The Cozy Mystery List Blog

Cozy Mystery (and Other Favorite) Books, Movies, and TV

Charlotte MacLeod: Peter Shandy Mystery Series

Well, still “tis the season”, so to speak, so I hope you aren’t all quite sick of the holiday yet, as  I felt like revisiting an old personal favorite, and it seemed particularly appropriate to discuss one that started with a Christmas entry. With that in mind, I decided to revisit Charlotte MacLeod‘s Peter Shandy Mystery Series, specifically the first book, Rest You Merry.

Peter Shandy, tenured professor of horticulture at Balaclava Agricultural College doesn’t have quite the same idea of holiday cheer as his neighbors, as the college regularly holds a large public tourist attraction in an attempt to raise money for the college’s regular operation, clashing with Shandy’s love of a quiet holiday with a few relatives or close friends. So when he’s once again asked to contribute to the festive atmosphere, he snaps, hiring a company to install a grand, gaudy display intended to annoy rather than entertain… then immediately leaving town for a holiday cruise. But when the ship breaks down unexpectedly, he returns early to find a local librarian (and busybody) dead in his living room, apparently of an accident after breaking in to dismantle parts of Shandy’s display. Naturally, the police take the accident at face value, but Shandy (a somewhat obsessive individual) thinks there are a few details that don’t add up, and decides to look into it on his own.

The setting of a small academic community is an interesting parallel to the traditional English village more common in Cozies, and shares a number of traits in common that make both excellent sites for a murder mystery. Both are small, insular communities, where everyone knows everyone else, and all too often know one another’s dark secrets. Likewise, big, vibrant characters seem natural encounters in both settings, and this series certainly has plenty of those to enjoy. Shandy himself proves to be a clever, detail-oriented investigator who reminds me in many ways of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot – always a good thing! Indeed, many details of the series remind me of the “classic” Cozies of old, though this is much later than most of the “golden age” Cozies, with this entry written in the late 1970s.

One particular interesting thing that came to mind was how a book can change as it ages. I originally read this book years ago (probably decades…), and many of the things that I likely took for granted as normal then now strike me as being more than a bit odd. The most obvious is that whenever Shandy goes into someone’s house, the host seems interested in plying him with hard alcohol, often quite early in the day. It seems like he can’t get through a visit to any of his neighbors without one of them thrusting a glass full of bourbon into his hands. Admittedly, it might be that it’s the holidays, so a bit more “festivity” is socially acceptable, but it still seems a bit out of place now!

It’s also worth noting how some things have changed, which might be good or bad depending on your perspective. Peter Shandy is investigating a crime. He doesn’t sit down to crochet, or bake a cake, or operate his small business for a day or two between interviewing potential suspects and witnesses. This might put some people off, considering the modern Cozy’s love of hobby activities (which I do also love!), but there’s also something to be said for a mystery novel that is first and foremost about the mystery.

All told, I remember this as being a great start to a classic series by an author I’ve pretty much always enjoyed, and this most recent re-read did not disappoint. If you’re looking for a Cozy with great setting and characters, and the mystery being the most important part of the book, Rest You Merry is a great book to pick up.

Click here to read more posts about the most popular and recommended Cozy Mystery series.

Comments

  3. I am inspired to download the Audible edition of GOD REST YOU MERRY and take it along with me on my next car trip. Thank you!

    Reply

  4. Social mores. I loved the Peter Shandy mysteries (in fact, I think I need to reread them, myself) and yeah, they did imbibe. I also loved the Lockridges, and on rereading, I was struck by the smoking. But those were common elements of society, and I don’t let them get in the way of the mysteries. They were great stories, and still are!

    Reply

  6. I’m definitely picking this book up! It sounds like something I’d enjoy…even without a cat, ghost or recipe in sight. Yes, there is much to be said for a simple mystery without a theme, although I’ve never personally read a book that wouldn’t be the better for the right cat!

    Reply

  7. Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and Happy New Year to all. As to Rest You Merry, it remains one of my all time favorite books. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve reread it! In fact I love the whole Peter Shandy series. Charlotte MacLeod’s other series, as well as writing as Alisa Craig, are all among my keepers, But Peter and Balaclava college rule. I wish she had written many more.

    Reply

  8. I’d love to see the Kelling/Bittersohn mysteries adapted for Hallmark or Lifetime or something like that. Sort of like the old Hart to Hart series! It’s difficult to find film adaptations of classic cozy mysteries these days. My local PBS station used to air Miss Marple & Poirot, among others, regularly, but alas, no more. Sorry for going a bit off topic, I saw the name Charlotte MacLeod and it brought good memories to mind! 🙂

    Reply

  10. Oh thank you for the reminder. I had totally forgotten about this series. I definitely will start this series again as a great way of ending the year.

    Reply

  12. Your post brings back memories of many happy hours of reading Charlotte MacLeod mysteries. I enjoyed her stories and her quirky characters. I think my favorites were those set in Boston that featured Sarah and Max but they were all fun reads. Thanks for making me smile.

    Reply

  13. I read these books, when I was a preteen and teenager in the early 80’s! I loved this series because as you noted they are well written and my Grandma was the one who got me started on the series by buying me a copy of one of her books. The writer I mean. 😉 🙂

    Reply

  14. The Shandy mysteries are my “go to” comfort series in times of stress. This summer I imbibed all of them, chronologically, of course. Less caloric than dark chocolate, less dibilitating than alcohol, but full of chortles and the occasional giggle. I agree that the Sarah Kelling would be boffo scripted, as would Dorothy Cannell’s Ellie Haskell books. Classic cozies that hold up to multiple reads; wonderful to know others love them still too.

    Reply

  15. Had to laugh at your observation regarding the conspicuous consumption of alcohol. It brought to mind the first time I watched the Nick and Nora Charles movies – Dashiell Hammett’s (in)famous crime solving socialites of the 1930s & 40s – I was a youngster when I discovered them, and I was stunned at the constant presence of a cocktail in one hand and a cigarette in the other, it was as if the characters simply couldn’t function without one, no matter what the hour or occasion. A cocktail upon waking? But of course, m’dear!

    Reply

    • Lethe, that’s definitely the sort of thing I mean! Well, at least for the socialites it feels more natural than it does for the academics, at least for me – though I’ll admit I’ve not spent much time in academic social circles.

      Reply

    • At 65 years of age, I vividly remember the “cocktail parties” of my parents and their friends. It was just…the norm at that time, and not unusual at all for children in the home to be present to some degree or another, and occasionally pass out food. Rarely drink, not because of ethical issues, but because of the danger of spilling!

      Reply

  16. Love Love Love Charlotte MacLeod! I have read and reread and reread them all more times than I can count! And this one is the one I originally started on. It’s my Christmas tradition to read it every year!

    Reply

  17. I read the whole series and loved all the books. I met Charlotte MacLeod at a book signing and she was laughing, saying that if one noticed, the size of the college was shrinking and expanding with each book. I loved the fun that she had with names, several characters named after Scandinavian mythology, Balaclava college, his research on rutabaga. Yes, the books need to be read in their sequence as new characters and relations were developed – if memory serves. I also liked McLeod’s other series – Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn.

    Reply

    • Hanna, I also enjoyed the Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn series. I actually started with that series, but once I read Rest You Merry I made sure to read MacLeod’s Peter Shandy series first. I still haven’t finished her Madoc Rhys series, but have all the books on my Kindle waiting and ready…

      Reply

  18. I’m about halfway through Rest You Merry and I have to thank you again for the recommendation! These characters are literally making me laugh out loud! I can’t wait to read the rest of the series as well as her other series.

    Reply

  19. Excellent blog post Danna. I am going to read this series. I really liked the premise here. I didn’t know about this author. Thank you so much for the introduction. ?

    Reply

  20. I went on holiday to Boston from Scotland in part to visit Beacon Hill, home of the Kellings, and found as I toured the city places and things which had sparked elements in her books. I too reread authors as a safe place to go, and I love Charlotte MacLeod – her inventiveness, humanity, decency, humour- I think she had a ball writing her books and I wish I could have met her.

    Reply

  21. I recently reread my copy of “Rest You Merry” and loved it so much I pleaded with my husband to get me the entire series for Christmas. I told him I would love hardcover with dustcovers but library style was fine and didn’t have to be in perfect condition. I knew he would take the challenge of finding the right book sellers and ended up getting free shipping as well and excellent prices. Yes he bought me all nine copies to complete the ten book series and I love Charlotte MacLeod and her style of writing. Almost done with the second book and can’t wait to read them all. Now I will enjoy your comments and see if I should collect a second series by her.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Please don't tell us about Cozy Mystery authors or books you don't enjoy.

Please use a nickname or your first name and last initial (unless you are an author and want your full name to appear).

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

MENU