Nancy Spain

L'anglaise Nancy Spain (1917-1964) a écrit un certain nombre de comédies policières. Je ne la connaissais pas mais Virago vient de rééditer un de ses romans et s'apprête à en publier d'autres l'année prochaine.

J'ai commandé Death on skis, je pense m'y attaquer pendant mes vacances

Citation :

'Her detective novels are hilarious. They are high camp and less about detecting than delighting, with absurd farce and a wonderful turn of phrase . . . Nancy Spain was bold, she was brave, she was funny, she was feisty. '


Miriam Birdseye is daring, brilliant - and a long way from The Ivy. Our dashing heroine, a famous revue artist, takes to the slopes with her coterie of admirers. Champagne flows and wherever Miriam goes she leaves a trail of gossip in her wake.

Fellow ski-resort guests include the celebrated Russian ex-ballerina, Natasha Nevkorina, whose beauty is matched only by her languor, Natasha's burly husband, nightclub owner Johnny DuVivien, and the wealthy Flahertes, a family who have made their money importing scents: handsome playboy Barney, his wife Regan, their two obnoxious children and the governess, Rosalie. Unbeknownst to Regan, Barney's mistress, a film star, is also there with her husband.

When secrets start to unravel, tensions rise, and soon amateur sleuths Miriam and Natasha have not one but two murders to solve. In the hands of Nancy Spain, for whom farce and humour are a lot more fun than a conventional detective novel, the result is a deliciously wild ride.

Poison for teacher, qui sort au printemps prochain, me tente bien aussi :

Citation :

A nasty attack of murder has broken out at Radcliff Hall, a Sussex girls' boarding school. Enter, in the unlikely guise of schoolteachers, two unorthodox detectives: revue-star Miriam Birdseye and the Russian ballerina, Natasha Nevkorina.

Virago va aussi publier son autobiographie :

J'avais vu passer cette couverture magnifique et donc je l'avais enregistré sur insta.
Hâte d'avoir ton avis du coup !

Poison Teacher sort le 22 avril chez Virago :

Citation :

Miriam Birdseye, ex-revue star and now professional sleuth, is intrigued when the headmistress of Radcliff Hall arrives at her Baker Street detective agency. A series of bizarre stunts that at first seemed like pranks have taken a sinister turn, and since Mis Lipscoomb found her gym rope half sawn through, she's begun to fear not only for her school, but for her life.

This is how Miriam and her friend, Russian ballerina Natasha Nevkorina, find themselves on board the train to a Sussex girls' school, in the unlikely guise of teachers. Before long the detective duo uncovers a blackmail plot, infidelity and a dizzying array of school schisms. When an actor is poisoned during the school play, can they discover the culprit before the body count rises?

From the pen of Nancy Spain, for whom farce and humour are a lot more fun than a conventional detective novel, the result is a deliciously wild ride.

Je suis complètement fan des couvertures ! J'aime bien les romans policiers, je me laisserai peut-être tenter (ma PAL pleure )