{"product_id":"the-butler-paperback-by-clare-mackintosh","title":"The Butler (Paperback) by Clare Mackintosh","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eFrom the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\"\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e–bestselling author: A glamorous French villa. A carefully curated guest list. A body in the pool.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe South of France is stunning, though not without its imperfections, from pickpockets to burglars to the occasional cold-blooded killer. But in his twenty-five years of service, Baxter—with a spotless reputation as a polished, well-mannered butler—has never run into any issues catering to the ultrawealthy. Until now.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBaxter’s latest assignment is at Villa Sérénité, where Alec Prescott is hosting a colorful cast of characters, including his ex-wife, his much younger lady friend, and some Hollywood hotshots, after the Cannes Film Festival. But it doesn’t take long for a week of sun, wine, and a family birthday celebration to devolve into bickering and backstabbing. And soon, secrets aren’t the only thing floating to the surface . . .\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen one of the guests is found dead in the villa’s glittering pool, the unflappable Baxter must assist the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003egendarmes\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e in determining who’s responsible. With some standing to gain and others motivated to take it away, fingers are pointed in all directions. A good butler is expected to see everything and say nothing—but what if he too becomes a target?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Mackintosh shrewdly mixes soapy drama with quality sleuthing to deliver a diverting tale of murder and money.” \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e—\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\"\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“This cleverly drawn homage to Christie and Poirot is an entertaining follow-the-money story, full of sumptuous atmosphere, drawing-room suspense, and a delightful Poirot-ish sleuth.” \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e—\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\"\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Moves along swiftly, with snappy dialogue, colorful descriptions of the setting and food, and humorous moments. Mackintosh hits all the expected mystery genre beats, including plenty of surprising twists that keep the narrative feeling fresh and a satisfying ending that hints at further adventures in Baxter’s future.” \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e—\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\"\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Like Mackintosh’s DC Morgan series, this character-driven locked room mystery reads like a warm hug, but with the added allure of downstairs perspectives on luxury living.” \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e—\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\"\u003eBooklist\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Glamorous, deadly and so much fun. There’s nothing like a rich, dysfunctional family-and-friends get-together, followed by a murder, to enjoy lashings of schadenfreude. Loved it.” \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e—Rachel Wolf, author of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\"\u003eFive Nights\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\"\u003eSun Trap\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A fantastically fun and clever whodunnit. I hope we get to see more of Baxter and Red in the future.” \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e—Jo Jakeman, author of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\"\u003eSafe House\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\"\u003eThe Exes’ Revenge\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Take a dollop of Jeeves, a glug of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eThe White Lotus\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, and a good splash of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eEvil Under the Sun\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and you have \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eThe Butler\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, a witty new sun-drenched mystery from Clare Mackintosh where everyone—even the wonderfully drawn titular butler—has a dark, dangerous, or tragic secret and where motives are ten a penny.” \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e—Derek Farrell, author of the Danny Bird Mysteries\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ingram","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48315673641201,"sku":null,"price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0305\/9757\/8890\/files\/butler.jpg?v=1781451391","url":"https:\/\/shopsouthandpine.com\/products\/the-butler-paperback-by-clare-mackintosh","provider":"South \u0026 Pine and Blue Apple Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}