First published in the US in 1933 in magazine form and later in 1937 in book form, ''Beginning with a Bash'' is a "screwball" comedy mystery set in a bone-chilling Boston winter. It marks the debut of the Leonidas Witherall series, written by Phoebe Atwood Taylor under the pseudonym Alice Tilton.
The story follows Martin Jones, a man who is being chased by police after being accused of stealing $50,000 in bonds. He ducks into Peters's secondhand bookstore to escape the cold and meet his friend Dot, the shop's owner. Inside, he encounters Leonidas Witherall, a retired headmaster who has lost his fortune and is working as the store's janitor. Witherall is frequently nicknamed "Bill" because of his uncanny resemblance to William Shakespeare. The situation escalates when the body of Professor John North-the man who originally accused Martin of the theft-is discovered in the store's religion section, having been "bashed" over the head. Witherall, convinced of Martin's innocence, assembles a "motley crew" to solve the crime, including: Agatha Jordan: A wealthy and indomitable Boston dowager. Gert: A sassy maid. Freddy: Gert's mobster boyfriend. The group spends a frantic night dodging rival gangs and the police, but can they solve the murder and find the stolen bonds in time to clear Martin's name?
