I generally love a cozy murder mystery, but this one did not quite do it for me.
💚
I greatly enjoyed the mysteries themselves and the process of solving them was super fun, but I didn't love Pignon. I found his arrogance a little annoying, to be honest. I also didn't love all.of the characters who helped him at the Barbershop, which I think took away from my appreciation of the novel.

this. was so cute. this truly might be my favorite arc i’ve read all year so as always, no spoilers!! i’ve never read a contemporary mystery book that imitates a class mystery so we’ll. pignon and his barbershop detectives are lovely because of how small-town they feel, yet how sharp they are. i love that pignon isn’t a perfect detective, but he works hard at it. yves and barnabus were my favorites, their banter was off the charts and i hope that they become a couple in the future! the vignettes are charming and every mystery really drew me in. can’t wait for the next book!

I was given a free e-copy of this novel by NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
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. (Goodreads synopsis)
I have not read anything by Rick Bleiweiss prior to this.
I normally love mysteries. Unfortunately this one was unable to capture my attention. I didn’t like Pignon, or really any of the other characters, but I didn’t dislike them either. I was very indifferent to them all. Normally, I would be trying to figure out the ending or be on tether-hooks hoping that the detective’s explanation feels like magic. In Pignon’s case, I couldn’t understand how he solved anything, because he didn’t do anything. He talked to people. Even Poirot, who believed in the ‘little grey cells’ traveled at the very least. But Pignon wasn’t described as doing that.

I loved the idea of the barbershop detectives, but almost wonder if conducting the investigation in said barbershop became too much of the focal point. I felt that the barbers become more of a jury being presented a case, as opposed to amateur detectives.

As for the mysteries, I felt that they were described too quickly. Three investigations in one novel seems like too much. In fact, one of them I felt could have been it’s own separate novel, and I was disappointed at its expediency. I will say, though, that I was not disappointed in the conclusions of any of the mysteries. I thought they were well thought out, and interesting. I just wish there had been more oomph.
Overall I rate this novel 3 out of 5 stars. I would be interested in reading a second novel by Rick Bleiweiss, if only to see how the characters develop.

I wanted this book to be fantastic, but it was merely ok. The main characters are interesting enough, but there are huge leaps in their relationships that don't particularly make sense. With three separate mysteries, there's a little too much happening for the reader to ever get invested enough to really care about their resolution.

An interesting read; the detective is unlike any other, with a little the fastidious dressing of Poirot and deductive skills of Holmes. However, some of the plot points don’t make sense, like why they would conduct interviews in the barbershop with barbers instead of at the station Also, and this may change in the published version, the story could be hard to follow at times with it jumping back and forth. But, the mysteries were clever and the book was enjoyable.

Thank you NetGalley. This was a pleasant and enjoyable book. I look forward to reading more about Pignon Scorbion.

I am a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot, and Pignon Scorbion fits right in there with them! He is the new Chief Police Inspector in a small English town, and his friendship with the local barber brings together quite the cast of characters. The current investigation is into a trio of crimes that go back 50 years, and there are new clues around every corner. And then Thelma Smith enters the story. A delightful mystery, my thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this fun, new mystery!

detective-fiction, England, assistant-sleuths, eccentric, 1910s*****

A new detective transfers to the municipality of Haxford, and the only person who is well acquainted (and awed by) him is the town barber. Scorbion soon assembles assistant sleuths (one goes on to become a reporter under Scorbion's tutelage) from the ranks of the shop's regulars and even proves that the town drunk is a very astute observer. Enter a short series of mysteries which Scorbion solves with attention to fine detail ( amassed by his willing assistants) and deductive logic. Good first in series! I got hooked by the publisher's blurb and it did not disappoint. Fun characters!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Blackstone Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you!

I wouldn't have finished this book if it didn't come from NetGalley.The story doesn't make much sense,why would a supposedly brilliant Chief Inspector decide to conduct all his investigations in a barber shop with some friends that don't seem to offer any assistance.The writing needs polishing, the style is amateur, particularly in the dialogues, the ones between Scorbion and his girlfriend are particularly bad. #NetGalley

This is a nice addition to the classic British Detective genre. Chief Police investigator Pignon is a quirky detective who uses his brain and wits to solve mysteries. The story has lots of characters in the Barbershop who assist Pignon with his investigations. The format of the story is unique and I enjoyed that a lot. It does take a bit of effort to keep track of everyone we are introduced to, however. It is always nice to try and figure out the mysteries as they are laid out. Reading this book was easy and enjoyable. I would be interested in reading more of this series.

Thank you Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for the arc copy.

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. This reads very much like a Poirot mystery and the characters are remarkably similar but not so much that Pignon doesn't stand out on his own. This was a really fun read and I hope its just the beginning of a wonderful and lengthy series. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

Date published/released: 8th February 2022

💀DNF chapter 12, 28%💀

Thank you to Netgalley for approving this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A detective that is inspired by both Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot? COUNT ME IN!

I feel like my expectations were too high going into this one, just based on the inspirations for the main character.
This did feel more like a collection of short stories rather then a complete novel, especially with the different cases that get introduced. I also found the couple of cases I did read weren't very interesting to me.

I definitely see the Poirot inspiration in the main character. In fact Scorbion is almost exactly like Poirot, just far less arrogant. I'm still unsure whether or not I like Scorbion.
As for the rest of the characters, I didn't really connect with them and kept forgetting who many of them were. Thankfully there is a character guide at the start of the book, however, it did get a tad annoying having to flick back to said guide.

Despite the unusual title, this book was intriguing. It was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. The characters are quirky and fun to read about. Fun book.

Police Detective Pigeon is new to down and visit his old friend barber shop. From there on he does his interviews from there to the excitement of the other barbers. There are three separate plots in the book. This threw me but it all made sense later. It’s a enjoyable period drama based in the 1910. If this is your thing then you love this book. I admit the Pigeon did remind me of the other famous detective during the time this book is based on. I like to thank netgalley for the early review copy.

I just reviewed the new Pignon Scorbion & the Barbershop Detectives by Rick Bleiweiss. #PignonScorbionandtheBarbershopDetectives #NetGalley

Pignon
Uses deductions of the kind Holmes and Poirot are famous for, but in a showy way (as a parlor trick).
Not really much new or Interesting.
Takes place in two timelines with flashes back to the stories leading up to the present case.


Pignon Scorbion is a police detective in the English countryside who solves mysteries with the help of a group of barbers and an aspiring journalist. The book describes a number of cases that Scorbion and his barbershop detectives review together and solve. Scorbion is a contemporary of Hercule Poirot and a fan of Sherlock Holmes and his methods (and is acquainted with Dr. Watson). In the course of the book, we learn quite a bit about Scorbion, his methods, and his habits, which are unique.
I was disappointed in this novel. In all fairness, the author’s claim to follow the examples of Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle did make me skeptical and ready to find fault. But on the other hand, as a true fan of both authors, I was also hopeful that a new star had been born and I would soon be sucked into adventures of deductive reasoning and the use of the "little gray cells."
Unfortunately, as hard as I tried to enjoy this new detective, I found the writing itself as well as the plot to be forced. The dialogue was stilted and unnatural. The cases that the barbershop team took up were creative and could have been interesting, but the way that they were presented and the investigations were carried out did not flow. I felt that there was a lack of experience on the part of the author, Rick Bleiweiss, (which seems to be substantiated by the author's introduction to the book). Although he has a great deal of experience in publishing mysteries, he has little practice in crafting the writing himself. In the end it seemed that Bleiwiss was borrowing characteristics from Holmes and Poirot, taking and mixing together their traits and the plot devices in which they were involved.
This review will be shared on Amazon, Instagram, and Barnes & Noble. An advance reader copy was provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Quite enjoyed reading Pignon Scorbion & The Barbershop Detectives. The moment I downloaded I started reading and did not put it down until I finished.. Hope to read more from this author in the future.

I going to be totally honest and say I am in two minds about this book.

I am a huge fan of both Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle so was really looking forward to reading this 'tribute' to them.

The book is set in 191o in a sleepy village called Haxford. We meet Pignon as he ventures to the local barbershop where he has a total makeover, nails buffed etc, a couple of paragraphs are spent just describing his two-tone shoes and where they first debuted!

The book is quirky and has a full list of characters, so much so that the author lists them at the beginning of the book, which did terrify me slightly!

On the whole, a good read, and I would read more, just perhaps less description is needed?

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for giving me the chance to read the book in exchange for an honest review.

This charming tale of Chief Inspector Pignon Scorbion is told in the detective style of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot series, an investigator who uses brain over brawn. It's a pleasant tribute to classic British detective fiction and Edwardian England. Scorbion's likable yet unlikely group of "barbershop" deputies adds a nice twist to the classic mystery. It is an easy and comfortable read and a perfect old-fashioned escape. I look forward to more mysteries to be untangled by Pignon and his merry band of investigators.

What a great invention Pignon Scorbion is, he is a contemporary of Hercule Poirot. The story is set in 1910 it is evocative of that time and very well observed. we start in sleepy Haxford and meet such a wonderful array of characters. Pignon teams up with a young ace reported and the local barber to solve the mystery laid before them. If you love Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes (Pignon is a friend of Dr Watson!) you will fall in love with Scorbion, such a fabulous start to what I hope will be a long series of books.

I wanted to like this book as it's an homage to Agatha Christie's Poirot, with a few dashes of Doyle's Sherlock thrown in. The premise is clever - a new Chief Inspector is assigned to a town and he visits his long-time friend and barber to have his haircut, fingers buffed and two-toned shoes properly shined. Because there are several employees, the potential for new cases can come from several sources of information. The first involves a man visiting a local, prosperous linen draper with claims that he is an illegitimate son of a one night liaison. This sets the stage for an impromptu hearing by the parties concerned within the confines of the barbershop. Finishing this section of the book was, unfortunately, as much as I could read and I did not finish the book.
The main character was way too fussy for my taste and I found the supporting male cast to be nothing more than an audience for his self-gratifying pronouncements and mostly indistinguishable from each other. That's probably why the author included a very long cast of characters in the book's preface. I wish the author luck as I still think this is an interesting premise, provided the characters are better developed and the eccentricities of Pignon Scorpion is less of the book's focus.