Pignon Scorbion & the Barbershop Detectives

by Rick Bleiweiss

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Pub Date Feb 08 2022 | Archive Date Feb 28 2023

Blackstone Publishing

Mystery & Thrillers

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Description

The year is 1910, and in the small and seemingly sleepy English municipality of Haxford, there’s a new chief police 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 chief police 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?

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.

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A Note From the Publisher

Rick Bleiweiss started his career in music as a rock performer, producer of over fifty records, songwriter and record company senior executive, and worked 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 bestselling and award-winning authors including James Clavell, Gabriel García Márquez, Rex Pickett, Leon Uris, and Nicholas Sansbury Smith, among others.

In his latest creative endeavor, Rick has crafted the Pignon Scorbion historical mystery series—blending his love of the past with the twisty deliciousness of a whodunit. Follow Rick and Scorbion at www.RickBleiweiss.com

Rick Bleiweiss started his career in music as a rock performer, producer of over fifty records, songwriter and record company senior executive, and worked with Clive Davis, Melissa Etheridge, the...

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Advance Praise

“A highly engaging read which will join the ranks of Richard Osman, Anthony Horowitz, and Fred Vargas…Let’s hope Pignon…will be back soon.”

-Historical Novels Review

“This book has everything an Agatha Christie fan can want—a quirky Poirot-esque detective, a bucolic English village right before World War I, and a villain worthy of a master detective.”

-The Big Thrill

“Bleiweiss’s entertaining debut introduces Chief Police Insp. Pignon Scorbion…Golden age fans appreciative of a light approach to traditional tropes will be eager for a sequel.”

-Publishers Weekly

“Rick Bleiweiss’s Pignon Scorbion & the Barbershop Detectives has quirky, wonderful characters and all the elements of a great (and fun) detective story. I totally loved reading this novel!”

-Heather Graham, New York Times bestselling author

“Bleiweiss’s novel is a worthy addition in the tradition of Conan Doyle and Christie. Holmes and Poirot, please make room for Pignon Scorbion.”

-Reed Farrel Coleman, New York Times bestselling author of What You Break

"This charming tale of the eccentric Chief Inspector Pignon Scorpion, artfully told in the style of the detective stories of old, will be sure to delight fans of Christie’s original Hercule Poirot series, as well as cozy mystery and historical fiction readers. I’ll be looking forward to more cases being solved by this delightful cast of colorful characters in the barbershop!”

-Natasha Boyd, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, internationally bestselling and award-winning author of The Indigo Girl

“A superbly structured detective story in its own right, Pignon Scorbion & the Barbershop Detectives is also a respectful, affectionate, and frequently very funny tribute to classic British detective fiction. It just might become a classic, itself."

-Nancy Pickard, New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of The Scent of Rain and Lightning

“Shades of Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, and Perry Mason—Chief Inspector Pignon Scorbion is here! Kick back, put up your feet, stow away your cares, and prepare for some good old-fashioned fun.…Bleiweiss’s writing is crisp, yet evocative, and the story is a breath of fresh air.”

-Pamela Binnings Ewen, bestselling author of The Queen of Paris

“Perfect for genre diehards and newcomers alike.”

-James Wade, Spur Award–winning author of All Things Left Wild and River, Sing Out

“A delightful mystery filled with twists and turns…I’m already looking forward to the next case.”

-Shelley Shepard Gray, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author

“Fans nostalgic for the old-fashioned, but never outdated, whodunnit will revel in this shimmering recreation of the genre.”

-Rex Pickett, New York Times bestselling author of Sideways

“Bleiwiess’s debut novel is sure to delight fans of traditional mystery…Pignon Scorbion is a detective comparable to Hercule Poirot…I look forward to the next in the series!”

-Amanda Flower, Agatha Award–winning & USA Today bestselling author

“Fans of Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes will love Pignon Scorbion & the Barbershop Detectives…Bleiweiss has crafted a detective who can crack even the toughest cases with flair!”

-Andrews & Wilson, bestselling authors of Sons of Valor & Tier One

“Bleiweiss’s Pignon Scorbion…is a splendidly unique addition to the list of entertainingly eccentric investigators who use brain over brawn…Good company. Good fun.”

-Dick Lochte, Nero Wolfe Award winner and bestselling author of Blues in the Night

“Extortion, theft, revenge and murder fractalize into a dazzling kaleidoscope of crime…It’s hard not to binge-read when the end of every chapter leaves you with another puzzle to solve. Bravo, Rick Bleiweiss!”

-Robert Arellano, Edgar Award finalist and author of seven novels, including Havana Lunar: a Cuban Noir

“A highly engaging read which will join the ranks of Richard Osman, Anthony Horowitz, and Fred Vargas…Let’s hope Pignon…will be back soon.”

-Historical Novels Review

“This book has everything an Agatha...

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