Murder in Haxford, Rick Bleiweiss
Murder in Haxford, Rick Bleiweiss
List: $19.95 | Sale: $13.97
Club: $9.97

Murder in Haxford
A Pignon Scorbion Mystery

Author: Rick Bleiweiss

Narrator: B. J. Harrison

Unabridged: 9 hr 16 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 02/21/2023

Synopsis

Pignon Scorbion is back for the second installment in his bestselling and multi-award-winning historical mystery series! Perfect for fans of Hercule Poirot and Enola Holmes.A delightful day in 1910 at the Haxford Spring Fair turns horrifying and deadly when a balloonist plummets to the earth from the blue skies above. However unlikely, it’s soon discovered that this unfortunate corpse was not done in by his precipitous plunge but instead from an arrow fatally lodged in his chest. Unraveling the twisted web of intrigue that took the man’s life requires the expert skills of Haxford’s brilliant and sartorially splendid Chief Inspector Pignon Scorbion.But the quirky detective is not alone in this task. Aiding Scorbion in his dogged pursuit of truth and justice are his carefully chosen deputies: six quirky and unconventional thinkers from the town who meet regularly with Scorbion in Calvin Brown’s barbershop to unmask ne’er-do-wells and solve local crimes. Since his move to the charming village, the enigmatic detective has also realized his growing dependence upon its bookshop’s owner. Lovely and quick-witted Thelma Smith not only helps Pignon with his criminal cases, but she seems well on her way to unlocking the mysteries of his heart.Not everyone in Haxford is so cooperative. Faustin Hardcastle from the Gazette is bound and determined to ruin the town’s new officer of the law with slanderous news reports of failure and misconduct. And other residents of the picture-perfect village do not welcome the inspector’s inquiring eye and expert nose for trouble. When they engage in decidedly unquaint activities like gambling, revenge, forgery, and loan sharking, it falls to Pignon Scorbion to reveal their deceit and criminal misdeeds—all in a good day’s work. Once done, he and Thelma can then thoroughly enjoy a delicious dinner at the Bridgehouse Inn.

About Rick Bleiweiss

Rick Bleiweiss has crafted the bestselling, award-winning Pignon Scorbion historical mystery series by blending his love of the past with the twisty deliciousness of a whodunit. He has recently also contributed a wonderful story to the mystery anthology Hotel California.Before becoming an author, Rick started his career in music as a rock performer, Grammy-nominated producer (of over fifty records), and record company senior executive, working with Clive Davis, Melissa Etheridge, the Backstreet Boys, Kiss, U2, Whitney Houston, the BeeGees, and other industry legends.Since 2006 as a publishing company executive, he has acquired works by noted authors and celebrities including James Clavell, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Rex Pickett, Al Roker, Dale Brown, Robert Downey Jr., Leon Uris, Catherine Coulter, and P. C. Cast, among many others. Follow Rick & Scorbion at www.RickBleiweiss.com

About B. J. Harrison

It started when he did Muppet impressions at a talent show. He was eight. He killed it. BJ Harrison later became a scenic artist and sculptor for TV and film, where for twenty years, he listened to audiobooks every day. In 2007, when his Classic Tales Podcast hit the scene, listeners were enthusiastic and voracious. The show peaked as the #3 podcast in iTunes (all categories). Pretty soon, Audible came calling to talk about a new program called ACX. Now, over 750 audiobooks later, he continues to impress critics and listeners alike. AudioFile says he narrates with "gusto" and "enthusiasm." Time opts for "soothing." One thing is clear-BJ tempers his formidable narrator toolbox for the task at hand. It's always thrilling to discover where he'll take us next. Awards: Winner: 2 Voice Arts (SOVAS) Awards-2022 (Best Audiobook Narration-Mystery and Outstanding Podcast Host-Arts and Entertainment) Winner: Platinum Award for the Hear Now Audio Theatre Festival 2023 (Best Audiobook-813 by Maurice Leblanc) Winner: Independent Audiobook Award-2021 (General Fiction-Scaramouche by Raphael Sabatini) Winner: 2 w3 Awards-2021 (Gold), 2022 (Silver) by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts. (General Series-Education)

Reviews

Goodreads review by Angel on February 26, 2023

Murder in Haxford is a delightful cozy mystery. It's a little slower in pace than I'm used to for a cozy, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment. I didn't realize this was book 2 (it's scary how often I tend to start a series out of order lately 🤣) BUT within the first few chapters I had a prett......more

Goodreads review by Susan on July 11, 2023

Pignon Scorbion has only been chief inspector of the police in Hexford, a quiet little village, for a few months, when a balloonist at the town fair is killed by an arrow. No sooner does he solve this crime, with the help of an oddly assorted group he's deputized (including the local barber and the......more

Goodreads review by Lavender on March 24, 2024

This book is #2 in the series and I remembered that I really liked the first one. You might find the dialogue strange at first but I appreciate how it makes the mystery easy to follow by saying everything out loud. (view spoiler)[I was surprised that the mystery was already solved even though there were several ch (hide spoiler)]......more

Goodreads review by Jean on February 20, 2023

Pignon Scorbion is settling nicely into the position of Chief Inspector in Haxford. After solving several crimes with the assistance of six of the town’s citizens, he has now deputized them. Calvin is the local barber, whose shop Scorbion uses for his suspects’ interviews. He is joined by several of......more

Goodreads review by Janet on July 06, 2023

I have several criticisms of this book. The writing was choppy, uneven, rough. A grammatical error persisted through the entire book which drove me crazy. Who/whoever vs whom/whomever. I think only one time was the correct word used. Most people misuse who/whoever and use it when the correct word wo......more

Quotes

“If there was a murder at Downton Abbey, Pignon Scorbion would be right at home investigating the crime. A perfect period piece to cozy up with and match wits with the nattily attired Chief of Police.” Al Roker, TV personality and bestselling author

“Fans of detective fiction take note: filled with wit, charm, and cunning, Rick Bleiweiss’s Pignon Scorbion series should be at the top of everyone’s list of suspects. I loved Murder in Haxford.” Andrew Child, #1 international bestselling author of Jack Reacher and numerous other books

“Pignon is in fine fettle in this whodunit in England of 1910. As always, Bleiweiss challenges the reader to try to keep pace. Don’t miss this fun read.” Catherine Coulter, author of Reckoning

“Pignon Scorbion is back in Murder in Haxford—a captivating and effortlessly charming return to the golden age of detective fiction. Fans of the genre will find Rick Bleiweiss firing on all cylinders with deft plotting, rich characters, and the heart-pounding twists that are the hallmark of a true master. It is not to be missed.” Joshua Hood, bestselling author of the Treadstone Series

“Murder in Haxford, Rick Bleiweiss’s sophomore entry in the Pignon Scorbion series, fleshes out Inspector Scorbion in a more expansive way and brings him even more three-dimensionally to life, rooting him now in our literary unconscious. After a sparkling debut, Bleiweiss has exceeded expectations in this second book and hoisted it to new heights with this exquisitely wrought page-turner. Plying his trade in the cozy mystery, Bleiweiss may be one of the few writers in this genre conceivably possessed of genius.” Rex Pickett, bestselling author of Sideways and The Archivist

“Murder in Haxford is another delightful romp through Edwardian England as Chief Inspector Pignon Scorbion and a colorful cast of supporting characters grapple with murder and mayhem. Author Rick Bleiweiss conjures up a gentler, more civilized era—an age when even brutal crimes can be solved by keen intellect, close observation, and a shrewd appreciation of human nature. Bravo!” Patrick Larkin, New York Times bestselling coauthor of Red Phoenix

“Murder in Haxford, book two in the Pignon Scorbion series by the talented Rick Bleiweiss, is such an exciting escape! The mysteries will leave you breathless, as the focus of suspects changes rapidly. You’ll be flipping pages trying to help Pignon figure out, ‘whodunnit!’ The characters are fascinating and believable, and the descriptions of the town of Haxford during Edwardian England will make you want to jump through time! I could hear the clip-clop of horses on the cobblestone streets! You don’t want to miss this one! Absolutely delightful!” Beth Albright, USA Today bestselling author

“Death by arrow? Poison? And art forgeries? It truly takes a Holmes type of detective to solve the crime. A brilliant investigator, Pignon Scorbion, looks for means, motive, and opportunity. With twists and turns, he finds the culprit and solves the crime. A great story by Rick Bleiweiss!” Don Bruns, USA Today bestselling author and editor of Hotel California

“Rick Bleiweiss is a magnificent storyteller who occupies two worlds, those of the golden age of the detective story led by Agatha Christie, John Dickson Carr, Rex Stout, and the heirs such as Anthony Horowitz, P. D. James, and Alexander McCall Smith. His two books, Pignon Scorbion & the Barbershop Detectives and Murder in Haxford, are the best of these two worlds of crime fiction and make for compulsive reading. We live in an uncertain world in many respects, even to the extent where the writer you read yesterday might try something so different that’ll leave you scratching your head and asking why change a unique recipe that works. What better way is there to spend an evening than with two books that have the creativity of a Monet, the consistency of a Swiss clock, and atmosphere of a film by Welles.”  Andrew F. Gulli, author and managing editor of Strand Magazine

“The second novel in [Bleiweiss’s] series of parody/pastiches of golden-age detective stories…this one is great fun.” Booklist

Awards

  • Barnes & Noble Favorite Indie Book
  • BookBub Editors' Pick
Add to Cart
Add to Wish List