Death in Cyprus

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 one last time on the Cyprus she had seen and experienced in this marvelous mystery-romance. Those who love the scope and beauty of Kaye's grander, heftier works will find much to love in this old-fashioned mystery and romance set in an exotic locale. M. M. Kaye made sure the sun would never truly set on exotic places such as Port Said, Fayid, Limassol, Nicosia and Kyrenia with Death in Cyprus.

Sunlit garden verandas, dinner tables overlooking a crystal sea of jade and emerald, and the breeze from silver-gray olive trees are show more described in such a manner you can almost see the former, and taste the latter like a fresh purple grape from the vineyards of Nicosia. The setting is ripe for romance and danger, and Kaye brings them together in Death in Cyprus, one of her finest mysteries. You will feel as though you have enjoyed a vacation fraught with excitement and adventure upon finishing this most charming and old-fashioned mystery.

Young and lovely twenty-year-old Amanda Derrington boards the S.S. Orantares. It is there she will meet the people who 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 occurs which 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 is befriended by 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, 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 Kaye deftly gives us clues. The last few moments of Death in Cyprus are fraught with danger and excitement. Just when the reader believes all has been revealed, Kaye deftly changes everything.

A fine and vividly realized assortment of characters enliven Death in Cyprus almost as much as the exquisitely described exotic locales. Grand beauty and old-fashioned romance amidst an ever-growing danger do the rest, making this a memorable mystery romance rich and evocative of another time and place, and a different style of writing. show less

Death in Cyprus, published in 1956, is M. M. Kaye's third mystery and follows the general pattern of her other suspense novels. A beautiful and privileged young woman arrives at an exotic locale, where the cultured British upper crust is not so safe as it seems. At some point, the heroine barely escapes an attempt on her life, for once a murderer kills once, he has no compunctions about doing it again. And somehow our heroine is always in the wrong place at the wrong time, to learn a clue that would incriminate the murderer. A formula, certainly, but an enjoyable and fairly successful one.

Kaye's husband was a British officer and they spent much of their married life traveling to his various military posts worldwide. One such post was show more Cyprus, where Kaye says that the plot for this story "was practically handed to me on a plate by a curious series of incidents that occurred during our stay." Intriguing! She must have seen a lot of marital infidelity, because all her mysteries I've read so far contain it. It's actually a little depressing to think that some of her characters in this tale are drawn from real life (especially Julia Blaine — poor miserable and misery-causing woman!).

In many ways this story is very predictable; you can tell right off who the romantic lead will be, the man who isn't quite handsome but who "has something." In other ways it isn't predictable; the identity of the murderer really was a surprise to me (not sure Kaye plays entirely fair, either, but ah well). Despite the stock characters and relationships Kaye uses, I still regard her mysteries as a cut above the usual in the genre. I'm not entirely sure why.

In her other books I've noted Kaye's unreasonable prejudice against such authors as the Brontё sisters, and in this one she takes some swings at the Victorian era as a whole. I like the Victorians myself, with some reservations, and I find this kind of invective against an entire period more amusing than anything else. Does Kaye realize that such bitter incidental criticism is very revealing?

I liked this mystery less than the others I've read by Kaye; the ending felt rushed, the solution forced, and the formula is starting to wear a bit thin. Use a formula by all means, but cover it a little better! show less

This author does suspense REALLY well.
I enjoyed this story from start to finish.
I've read two M.M. Kaye books now, and it amuses me to see that her lead male characters are very alpha male, always telling the girl what's good for her, bossy, with a tenderness for the heroine barely concealed by a businesslike exterior, always doing the rescuing, etc. You get the idea. I personally don't mind it (I guess I'm a sucker for that soft heart under a gruff surface thing, and hey, if I were afraid of some deep murderous plot, I'd stick like a leech to somebody with a competent, take-charge personality) but it's definitely a product of its time and might now be seen as a bit over the top.
And the heroines tend to do a certain amount of huffing show more and getting offended by the alpha male, even though they secretly adore him. It's trope central, but I buy it hook, line and sinker in a good suspense novel like this! show less

Young and beautiful Amanda Derington is accompanying her uncle on a business trip in Egypt. However, his strict ways have annoyed her so much that she is planning a short trip to Cyprus without him. She travels by boat along with several friends and acquaintances she had made in Egypt; however, en route to Cyprus, one of her fellow passengers suddenly dies. The authorities think that the woman committed suicide, but Amanda uncovers some evidence that points to murder. When the boat arrives in Cyprus, Amanda still socializes with her friends from the boat, and she gradually realizes that one of them must be responsible for the murdered woman’s death. Shocked, she also begins to realize that she herself might be the next to die.

This is show more the third M. M. Kaye mystery that I’ve read, and I’m definitely starting to sense a pattern. The heroines are always young and pretty, their own lives are always in danger, and they always fall in love with mysterious men. So this book is quite formulaic, but since I enjoy this particular formula, I still liked the book. For one thing, it made me want to visit Cyprus! I also just love mysteries from this time period (1950s); there’s something about the way the characters talk and act that I enjoy. I did not guess the identity of the murderer, but the plot hangs together quite nicely, and I liked the romance as well. If you like Agatha Christie, I think you’ll like M. M. Kaye as well. show less

Amanda Derington's decision to go to Cyprus on vacation started out as an attempt to assert her independence from her uncle, a wealthy businessman. She couldn't have imagined the danger she would face, starting with the murder of a fellow passenger on the boat that took her to Cyprus. After a second murder and an attempt on Amanda's life, she was afraid to trust anyone except the mysterious but infuriating Steve Howard.

This was a reread for me, but I originally read the book so long ago that I had forgotten everything about it. I had hoped for more local atmosphere, but all of the major characters were either British or American. The few Cypriots who appeared in the book were limited to a few lines of dialogue. The local landscape had a show more much larger role than the local population. I enjoyed the descriptions of the flowering plants, the coast, and the historic sites. It was fairly easy to figure out who was responsible for the murders and attempted murders, but the motive wasn't obvious. I don't think I enjoyed the book as much this time around, but it was still an entertaining escape to a warmer climate on this cold winter afternoon. show less

Amanda Derrington is on an extended cruise with her uncle when she decides to make a short trip to the island of Cyprus. Even before the ship arrives in the port, there is a suspicious death. Once the passengers reach the island, it soon becomes clear that the death was in fact an act of murder. What Amanda had meant to be a pleasant excursion quickly takes a turn for the worse in this classic novel of suspense and romance by one of our most celebrated writers. [summary from FF] {Actually Amanda has just turned 21, which is why she can defy her guardian and go to Cyprus—she now has control of her inheritance.}
Kaye, M.M.: Death in Cyprus
In the ‘60’s and 70’s I read a lot of romantic suspense novels mainly by Mary Stewart and show more Victoria Holt (pseudonym of Jean Plaidy) but somehow I never came across MM Kaye, even though she published her first novel of this type a few years before Mary Stewart and almost a decade before Jean Plaidy created Victoria Holt as the name under which she would publish her novels in this genre. It’s been quite awhile since I’ve read a novel in the “damsel in distress in an exotic locale” style but Death in Cyprus appeared on an Amazon list of best mysteries of the 20th century so I decided to give it a try. It was much better than I had expected and actually better than I remember the Mary Stewart’s novels being. MM Kaye seemed to me to develop her characters more in depth and her descriptions of the locale were superb. The heroine, 21 year old Amanda Darrington, has just come into her inheritance so decides to leave the trip she is on with her guardian and take a side-trip to Cyprus. Even before she arrives there is a murder on board ship and danger seems to be stalking her everywhere in Cyprus. Although the villain was not difficult to spot there were enough interesting characters – especially some really “bitchy” women characters that were fun. I also loved the elderly and eccentric Mrs. Moon, with whom Amanda is staying, who chooses the color of her clothing according to what day it is and is highly observant in spite of seeming to be a bit scatter-brained. Persis, the American romance novel author also is quite an interesting character. I found it refreshing to read a G rated romantic novel—very difficult to find these in this day and age unless you stick to “Christian fiction.” This was a delightful two evenings read. show less

Although this was an improvement over the quite dreadful Death in Zanzibar, it still had issues. The main problem was a mass dumping introduction to all the characters/suspects in a heap so I had alot of trouble just keeping them all straight for a while. Her usual theme of damsel in distress and mysterious hero continued on, though I can't say I really ever found much to like in Steve Howard and Amanda, despite a few good moments here and there (the resounding slap she laid on Steve being one) mostly was a gullible ninny. I didn't figure out who did it but I didn't really try to, not anywhere near enough clues laid for that. The grand wrap up was long on explanations that made little sense. Just one more of the series that I own but I show more think I can live without seeking out the final one I don't own. show less