Narrator: Nathaniel Parker

"A Murderous Ride" is the second in the Bunburry series. I guess it could stand alone, but I'd suggest reading #1 first. It's short anyway, just over 100 pages, so it's not a huge commitment, and that way you'll be introduced to the town and Alfie and have more background going in to this one. Alfie has discovered that in addition to the cottage, he has inherited a 1950s Jaguar. While it does help him remember a moment in his childhood spent with his aunt, he has given up driving for reasons of his own. Between the car and the urging and "helping" of his friend Oscar, we know he'll get back behind the wheel again. But, we have to have a murder, and unluckily for Alfie, his car turns out to be the murder weapon, which makes him the prime suspect. He does get some help as he tries to figure out who the killer actually is. Bunburry is a charming town...

Yes, I picked up Murder at the Mousetrap because of the Agatha Christie and Oscar Wilde references, and that it was on the shorter side. I was pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable it was. Alfie McAlister has retreated from London to the cottage in Bunburry he has inherited from an aunt he barely remembers. We get to meet all the townsfolk along with Alfie, and they are a nicely varied lot. He also gets recruited by the AA, Agatha's Amateurs, who put on The Mousetrap every year. The problem this year is their director is dead, and the death maybe was an accident, since this is a mystery, it's clearly murder. Alfie and two elderly neighbors, Liz and Marge, start investigating, asking questions, visiting people. The dead man was not very nice though, so we've got lots of people with motives, even if the reasons don't seem quite strong enough to lead to murder. It's a fun read. I enjoyed the...