In the Crypt with a Candlestick cover art

In the Crypt with a Candlestick

‘An irresistible champagne bubble of pleasure and laughter' Rachel Johnson

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In the Crypt with a Candlestick

By: Daisy Waugh
Narrated by: Penelope Rawlins
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LONGLISTED FOR THE COMEDY WOMEN IN PRINT AWARD

'Sharp, funny . . . the best sort of murder mystery' Tatler

'A perfect antidote to all the real-life craziness going on' Daily Mail

Sir Ecgbert Tode of Tode Hall has survived to a grand old age - much to the despair of his younger wife, Emma. But at ninety-three he has, at last, shuffled off the mortal coil.

Emma, Lady Tode, thoroughly fed up with being a dutiful Lady of the Manor, wants to leave the country to spend her remaining years in Capri. Unfortunately her three tiresome children are either unwilling or unable (too mad, too lefty or too happy in Australia) to take on management of their large and important home, so the mantle passes to a distant relative and his glamorous wife.

Not long after the new owners take over, Lady Tode is found dead in the mausoleum. Accident? Or is there more going on behind the scenes of Tode Hall than an outsider would ever guess....?

In the traditions of two great but very different British writers, Agatha Christie and P.G. Wodehouse, Waugh's hilarious and entirely original twist on the country house murder mystery comes complete with stiff upper lips, even stiffer drinks, and any stiffs that might embarrass the family getting smartly brushed under the carpet...

What everyone's saying about In the Crypt with a Candlestick...

'I couldn't put it down' Santa Montefiore

'Deliciously entertaining' Andrew Wilson

'An irresistible champagne bubble of pleasure and laughter' Rachel Johnson

'A perfect antidote to wintry gloom' The Literary Review

'What a triumph!' Antonia Fraser

'A masterclass in how to write a rollicking good read' Sarah Vine

'A jolly farce that never takes itself too seriously' Red Magazine

'Fizzles, crackles and sparkles' Elizabeth Buchan

'A work of sublime silliness' Simon Brett

'An effervescent madcap whodunnit' Metro

'A marvellous rollicking read' Mary Killen

'She's skewered her targets brilliantly' Imogen Edwards-Jones©2020 Daisy Waugh Amateur Sleuths Detective Fiction International Mystery & Crime Mystery Women Sleuths Women's Fiction Witty Suspense
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Critic reviews

Fans of PG Wodehouse and Agatha Christie should bag this madcap comedy whodunnit . . . Outrageous and over-the-top, a perfect antidote to all real-life craziness going on
It's sharp, funny and just the right amount of farcical - the best sort of murder mystery
I couldn't put it down (Santa Montefiore)
What a triumph! It gave me enormous pleasure to read, plus of course a few appropriate shudders. [In the Crypt] lightens the darkness in a way that is both dark and light (Antonia Fraser)
An irresistible champagne bubble of pleasure and laughter (Rachel Johnson)
Agatha Christie but with a bit of Julian Fellowes's Snobs and Downtown Abbey thrown in . . . A masterclass in how to write a rollicking good read (Sarah Vine)
A jolly farce that never takes itself too seriously
Fizzles, crackles and sparkles
An irresistible, high-camp crime caper - deliciously entertaining
A perfect antidote to wintry gloom
An effervescent madcap whodunnit
A country-house murder mystery with nods to Agatha Christie and Evelyn Waugh. From the deceased's name (Sir Ecgbert Tode of Tode Hall) to the art deco cover, it's a delightful treat
A work of sublime silliness. The knife-edge between crime and comedy is a tricky one, but Daisy Waugh negotiates it magnificently. The story is preposterous, as it should be in a book of this kind, and the author is clearly less interested in the finer points of crime plotting than she is in sharp observations and social satire. The result is a delightful book, witty, pacy and beautifully written.
This is a marvellous rollicking read with brilliantly drawn characters. I finished it within 24 hours (Mary Killen)
She's spot on; she's skewered her targets brilliantly (Imogen Edwards-Jones)
One imagines that Waugh had nearly as much fun writing it as we do reading it
This whodunnit, set in a twisted version of PG Wodehouse's terrain, is deeply funny
All stars
Most relevant
A Great fun story. Not the most complex whodunnit but brilliantly read by one of the best voice artits on audible. Clearly does her work before recording. The story is whimsical and funny with some delightfully surprising plot developments. The well rounded characters are completely potty and it shall be a delight to hear other adventures of the Tode family.

Nutty whodunnit with Superb narration..

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Well narrated and fun to listen. Quite lightweight but good fun. I didn't guess the ending which is always a plus.

A jolly romp

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This is a great book that I enjoyed very much. Absolutely hilarious. I did not guess the murderer because of some sneaky red herrings

In the cryp with a candlestick

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Characters were interesting and well performed, but it took quite a while to get going and then the end felt rushed with what I felt was a decision to make the murderer not one of the obvious suspects, but anyone else would do. But ok for holiday listening.

Funny murder story

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In this story Daisy Waugh very much carries on in the same vein as her grandfather and Wodehouse. Very well narrated. Felt the ending was a bit flat.

A chip off the old block.

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