Download Death in Cyprus: A Mystery djvu

I was hooked on this story from the murder on page one to the action-packed ending.

The heroine, 21-year-old Amanda Derington, is beautiful, bright and feisty - despite having been raised by a misogynist uncle with Victorian notions of child rearing. She has long hair like a fairy tale princess - and the same tendency to attract trouble.

On the boat to Cyprus Amanda has the unpleasant experience of watching a weeping woman die of poison in her presence. Suicide or murder? In Cyprus nothing turns out as planned. She can't stay with her uncle's business associate whose wife has just run off with a "painter chap." And so she's housed with the eccentric Miss Moon.

This birdlike elder lady lives in a lovely old weatherworn villa with a tangled garden of orange and lemon trees, oleanders, roses and jasmine. Amanda is thrilled, as was M.M. Kay when she stayed in a house just like this in l949. It was there, on a painting holiday, that the author conceived Death in Cyprus.

But Amanda is only at the start of her misadventures. One murder, after all, leads to another.

Fortunately there's a mysterious young man on the scene who's keeping an eye on events for his own reasons - and watching over Amanda. He packs a gun and quotes seventeenth-century poetry.

The story is full of delightful characters, like the keenly observant Miss Moon in her diaphanous tea gowns - and the glamorous American tourist Persis Halliday, a romance writer who flirts with every attractive male in sight and talks an outrageous 40s slang.

Death in Cyprus is a heady mix of exotic scenery, sinister goings-on and witty repartee. I loved it.

M. M. Kaye wrote this most enjoyable mystery novel set in an enchanting Cyprus that Kaye realized was too good to last. Years later when memories of places like Kyrenia had begun to fade, she made the sun shine bright one last time on the Cyprus she had seen and experienced with this marvelous adventure and romance touched with danger. Those who love the scope and beauty of Kaye's grand "The Far Pavillions," Trade Wind," and "Shadow of the Moon" will find much to love in the atmosphere created by the author in this old-fashioned mystery romance set in an exotic locale. Places like Port Said, Fayid, Limassol, Nicosia and Kyrenia are alive and filled with beauty and adventure once again, just as they were when Kaye saw them. M. M. Kaye made sure the sun would never truly set on the exotic place she knew with "Death in Cyprus."

Sunlit garden verandas and dinner tables overlooking a crystal sea of jade and emerald, and the breeze from silver-grey olive trees are described in such a manner you can almost taste them like a fresh purple grape from the vineyards of Nicosia. The setting is ripe for romance, but danger as well, and Kaye brought together both in one of her finest mysteries. While "Death in Zanzibar" will always hold a special place for me as it was the first of Kaye's mysteries I read, it must be said that "Death in Cyprus" is one of her most exciting mystery novels and is a perfect blend of adventure, romance and mystery. You will feel as though you too have enjoyed a vacation fraught with excitement and adventure upon finishing this most charming and old-fashioned style of mystery we will not bear witness to ever again.

Young and lovely twenty-year-old Amanda Derrington will board the S.S. Orantares and meet a group of people who will play an important part in her life in ways she could not have imagined. Before she leaves the ship for a stay in beautiful Cyprus a murder will occur that will reach the white-walled houses of Cyprus, shining bright against the sea. Only Amanda and Stephen Howard, a painter who carries a gun and may be more than he seems to be, know that it was murder, and not a suicide. Only the happenstance of a last minute cabin switch allowed Amanda to find the poison ending Julia Blaine's life. Amanda's knowledge of the crime will put her in danger as the killer is now aware of what Amanda knows.

The romance of Stephen and Amanda, or Amarantha as he calls her, is a very-old fashioned one born of danger and mystery. It is the kind of romance and mystery that recalls the best of Hitchcock's British films, and very much has that feel. Jealousy and romantic strife all come into play as just beneath the surface of smiles much is going on. Amanda will befriend more than one person while having doubts about Stephen and what his real purpose is in all this. A moonlight kiss will complicate matters, as will a second, and unexpected murder. And an attempt will be made on Amanda's life while in Kyrenia which will nearly succeed.

There is a terrific ending filled with both adventure and romance. You will not guess the killer or the motive, although the clues are there. The last few moments will be fraught with danger and excitement, and just when you believe all has been revealed, the true insanity of the real murderer will change what you though you knew. A fine and vivid assortment of characters enliven the story almost as much as the exotic locale. Grand beauty and old-fashioned romance amidst an ever-growing danger do the rest, making this a memorable mystery romance that outshines everyone else who wrote in this genre.

This particular mystery and romance novel was born in 1949 when M. M. Kaye and her husband were staying in Egypt because his regiment was assigned there. A painting holiday in Cyprus she and a friend took would sow all the seeds for "Death in Cyprus." The house described in Kyrenia is the actual one Kaye and her friend stayed in while there. A series of curious incidents witnessed by Kaye on her stay gave birth to the novel she would not have the opportunity to write for another five years.

Originally published in 1956 under the title "Death Walked in Cyprus," Kaye would make revisions that enhanced the story and made it even better. "Death in Cyprus" is a wonderful adventure for all those who like their mysteries on the old-fashioned side, shaded with beauty and touched with romance. You will find none better than "Death in Cyprus" and I highly recommend you take this vacation with M. M. Kaye and rediscover how a good mystery can refresh your soul. Enjoy.

I'm so happy to read this book again. M.M. Kaye has complex characters and although they were written a some time ago they still seem very relevant and modern people. This is well written LITERATURE, written in an age when people actually had a vocabulary. Don't expect a cream puff read but do expect to be drawn in and enthralled.

I read this book as the result of a challenge, I would never have read this book other wise. It had the twists and turns I like. Usually, I can figure out who did it and did not. After I have completed the challenge, I will go back and read some more of M.M. Kaye's books. Really enjoyed this lighthearted mystery.

This is a great whodunit set in Cyprus in the 50's. The writing is excellent and the story has many twists and turns. The author's narrative makes you want to visit!

M.M. Kaye's murder mysteries are a blast to read. Well-written, interesting and just plain fun ! I would recommend them to anyone.

Read these as a young pre-teen, fun to revisit them as an adult. Love MM Kaye's works.

Fun, escape read