Gently in the Sun

 Gently in the Sun (1959) by Alan Hunter

Rachel Campion was a beautiful young woman who likes men and whom men like a lot. She was faithful (after her fashion) to her boyfriend/boss--but he had to understand that she just couldn't help liking other men. And liked being with them. She was secretary and lover to Alfred Mixer and, though he doesn't want to admit, he was very jealous of Rachel. Anyone at the Bel-Air guest house could tell you that. And when Rachel is found strangled to death on the beach Mixer is at the top of the Devon County Constabulary's suspect list. But Mixer has an alibi of sorts and there is little real evidence, so they decide to call in the Yard.

Inspector George Gently is sent to investigate and at first it looks like the local police have tagged it right. But his seeming (to local Inspector Dyson) random questions and even more eccentric methods unearth other motives. There's the painter who lied about how well he knew Rachel--well enough, in fact, to paint a very provocative portrait of her. Then there's the two fishermen, Dawes and Hawks, who have an odd relationship to the dead woman...and to each other. And then, just as Gently thinks things are becoming clear, he discovers another corpse buried in the sand on the beach. This one is about twenty years old and it looks like Rachel's death may not be as simple as he thought.

At some point in my pre-blogging life, I read an Alan Hunter Inspector Gently novel (either Landed Gently or Death on the Heath--I'm not certain which came first) and pronounced it so good that I put him on my "To Be Found" list and over the years I've accumulated a fair number of them. I pull one off the TBR shelf every once in a while and discover that I can't figure out why I thought I needed these so much. It's not that they're bad. Most are fairly decent little mysteries and very quick reads. But they're just not all that and there are certainly other authors that I could have spent more time looking for with more exceptional results. I may have to go back and reread those books mentioned above to see if I can figure out what grabbed me initially.

This particular title is a perfectly fine outing at the beach with Gently and there are some humorous bits where he "goes tourist" and buys some outlandish shirts to wear in the summer heat. But it does leave a something to be desired in the way of actual clues--for a police procedural, there's not a whole lot of evidence-gathering and just barely enough suspect-questioning. At one point, Gently sits down beside one of the suspects. They're on a bench facing the beach. And they just sit there. Neither one says anything. they don't even really look at each other--just at the beach. And, suddenly, it all clarifies for Gently. He just knows how it all happened and who did it and everything. Does he tell us? Of course not, we've got a couple more chapters to go and one more bit that will muddy the waters and make Gently question, just briefly, whether he actually has it right. But as of that moment on the bench...he knows. If I had been given more clues to work with then maybe I would have too. ★★★

First line: Even at this hour in the morning, when the dew still clung heavily to the rough, wiry blades of the marram, one could tell that by early afternoon the temperature would be nearing ninety.

Last line: He had lately, he said, married off his youngest daughter; now, excepting for his housekeeper, he was living there alone.

************

Deaths = 3 (two strangled; one blown up in boat gas tank explosion)

Murder in 3 Acts

 Murder in 3 Acts [Three Act Tragedy] (1934 by Agatha Christie

Who would want to poison a harmless, truly nice vicar? That's the problem before us in Christie's three-act murder mystery. In the first act, thirteen guests, including celebrated detective Hercule Poirot, are gathered for dinner party at the home of retired actor Sir Charles Cartwright. It is a fairly eclectic group from our famous detective to a rather plain playwright; from a beautiful dress designer to a genteel lady in reduced circumstances; from the lady's daughter and her left-leaning young man (or is he hers?); from a famous nerve doctor to a racing gentleman; and from the vicar and his wife to Mr. Sattherwaite--observer of the human condition. When the Reverend Stephen Babbington succumbs to the temptation of a cocktail, a beverage he is unaccustomed to, Mr. Sattherwaite is amused to see him wrinkle up his nose at the first taste and then bravely go on to sip it. But no one is amused when the vicar chokes, goes into convulsions, and dies. There is a bit of unease at the sudden death--and Sir Charles and "Egg" (Hermione) Lytton-Gore (daughter of the impoverished lady) are sure that murder has been done. But an analysis of the vicar's glass has negative results. Even Poirot thinks they are making a drama of nothing.

But then the second act takes place and Dr. Bartholomew Strange (the nerve specialist) holds a dinner party with a similar guest list to that of Cartwright's. It also ends in death. This time it is the host, Dr. Strange himself, who dies after drinking an alcoholic beverage. Again, there is nothing in the glass--but this time a post mortem is performed and it is established that the doctor died from nicotine poisoning. Our amateur sleuths, Sir Charles and Egg--with Mr. Satthewaite in tow, begin detecting in earnest. They reason that the doctor must also have suspected foul play in the vicar's death and, when he found something out (but what?), he was put out of the way too. Sattherwaite makes sure Poirot is aware of the second death and soon the team is gathering clues and working out theories. But only Poirot will be ready to reveal the killer when the curtain raises on the third and final act.

I don't think I've ever read this particular Agatha Christie. I didn't own a copy until 2014 and I missed logging it if I read it from the library back when I first discovered her mysteries. But I had seen the adaptation with Peter Ustinov as Poirot and I did remember the basic plot (though not the motive). As far as I recall, there weren't many changes in the filmed version--other than location and the fact that Poirot shows up more frequently a lot sooner than in the novel. There's a good portion of the book where you wouldn't know that it was a Poirot novel at all. I spent my time reading waiting for Poirot to really get involved and for our detectives to realize who was really behind it. Also--looking for clues that would tell them (and the reader) who really did it if they were paying proper attention. And I think I caught them all--well done, me. It made for an interestingly different reading experience. That's not to say I haven't reread Christie before and gone in knowing who did it. I have. But this time I was reading for the first time and still knew who did it. Not one of my all-time favorites, but a solid performance from one of our queens of crime. ★★★ and 1/2

First line: Mr. Sattherwaite sat on the terrace of Crow's Nest and watched his host, Sir Charles Cartwright, climbing up the path from the sea.

The great merit of being a doctor is that your are not obliged to follow your own advice. (Sir Bartholomew Strang [doctor]; p. 14)

Last line: "It might have been me," said Hercule Poirot.

**************

Deaths =  (three poisoned)

Blue Octavo

 He was seventy-eight years old with forty thousand pounds' worth of stock in the basement of his Chelsea shop, but the thought of a good buy slipping through his fingers was a constant nightmare that troubled his sleep; rows and rows and miles and miles of books running away into other people's shops and catalogues, and not a single volume for poor old Jack Goldsmith. ~Blue Octavo (aka Bound to Kill; 1963) by John Blackburn

Bookseller James Roach had always been a bit eccentric, but after the latest auction his fellow bookmen think he's gone even further round the bend. Roach pays 43 pounds for an obscure but thoroughly unexceptional book on mountaineering which has never fetched more than 12 pounds on the open market. He can't possibly have a buyer who will pay him enough to make a profit. But Roach confides to his young friend, John Cain, that he does indeed have a buyer. He's positive that he has found an obsessive collector who--for reasons unfathomable--will pay extraordinary prices in order to be the only person in the world who owns copies of this limited-run memoir about the last climb of two brothers in 1909. Cain leaves him in his office that night with the book on the desk in front of him.

The next day Cain has reason to drop by Roach's office again and finds him hanging in his office. After hearing about the bookseller's odd behavior at the auction, the police write the death off as a suicide (thinking that he realized what a stupid mistake he'd made). When Cain tries to protest their findings, he's reminded that IF it is murder as he seems to imply then he would be topping off their suspect list. Because guess who is Roach's beneficiary under his will...you guessed it--John Cain. So maybe he should just accept their professional findings and go play with his new stock of books.

But as soon as he goes to Roach's office he knows he's right. The eccentric bookman did not commit suicide. How does he know? The book is gone. He goes through everything of Roach's--even the parts of the building where Roach lived and The Grey Boulders is nowhere to be found. Not only had Roach found someone willing to pay exorbitant prices for the book, that someone has now become desperate enough to kill for it. As he begins to investigate his friend's death on his own, he joins forces with Julia Lent and (more reluctantly) author Molden Mott. Julia's uncle and Mott have both had their copies of The Grey Boulders stolen and the three are soon hot on the trail. Are they dealing with just a book collector gone made or is there a more sinister reason why the book must suppressed at all costs?

This short little mystery (about as long as the elusive Grey Boulders, I think) was quite fun. It gives a nice look at the inner world of booksellers and an interesting insight into the lengths we book collectors can go to get our hands on particular books. The mystery plot is solid with a motive that fits in with the extreme behaviors represented. A nice bit of action and adventure and the hero gets the girl in the end. What more could you want in a day's read? ★★★ and 1/2.

First line: "And that, ladies and gentlemen, as the Duke said to the Duchess, appears to conclude our business for the day."

When you'd been as long in the trade as old Roach or Jack Goldsmith, books became a craze, an obsession...only books mattered to them and gave them security. Long rows of polished volumes stretching away under the light, the feel of a lovely binding, and the fun of finding a bargain. (p. 12) 

Last line: She broke off as he came round from behind the desk, and there was nothing more to be said.

***********

Deaths = 6 (one hanged; one drowned; one burned to death; two fell from height; one natural)

Bodies from the Library: Lost Tales of Mystery & Suspense from Agatha Christie & Other Members of the Golden Age

 Bodies from the Library: Lost Tales of Mystery & Suspense from Agatha Christie & Other Members of the Golden Age (2018*) by Tony Medawar (ed)

A delightful anthology of short stories and screenplays from the Golden Age of Detection--stories that have either never been published before or only once upon a time in newspapers or magazines. Of particular interest (to me) are the earliest detective story by Georgette Heyer, and stories by A. A. Milne, Arthur W. Upfield, and Vincent Cornier. It was wonderful to have more to read by Heyer and Milne (I thought I had read all their work) and Vincent Cornier was a brand-new author for me. I will say that I had feelings of deja vu with the stories by John Rhode and Agatha Christie--even though these have supposedly never been collected before, I definitely had the feeling that I had read these. The Anthony Berkeley story reminded me of Christie's thrillers with young couples (the Beresfords and Bobby Owens & Lady Frances [Frankie] Derwent...etc.). A lot of fun. Overall, an enjoyable collection and I look forward to reading the second and third anthologies. ★★★★

"Before Insulin" by J. J. Connington: Squire Wendover asks his friend Chief Constable Sir Clinton Driffield to help him determine the legitimacy of an unexpected will.

"The Inverness Cape" by Leo Bruce: Sgt. Beef must figure out who bought the second cape and murdered a harmless old woman--in full view of her sister.

"Dark Waters" by Freeman Wills Crofts: A man thinks he has the perfect plan for undetected murder--but fate and Inspector French have other ideas.

"Lincke's Greatest Case" by Georgette Heyer: Top secret submarine plans (it's always submarine plans...) are copied and sold to the Germans, but it appears that no one could have done it. The Yard's brightest young detective, Roger Lincke, is put on the case to find out where the leak is.

"Calling James Braithwaite" by Nicholas Blake: James Braithwaite hires Nigel Strangeways to "keep his eyes open" but doesn't have a chance to tell him just what for before he's thrown overboard from the ship that bears his name. Did the escaped psychiatric patient do it? Or is the killer closer to home?

"The Elusive Bullet" by John Rhode: Robert Halliday has an argument with his (he hopes) future father-in-law. The the man is found shot to death on a train that Halliday himself has traveled on--with a firearm. Inspector Hanslet thinks he has his man--but Dr. Priestly isn't so sure. And when the Halliday's prospective bride comes to him for help, he decides to investigate to be sure.

"The Euthanasia of Hilary's Aunt" by Cyril Hare: Money runs through Hilary Smyth's hands like water. He thinks he's gotten onto a good thing when he makes the acquaintance of his not-long-for-this-world wealthy aunt. But Aunt Mary is definitely on to him. 

"The Girdle of Dreams" by Vincent Cornier: Poor Mr. Blayne. An elderly woman approaches him at his jewelry establishment with a fabulous golden girdle. Despite her refusal to give its provenance, he's persuaded to keep it and show his partners for their opinion of the matter. Before he knows it, he's in a dream-like state; he has opened the safe; and the lady has disappeared with the girdle and a mass of jewels that aren't hers. The police doubt his story, but Professor Wanless believes it absolutely and soon brings the miscreant to justice.

"The Fool & the Perfect Murder" by Arthur W. Upfield: A man in the outback thinks he has committed the perfect murder to mystify the police. He doesn't know that when Detective Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte is put on a case perfect murders are no longer mystifying.

"Bread Upon the Waters" by A. A. Milne: Another young waster who loves money but not work, tries to figure out the perfect way to get rid of a rich uncle. He fastens onto the idea of committing a separate, unrelated murder first and somehow getting uncle's death hooked up with that--of course, he, the young waster, will have no motive for the first murder and the police will go looking for somebody else. But as so often happens with these things...there's just one little hitch in the plan.

"The Man with the Twisted Thumb" by Anthony Berkeley: Veronica Steyning slaps her employer's husband across the face, loses her job as a nursery governess, and plunges into a plot of intrigue in Monte Carlo. She and her new friends Geoffrey and Archie wind up involved with the Man with the Twisted Thumb. Lots of high adventure and hi-jinks.

Quote: Perhaps since eleven o'clock that same evening surprises had ceased to exist for Veronica.

"The Rum Punch" by Christianna Brand: Sgt. Troot, eager for his holiday in four days' time, goes up to the Hall to manage parking for a big event--only to find himself landed in the middle of a murder case. Will he be able to clear it up in time to head to the beach?

"Blind Man's Bluff" by Ernest Bramah: Max Carrados is deputized to guard a young American carrying secret plans. He'll have to outwit a cunning crook and a master of ju-jitsu to keep the plans safe.

"Victoria Pumphrey" by H. C. Bailey: Victoria Pumphrey is the last, impoverished Pumphrey in a long line of Pumphreys. She's been wasting her talents as a typist in a lawyer's office when an opportunity for investigation and adventure is provided. She naturally takes advantage of it and helps the last scion of another landed family.

"The Starting-Handle Murder" by Roy Vickers: "And I would have gotten away with it, it weren't for that meddling Department of Dead Ends."...and a gentlemanly feeling that I can't let someone else hang for my crime...

"The Wife of the Kenite" by Agatha Christie: Herr Schaefer is a German who made it through the first World War and headed to South Africa where his plans go off the rails because of Revolution. He thinks he's going to make it through this latest bloodshed...until he finds that revenge is sometimes a long time coming.

First line (from "Before Insulin"): "I'd more than the fishing in my mind when I asked you over for the weekend," Wendover confessed.

Last line (from "The Wife of the Kenite"): "This is the day in which the Lord hath delivered mine enemy into my hand..."

*All stories written pre-1960.

***********

Deaths = 13 (one natural; two hit on head; two hanged; two drowned; two shot; two poisoned; two stabbed)

Mr. Parker Pyne, Detective

 Mr. Parker Pyne, Detective (aka Parker Pyne Investigates) (1934) by Agatha Christie

A collection of twelve short stories fearuting Mr. Parker Pyne, Christie's heart specialist:

Are you happy? If not, consult Mr. Parker Pyne, 17 Richmond Street.

Pyne is not your typical detective (at least in most of these stories). As he tells one of his clients, "But my dear lady, you must remember, I am not a detective. Theft and crime are not in my line at all. The human heart is my province." Here he helps women retrieve the attention of straying husbands. He helps men who need a little adventure in their lives or wealthy women who are bored and need novel ways of spending their money. In a few cases he does solve murders or thefts, but mostly he is out do what he says--help unhappy people. These are perfectly fine, nice little stories but not heavy in the mystery department. ★★★

"The Case of the Middle-Aged Wife": Martha Packington is distraught. Her husband has begun going about with a young typist from the office. Tears and recriminations do no good--since he says he's only bringing a little happiness to the poor girl and there's nothing it. Not knowing where to turn, she spies an advertisement from Mr. Parker Pyne offering to help those who are unhappy. He shows her that what is sauce for the gander is also sauce for goose...

"The Case of the Discontented Soldier": Major Charles Wilbraham is finding life in England very dull after a stint in East Africa. He goes to Parker Pyne who promises him that there are adventures a-plenty in England for those who know where to look...The major soon discovers that Pyne was right.

"The Case of the Distressed Lady": Daphne St. John comes to Parker Pyne distressed. She shows him a diamond ring and says that she had stolen it from a friend because she had gotten herself into debt. Circumstances have occurred that have cancelled her debt and she wants to get the ring back where it belongs--but her husband and the friend's husband have had a falling out and she can't do it. Can Parker Pyne arrange things? He can...more than she knows.

"The Case of the Discontented Husband": A different twist on the "spouse is interested in someone else" story (as per "Middle-Aged Wife"). And Parker Pyne learns that he's not infallible.

"The Case of the City Clerk": Mr. Roberts's wife and children are away on holiday and he's feeling at rather loose ends. He's not unhappy exactly...but he'd like a bit of adventure just once. Parker Pyne is happy to oblige him.

"The Case of the Rich Woman": Mrs. Abner Rhymer is a rich widow who come to Parker Pyne for advice on how to spend her money. She's got all the jewels and furs and houses and cars that she wants. She doesn't want to give her money away but she can't think of anything else she wants or needs. She wants to find a way to be happy again. Pyne promises to do just that...but in way she never expected.

"Have You Got Everything You Want?": Elsie Jeffries boards the Orient Express to join her husband in Constantinople. Parker Pyne is also on the train and shares her dining table. As they talk she asks if he's the Parker Pyne of newspaper ads. When he confirms this, she tells him she's worried. She found a scrap of her husband's writing on a blotting pad that indicates that something will happen just before the train reaches Venice. Pyne agrees to help her and when a smoke bomb creates a diversion during which Elsie's jewels are stolen it appears that he has failed. But all hope is not lost--he's able to solve the crime and get the jewels back to her by the time they're in Constantinople.

"The Gate of Baghdad": For the first time Parker Pyne is called upon to solve a murder which takes place on the motor coach he and other travelers are taking from Damascus to Baghdad. Captain Smethurst had muttered vague comments about not letting down a pal before he's found stabbed at the back of the coach. A chance conversation between he and Pyne prior to the journey leads our hero to the solution.

"The House at Shiraz": Lady Esther Carr is thought to have gone mad. She's given up her English ways and insists on staying in the Middle East and dressing in Eastern garb. Her servant has died from a fall from a balcony and since then she has refused visitors from her home country. But she sees Parker Pyne and he gets to the bottom of her true unhappiness.

"The Pearl of Price": While visiting an archaeological dig, Carol Blundell, daughter of an American millionaire, loses a valuable pearl earring. It looks like someone in their small group has taken it? But who? Leave it to Parker Pine to find out.

"Death on the Nile" (a precursor to the novel of the same name): A complaining, wealthy woman approaches Parker Pyne for help. She believes she is being poisoned by her husband and wants Pyne to prove it. When does die of poison, he points the finger of suspicion at someone else...

"The Oracle at Delphi": The wealthy Mrs. Peters is traveling with her son. When the young man is kidnapped and ransom is demanded, a man introduces himself as Parker Pyne and offers to help her. Pyne does...but not quite in the way she believes. 

First line: Four grunts, an indignant voice asking why nobody could leave a hat alone, a slammed door, and Mr. Packington had departed to catch the eight-forty-five to the City. (from the first short story, "The Case of the Middle-Aged Wife")

Last line: "I am Mr. Parker, Pyne," explained the gentleman. (from the last short story, "The Oracle at Delphi")

**********

Deaths = 4 (one stabbed; two poisoned; one fell from height

Rebecca (spoiler-ridden)

 Rebecca (1938) by Daphne du Maurier

I have gone once more to Manderley. I didn't intend to--but the Book Challenge by Erin bonus round required me to pick a book for the "Reread" prompt that one of my fellow challengers had selected and this was the most appealing of the choices available.* I last joined our nameless second Mrs. de Winter in 2010 (when My Reader's Block was just a baby blog).

I'm not going to do a synopsis or heavy-duty review this time round. I plan to give most of my attention to the last third of the book (which is why I've marked the review "spoiler-ridden). For a less spoilerish review, please click on the linked title above to view my 2010 post.

Read on only if you want to know a MAJOR plot point.

Upon reading for the third time, I found that most of my attention was drawn to the ending. I mentioned in my 2010 review how our nameless (and for the first two-thirds of the book, spineless) narrator was a bit taxing. The older I get, the less patience I have with women in fiction who don't stand up for themselves. I still understand that the narrator didn't feel like she measured up to Rebecca, but I wish she would have found the nerve to tell Mrs. Danvers off a lot sooner. Given how unsure of herself she is throughout and how nervous, I also find it interesting how she doesn't turn a hair when she finds out that Maxim killed his first wife. Suddenly she's all forceful and "don't tell me I don't love you" and "kiss me again!" And she's all about figuring out how to get Maxim out of the awful hole he's in with Rebecca's body being found. If only she'd shown half this gumption early on.

One thing that is dissatisfying to me now is how they've gone abroad and live such a dreary life. The book opens with her describing how they have finally come through their crisis and escaped the devil that rode them. She talks about how peaceful it all is away from Manderley, but it doesn't seem to be much of a life and the peace seems very fragile indeed. Having exactly two slices of bread and butter with their tea...every single day. No cakes, no crumpets, nothing fancy. Reading aloud all the news of the world and sports--but never again to mention the beauties of England which they have left behind without Maxim's face going grey. It's obvious he's still haunted and believes (as he says towards the end) that Rebecca may have won after all. I don't normally condone murder--but Rebecca goaded her husband into it because she wanted a quick death rather than a protracted, painful illness. After allowing her protagonists to escape the trap Rebecca laid for Maxim, you'd think du Maurier could give them a little real peace. 

First Line: Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.

Last line: And the ashes blew toward us with the salt wind from the sea.

*Choosing to do the bonus round which requires that all choices be made from the books others have read makes for an extra challenge for people like me who don't read a great deal of more recently published books. 

***********

Deaths = one shot (but presumed drowned throughout 90 % of the book)

Uncle Silas

 Uncle Silas (1864) by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

When Maud Ruthyn's loving but remote father dies, she is placed in the "care" of her Uncle Silas. True to form, she has inherited quite a bit of property and money and if she dies before reaching her majority guess who gets to scoop the pot? Good ol' Uncle Silas. She's been put under the thumb of an intimidating and kindof nutty French governess and we learn that Silas has been involved in a previous mysterious death. He is a small menacing presence rather than a large, overbearing villain. The whole household under Silas, including his ghastly son, are on the weird and threatening side and Maud feels danger from nearly every direction. Fortunately, she makes a few steadfast friends among her father's household servants and a cousin Lady Knollys (Monica) who see her through the worst of her trials. She undergoes frights and threats and there is a final midnight attempt on her life which lends itself to explaining the earlier death. 

Of course, Maud Ruthyn tells her story of Gothic horror from a place of safety, years later after she is married to the charming Lord Ilbury. Having her tell the story in the first person takes quite a bit of the suspense away. I mean, if Maud can tell us this story we know she survives her ordeal, right? I'm afraid that the suspense just didn't hold me as well as it might have done if this had been told from a different perspective and there had been any possibility of doubt about the outcome. Le Fanu did his best to give the reader proper Gothic shivers and (when one could forget who was telling the story) was fairly successful. An interesting Victorian thriller with an air of mystery and suspense, though for preference, I would take his shorter ghost stories over this longer novel.  ★★★

First Line: It was winter--that is, about the second week in November--and great gusts were rattling at the windows, wailing and thundering among our tall trees and ivied chimneys--a very dark night, and a very cheerful fire blazing, a pleasant mixture of good round coal and spluttering dry wood, in a genuine old fireplace, in a sombre old room.

Last Lines: This world is a parable--the habitation of symbols--the phantoms of spiritual things immortal shown in material shape. May the blessed second-sight be mine--to recognize under these beautiful forms of earth the ANGELS who wear them; for I am sure we may walk with them if we will, and hear them speak!

****************

Deaths = 4 (one natural; one stabbed/throat cut; one hit with hammer; one poisoned/overdose)

The Boomerang Clue

 The Boomerang Clue [Why Didn't They Ask Evans?] (1934) by Agatha Christie

Bobby Jones, fourth son of the local vicar, is out for a game of golf with the doctor. A mist is coming up off the sea and Bobby is having his usual erratic luck (mostly landing in bunkers and in the rough) when he smashes a particularly bad shot (it seems to go at right angles) and he hears a cry in the mist. He's afraid he might have hit someone but when he finds his ball there is no one around. His next ball goes right off the edge of the cliff. He looks over the edge for his ball and sees a man's body lying below. They find that he's still alive, but not long for this world. Leaving Bobby with the dying man, the doctor goes for help and while he's gone the man revives just long enough to look straight at Bobby and ask, "Why didn't they ask Evans?"

In deference to the dead, Bobby pulls out the man's handkerchief to place across his face. When he does, a photograph of a beautiful woman comes out as well. He puts it back just before a stranger, Mr. Roger Bassignton-ffrench comes along and asks if he can help. Bobby, remembering that he's promised his father that he'd play the organ at evening service, asks if the man would mind staying with the body until help arrives. He then hares off for church.

The man is identified as a Mr. Pritchard through a photograph in his pocket (presumably the one Bobby saw), but when he attends the inquest as one of the men who found the man he's surprised at how little Pritchard's sister looks like the photograph. Surely a woman wouldn't lose her looks that badly? There follows an odd visit from the Caymans (the sister and her husband) where they want to know if Pritchard regained consciousness and had any last words. Bobby, having forgotten all about the Evans comment says no. But later remembers, writes to the Caymans, and gives them the quote. He immediately receives a letter from an unknown company with an offer of a job in South America--valid only if he leaves immediately. Having already promised his friend Badger that he'd go in with him on a motor garage scheme, he turns it down. He's immediately poisoned with an overdose of morphia and through an exceptionally strong constitution pulls through what should have killed him several times over. 

Something is definitely fishy. And that's exactly what his childhood friend, Lady Frances Derwent (Frankie), tells him. After discussing all the events thus far, they decide that Bassington-ffrench is a very shady fellow and Frankie stages an auto accident to worm her way into the household where the man is staying. She and Bobby waver between thinking Bassington-ffrench the villain of the piece and suspecting a rather sinister-acting doctor. What follows is an adventure with a morphia addict, a possibly fraudulent will, an apparent suicide, a second near-fatal episode for both Bobby and Frankie (averted by the last-minute rescue by, of all people, Badger), and a final escape from death thanks to Frankie's intuition. Oh...and we finally find out who Evans is and why they should have been asked.

Christie's stand-alone novels tend more towards adventure and thrills than mystery. These are quite fun novels, but there isn't much choice for culprits and little scope for her devious sleight of hand tricks with red herrings and false clues. It had been a very long time since I read this one (40-ish years, I'd say) but I still enjoyed the antics of Frankie and Bobby. More recently, I had watched the 1980 filmed version with James Warwick and Francesca Annis (more frequently seen as Christie's Tommy & Tuppence Beresford). A delightful adventure that was perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon. ★★★ and 1/2.

First line: Bobby Jones swung his golf club and hit his ball very hard.

Last line: In an hour's time, the news was all over Marchbolt.

************

Deaths = 3 (one; poisoned; one shoved off cliff; one shot)

The Listerdale Mystery

 The Listerdale Mystery (1934) by Agatha Christie is a collection of twelve short stories--none of which feature Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, or any of her other repeated characters. They include stories of mistaken identity (mostly on purpose), stolen jewels, exploits on trains, mysterious butlers, missing lords, and fake policemen. Quite a number are fairly unbelievable adventure stories ending with rapid romance. There are a few murders thrown in for interest and some of the stories remind me most of the Harley Quin style of plot. Entertaining enough for an afternoon or two of listening (I listened to the audio version read by Hugh Fraser), but most are not Dame Agatha's best work. My favorites are "Philomel Cottage," "Accident," "Jane in Search of a Job," and "Swan Song." ★★★

"The Listerdale Mystery": A gentlewoman in reduced circumstances is offered the chance to live in a beautifully appointed home for a nominal rent. She takes advantage of it for the benefit of her daughter--whom she hopes to see engaged to a more affluent young man. Lord Listerdale has disappeared under mysterious circumstances--leaving the home open for let--and Mrs. St. Vincent's son is certain there is something fishy about the whole set-up and decides to investigate.

"Philomel Cottage": Alix Martin marries a man after a very brief acquaintance. After a few odd conversations, she begins to suspect her husband of harboring secrets from her. Possibly deadly secrets.[Made into a movie called "Love from a Stranger" starring Basil Rathbone in 1937.]

"The Girl in the Train": George Rowland is fired by his uncle too many nights out late carousing. He decides to go on a train journey and encounters a mysterious young woman who begs him to hide her from her uncle. She then sets on the road to more adventures...and romance and wealth.

"Sing a Song of Sixpence": While on a sea voyage, Sir Edward Palliser made a promise to a young woman that if she ever needed help then she could come to him. He's rather surprised when several years later, she does. Someone has murdered great-aunt and she wants him to find out who did it. You'll not be surprised to know that he does.

"The Manhood of Edward Robinson" begins with Mr. Robinson reading a story of a heroic young man getting into all kinds of daring adventures and being kissed by mysterious young women. Mr. Robinson is engaged to a rather managing young woman who wants him to be practical and save money for their marriage. He wins a tidy little packet that allows him to buy himself the motor car of his dreams...and he has an adventure of his own which sends him back to his fiancee a changed man.

"Accident": Retired Inspector Evans is sure that he recognizes a woman in the village as one who was acquitted of poisoning her previous husband. He's pretty sure she was guilty and that she's planning on polishing husband number two as well. While he's still debating what to do about it, he visits a fortune teller at the local fete who tells him to be very careful. He is about to make a decision that could be life or death...and if he makes a mistake there will be death. This is one fortune teller who earns her pay....

"Jane in Search of a Job": Jane Cleveland is badly in need of a job. She spies an advertisement in the paper looking for a young woman who looks quite like she does and who speaks French (which she does). It winds up being a position to pose as a double for the Grand Duchess Pauline of Ostrava. There may be danger...but what's a little danger when three thousand pounds are in the offing?

"A Fruitful Sunday": A working couple with dreams of better things take a holiday in the country. When they stop by a fruit stand and buy a basket of cherries, they get more than they bargained for. In the bottom of the basket is a gleaming necklace which looks exactly like the one recently written up in the newspaper as having been stolen. What should they do? Dorothy is all for coaxing Edward into finding a fence and getting some money for the thing. After all--they didn't steal it. 

"Mr. Eastwood's Adventure": Mr. Eastwood is a mystery writer in need of a plot. He's got a perfectly good title ("The Mystery of the Second Cucumber"), but that's all he's got. He's got no mystery. Well...that is until he receives a mysterious phone call asking him to come to the aid of a young woman and the code word is...cucumber.

"The Golden Ball": As with George Rowland above, George Dudas is sacked by his uncle for taking an unapproved holiday from work. He's told that he hasn't grasped the "golden ball of opportunity." As he's sitting and contemplating his future, society girl Mary Montresor stops her car in front of him and asks if he'd like to come for a drive. Next thing she's asking if he'd like to marry her and when he says he would, she says: "Well, some day you might." They go for a joyride in the country, playing at picking out the house where they'll live and they wind up held up by the inhabitants of a likely-looking place. Will George grasp the golden ball this time?

"The Rajah's Emerald": James Bond goes on holiday "with" his girlfriend. But rather than the romantic weekend he imagined, Grace goes to stay at a much grander hotel with friends and leaves James to the lodgings that are more within their budget. He's disgruntled and feeling looked down upon...but he has the last laugh when the Rajah's emerald is stolen and he gets to play hero.

"Swan Song": The temperamental opera singer Madame Paula Nazorkoff gives a final performance of Tosca that no one will ever forget...least of all her leading man. 

**************

Deaths = 6 (one hit on head; one natural; two poisoned; one fell from height; one stabbed)

Murder in the Calais Coach

 Murder in the Calais Coach (aka Murder on the Orient Express) [1934] by Agatha Christie

I am currently trying to reread all of Agatha Christie's detective fiction in order of publication--something I have never done and have long wanted to try. When I first discovered her mysteries, I simply read them as I found them and didn't really pay attention to when they had been published. Some of her work I have read once and then never returned to--whether because I didn't like the particular plot as well or because I initially read it from the library and just hadn't added it to my personal collection. Others, such as this one, I have read and enjoyed many times. Some of these novels I can reread and her tricks still work on me if it has been long enough since the previous read--my memory gets more sieve-like as the years go by. Some are what I consider the "big" novels--where the solution is such that I would need to suffer from complete reading amnesia to be fooled again. This is one of the latter. 

I last read this (under the Orient Express title) in 2015 and reviewed it in full at that time. For a much more in-depth look at my thoughts on the plot as well as on various formats (I had a regular train murder party--I read the book, listened to an audio version, and watched two filmed versions), please see the link above. This year's reading was pure indulgence. I didn't think deep thoughts about the plot or examine Christie's methods of clueing or look at all the subtle hints that were oh-so-obvious this time around (and think why on earth didn't I catch that when I read it the first time?). I just enjoyed watching Poirot do his thing and let his little grey cells do the work. I also had a running film going in my head with Suchet as Poirot (but not being so overly intense in his whole weighing of the guilt and justice thing as happens in his filmed version) and with the rest of the cast of characters as played in the 1974 movie. ★★★★★ every time I read it.

First line: It was five o'clock on a winter's morning in Syria.

Last line: "Then," said Poirot, "having placed my solution before you, I have the honour to retire from the case."

*************

Deaths =  4 (one shot; one natural--died in childbirth; one fell from height; one stabbed)

Raffles (The Amateur Cracksman)

 Raffles (The Amateur Cracksman) [1899] by E. W. Hornung

This particular edition includes the original eight stories first published in The Amateur Cracksman with an additional six stories published  under the title The Black Mask (UK)/Raffles: The Further Adventures of the Amateur Cracksman (USA). The connections to Sherlock Holmes and Watson are obvious. Bunny is the faithful chronicler and admirer. Raffles keeps his cards close to his chest--sometimes to the detriment of his plans. He praises Bunny for his loyalty and willingness to do anything necessary in their exploits, but then doesn't share his plans and gets upset when Bunny blunders in where he's not wanted (at least not wanted right at that particular moment). A little bit of communication would have helped the task at hand go a bit smoother...

I expected to like these a great deal more than what I did. I think perhaps the turn the stories took when Raffles starts contemplating (and later committing) murders is what did it. I went in expecting a gentleman thief and tales of outrageously clever heists and it devolved into a romantic thriller and revenge story (with the Italian bits) and a clingy ex-love at the very end. ★★★ for the straight robbery stories--I found those to be clever and fun.

"The Ides of March": In which Bunny (Harry) Manders is on his beams end after losing money at cards with Raffles and friends. Raffles soon introduces him to his rather unorthodox methods of raising funds when he himself is a little short of the ready.

"A Costume Piece": Raffles and Bunny attempts to relieve eccentric millionaire Reuben Rosenthall of two diamonds worth fifty thousand pounds a piece don't go quite according to plan.

"Gentlemen & Players": Raffles, the Gentleman Thief, plots to steal a coveted necklace from under the nose of a Scotland Yard man delegated to defend the jewels from another well-known thief. Bunny thinks his friend should concentrate on cricket while the Yard is on the hunt, but those sparkling diamonds and sapphires are difficult to resist....

"Le Premier Pas": Raffles tells Bunny of his first venture into crime...when he impersonated a distant relative in a small town in Australia. It's handy for a thief when you're mistaken for the new bank manager...

"Wilful Murder": When Raffles learns that another sharp dealer has discovered his identity, he believe it will be necessary to kill the man. But fate has a way of taking care of things....

"Nine Points of the Law": When a man's disinherited son sells off a priceless painting, he hires Raffles and Bunny to get it back for him by any means necessary. Who knew that the thing would wind up stolen twice?

"The Return Match": Raffles expects an escaped convict to come visiting to call in a favor. Our gentleman thief will need to be on his toes to escape the police's scrutiny.

"The Gift of the Emperor": The last of the original stories. Our gentleman burglar decides to steal a pearl of great price and boards a German ship to do so. Will he succeed? Will he escape justice? And what of poor Bunny?

"No Sinecure": Poor Bunny--at the end of the "Emperor" he found himself in prison and friendless. He's sure that Raffles has met his doom. But when he's finally set free, he finds himself  employed as a nurse to the mysterious Mr. Maturin. Perhaps his thieving days aren't over after all... [spoiler...they're not]

"A Jubilee Present": Raffles (aka Mr. Maturin) sets his heart on stealing a gold cup from the British Museum. Will the sport of the thing be enough or will he really melt it down for cash?

"The Fate of Faustina": Bunny finally learns what became of his friend after the incident on the German ship. It's a tale of love and murder in Italy....and possibly a revenge to come when it's revealed that Raffles ticked off the head of a nasty Italian gang.

"The Last Laugh":  The Italians come to England to exact their revenge....Bunny arrives in the nick of time and Raffles has the last laugh on his nemesis.

"To Catch a Thief": In the absence (as far as the public officially knows) of the late Raffles, a new gentleman thief has started to ply his trade. Raffles decides it's time to see exactly how good this newcomer is.

"An Old Flame": Raffles' cover as the invalid Mr. Maturin is in danger when an old flame recognizes him and refuses to let him go this time. He'll have to take extreme measures to get her to leave him alone...perhaps even so far as really being buried this time...

**************

Deaths = 5 (one hit with poker; one stabbed; one shot; one poisoned; one fell from height) 

For a short story collection that was supposed to be about the life & crimes of Raffles, the gentleman thief, this had way more deaths than anticipated. For the record--I anticipated none.

The Floating Admiral

 The Floating Admiral (1931) by The Detection Club [Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, G. K. Chesterton, Victor L. Whitechurch, G. D. H. & Margaret Cole, Henry Wade, John Rhode, Milward Kennedy, Ronald A. Knox, Freeman Wills Crofts, Edgar Jepson, Clemence Dane, & Anthony Berkeley] 

Admiral Penistone's body is found early one morning floating on the river. He has been stabbed to the heart and is adrift in the Vicar's boat. The previous evening he and his niece dined at the Vicar's, but they had used the Admiral's own boat to cross the river and return home. Why was the body found in the Vicar's boat? And where was he originally killed--for there are no blood stains at all in the bottom of the craft. Inspector Rudge is called in to discover whodunnit and why but runs across a myriad of half-truths, cover-ups, and missing witnesses. The Vicar obviously knows more than he's telling as do the niece and her fiance. Then it seems like everyone disappears on mysterious missions to London--the Vicar, the niece Elma, her fiance, and Sir Wilfred Denny, a neighbor who doesn't seem at first to have much to do with the crime at all. Who is the mysterious woman seen in the area on the night of murder and where has she gone? Why did Elma's French maid leave without collecting her final pay? Then there are the clues: an overcoat worn on a warm night, a second copy of a newspaper, a missing bit of the boat's mooring line, a secret file marked "X," and a missing weapon. Rudge has many (too many it seems to him) lines to follow and none of them seem to be leading anywhere definite. But he will get is man/woman in the end.

One of the first (if not the very first) collaborative detective novels written round-robin style among a group of detective novelists. Fourteen members of the The Detective Club settled down to tackle the mystery story. Each wrote a chapter after being presented with previous chapters from their colleagues and they were tasked with adding to (or in the case of Anthony Berkeley, presenting the solution to) the story without knowing what solution their predecessor/s had in mind. To ensure fair play (no adding things just make it more difficult), each author beyond the initial "setting the stage" chapters were also required to present their own solution to the crime based on the information given so far--including their own chapter. 

I could tell while reading this that the club members had a great deal of fun with this. And it was great fun for this reader to watch them playing the game with each other. It understandably is not as smoothly written as it would have been had just one of them put the story together, but it works very well as a collaborative effort. Each author's style seeps in, but overall they manage to keep the tone and characters all of piece. I enjoyed this thoroughly when I first read it back in the 80s and I found it just as engaging reading it now. ★★★★

Deaths = 3 (two stabbed; one natural)

Crimson Snow

 Crimson Snow (2016) by Martin Edwards (ed)

Once again Martin Edwards has gathered together a delicious selection of holiday treats for the Golden Age mystery lover. We have Christmas ghosts, spurious Santas, mysterious strangers who leave no tracks in the snow-covered country-side, and criminous carolers...among other mysterious fare. Well-known authors such as Margery Allingham, Michael Gilbert, Julian Symons, Edgar Wallace, and Josephine Bell appear with those who may not be as familiar to mystery fans. All but two are seriously good mysteries and Josephine Bell closes the book out with a very dark and sad tale that brings home the plight of those who left alone on Christmas. There's even one story that offers a final challenge to the reader--with the answer at the end of the book. Can you figure out Cork's secret? Overall, an excellent collection for Christmas--or any time you're in the mood for a holiday mystery or twelve. ★★★★

A quick look at the stories enclosed.

"The Ghost's Touch" by Fergus Hume: In which a schemer is caught in his own ghostly trap.

"The Chopham Affair" by Edgar Wallace: a heartless blackmailer gets his just desserts from a very surprising source.

"The Man with the Sack" by Margery Allingham: Albert Campion puts a stop to a Christmas-time diamond theft.

"Christmas Eve" by S. C. Roberts: Sherlock Holmes and the puzzle of the purloined pearls.

"Death in December" by Victor Gunn: When Chief Inspector Bill "Ironsides" Cromwell accepts his sergeant's invitation to spend Christmas at Cloon Castle, his family's country seat, he's gloomily anticipating a stay with silly party games, chitchat with people he doesn't know, and other social inconveniences. He immediately perks up when a mysterious figure crosses the drive between them and the castle--leaving behind no footprints. And there's soon more ghostly and murderous incidents to investigate. A fitting Christmas present for savvy detective.

"Murder at Christmas" by Christopher Bush: Ludovic Travers spends a week with his colleague for Christmas and golfing. While there he becomes involved in the murder of a swindler whose body is found in the woods.

"Off the Tiles" by Ianthe Jerrold: In the days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, an artist falls to her death from the tiled roof. Some say it was suicide; some say it was a deadly accident--Inspector James Quy soon knows it is neither.

"Mr. Cork's Secret" by MacDonald Hastings: Montague Cork's insurance company underwrites a policy covering a fabulous ruby and diamond collection known by the unappealing (to me anyway) name of Alouette's Worms without his input. He's uneasy about the transaction and follows the jewels to the Paradise Hotel...where he becomes embroiled in murder and robbery.

"The Santa Claus Club" by Julian Symons: The wealthy business bigwig Lord Acrise receives a death threat which tells him that he will die at the annual Santa Claus Club dinner where all the members (all wealthy) dress up as old Saint Nick and hold a raffle in support of charity. He asks private investigator Francis Quarles to attend as his guest and quasi-bodyguard, but murder strikes despite the detective's presence.

"Deep and Crisp and Even" by Michael Gilbert: Sergeant Petrella trails a suspicious character encountered when he (Petrella) took part in a round of Christmas caroling. Just who is the man who gave drinks to the carolers in Mr. Hazel's house? [Just my two cents...I like Michael Gilbert a lot. This story? Not so very much.]

"The Carol Singers" by Josephine Bell: The death of an elderly woman on Christmas Eve results in a long investigation to bring the crime home to the villain/s of the piece. 

**************

Deaths = 10 ) four shot; one drowned; one stabbed; one strangled; one fell from height; one poisoned; one natural)

Death of a Millionaire

Source: Facsimile Dust Jackets LLC

 Death of a Millionaire (1925) by G. D. H. and Margaret Cole

Hugh Radlett had become one of the richest men in the United States through mining concerns. He retired from the mining business (quite young) and, after a separation from his wife--in which he settled plenty of money on her and their daughter--he disappeared. Nothing was heard of him for years until he turned up in London to arrange for new mining commissions with the Soviet Government. He met briefly with his contact in England, Lord Ealing, and arranged for a business breakfast at his hotel the next day.

When Lord Ealing arrives for his appointment, Radlett's hotel room is found ransacked with bloodstains on the bed and wall, but no millionaire--dead or alive. The body is nowhere to be found and Radlett's secretary, a Russian named Rosenbaum, is missing along with a very heavy trunk. An man found tied up in a cupboard, claims to be a witness of the murder and to have actually seen Radlett's lifeless body. What really happened in that hotel room? Is Radlett really dead? If so, what's become of the his body and why would the murderer drag it all over London in a trunk? And just who really is the murderer, anyway?

Superintendent Wilson and Inspector Blaikie will be led on quite a scavenger hunt--from London, Paris, Warsaw, Russian, and back again--before they get even close to answer. And they'll have to sift through witness that include Lord Ealing, the former Home Secretary, Norah Culpepper (a girl with nerves of steel) and her father the unfortunate eyewitness, and the dead man partner, the very charming and likeable Jack Pasquett. At one point it seems as though Wilson will be beaten, but he can't bear to leave a mystery unsolved and he's finally able to solve this one to his own satisfaction.

 This was my first mystery by G.D.H. and Margaret Cole and it was a mixed bag for me. On the one hand I learned way more than I ever wanted to know about how minor or major events can affect the fickle ways of share prices. We get heaping helpings of the Coles' views on politics, big business, and the social strata of the 1920s. And it took longer to get to the good parts of the mystery than I would have liked. On the other hand, there are some laugh out loud moments--the bit about the fleet of specially-hired airplanes heading to France each following the other, for instance:

The first was one of your men, Inspector Blaikie. The second was a Mr. Wharton, then came another of your men, Detective-Sergeant Slocombe. The fourth was Lord Ealing. He left half an hour ago, with Sergeant Merrilees close behind him.

The solution was quite a neat one too--especially when one keeps in mind that it's a very early example the type. The last few chapters are gold. I do wish the entire book had been equally engaging. ★★★

First line: Perhaps you know Sugden's Hotel in St. James Square.

Last lines: "It's only that I'm not civilized, and you are. Upon my word, Arthur, I'd do it again!" [redacted because spoilers] laughed in Arthur Wharton's face.

**************

Deaths = one [it'd be a spoiler if I told you how, though]

2012 British Crime Classics

Rekha at The Book Decoder is sponsoring a third round of her British Crime Classics Challenge. The rules are simple--Read British mysteries written before 1965. Read as many as you like. For those who would like to add a little spice to the mix, she's added a set of themes to choose from (listed below). Since I read so many vintage mysteries, I'm setting my personal goal at twelve--one for every month of the year. To join in, see her post at the link above.

Themes:

~Read a book by your favorite author

~Read a book by an author new to you 

~A favorite detective

~A favorite amateur sleuth

~A re-read

~Death by Strangulation/Poison/Drowning/Stabbing (pick one or do one of each)

~Missing documents

~Mystery set in a foreign land

~A mysterious journey

~Spooky Doobie Doo

~Locked room/Trapped on an Island

~Cliched tropes

1. Death of a Millionaire by G.D.H. & Margaret Cole (1/4/21) [New to me authors]

2. The Floating Admiral by The Detection Club (1/17/21) [Reread]

3. Raffles [The Amateur Cracksman] by E. W. Hornung (1/28/21) [Foreign land--primarily England to my US--but one story in Italy]

4. Murder in the Calais Coach [aka Murder on the Orient Express] (1/30/21) [Stabbed]

5. The Listerdale Mystery by Agatha Christie (2/7/21) [several mysterious journeys]

6. The Boomerang Clue by Agatha Christie (2/21/21) [A favorite author]

7. Uncle Silas by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (2/22/21)

8. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (2/24/21)

9. Mr. Parker Pyne, Detective by Agatha Christie (3/8/21)

10. Bodies from the Library by Tony Medawar (3/10/21)

11. Blue Octavo by John Blackburn (3/12/21)

12. Murder in 3 Acts by Agatha Christie [A favorite detective] (3/25/21)

Commitment complete--may count more if I read any that fit the above categories.

13. Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie (3/31/21)

14. Gently in the Sun by Alan Hunter [1959] (4/5/21) 

 

Murder at the Vicarage

 Murder at the Vicarage (1930) by Agatha Christie

Miss Marple is a white-haired old lady with a gentle, appealing manner--Miss Weatherby is a mixture of vinegar and gush. Of the two Miss Marple is much the more dangerous. (14)

And so we get the first glimpse of Miss Jane Marple, spinster and student of humanity, in her very first novel. She arrives on the scene for a dose of "tea and scandal at four-thirty" in the vicarage drawing-room where the ladies of the village gather to share their weekly observations of their neighbors. Some relish in the forbidden nature of gossip. Some are truly vicious in their comments. But Miss Marple is just plain interested in what makes her neighbors tick. She enjoys observing little things that help her solve the little puzzles of village life. She's often wondered if solving a really wicked crime could work in the same way. 

She certainly gets a chance to find out when Colonel Protheroe, a very unpopular church warden and magistrate, is found shot to death in the vicar's study. Miss Marple isn't the only one interested in the murder. The Vicar's nephew is just at the age to think it's ripping great fun and decides to play detective himself--hunting for clues and discovering footprints.

At Dennis's age a detective story is one of the best things in life, and to find a real detective story, complete with corpse, waiting on one's own front doorstep, so to speak, is bound to send a healthy-minded boy into the seventh heaven of enjoyment.

They each have a go at solving the mystery, though Miss Marple is the more dedicated of the two (Dennis is slightly distracted by Protheroe's beautiful daughter). There are conflicting bits of evidence: a clock that doesn't tell the time that it should, a note that couldn't have been written when it says it was, a shot heard in the woods--but not in the house, two separate confessions to the murder, and an attempt to plant some incriminating evidence. And, since the colonel was disliked by so many, there are plenty of suspects. There's his current wife, who discovered quite quickly that Protheroe was not at all easy to live with. And his daughter, Lettice, who doesn't like being ordered about. There's the young poacher who got a stiff sentence and has vowed revenge. There's artist who has been painting Lettice's portrait (she in her bathing dress!) and has been forbidden the house. And there's the mysterious Mrs. Lestrange, a true stranger to the area, who paid a call on the colonel one evening when his wife was not home. Why, even the Vicar was heard to declare before the actual event "that anyone who murdered Colonel Protheroe would be doing the world at large a service." 

I've thoroughly enjoyed the Agatha Christie challenge which has me reading all of her mysteries in publication order--something I had never done before. When I first discovered her novels, I just read whatever I could find in whatever order I could find it. And I thoroughly enjoyed this first novel-length glimpse of Miss Marple. She, as Christie fans know, has a knack of figuring out who-dunnit by association. Certain habits or turns of phrase or ways of doing things remind her of something or someone completely different--and yet the association leads her unerringly to the culprit. I love watching her disclose her insights to the Vicar or Inspector Slack...or Colonel Melchett (the Chief Constable). 

It was also interesting to see Miss Marple and village life through the eyes of the Vicar (our narrator). He doesn't see things as clearly as he thinks, but that helps the red herrings along. His interactions with all of the characters give readers a lot to think about when trying to figure out who-dunnit themselves. ★★★★ for a lovely Golden Age visit with Christie's characters.

Quotes:

Mind you, I name no names. That wouldn't be right. But I'm afraid there's a lot of wickedness in the world. A nice, honourable, upright soldier like you doesn't know about these things, Colonel Melchett. [Miss Marple; p. 65]

I don't know what Miss Cram considers are the necessary qualifications for being murdered. It has never struck me that the murdered belong to a special class, but doubtless she had some idea in her golden shingled head. [p. 67]

Isn't it extraordinary? What should she want with a suitcase at twelve o'clock at night?...I daresay it has nothing to do with the murder. But it is a Peculiar Thing. And just at present we all feel we must take notice of Peculiar Things. [Miss Marple; p. 127]

Nothing about a crime is ever ordinary. The shot was not an ordinary kind of shot. The sneeze was not a usual kind of sneeze. It was, I presume, a special murderer's sneeze. [p.185]

The point is that one must provide an explanation for everything. Each thing has got to be explained away satisfactorily. If you have a theory that fits every fact--well, then it must be the right one. [Miss Marple; p. 195]

********

Deaths = one (shot)

Scarweather (slightly spoilerish)

 Scarweather (1934) by Anthony Rolls (C. E. Vulliamy)

I'm afraid I've been a bit spoilerish in this review. Read on at your own risk...really spoilery bit is made invisible unless you highlight it.

In 1913, our narrator John Farrington along with his cousin Eric Foster is invited to visit Scarweather, the home of the famous archaeologist Tolgen Reisby. Reisby has many interesting finds to show the two young men and Foster, who has a budding interest in archaeology, is struck with a bit of hero-worship. But he's struck even harder by love's arrow when he meets Reisby's much younger wife.The two behave with every propriety, but Farrington can't help but worry that his cousin will get himself into trouble. Many visits follow, some of which include Farrington's friend Frederick Ellingham, who takes an interest in a ancient burial site known locally as the Devil's Hump. He'd like to see Reisby open an archaeological dig there. Everyone is friendly and everything seems to be going smoothly.

Then Foster makes a visit to Scarweather on his own--in answer to an invitation made by Reisby while his wife is away. The next thing Farrington knows, he's on the receiving end of a telegram telling him that his cousin is missing at sea, presumed drowned. He asks Ellingham, who has an investigative nature, to accompany him and the two are greeted with an odd story. Foster apparently expressed himself forcefully on the subject of taking a swim off the coast almost immediately upon arrival (he'd often done so)--but the evening was chilly and Reisby thought he had convinced the young man to wait till the next day. Foster room and bed gave evidence that he had not gone to sleep, but apparently stayed up all night and headed out in Reisby's boat at about three or four in the morning. The boat was found aground with Foster's clothes aboard and no sign of the young man. A search was undertaken by boat owners in the area, but Foster was eventually given up as having drowned. Farrington is a bit disappointed that Ellingham doesn't seem as interested as he supposed his friend would be. In fact, Ellingham spends a great deal of time taking pictures of the Devil's Hump.

Fifteen years later, after a world war and Farrington's law profession has intruded, he and Ellingham return to the Scarweather area. Ellingham has told him that he still thinks about the missing Foster and he's quite sure that Reisby has never told everything he knows about that night. They soon learn that two more men have disappeared and a man who had sent Foster a letter before he disappeared has committed suicide. Are these things related? And now that Reisby is finally going to dig at the Devil's Hump Ellingham makes an interesting prediction about what might be found there.

I'm a bit on the fence with this one. It's a perfectly fine mystery novel with a fairly standard motive for the initial murder. I enjoyed reading it for the most part. The description of Scarweather and the background of archaeology was interesting. I quite liked the character of Ellingham and wouldn't mind seeing more of him. But...our narrator is one of the most dense Watson characters I've met since Nigel Bruce made Sherlock's Watson such a bumbling fool.

Does the reader now perceive the shadow of these events? If so, I congratulate him upon possessing a swift and practical imagination. [p. 163] 

The motive for the murder is glaringly obvious. The identity of the murderer is glaringly obvious. Exactly what happened to Eric Foster is glaringly obvious. [spoiler in apparent blank space: And in case you didn't get it just from things Ellingham says and asks, then the fact that the certain area of the Devil's Hump has been recently disturbed and that this fact is repeated several--no, MANY times--ought to be a HUGE clue.] And Farrington gives us these HIBK-like phrases throughout the book: "Little did I know what Ellingham meant by..."; "I had no idea that such and such indicated..."; "Had I realized why Ellingham asked those questions". For the love of all that's holy, man, did you use up all your brains on reading law?

The other thing that bothers me is the dangling bits at the end. The motive for the murder is all nice and tidy. We definitely know who did it. But as far as the other deaths and presumed deaths go...not really explained properly. Why did Rolls drag in the man who wrote a letter to Foster and then ultimately committed suicide? It didn't have anything to do with the real case and if Rolls was trying to provide a red herring, then it wasn't very effective. If you want to splash false clues around, that's all well and good--but don't make the solution to the mystery so neon-sign-blinking-obvious that nobody will pay the least bit of attention to them (other than being annoyed that they were brought in and not properly explained). And...it would be nice to know if the other two missing, presumed dead men really are dead or not and if they are if our villain did them in. Are they dead? We don't know. If they are, we could come up with a reason why the villain got rid of them, but it'd be preferable that Rolls square that all away in the wrap-up. 

So--good marks for setting and characterization and some deductions on the wrap-up. Decent mystery. ★★★

Quotes

First Line: My friend Ellingham has persuaded me to reveal to the public the astounding features of the Reisby case.

Nothing is more likely to win the affection of a learned man than the agreement upon a solemn trifle. (p. 12)

Youth is not the time for reflection, it is the time for heedless enjoyment. I determined, before the evening was over, that I would not bother myself with conjectures about inscrutable personalities, but would have a jolly good holiday. (p. 46)

Goy, sir is one of those amiable though obstructive blockheads who believe in the sanctity of the written label....The moment he sticks his finicky label upon a thing, the nature of that thing is determined for all eternity. (Profess Reisby, p. 58)

An independent youth [Tuffle], he did not belong to the Reisby faction or the Goy faction but held himself superior to both. By these perpetual and emphatic disagreements he obtained a reputation for true knowledge and originality. (p. 168)

Eccentricity of behaviour is to be looked for when the intellect is lively and original, and above all when it is explosive and creative. Eccentricity, indeed, is invariably present in men of real distinction, and invariably absent in the mere money-grubber. (Frederick Ellingham, p. 222)

Last Line: My stepdaughter Frances is engaged to Peter Ellingham, who is launched already upon what has every appearance of being a distinguished career as a biologist.

*******************

Deaths = 3 (one hit over head; one poisoned; one shot) There are two more presumed dead--but we're never given a method and the bodies are never found.