Treasure Up in Smoke

A delightfully offbeat murder mystery amid West Indian hi-jinks of an extraordinarily wacky nature Banker-Detective Mark Treasure’s first two adventures were related in Unholy Writ ("a first novel, educated and refreshingly traditional, involving mayhem and wickedness in the English middle classes”—__Library Journal__) and __Treasure by Degrees__ (“in the best traditions of the classic British mystery”—__N.Y. Times Book Review__). Now, in an antic change of pace, Treasure and his actress-wife Molly visit a bizarre island that is straight out of the fantasies of Evelyn Waugh. The descendents of a 17th-century pirate named O’Hara have traditionally ruled this West Indian paradise, but their preeminence is now threatened by the ambitious industrial plans of a firebreathing parvenu. Treasure ’s role, intended to be one of financial consultation, takes a more active turn when the last surviving O’Hara is found decapitated during a traditional ceremony, and Treasure ’s junior banking colleague is seen making his escape in a state of undress. It all adds up to a colorful and wildly exuberant romp from one of Britain’s fastest rising literary stars. A delightfully offbeat murder mystery amid West Indian hi-jinks of an extraordinarily wacky nature Banker-Detective Mark Treasure’s first two adventures were related in Unholy Writ ("a first novel, educated and refreshingly traditional, involving mayhem and wickedness in the English middle classes”— Library Journal ) and Treasure by Degrees (“in the best traditions of the classic British mystery”— N.Y. Times Book Review ). Now, in an antic change of pace, Treasure and his actress-wife Molly visit a bizarre island that is straight out of the fantasies of Evelyn Waugh. The descendents of a 17th-century pirate named O’Hara have traditionally ruled this West Indian paradise, but their preeminence is now threatened by the ambitious industrial plans of a firebreathing parvenu. Treasure ’s role, intended to be one of financial consultation, takes a more active turn when the last surviving O’Hara is found decapitated during a traditional ceremony, and Treasure ’s junior banking colleague is seen making his escape in a state of undress. It all adds up to a colorful and wildly exuberant romp from one of Britain’s fastest rising literary stars. Mark Treasure mysteries #3 King Charles Island, a sleepy British colony in the West Indies, comes suddenly awake after the terrible murder of its most influential citizen. The supposed culprit is the hapless Peregrine Gore - assistant to banker-sleuth Mark Treasure - but he'd rather flee than stop and sample the island's rudimentary justice system. Treasure arrives on the island with his actress-wife Molly to find it in mayhem, and volunteers to help the baffled Chief Inspector find the real villain from among a bewildering bunch of suspects. But this time he may have bitten off more than he can chew - it will be hard to prove Peregrine's innocence when he was discovered clutching the victim's severed head... *Treasure up in Smoke* is the third bombastic installment in David Williams' wonderfully witty series of murder mysteries about urbane banker and detective, Mark Treasure.