The In Crowd

Name: The In Crowd
Brand: Penguin Random House
Availability: InStock
Author: Charlotte Vassell
ISBN: 9780593869246

Author: Charlotte Vassell

Series: Detective Inspector Caius Beauchamp #2

Narrator: Damian Lynch, Genevieve Gaunt

Unabridged: 10 hr 41 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Random House Audio

Published: 08/06/2024

Categories: Fiction, Suspense & Thriller, Crime, Mystery & Detective, Police Procedural

Synopsis

An electrifying, whip-smart whodunit about the dastardly misbehavior of London's high society—where being "in" or "out" can be a life-and-death matter

NOMINATED FOR THE EDGAR AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL

In the garden of a large Georgian villa in Southwest London, socialites and politicos swap gossip and sip Pimm's while making snide remarks at each other. Not far from this frivolity, though, a body has been discovered in the River Thames. At first, it appears to be an unfortunate accident, but the death is connected to this gathering of who's who in a way that may spell scandal.

Meanwhile, Detective Inspector Caius Beauchamp, attempting to enjoy an evening at the theatre, is shocked to discover another dead body, just a few seats away. The death is linked to the decades-old disappearance of a fourteen-year-old girl at a boarding school in Cornwall. Now Caius has two cases on his plate, but if he wants the resources to solve the tragic mystery of the girl's disappearance, he will have to take new orders from a shadowy government minister who contends that the accidental drowning in the Thames was anything but.

As Caius, along with his associates Matt Cheung and Amy Noakes, investigates these parallel cases, he plunges into the exclusive world of money, title, and power as only England can dish it up, where justice is available only to the privileged.

About The Author

CHARLOTTE VASSELL is a British writer living near London. She studied history at the University of Liverpool and Art History at SOAS, University of London, before training as an actor. She has also worked in advertising, executive search, and as a purveyor of silk top hats.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Ceecee

4-5 stars If you like mystery/thrillers which are just a bit different, are quirky and with plenty of good humour then check out Charlotte Vassel’s Caius Beauchamp series. It’s the last Saturday in August and eight somewhat muscular chaps are doing their weekly row on the Thames at Richmond. This par......more

Goodreads review by Kate

The second outing for Charlotte Vassell's immensely likeable detective Caius Beauchamp and his small but effective crew - Matt and Amy. The In Crowd takes us back into the world of the upper classes and those who aspire to greatness. But it's a distinctly murky world. This time we throw politicians i......more

Goodreads review by Lost

This is the very best book I have read this year. Firstly the author writes people you know. Not necessarily the rich but everyone knows Caius or Matt or even Amy. The way their friendship is written means that this book is beautiful, Vassell could have written those characters and then written her g......more

Goodreads review by Kate (booksmartkate)

Many thanks to PRH Audio for an advanced listening copy of the second book in the Detective Inspector Caius Beauchamp series. Below is my honest review. Detective Inspector Caius Beauchamp returns, working two unusual cold cases. First, a dead body found in the Themes is that of a person who disappea......more

Quotes

“[A] smart, provocative novel. . . . Vassell perfectly constructs a classic crime procedural against a backdrop of racism, sexism, and classism. Beauchamp is a winning character readers will adore. . . . Readers don’t need to have read The Other Half to enjoy this intriguing novel, but reading both is as satisfying as pairing a cup of Earl Grey and a lavender biscuit. In the final pages, Vassell lays the groundwork for a third installment that promises to be as enjoyable as the ones that preceded it. A stellar sophomore outing for an intriguing detective.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Detective Caius Beauchamp returns in Vassell’s inventive second mystery chronicling the bad behavior of England’s upper crust. . . . Caius’s quirky investigative partners, Matt Chung and Amy Noakes, also return, and the interplay among the three is even richer than in the previous entry. Vassell has wicked fun shifting narrators and timelines, and her satire remains sharp.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Vassell delivers an amusing and substantive rom-com-flavored mystery as Beauchamp, stood up by his Tinder date, meets an alluring woman at a fringe theatrical production where a man sitting in their row unceremoniously dies. . . . Readers of The In Crowd should find both cold cases resolved to their satisfaction. . . . [A] droll and meaty series.”
—Shelf Awareness