Dandy Gilver and the Proper Treatment of Bloodstains

Agatha Christie meets Upstairs, Downstairs in McPherson's charming fifth interwar whodunit featuring Edinburgh sleuth Dandy Gilver (after 2008's The Winter Ground). One morning the aristocratic detective opens a letter from Walburga Balfour, who writes, "My husband is going to kill me, and I would rather he didn't." Walburga goes on to ask that Dandy show up at her house under the guise of seeking employment as her maid, to keep her husband in the dark. At their meeting, Walburga persuades Dandy to assume the servant's position as a means of protecting her. Soon after Dandy starts working downstairs, a murder in the house brings the police into the matter. Since an impending transit strike has spread the authorities thin, Superintendent Hardy relies on Dandy for help in solving the crime. The solution may disappoint some, but fans of Phryne Fisher and Maisie Dobbs will be satisfied. (Aug.)