Phoebe Atwood Taylor: The Cape Cod Mystery (UK 2026)

From the Publisher:
The summer holiday becomes a nightmare in this classic murder mystery, set during a heatwave.
'Phoebe Atwood Taylor can get more fun into a detective story than any writer at present producing books of this sort' - New York Times

Meet Asey Mayo, Cape Cod's answer to Sherlock Holmes, a Jack-of-all-trades who uses his worldly knowledge to solve the most puzzling crimes to strike the peninsula.

A massive heatwave is scorching the coast. A journalist is found murdered in the cabin he's rented for the season, and the summer holiday becomes a nightmare for the local police. They believe that beloved local businessman Bill Porter is the murderer - it's up to Asey Mayo to prove him innocent and find the true killer.

Praise for The Cape Cod Mystery:
'Delightful, light, witty and vivacious' - Chicago Tribune
'Asey Mayo possesses more common sense and personal charm than any other detective in fiction' - Times Literary Supplement
'The real atmosphere of the Cape is here' - Boston Globe

Phoebe Atwood Taylor: The Cape Cod Mystery. Penguin American Mystery Classics, ISBN: 9781804999462 (July, 2026), 288 p., £10.99, eBook £2.99.

Phoebe Atwood Taylor: The Cape Cod Mystery (USA 2022)

From the Publisher:
Meet Asey Mayo, Cape Cod's answer to Sherlock Holmes. Settled down from his former life as a seafaring adventurer, Asey is a Jack-of-all-trades who uses his worldly knowledge, folksy wisdom, and plain common sense to solve the most puzzling crimes to strike the peninsula. And in this, his first case, Asey finds himself embroiled in a scandal that will push his deductive powers to their limits.

A massive heatwave is scorching the Northeast, and vacationers from New York and Boston flock to Cape Cod for breezy, cool respite. Then a muckraking journalist is found murdered in the cabin he's rented for the season, and the summer holiday becomes a nightmare for the local authorities. There are abundant suspects among the out-of-towners flooding the area, but they ultimately fix their sights on beloved local businessman Bill Porter as the murderer -- unless Asey Mayo can prove him innocent and find the true killer.

A light whodunnit with an unforgettable amateur sleuth at its center, The Cape Cod Mystery is the first novel from one of the most beloved authors of the American Golden Age mystery. The plot is adorned with insightful historical detail and a healthy dose of Cape Cod local color, making this an enjoyable and enlightening read perfect for a beachside afternoon.

Phoebe Atwood Taylor: The Cape Cod Mystery. With an Introduction by Otto Penzler. American Mystery Classics / Simon & Schuster, ISBN: 9781613163238 (May, 2022), 288 p., Hardcover $25.95, Trade $15.95, eBook $13.99.

Phoebe Atwood Taylor: The Cape Cod Mystery (USA 1985)

From the Publisher:
In his lifetime, Asey Mayo solved more than twenty-five baffling cases of murder on the Cape. This was the very first of them. The bestselling writer, Dale Sanborn, had come to Cape Cod with all the others to flee the heat. But that was the last thing he ever did. The night he was killed he had a lot of visitors for a man who was intensely disliked. All could have had a motive for murder. When Bill Porter, Asey's best friend, wound up in the pillory as chief suspect, Asey knew he had to do something. But he only had one clue to go on: a sardine can. And only one weekend to clear it all up.

Phoebe Atwood Taylor: The Cape Cod Mystery. Countryman Press, ISBN: 0881500461 (May, 1985), 190 p., $10.95.