the backdrop of small-town England in the 1910s, will feel both comfortingly familiar and thrillingly new.
I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Review
Chief Inspector Pignon Scorbion was craving a challenge—something to engage his sharp intellect. Fortunately, his new post in the British hamlet of Haxford in 1910 delivered just that. A chance reunion with his old acquaintance, barber Calvin Brown, led Scorbion to set up an unconventional detective’s office in Brown’s Barbershop, where an eclectic cast of barbers, a shoeshine man, and a young reporter would help him unravel three peculiar cases.
First, a man claiming to be the heir to a vast fortune needs verification—truth or fraud? Then, the town is thrown into chaos when a circus arrives, bringing a bizarre murder involving a stilt-walking performer and an unfortunate fall into animal dung. Meanwhile, a stolen tomahawk, a kidnapped prize-winning pig, and a murdered farmer may all be connected. With his impeccable fashion sense, meticulous attention to detail, and a flair for the dramatic, Scorbion takes on each mystery with his unique team of barbershop detectives.
Rick Bleiweiss’s Pignon Scorbion & the Barbershop Detectives is a charming, classic British whodunit filled with wit, eccentric characters, and an irresistible sense of fun.
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This sounds like a clever read and a fun one.
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