- Paperback: 288 pages
- Publisher: Robinson Publishing (Aug 30 2007)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1845295927
- ISBN-13: 978-1845295929
- Product Dimensions: 19.3 x 13 x 3.6 cm
- Shipping Weight: 272 g
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #640,254 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Set in 1920s Scotland, McPherson's cunning second mystery to feature well-heeled, ballsy and very funny Dandy Gilver, who debuted in After the Armistice Ball (2005), takes Dandy to South Queensferry to help her friend Frederica preside over the Ferry Fair, the local carnival. When the titular Burry Man (played by a local carpenter, Robert Dudgeon, who's actually covered in burrs) drops dead in the midst of the fair, people assume he died of a heart attack, but Dandy suspects foul play. Dudgeon assumed his annual role with inexplicable reluctance, his bereaved widow is acting suspicious and the town temperance advocates objected to the rowdy festival from the start. Charming historical details add an extra something to this altogether satisfying cozy. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Booklist
Dandy Gilver is visiting an old school friend in South Queensferry, Scotland. Her friend, Buttercup, now lives in one of the local castles and is in charge of festivities for the annual Ferry Fair. The walk of the Burry Man, who is covered in greenery and prickly burrs, is a part of the festival. According to the tradition, the burry man strolls through town and, everywhere he stops, is offered a nip of whisky. The town minister, various temperance advocates, and the school principal find the pagan origins and the strong drink offensive. When the Burry Man collapses and dies in full view of all in attendance, people begin to wonder if he has been poisoned. A police investigation finds little, but Dandy, ever curious, starts digging and turns up old feuds and other unsolved crimes. The book has a lively cast of characters and a strong Scottish atmosphere. Cozy readers will enjoy this trip to the Highlands. Sue O'Brien
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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Amazon.com:
4.1 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Charming cozy mystery with droll sense of humor, Feb 14 2007
By Christina Lockstein "Christy's Book Blog" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Burry Man's Day: A Dandy Gilver Murder Mystery (Hardcover)
The Burry Man's Day by Catriona McPherson is the second book in the Dandy Gilver series. I've been reading lots of cozy mysteries that take place in late Victorian to Edwardian times, and this series truly stands out from the pack. Dandy is an upper-class socialite with two boys she's happy to leave in the care of their nanny and a husband she has a tolerant affection for, but she's looking for more out of her life. Nothing too serious though, she is altogether too sophisticated for heavy thought. Dandy is spending a holiday at her friend Buttercup's new castle in Scotland. A local festival involving a Burry Man has become controversial with the advent of the Temperance movement. When the Burry Man drops dead in front of the entire town, Dandy determines to discover who murdered the poor man. McPherson's character are on occasion stereotypes, but she infuses them with such charm that all is forgiven. She has a terrific ear for dialogue, and the witty repastes that fly between characters readily brought a smile to my face. Dandy is always ready with droll and often self-deprecating asides. Her sheer honesty about her ambivalence toward her husband and children is endearing, as awful as that sounds. I became frustrated in the middle of the book when Dandy seemed to be deliberately ignoring a vital clue, but the fast paced climax and unexpected twist at the end more than made up for it. While Dandy is a cozy character, McPherson manages to throw in a few serious elements that are all the more powerful because of the light tone of the book. The book is entirely satisfying and definitely worth the read.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Favorite Dandy So Far, Nov 23 2011
By Jill - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Burry Man's Day: A Dandy Gilver Murder Mystery (Paperback)
This was the first Dandy mystery I read (it's the second of the series) and is still my favorite. Knowing nothing about it but drawn in by the cover art (who wouldn't be, do admit), I brought it along on an overseas flight as my "back up book," not knowing what to expect. Dandy kept me entertained for many a cramped, uncomfortable hour and had me laughing out loud many times. I love original mysteries of the 1920s and 30s, and though there are quite a few modern series set in those decades, I haven't warmed up to any except this one and one other (Phryne Fisher). McPherson's language rings true to the period - and the dialogue never sounds phony or forced. It was like discovering a book from the golden age of mysteries that I'd never read before. The 1920s can be handled badly by some modern writers - verging on parody - but not McPhereson. She shows considerable skill in throwing cocktail parties and giving characters nicknames like Buttercup and a yen for lounging pyjamas without it ever sounding clichéd. It's also intelligent - so while enjoyable and relaxing, it isn't too light, as some neo-`20s mysteries can be (the ones that have to explain any and every literary allusion to be sure we get it).McPherson bestows Dandy with not only wit and wry humor, but also authentic biases of her time and status (upper class, though I wouldn't describe her as an "aristocratic socialite"); I would add that the latter is subtle. I particularly admire the handling of Dandy's relationship with her maid: on one hand it's rather nanny/child, with Dandy, though the employer, either meekly submiting to Grant's wishes or fearing her disapproval (this occasionally has bearing on her detecting). But, Dandy, a woman who has always had a maid, doesn't confuse her employee for a friend; McPherson doesn't draw undue attention to this fact, however.
Of course as soon as I got home I had to look up the Burry Man and found him every bit as scary as Dandy/McPherson describes - nightmares and daymares.
3.0 out of 5 stars
OK addition to the series, Jan 9 2012
By plum9195 "plum9195" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Burry Man's Day: A Dandy Gilver Murder Mystery (Paperback)
O.K. but if this had been the first do not think I would have read a second. Slow moving at times. A bit convoluted and contrived - more so than a usual "cozy".
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