The Butler
Baxter and Red Book 1
Claire Mackintosh
Podium Publishing
June 2026
The Butler by Claire Mackintoshis a locked room mystery set in Cannes in the French Riviera, a whodunit story.
“I got the idea for the story when I was scrolling on TikTok when I came across Dan The Butler, a modern-day butler who travels the world looking after private clients. I had a sudden image of a butler investigating a crime, and thought someone must have written a novel with a similar central character. But they hadn’t! The more I thought about it, the more I could see how it could play out: rich people in glamorous settings, a dead body, a cast of suspects.”
The 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.
“Cannes, in the south of France, is a beautiful and glamorous location but, like anywhere, scratch the surface and you’ll find rot. The Film Festival makes for rich pickings for petty thieves like Red, but also for professional criminals carrying out targeted burglaries across the area. I loved recreating the atmosphere of Cannes in this book, and hope readers will be able to imagine walking through the cobbled streets (just keep a hand on your wallet, in case Red’s around.)”
Baxter’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 . . .
The main characters of Baxter and Red are well developed and readers will root for them. “Baxter is my fictional version of real-life Dan the Butler. Baxter comes from a traditional butler background, having worked in a household for many years, but is now working for a butler agency. He’s a consummate professional – always the last to retire at night, always awake before his guests – and can handle everything from stubborn stains to… well, murder, as it turns out!”
“Red is half-French and half-English. Red is a skilled teenage pickpocket who works the busy streets of Cannes. We meet her as she attempts (and fails) to lift Baxter’s wallet. Red’s world is a long way from the rarified lifestyle of Baxter’s guests at Villa Sérénité, and she’s a likely friend for someone like Baxter, but – as you’ll see – their skills are well suited when it comes to solving crime.”
When one of the guests is found dead in the villa’s glittering pool, the gendarmes turn to the unflappable Baxter to help determine who’s responsible. A good butler is expected to see everything and say nothing―but what if he too becomes a target?
The story has murder, scandal, drama, and intrigue.
