‘Fascinating … recalls the best from the Golden Age of Detective Fiction.’
Lady Antonia Fraser
‘I have read all of Raichev’s books. They are very clever. I really am a fan.’
R.L. Stine
‘Most original and intriguing … An England of club and country house, with a delicious shot of bitters!’
Emma Tennant
‘Raichev clearly has a great deal of fun writing the Antonia and Major Payne series, giving these modern stories almost an Edwardian feel, and we’re rewarded with finely drawn characters, clever murder mysteries, and dialogue that sparkles. Best recommended to fans of golden age authors (Christie, Sayers, et al.) who can tolerate a little modernity!’
‘A most intriguing yarn of mystery, imagination, observation and splendidly old-fashioned sleuthery which skilfully probes the surface smoothness of clubland and country house. I couldn’t put it down.’
Hugh Massingberd
‘Deftly mixes dark humour and psychological suspense, its genteel surface masking delicious deviancy.’
Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
‘Greed, jealousy, rampant emotions and a killer lurk in the wings of this tale that mixes Henry James’ psychological insight with Agatha Christie’s whodunnit plotting skills … a diabolically clever story line.’
Library Journal (Starred Review)
‘An ominous feel, reminiscent of Hitchcock.’
Mystery Morgue
‘Recommended for any mystery fan who likes surprises.’
New Mystery Reader Magazine
‘Murder is fun again! Each chapter parcels out just a bit more of the story, just enough, drawing open the curtain to reveal the picture behind … A mystery that harkens back to the thirties and forties, but pays respect to modernity … Definitely a keeper.’
Suspense Magazine
‘Intricate and inventive … very witty dialogue and a cast of gloriously eccentric characters.’
‘Stylish … deft use of literary allusion and well-drawn characterisation.’
Publishers Weekly
‘The kind of old-school mysteries that fans of Christie and Sayers love … but this will be pleasing to more than traditionalists, because it adds a P.D. Jamesian subtlety to the comfortable formula. Antonia Darcy is a terrific sleuth and Raichev is a very clever writer, indeed.’
Booklist
‘Liberal doses of imagination, experimentation, intelligence and sprinklings of irony, satire and fun … the riveting attention of a game of Cluedo.’
The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books
‘A whodunnit with more twists than a snake in a basket!’
Robert Barnard, CWA Diamond Dagger Winner
‘Superbly plotted … Raichev delivers this classic with the perfect panache one expects from an author who wrote his doctoral dissertation on English crime fiction … Excellent series!’
Toronto Globe & Mail
‘A dazzling tour de force, as ingeniously plotted as anything Agatha Christie ever wrote but wittier and more sophisticated.’
The Denver Post on The Death of Corinne: An Antonia Darcy and Major Payne Investigation
‘Clever … Raichev’s series has attitude, like a mash-up of Evelyn Waugh, P.G. Wodehouse and P.D. James …’
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel on Murder at the Villa Byzantine: An Antonia Darcy and Major Payne Investigation
‘With plenty of unexpected twists and a good ending, The Murder of Gonzago is pure fun!’
www.gumshoereview.com on Murder of Gonzago: An Antonia Darcy and Major Payne Investigation
‘A grand whodunnit in the great tradition of English crime writing.’
www.crimesquad.com on The Riddle of Sphinx Island: An Antonia Darcy and Major Payne Mystery
‘Another baffling case … A risky romp in pursuit of the truth … Raichev’s page-turner captures the tart elegance of classic cozies but adds an appealing modern edge.’
Kirkus Review