Red is for Killing

Vintage Penguin First Edition. #1008. Red Is for Killing is a brisk, tightly plotted Penguin mystery from George Bagby, featuring his recurring sleuth, Inspector Schmidt. When a seemingly ordinary New York apartment becomes the scene of a violent death, Schmidt finds himself navigating a tangle of neighbours, half-truths and small domestic details that refuse to line up. Bagby keeps the tone light but the investigation sharp, letting Schmidt’s dry humour and methodical instincts guide the story as the colour “red” becomes a recurring clue pointing toward motive, opportunity and a killer hiding in plain sight. It’s a neat, fast-moving urban whodunit with a touch of sardonic charm.