Pignon Scorbion & the Barbershop Detectives

The Pignon Scorbion Series, Book 1

By: Rick Bleiweiss

Narrated by: Christopher Toyne

For fans of Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot, author Rick Bleiweiss’ 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.

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?

©2022 Rick Bleiweiss (P)2022 Blackstone Publishing

Critic reviews

PNBA BuzzBooks

Publishers Weekly pick

Fun story

This was a fun book, several characters who were interesting. But some who were hard to understand. Will recommend to friends.

Very Enjoyable. Many Mysteries in One.

I wish those who "couldn't finish the first chapter " had persevered. This was an extremely enjoyable book, with a unique mode of solving a mystery, making it stand out from all the rest. Within this book were multiple mysteries needing to be solved, and this group was amazing at making that happen. I was continuously presented with new conundrums to puzzle out, and never found a slow point. This is a superb book.
I will admit to struggling in the first two chapters with the narration for the main character, Pignon. It was much quieter than the other character voices, and I did strain a bit to hear it. That did not persist past the very beginning, and I found both his and the many other characters quite distinctive in voice and accent, and lovely to listen to.
This book deserves much higher ratings than it has gotten in the past. Our society has become quite impatient, and having not even listened to a full chapter, to me doesn't really give a fair opinion of an entire book. Take the time to really give a new type of sleuthing a chance. I did, and loved it. I will be listening to all of his further installments.

Slow slower

The book really never caught my attention. The title character was ok. The barber shop group was not. The narrator chopped the sentences and was reading in phrases rather than thoughts.

Good story, tedious storytelling

The premise & development of the story are good and entertaining. The audio performance is full of pauses that drive me nuts. The performer can do good voices, but the pace and pauses are excruciating.

Good tale

The narrator was difficult to listen to-trails off. But a fun story for a person who likes mysteries!