Barking Mad
by Jamieson Ridenhour
Genre: Historical Paranormal Comedic Mystery
Publication: June 6th, 2011 by Typecast Publishing
Audiobook purchased by reviewer
Amazon (Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle, Audiobook), Typecast Publishing
Synopsis from goodreads
The year is 1931.
The scene is werewolfishly classic English fare.
And tonight the moon hangs as full as a royal pie plate in this inaugural Reginald Spiffington mystery when the none too obsequious playboy, Reggie, sets out for a delectably long weekend at Huffsworthy Hall to assist his dear friend, Moony, in his failing endeavor to take the hand of his lady-love and to partake in the culinary talents of the genius chef running the kitchen.
With no one reason more important than the next, he’ll be off straight after breakfast.
Reggie’s itinerary for the weekend turns abruptly less toothsome when he decides to solve the unexpected murder of another of the Hall’s guests, a guest whose luggage is secretly packed full of nefarious plans. Soon, all Huffsworthy’s inhabitants are potential suspects, including Reggie’s saucy, quick-witted love-interest, Mimsy Borogrove.
Aided by his invaluable valet, Pelham, and armed only with his knowledge of detective novels and a newly acquired set of keener, canine senses, Reggie sets out to find the killer before another meal falls to ruin.
Review
People who follow my reviews will not be surprised at all when I say I am an enormous fan of historical fiction. There’s just something about being whisked away to a different time, preferably one in which women wore pretty dresses and men adhered to society bound forms of manners. *sigh* I’m all about the easy thrill of the well-to-do out to have fun and adventure!
So when I learned about Jamieson Ridenhour’s paranormal mystery set in 1930s England, I bought the book at once, ready to leap into the pampered world of British toffs! And I’m happy to report this book is a thoroughly enjoyable romp through the era of swell clothes and high society.
The main character, Reginald Spiffington, is a delight! He’s handsome and he’s rich but he’s also a total flake! One wonders how he would possibly survive without his valet, Pelham, and I have to admit, I don’t think he could. Still his silliness makes him endearing and is key to the humor of this very funny story. He’s the flamboyant silly boy to Pelham’s straight man; a dynamic Mr. Ridenhour exploits to perfection.
And then, of course, they’re Pelham, whom I adored. Drier than a martini from Dorothy Parker’s Algonquin Room and just as witty as the woman herself, Pelham is the perfect foil to silly Reggie. It is through Pelham that we get nearly all the pertinent information in this book, whether it be about the murder that occurs in Huffsworthy Hall or Reggie’s unfortunate run in with Werewolves or merely the state of mind of Reggie’s blustering uncle. Pelham is a superbly written character and one, along with his employer, I hope to read more about.
In addition the the wonderful characters in this book, there’s a very good, Agatha Christie style who-done-it to solve. I must admit, I thought I would figure this one out early (as harebrained as our lead detective, Reggie, is) but Mr. Ridenhour kept me guessing nearly to the end with plenty of clevery turned misdirections. In fact, I suspected a few of the characters, only to have my suspicions dashed and rekindled in the same chapter. Very fun stuff!
Bottom Line
This book was just pure enjoyment! It’s fun, it’s well written and the characters are just a dream! Do yourself a favor and pick this book up!!
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first found out that Jamie was the narrator of his own audiobook, but I am an ENORMOUS fan of audiobooks and it was only $10 so that was an easy choice. Jamie’s voice is inspired! I loved listening to this story and would sneak back to it at every possible moment. The way he brought Reggie and Pelham and the other wonderful characters in this book to life was just a delight! This is an EXCELLENT option you should definitely consider!
Final Notes
Today is the first day Jamie’s tour for Barking Mad and I couldn’t be more excited about this!
Tuesday, February 7th – A Casual’s Reader Blog
Wednesday, February 8th – Evie Bookish
Thursday, February 9th – My Bookish Way’s
Friday, February 10th – Bewitched Bookworms
Now go and get lost…in a book!
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This sounds fantastic! Wish it was available on Kindle. Just out of curiosity – how many "historical paranormal comedic mysteries" do you think there are?! It's a very specific genre…
My recent post The Ferret
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Hi Farah–
I actually got an email from my editor on Friday–we should have a Kindle edition ready to go very soon. I'll announce it for certain on my website, and I'm sure the publisher's site will trumpet it.
My recent post Prizes! Fun! Books! Spiffington!
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Great news. Thanks for the update Jamieson. Will keep an eye out for it.
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I loved Barking Mad! I might be a little biased since I know Jamie in Real Life, but I was Pretty Sure it was very good anyway! Nice to see such a positive review from a more objective source. So happy that you enjoyed it, and so glad for Jamie that his work is well-received. 🙂
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Thanks for your kind words, Pushy Fox. And I'm really glad you liked the audiobook. I had a great time narrating it.
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That is a great review! God you set the bar high when you start the tour with a review like this!! I'm glad my review comes much later in the month! Ridenhour is a genius though!
Heather
My recent post Review-Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley
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Genius? Is that you, mom?
My recent post Prizes! Fun! Books! Spiffington!
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I'm not a HUGE fan of historical fiction but I do enjoy them. I hadn't heard of this one before it sounds pretty neat and I'm big on characters so I think I'd like this!
Giselle
Xpresso Reads
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[…] If you haven’t read just how much I loved this book, you can check my review out here. […]