Lord Burford had some serious misgivings about hosting yet another house party at Alderley. After all, the previous two could, at best, be described as disastrous. But with family members travelling down for the funeral of an elderly relative, the Earl really had no choice but to offer accommodation. It did not take long for things to go wrong even before a body was found. For readers who want the twist in the tale to be as elegant as a well-tied cravat, it would be criminal to miss The Affair of the Thirty-Nine Cufflinks.

Lord Burford had some misgivings about hosting another house party. At the last two parties, a couple of guests had been bumpedoff. But his guests need somewhere to stay, so he doesn't have much choice. Things soon start to go wrong.

The Earl of Burford hosts a collection of relatives who have arrived for the funeral of an elderly relative, but the murder of a guest (and potential blackmailer) embroils them all in Chief Inspector Wilkins's investigation.

The Earl of Burford can't believe his luck; Rex Ransom, his favourite star from the 'talkies', and his hot-shot producer, Haggermeir, want to film their next feature at Alderley, the family's seventeenth-century country estate. Somewhat less enthusiastic is the Countess, who suddenly finds herself hosting an impromptu house party for the incoming Hollywood crowd. It's almost too much for poor Merryweather, the family's imperturbable butler, to cope with. And that's before there's a murder in the dead of night. By morning Inspector Wilkins of the Westshire Constabulary is cast in the unlikely role of hero, as he tiptoes through the evidence and endeavours to unravel the slightly batty, thoroughly baffling mystery.and work out just what a mutilated mink coat has to do with anything.

'A triumph of ingenuity. Excellent escapism' Sunday Telegraph - The Affair of the Bloodstained Egg cozy The theft of the diamond necklace and the antique pistols might all be explained, but the body in the lake - that really was a puzzle. For Inspector Wilkins, it was going to take some intricate sleuthing to uncover who killed whom and why. - The Affair of the Mutilated Mink An impromtu Hollywood party at the Alderley country estateprove too much for the family's butler, Merryweather. And that's before the murder in the middle of the night... - The Affair of the Thirty-Nine Cufflinks When Lord Burford reluctantly agrees to host his relatives at Alderley, he soon finds out that family can be murder. It isn't long before Inspector Wilkins has to be called in ... yet again. 'If you half-close your eyes you can almost smell Poirot or Miss Marple shuffling through the pages' Daily Sport

The theft of the diamond necklace and the antique pistols might all be explained, but the body in the lake is particularly puzzling. 'Don't expect me to solve anything,' Inspector Wilkins announces modestly when he arrives to sort out the unpleasantness. And at a gathering that includes English aristocracy, foreign agents in disguise, a ravishing baroness, a daring jewel thief, a Texan millionaire and, of course, the redoubtable butler, it would take some intricate sleuthing to uncover who killed whom and why. For whodunnit fans who prefer their villains to be nice and refined people, the sort who quote Shakespeare and knock off their nearest and dearest between rubbers of bridge, The Affair of the Bloodstained Egg Cosy is a delectable treat.

HISTORICAL MYSTERIES. Included in this omnibus edition is The affair of the bloodstained egg cosy, Mutilated mink, and Thirty-nine cufflinks. A charming and quirky blend of Agatha Christie, PG Wodehouse and Nancy Mitford. A delightful take on the 1930s country house mystery.