A Spider on the Stairs (Phillip Bethancourt and Jack Gibbons Mysteries, #4) by Cassandra Chan

A Spider on the Stairs (Phillip Bethancourt and Jack Gibbons Mysteries, #4) Reviews

• 
  Kate

  "BEST FRIENDS PHILLIP BETHANCOURT, a wealthy man-about-town and Scotland Yard detective Sergeant Jack Gibbons are each on their way to Yorkshire over Christmas, though not together, and neither of them are looking forward to their respective trips. While Phillip is returning to his family's estate to spend the holiday with relatives -- a dreaded task -- Jack must determine whether a particular murder is the work of a serial killer. It looks like it most likely is. As it turns out, Jack isn't on the case for more than a day before the understaffed locals ask him to look into another one.
  
  "Jodie Farrady, a former bookshop employee who disappeared about a year ago, is found strangled in that same shop Christmas morning. The modus operandi is similar to the serial killer's, but not exactly the same. It could be a copycat. It could be a coincidence. Either way, Jack could certainly use his good friend's help as he investigates the citizens of a Yorkshire that has suddenly turned quite deadly. Luckily, Phillip is all too eager to escape his own holiday and join the hunt."
  ~~front flap
  
  Another delicious, plot twisting, first-you-see it-now-you-don't mystery, with miscellaneous false starts and dead ends. torrential rains, and assorted other murders. One of the best Christmas avoidance mysteries I've ever read!
• 
  Angela

  If you would like to get into the Bethancourt-Gibbons mysteries by Cassandra Chan--an activity I'd highly recommend--then Book 4, A Spider on the Stairs, is probably not the place to do it. On the one hand, Chan does a good job of making each story self-contained, and it's not a huge detriment if you come in at this point of the series. But on the other hand, events in the earlier books do influence the ones in this one, and I certainly found my ability to enjoy this story enhanced by knowing what had come before.
  
  In this particular installment of the series, "what had come before" is Jack Gibbons' getting shot in Book 3. A Spider on the Stairs is the first we see of him after he's returned to active duty, trying to nail down whether a particular recent murder is the work of a serial killer at large. Meanwhile, Bethancourt has to deal with a trial of his own: his family over the Christmas holidays. Fortunately for these lucky boys, a new case quickly distracts them both: whether a bookshop employee found strangled on Christmas morning is the work of that same killer.
  
  Overall I liked this one quite a bit. The bookshop murder is (for reasons that ought to be obvious) strongly Relevant to My Interests, but just as fun is getting to see Bethancourt having to deal with his family. On a somewhat more serious note, it's also good strong character development to see both Bethancourt and Gibbons needing to regain their footing now that the latter is back on active duty. As with previous books in the series, there are several nicely portrayed side characters to populate the list of suspects--and of course, this being a mystery novel, the employees of the bookshop have far more drama in their backstories than meets the immediate eye. So yeah, good fun. Four stars.
• 
  Jill Hutchinson

  I like this series of books because they remind me of the Lord Peter Wimsey stories, updated to the 21st century.......the wealthy, effete amateur detective with a friend in Scotland Yard. In this entry, Bethancourt and Gibbons are investigating the murder of the former employee of a bookstore which may be tied to a serial killer haunting southern England. Lots of red herrings and coincidences which finally lead to an interesting conclusion. This series is definitely light reading, not classic mystery.......but it is a fun read which can be finished in one sitting.
• 
  Warren R.

  Ms. Chan was an unknown author to me. I simply pulled the book off the shelf in my local library. I found the writing very good and the story easy to follow. I hope she has other works to entertain me.
• 
  T

  I enjoyed reading it. I did not see a great tie-in with the Spider on the stairs and the French proverb.
• 
  Ruth Feathers

  Serial killings and Christmas.
• 
  Karin

  Enjoyed this series very much. Wish it had continued.
• 
  Emma

  Christmas in England this year is dismal. The foul weather in Yorkshire does little to help Phillip Bethancourt's mood as he faces the prospect of poor weather and poor company in the form of his stodgy relatives. Happily, for Bethancourt at least, his holiday is soon sidetracked by his friend's investigation of a suspicious murder.
  
  Detective Sergeant Jack Gibbons is sorry to miss Christmas with his family but after weeks recovering from gunshot wounds at his childhood home, Jack is also eager to get back to work and his own flat in London. Although Gibbons does finally get back to Scotland Yard, his time in London is cut short when he is dispatched to York to determine the connection, if any, between a body found in a York shop and a serial killer who has been striking throughout Southern England.
  
  The murder was likely the work of the Ashdon Killer. But then another murder is discovered at a well-respected York bookshop. As Gibbons and Bethancourt investigate the bookshop killing it seems less and less likely the murder has any connection to Ashdon though the case does raise its own fair share of questions. Bringing the murdered to justice might not catch the Ashdon Killer, but it is still a murder and one both Gibbons and Bethancourt would like very much to see solved in A Spider on the Stairs (2010) by Cassandra Chan.
  
  A Spider on the Stairs is Chan's fourth book featuring Gibbons and Bethancourt (preceeded, in publication order, by The Young Widow, Village Affairs and Trick of the Mind) and possibly the best so far.*
  
  Chan manages to keep the plot fresh and original without departing completely from the aspects that regular readers already find so appealing. Of particular interest is the emphasis on Jack and Phillip's friendship--a theme often lacking in other traditional mysteries. A Spider on the Stairs presents readers with the perfect blend of murder, intrigue, humor, and plain old good characters in a thoroughly enjoyable and well-developed story.
  
  *Now might be a good time to mention that, insofar as a traditional mystery with no romance whatsoever can have teams, I am Team Gibbons. My mother is Team Bethancourt. I loved this book. She did not. We suspect this had to do with the fact that Gibbons featured more prominently and, in my view, is more awesome. Anyway, draw your own conclusions.
  
• 
  Grey853

  I've read all four books in the series and I must say I really enjoy the two main characters of Gibbons and Bethancourt. I love how they seem like such good friends. You don't see that a lot in many police procedural novels. Those are usually all cut and dry, whereas these books have a bit more personal flavor.
  
  I really looked forward to reading this fourth book, especially when I saw that it was set at Christmas. I would've been in heaven if the whole mystery had happened at Bethancourt's manor, but that was not to be. Still, it was in his hometown instead of London.
  
  This isn't a cozy mystery at all. There's a serial killer on the loose and Gibbons is helping with the investigation on his return from sick leave from the gunshot wounds he suffered in the third book.
  
  One of the people killed doesn't fit the pattern of the killer, so Gibbons is left to investigate separately from the team. Once again, he works with Bethancourt who's from the area to track her murderer.
  
  There's a lot of footwork done, lots of interviews, and going over the clues. All in all, it's a solid mystery that comes together in the end.
  
  
  
  
• 
  Diane

  Probably a 3.5. I liked it a lot! I read a lot of reviews where people described it as a "cozy" book. Not quite sure what they meant by that, but it is the sort of book that would be fun to read on a sick day or curled up on the couch in bad weather. It's not super graphic, which I really appreciated, but you still definitely get the idea of the murder scene. No profanity that I can recall, very fun read. Starting "Village Affairs" next.
  
  8/30/14. Forgot that I read this before, and just read it in sequence. Liked and understood it so much better! A good 4.5 stars this time! Just one loose end that wasn't explained, but not too terribly distracting. So glad there will be a book 5!
• 
  Ashley

  What a great book! It's a classic British mystery in the vain of Midsomer Murders or Inspector Morse complete with quaint sounding towns but with no foolish American fed stereotypes. In true Agatha Christie style Chan gives the reader all of the info and lets us flounder for a bit before spelling out the conclusion. I love it when the author doesn't feel the need to trick the reader by leaving out crucial information or misdirecting us. That shows a confidence and skill of storytelling that is hard to find these days.
  
  Well done! I will be looking closely at the her other books.
• 
  Cris

  A fun, almost cozy, British mystery. If you enjoyed the earlier books in this series, you'll probably enjoy this one. Nothing stands out for good or for ill. Except maybe the sense of place. I've never actually been to England so I can't say how accurate the speech patterns, behavior and geography was, but the whole book *felt* very British.
  
  I fully intend to read the next book. (Assuming Chan writes another one.)
• 
  Rhonda Gilmour

  This modern British whodunnit is a bit slow, but I stuck with it because the murder was so intriguing. The author switches POV between her two sleuths: a wealthy playboy dabbling in police work, and his friend - an actual Scotland Yard investigator.Perhaps a bit low on suspense, the plot does chug along toward a satisfying conclusion. I did enjoy Chan's portrayal of a miserable, rainy Christmastide in York.
  
• 
  Lisa Campbell

  Well, so far so good. The author does a fine job of capturing the old-fashion, mystery-at-the-manor feel even if the story is more modern. The characters are a bit too cheery for me but they are memorable and the plot develops nicely.
  It felt like watching old episodes of MidSommer Murders all over again!
• 
  Lindig

  Very enjoyable. A trifle toneless in that tension is missing and emotions are quiet, but the characters are interesting and the setting descriptions are strong. Of course, all the rain and the York and The Dales geography remind me of two books: "The Nine Tailors" by Sayers, and "The Unknown Ajax" by Heyer. I'll certainly look for more by this author.
• 
  Cynthia Raleigh

  I adored this book. I picked up this one, the fourth in the series, from the library before a trip. I had read the entire book by the end of the second day. I love the atmosphere, the characters, and was especially fond of the setting of York, having been to many of the places mentioned. I can't wait to read the others in the series.
• 
  Patricia Lane

  I picked this up on the new books shelf at the library and while it was a bit slow for me at the start I did get into it and found I liked the characters. It's billed as a modern day equivalent to the Lord Peter Wimsey novels; it does work and I may go back and pick up the first one in the series.
• 
  Joanna

  I liked this book. It had the hallmarks of the old time British police mystery but set in modern times. It's set in a part of England I had not heard of before-a place called the Dales. I'll have to look this place up.
• 
  Jane

  I din't really get into this very much. I didn't think there was any real bond between the 2 main characters. I thought the mystery was good but just couldn't work up enough enthusiasm for the series to read anymore.
• 
  Julie

  I think i liked this the best of her series so far. More compelling. Well constructed mystery that kept you going til the end. A little bit of delving into a serial killer, without making it too dark. Not an easy thing to do.
• 
  Mel

  This one had a charmingly British mystery appeal, I must admit feeling much more interested and amused by Bethancourt (the sort of Doctor Watson sidekick) than in Gibbons, the main detective. Loved the descriptions of forging through the Yorkshire countryside in rain-laden conditions.
• 
  JanieB

  What an excellent book, so well written, and reminiscent my favourite detective, Peter Wimsey (Sayers and subsequently Sayers/Paton-Walsh).
  I didn't realize this is the fourth of the series, and and am anxious to read the others in their appropriate order, starting with "Trick of the Mind".