Comedy Club by Peter Bartram

As most of you know I'm a long time follower of Colin Crampton's exploits written by Peter Bartram. Of course, for me, it brings a touch of nostalgia from my childhood living in London and taking day trips to Brighton. But even if you've never walked along England's coast you will be quickly entertained by the Colin Crampton mysteries with his off-the-cuff sarcasm and witty zingers. The Comedy Club Mystery is another sixties mystery when cell phones and internet are only spoken of in science fiction movies. So dip in your toes and get your feet wet with Colin Crampton on Brighton's sea shore. These are great summer reads.

Peter Bartram kindly sent me a little blurb about his latest mystery:

The Comedy Club Mystery: A Crampton of the Chronicle adventure (Deadline Murder Series Book 3)

Murder has never been such fun…

When theatrical agent Daniel Bernstein sues the Evening Chronicle for libel, crime reporter Colin Crampton is called in to sort out the problem.

But trouble escalates when Bernstein turns up murdered. Colin discovers that any of five comedians competing for the chance to appear on a top TV show could be behind the killing.

As Colin and his feisty girlfriend Shirley Goldsmith investigate, they encounter a cast of colourful characters – identical twin gangsters, an Irishman who lives underground, and a failed magician’s assistant.

And it’s not long before their own lives are in peril as they battle to crack a code that will lead to a fortune. Join Colin and Shirley for a rollercoaster of an adventure in Swinging Sixties England – where the laughs are never far from the action.

What reviewers say about Crampton of the Chronicle mysteries…

"A fun read with humour throughout…" Crime Thriller Hound

"An excellent novel, full of twists and turns, plenty of action scenes, crackling dialogue - and a great sense of fun." Fully Booked

"A good page-turning murder mystery, with a likeable protagonist and great setting." The Bookworm Chronicles

"An amiable romp through the shady back streets of 1960s Brighton." Simon Brett, Crime Writers' Association Diamond Dagger winner

"A highly entertaining, involving mystery, narrated in a charming voice, with winning characters. Highly recommended." - In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel

"A romp of a read! Very funny and very British." The Book Trail

"Superbly crafted and breezy as a stroll along the pier, this Brighton-based murder mystery is a delight." Peter Lovesey, Crime Writers' Association Diamond Dagger winner

"By the end of page one, I knew I liked Colin Crampton and author Peter Bartram's breezy writing style." Over My Dead Body

The Tango School Mystery by Peter Bartram

As most of you know I love the Colin Crampton series and The Tango School Mystery was another enjoyable read. Brighton in the 1960s is where Colin Crampton, reporter of the Chronicle, finds himself on the trail of several mysteries. Colin's sarcastic sense of humor has no end of characters to throw zingers at. In particular, Mrs. Gribble, the widowed landlady, never fails to disappoint.
Rather than go into details of the story, and possibly inadvertently add some spoilers, I urge you to read the book (and series) yourself. Peter Bartram is a talented writer and I love reading about his stories set in the 1960s seaside town of Brighton. I find myself saying over and over again "I'd forgotten about that."

Front Page Murder by Peter Bartram

Peter Bartram has another big hit with his latest Crampton of the Chronicle mystery, Front Page Murder. Colin Crampton is a fun character with his quick wit, sarcasm and bevy of quirky friends who help him to solve crimes and provide stories for the Evening Chronicle.
Peter Bartram has a delightful way of introducing places and characters:
Mrs. Gribble, my landlady - the Widow to her tenants - and I nurtured a healthy dislike for one another but found a way to rub along. . . The Widow was dressed in a long flannelette dressing gown in shocking pink. She'd put her hair in curlers and fixed a net over it all . . The Widow shuffled uncomfortably in her fluffy slippers.

For me, it's not just about the mystery, but being immersed into 1960s Brighton, bringing back lots of memories of visits to the seaside town.

Front Page Murder: Comic postcard artist Archie Flowerdew is sentenced to hang, but his niece, Tammy, is convinced her uncle is not guilty of the crime. After defacing the Royal Pavilion with words to that effect, she is wanted by the police and Colin not only tries to get to the bottom of the crime, but hussles Tammy to a safe house.

Front Page Murder e-book 

is on special offer until the end of December for 99p/99c

The Royal Pavilion, Brighton

Note: The Crampton of the Chronicle mystery series can be read out of order without being confusing to the reader.

A Message from the author:

WHY CHRISTMAS IS THE TIME FOR COZY MYSTERIES

By Peter Bartram

Will you be having a murder for Christmas?

   No, I don't mean a real one. You don't want blood on the carpet when the children are playing with their new toys. Or old Uncle George slumping forward with a knife his back just as he's about to tuck into his Christmas pudding.

  I mean a fictional murder. A good old-fashioned cozy mystery. I confidently predict that more readers than ever will be curling up by a crackling log fire during the festive season with a cozy book.

   So just what is it that makes cozy murder such a popular pastime when Christmas comes? I suppose it could partly be the beginning of winter and the longer nights. Perhaps they stimulate the darker sides of our own psyches and get us reaching for the murder mysteries.

   Or perhaps it has something to do with the need for escapism. Of course, it's great to have friends and family around and join in the festive cheer. But it's also good to have a quiet moment alone when you can let your mind journey into another world - one of adventure and mystery.

   And maybe the special attraction of cozy mysteries at Christmas is in the name. Christmas is a time when we all want to be cozy. By that, I don't just mean we want to be cozy and warm by a fireside. We also want to be cozy in spirit. That's because Christmas is the time for forgiveness and redemption. And the best cozy mysteries capture that spirit and warm the hearts of readers by doing so.

   One of my favourite Christmas crime mysteries is The Blue Carbuncle, a Sherlock Holmes story. It's the one where a priceless jewel is found in the crop of a Christmas goose. Holmes and Watson track the carbuncle back to an opportunist thief who stole and then hid it by forcing the goose to swallow it when he thought he was going to be found out.

   Holmes decides this first-time thief regrets his crime and lets him go - thus offering him the chance of redemption.

   Many authors, including big names such as Agatha Christie and Georgette Heyer, have written Christmas murder mysteries. So I approached writing Front Page Murder, my own Christmas mystery, with some trepidation. I decided to make the story a race against time - with the deadline Christmas Eve.

   Then I peopled the story with characters. The Crampton mysteries already have a cast of regulars - lead by Colin Crampton himself. But there are some new ones - including a pompous major who talks backwards, a vain artist with red trousers, and a sex-pest vicar.

   Atmosphere is important - so there's some snow, cold winds and a winter fox. There are references to Christmas activities, such as a mince pie baking competition and the Christmas number one - it was The Beatles' I Want to Hold Your Hand in the UK. (In the US, it was Dominique by the Singing Nun!)

   There's an unusual puzzle based on the old song which begins, "On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me a partridge in a pear tree." Perhaps you can see if you can solve the puzzle before Colin.

   And, finally, there's a very Christmas denouement - but no "spoilers" here! Merry Christmas and stay cozy!

ABOUT THE BOOK…

FRONT PAGE MURDER

A Crampton of the Chronicle mystery

It's December 1963 and Archie Flowerdew is sitting in a cell at Wandsworth Prison waiting to be hanged. On Christmas Eve. It's not exactly how he planned to spend the festive season. But, then, Archie was found guilty of murdering fellow comic postcard artist Percy Despart.

It seems there's nothing that can stop Archie's neck being wrung like a turkey's. Except that his niece Tammy is convinced Archie is innocent. She's determined he will sit down on Christmas Day to tuck into the plum pudding. She persuades Brighton Evening Chronicle crime reporter Colin Crampton to take up the case.

But Colin has problems of his own. First, that good turn he did to help out Chronicle sub-editor Barry Hobhouse has come back to bite him on the bum. Then Beatrice "the Widow" Gribble, Colin's trouble-prone landlady, needs him to sort out her latest faux pas - she's accidentally sent a Christmas card to her local butcher suggesting she's available for hot sex. And that's before Brighton cops clap Colin and girlfriend Shirley Goldsmith in jail on the charge of harbouring a fugitive from justice.

And, anyway, the more Colin investigates Archie's case, the more it looks like he is guilty… Pick up the third full-length novel in the Crampton of the Chronicle mystery series to get you in the mood for a murderous Christmas!

For readers who want to start the series at the beginning, there's a deal which includes Headline Murder, Stop Press Murder and Front Page Murder in e-book formats for £4.97/$4.97. This offer also closes on 31 December.

Front Page Murder on Amazon.com

Front Page Murder on Amazon.co.uk

Crampton of the Chronicle 3-book series on Amazon.com

Crampton of the Chronicle 3-book series on Amazon.co.uk

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…  Peter Bartram brings years of experience as a journalist to his Crampton of the Chronicle crime mystery series, which features Colin Crampton, crime correspondent of the 1960s fictional newspaper the Brighton Evening Chronicle. Peter began his career as a reporter on a real-life local newspaper not far from Brighton. Then he worked as a journalist and newspaper editor in London before becoming freelance. He has done most things in journalism from door-stepping for quotes to writing serious editorials. He’s pursued stories in locations as diverse as 700 feet down a coal mine and Buckingham Palace. Peter's "Swinging Sixties" murder mysteries combine clue-solving with comedy - the laughs are never far from the action. Other books in the series, which has already logged more than 100 5-star reviews on Amazon, include Headline Murder and Stop Press Murder.

Note: I was given a copy of Front Page Murder in exchange for an honest review.

Crampton of the Chronicle

Stop by my blog on November 30 for my post as part of the Front Page Murder Tour

Front Page Murder by Peter Bartram

Front Page Murder (another story of Crampton of the Chronicle) by Peter Bartram will be out in just 12 days and I was fortunate to get an early copy in the mail yesterday in exchange for a review (I'll post my review on November 30).

I'm about half way through the read and find myself slowing down because I don't want it to end. Colin Crampton is a humorous character and delivers zingers and sarcasm beautifully. The art of bantering seems to be lost on the world outside England and I must say it's something I miss. Fortunately I do have one English friend here in Texas who can banter well.

Anyway, back to the story: The mystery is about the murder of a comic postcard (saucy postcard) artist and many of you might not have heard about comic postcards. I don't know about now, but in the sixties the postcards were available in all seaside towns, usually with saucy pictures and double entendre. Some of the postcards did not escape censorship though, due to the Obscene Publications Act of 1857 and in the 1950s many were banned. (The Post Office had to give permission for them to be sent through the mail.) One of the main artists of the postcards was Donald McGill who received very little income from his work, but his postcards are now worth thousands and The Donald McGill Museum has been opened on the Isle of Wight, in his honor, by his grandchildren.

Murder in the Night Final by Peter Bartram

Murder in the Night Final is the last book in the Morning, Noon and Night trilogy by Peter Bartram. Colin Crampton is back in Brighton after a visit to Brighton Beach, New York in the Murder in the Afternoon Extra. The last book ties up all the ends nicely, with a few surprises. I thought using the Great Train Robbery to develop the plot for the trilogy was a great idea. Colin Crampton never disappoints, he's a well developed and likable character. Looking forward to hearing what's next for Colin Crampton's adventures in crime.

Peter Bartram Guest Post

Peter Bartram, author of the Colin Crampton series, has kindly stopped by today to give us a little insight into his work as an author and his life as a journalist.

Morning, Noon and Night are Mr. Bartram's latest books in the Colin Crampton series.

Q: Tell us a little about the Crampton of the Chronicle series

A: When I sat down to write a crime mystery series two years ago, I spent ages trying to think of an original way to portray a private eye or a cop. But everything has been done in those areas. Then it hit me. I'd spent my life as a journalist. I'd make my protagonist a journalist, too. So Colin Crampton chases his stories - and killers - as crime reporter on the fictional Evening Chronicle in 1960s Brighton. A lot of readers have told me that having a reporter rather than a cop as the hero gives the books a fresh feel.
Peter Bartram tells us It started on a dark night . . .

Q: Which authors inspire you?

A: When I was 14, I came across a copy of The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes in a second-hand bookshop. I was hooked from the first story, Silver Blaze. In the seventies, as I was broadening out my reading of crime fiction and thrillers, I enjoyed writers such as Alistair MacLean, Desmond Bagley and Victor Canning. One of the all-time greats I admire is Raymond Chandler, for his sheer ability to pack a punch in a single sentence.

Q: What are you working on next?

I've just started writing the fourth full-length Crampton novel which is provisionally called Murder Hot Off the Press. But I've spent the first half of 2017 writing the first Crampton trilogy - Murder in the Morning Edition, Murder in the Afternoon Extra and Murder in the Night Final. It's been hard work, but I've thoroughly enjoyed doing it. Each book is a self-contained unit, but the mystery continues from one to the next.

Q: Tell us a little about yourself?

A: I started work as a reporter on a local newspaper in my year between school and university. After I graduated from the London School of Economics I went straight back into journalism, with a job as a reporter in London. It wasn't actually in Fleet Street, but my office was in Ludgate Hill, a continuation of Fleet Street! I went freelance early on in my career because I wanted to have more choice in the work I did. Since then, I've written thousands of articles for newspapers and magazines and pursued stories in locations as diverse as 700 feet down a coal mine and Buckingham Palace. I wrote 21 non-fiction books, including five ghost-written, in areas such as biography, current affairs and how-to titles, before turning to crime writing.

Q: What's one piece of advice you would give aspiring writers?

A: Keep at it. People who write books are the people who sit at their laptops doing it - not the people who sit around talking about it.

Q: What's your favourite season?

We have four seasons in England - winter, winter, winter and, by far the wild and wettest, summer. I love all of them!

Q: Who do you imagine is your reader?

A: I first started to write crime fiction when I couldn't find a book I really wanted to take on holiday. So now I try and write the kind of book that cozy mystery fans would like to read while they're lounging around the pool. Or even in it, if they can find a way to waterproof their Kindle!

Q: Where is the Crampton Morning, Noon & Night trilogy available?

A: Just head over to Amazon where you'll find the books ready to download to your Kindle. For all my other titles, check out my website at www.colincrampton.com which gives pointers on where to find the books.

Q: How can readers find out more about you?

A: It's that website, again! www.colincrampton.com.

Peter Bartram is offering Murder in the Morning Edition free - but be warned you won't be able to stop at just one mystery.

Peter Bartram Facebook Page

Headline Murder by Peter Bartram

Most of you know I'm a huge fan of Peter Bartram's Colin Crampton series and I'm working my way through his constantly growing list of mysteries. As a journalist, Peter Bartram puts all his background knowledge into his books which results in a fast paced and humorous story. Another plus for me is the setting of Brighton on the English coast where I find myself constantly remembering places I used to visit such as Devil's Dyke, Hove, Brighton Pier, and Black Rock as I read. To add to my nostalgia, Colin Crampton also drives a MGB (I used to race around England in my blue MGB GT - model picture below).
But I digress from the story. Regardless of whether you are familiar with the area or not, Headline Murder is a great read and Colin Crampton's character is sure to produce a few LOL moments.






Headline Murder
It's August 1962, and Colin Crampton, the Brighton Evening Chronicle's crime reporter, is desperate for a front-page story. But it's the silly season for news and the only tip-off Crampton has is about the disappearance of the seafront's crazy-golf proprietor, Arnold Trumper. Crampton thinks the story is about as useful as a set of concrete water-wings. But when he learns that Trumper's vanishing act is linked to an unsolved murder, he scents a front-page scoop. Powerful people are determined Crampton must not discover the truth. But he is quite prepared to use every newspaper scam in the book to land his exclusive. The trouble is it's his girlfriend, feisty Australian Shirley, who too often ends up on the wrong end when a scam goes wrong. Crampton has to overcome dangers they never mentioned at journalism school before he writes his story. Headline Murder will keep you guessing and smiling right to the last page.

Murder in Capital Letters by Peter Bartram

After I discovered the Colin Crampton series by Peter Bartram I became addicted to them so when Peter Bartram asked if I'd like to review his novella, Murder in Capital Letters, I jumped at the chance.

One thing I like about the series is that it is set in the 1960s and in Brighton. It always brings back childhood memories of taking the train from London to Brighton and, regardless of the weather, swimming in Black Rock Pool. I have pictures of me standing on a diving board, a lone swimmer in the pool by the beach with waves not only in the sea but in the pool! My sister and mother sat on deckchairs huddled in blankets. Every now and again I come across something in the books such as a comment about the Volks Railway, The Royal Pavilion, or the Lanes which bring back vivid memories.

But I digress. Whether you are familiar with England, or Brighton for that matter, the books are intriguing. Colin Crampton, The Chronical reporter, throws little tidbits about solving the mystery, but manages to keep the reader guessing until the end. Peter Brampton/Colin Crampton has a great sense of humor and the story will keep you hooked.

Hop on over to the Colin Crampton site to get a free copy of Murder in Capital Letters.

Murder from the Newsdesk by Peter Bartram

Murder from the Newsdesk by Peter Bartram is a collection of short stories, most of which were developed from stories Peter Bartram came across from his years as a journalist.
Set in the English seaside resort of Brighton with sleuth/journalist Colin Crampton, the stories are a delightful look back at the British Swinging Sixties when women wore chiffon scarves and crimes were solved without the use of mobile phones.

Murder from the Newsdesk is currently free for Kindle.

I can't wait to read more of Peter Bartram's stories.