Pignon Scorbion & the Barbershop Detectives

Rick Bleiweiss

Feb 2022 · Blackstone Publishing

About this ebook

For fans of Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot, author Rick Bleiweiss’s quirky new detective and ensemble cast of characters set against the backdrop of small-town England in the 1910s will feel both comfortingly familiar and thrillingly new.

The year is 1910, and in the small and seemingly sleepy English market town of Haxford, there’s a new police Chief Inspector. At first, the dapper and unflappable Pignon Scorbion strikes something of an odd figure among the locals, who don’t see a need for such an exacting investigator. But it isn’t long before Haxford finds itself very much in need of a detective.

Luckily, Scorbion and the local barber are old acquaintances, and the barbershop employs a cast of memorable characters who—together with an aspiring young ace reporter for the local Morning News—are nothing less than enthralled by the enigmatic new police Chief Inspector.

Investigating a trio of crimes whose origins span three continents and half a century, Pignon Scorbion and his “tonsorial sleuths” interview a parade of interested parties, but with every apparent clue, new surprises come to light. And just as it seems nothing can derail Scorbion’s cool head and almost unerring nose for deduction, in walks Thelma Smith—dazzling, whip-smart, and newly single.

Has Pignon Scorbion finally met his match?

Ratings and reviews

detective-fiction, England, assistant-sleuths, eccentric, 1910s***** A new detective transfers to the municipality of Haxford, and the only person who is well acquainted (and awed by) him is the town barber. Scorbion soon assembles assistant sleuths (one goes on to become a reporter under Scorbion's tutelage) from the ranks of the shop's regulars and even proves that the town drunk is a very astute observer. Enter a short series of mysteries which Scorbion solves with attention to fine detail ( amassed by his willing assistants) and deductive logic. Good first in series! I got hooked by the publisher's blurb and it did not disappoint. Fun characters! I requested and received a free ebook copy from Blackstone Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you!

About the author

Rick Bleiweiss has crafted the bestselling, award-winning Pignon Scorbion historical mystery series by blending his love of the past with the twisty deliciousness of a whodunit. He has recently also contributed a wonderful story to the mystery anthology Hotel California.Before becoming an author, Rick started his career in music as a rock performer, Grammy-nominated producer (of over fifty records), and record company senior executive, working with Clive Davis, Melissa Etheridge, the Backstreet Boys, Kiss, U2, Whitney Houston, the BeeGees, and other industry legends.Since 2006 as a publishing company executive, he has acquired works by noted authors and celebrities including James Clavell, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Rex Pickett, Al Roker, Dale Brown, Robert Downey Jr., Leon Uris, Catherine Coulter, and P. C. Cast, among many others. Follow Rick & Scorbion at www.RickBleiweiss.com