Pignon Scorbion & the Barbershop Detectives is the first book in a light historical cozy mystery series by Rick Bleiweiss. Released 8th Feb 2022 by Blackstone, it's 300 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats.
This is a quirky Edwardian shopfront cozy with an ensemble cast of eccentric characters, and none moreso than the titular newly arrived chief inspector Pignon Scorbion. He's a sartorial force-majeur (channeling his hero Monsieur Poirot) with a formidable intellect and backed up by a Greek chorus of barbershop employees, he sets his brain to solving crimes.
Although it's not derivative, stylistically I would place it in the same subgenre with Richard Osman and maybe Edmund Crispin. It's a bit farcical and pompous, but there are some smiles to be found here. I suspect it will engender delight or antipathy and not much in between those two extremes. I found it charmingly silly in places and an engaging diverting light read. I'm looking forward to find out what comes next.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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