Barnard, an English academic was once the crime writer's crime writer, appreciated for his craft and imagination. Much-lauded by his peers, he never became as famous as others as he seldom used recurring characters or established a long-lasting series in the public's eye. The revival of his books, some years after his death, is to be applauded and The Case of the Missing Bronte reflects Barnard's skill, devious plotting and expertise to best effect (he was a Bronte specialist as well one of the best Agatha Christie experts), when Superintendent Perry Trethowan is stranded in Yorkshire and stumbles upon a mysterious manuscript. A light touch, a smidgeon of humour and as many twists as you can fit into a tight plot make for near perfect, old-fashioned criminal entertainment. Alongside, A Little Local Murder is also being reissued in advance of his other novels, a subtle exercise in small English village mystery shenanigans at its wittiest.
Superintendent Perry Trethowan is returning to London with his wife, Jan, after visiting his difficult family in Northumberland. Driving through the Yorkshire Dales their car breaks down, and they find themselves stranded in a small village for the night. Taking refuge in the local pub for the evening, Perry and Jan are joined by Miss Edith Wing, a seemingly unremarkable woman with an extraordinary document in her possession. Is this really an undiscovered novel by one of the Bronte sisters - sure to be a literary sensation - or simply an extremely clever forgery? What starts out as a harmless diversion for Robert Barnard's determined policeman, turns into a hunt for a vicious attacker, in this classic mystery from a master of the genre.
'You can count on a Barnard mystery being witty, intelligent and a joy to read' Publishers Weekly
'One of our most original and versatile bloodspillers' The Times
'Delicious ... an appetising entertainment' New York Times
Author
About Robert Barnard
Robert Barnard (1936-2013) lived in Leeds, was born in Essex and educated at Balliol. He had a distinguished career as an academic before he became a full-time writer. His first crime novel, Death of an Old Goat, was written while he was professor of English at the University of Tromso in Norway, the world's most northerly university. He was a writer of great versatility, from the light and satirical tone of his earlier books to the more psychological preoccupations of recent ones, such as A Fatal Attachment. Under the name of Bernard Bastable he also wrote novels featuring Mozart as a detective, and is the author of many short stories. He created several detectives, including Perry Trethowan and Charlie Peace. Robert Barnard said he wrote only to entertain. He regarded Agatha Christie as his ideal crime writer and published an appreciation of her work, A Talent to Deceive, as well as books on Dickens, a history of English literature and nearly thirty mysteries. Robert Barnard was the winner of the 2003 CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger Award for a lifetime of achievement.
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