Friday, July 15, 2016

Friday Forgotten (or Overlooked) Book: MURDER OF A LADY (1931) by Anthony Wynne


This 'impossible' crime mystery is a total delight in that it is reasonably well-written, the Scottish setting is wonderful and there are multiple 'impossibles' (so we don't have to sit and concentrate on one 'impossible' murder for the entire book, mystified alongside a cast of befuddled characters) and what's more, when the method of murder is revealed in the end, it still seems impossible. Ha! 

Oh, and the method was one which gained infamy used later in a famous television mystery anthology series (I think) of which I can say no more.

Obviously, I'm the sort who doesn't take these things very seriously, so pardon me if you are and wish I weren't so off-hand about murder and whatnot. But you know, Golden Age murder is not really, really real, no matter how horrible - more puzzlers than anything else. The vintage novels in re-release by British Library Crime Classics (and in this country, Poisoned Pen Press) are an intriguing mix. Some are quite good, some are just good, and some are not. I've read a few and admittedly I find it fun to see what the next one will bring since I'd never previously read any of them nor am I familiar with any of the writers except Freeman Wills Croft (whom I adore).

I'm not looking for great literature here and really, there's only been one which I chucked aside almost immediately as being drek. But I won't name that one because my drek may be someone else's treasure as we all know. I do, however, wish BLCC had spent a bit more time weeding in and out of all these lost and forgotten authors and picked only those who more rightly deserve being revived - a couple of these books really do deserve their buried in the past status I'm sorry to say.

On the whole though, more good than bad so don't be put off by the possibility of a dud.

Anthony Wynne is really the pen name of somebody else - all explained by editor and writer Martin Edwards in the Introduction to the tale - lots of pseudonyms back in the day. So if you want to know more about Wynne's various identities, read the intro when you get your hands on the book.

At any rate, there's a baffling locked room mystery in MURDER OF A LADY (the other murders in the book are merely bafflingly 'impossible'). So let's get crackin'.

Mary Gregor, it turns out, was a nasty bit of goods and probably deserved being murdered. But I'm getting ahead of myself as usual. Mary was the spinster sister of the Laird of Duchlan (as I mentioned, the tale takes place in Scotland) and had not an enemy in the world. At least that's what is first spread about by the stunned members of her family. Her brother, especially, is in such shock he can barely behave rationally. At least, he doesn't behave like anyone losing a beloved sister to a serious cosh on the head might behave. 

Secrets. Families all have them. Some families more than others, some secrets more virulent than others. 

The Laird's sister was found in her bedroom (locked from the inside of course) kneeling on the floor next to her bed with a horrible head wound and no way anyone could have entered the room to kill her. "I have never seen so terrible a wound." So says, Mr. Leod McLeod, Procurator Fiscal of Mid-Argyll to Dr. Eustace Hailey, who will try (albeit a bit ineffectively) to solve the dreadful crime(s). Luckily he happens to be staying nearby and even though he's warned off the case by a rather officious inspector of the Glasgow police, Hailey perseveres from the sidelines.

One of the more unusual things about this mystery is that the next two victims (there are four in all) will not be the usual run of the mill victims we are mostly accustomed to and also there is more than a touch of eerie to the whole thing. I can say no more. 

Dr. Hailey is not an especially memorable 'amateur' detective, he has very little in the way of eccentricities (gotta' have eccentricities if you're going to be an 'amateur' snoop - right?) or even, of personality. I understand he was the author's 'detective' of choice in many of his books, so I'd have to read a couple more to see what the author saw in him.

However despite that, MURDER OF A LADY is still a thoroughly engaging and entertaining mystery which caught me up from the first and kept me reading late into the night as I like to say. And even if the ending and the final explanation call for a great big (all together now) SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF! - it's still a terrific book, most especially if there's a storm brewing outside and you're tucked away someplace comfortable.

P.S. This is also one of those books in which everything seems to take place at night. Some books are like that. I think it's that the ambience just quietly runs amok. Being out there in the middle of the Scottish Highlands where just about everything is oozing with atmosphere doesn't hurt.

I'm very eager to read more of Anthony Wynne's work - if I can find it readily available.

Since it's Friday, don't forget to check in at author Patricia Abbott's blog, Pattinase, to see what other forgotten or overlooked books other bloggers are talking about today.

13 comments:

  1. I really enjoyed this one too, Yvette! Atmosphere, atmosphere, atmosphere!

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    1. Yup. :) Don't you just want to read more of Wynne's work based on this one?

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  2. "a couple of these books really do deserve their buried in the past status I'm sorry to say"

    Very much agree with that assessment. I keep getting BLC review copies from Poisoned Pen Press and I can't abide half of them. BTW, I'm amazed that they've only reprinted ONE woman writer so far. Really shameful. Look at Dean Street Press -- they've reprinted four women writers and three of them are top notch. Miles above the BLC books in terms of quality writing and plotting.

    Dr. Hailey is the ONLY detective in Wynne's books. And he's probably one of the dullest, most humorless detectives in the genre. Wynne was obsessed with impossible crimes and loved the gimmick of the victim slowly dying from a mortal wound and finally dropping dead far away from the place where the killer thought he did in his victim.

    This is probably one of three of his best books. I think you'll be disappointed by most of his books should you ever come across any of them. The majority of them are extremely ponderous. I've written about him on my blog when I've stumbled across a particularly noteworthy one with good qualities outweighing the usual dull writing and lack of sparkle in the characters and incidents. I like THE RED LADY, THE ROOM WITH THE IRON SHUTTERS, THE MYSTERY OF THE ASHES (so absurd and surreal it made me laugh out loud in the end) and some of the short stories in SINERS GO SECRETLY. The rest I've read are a very mixed bag of clever plotting and dreary writing. The good ones are far and few between the bulk of his output. THE HORSEMEN OF DEATH gets my award for the most pointless, action-less "detective" novel ever written. So dull I closed it at the 2/3 point and promptly sold the book. It even had a DJ so you know I must've hated it! Just had to get it out of the house.

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    1. You are too much, John. Yes, I know that feeling about wanting to get a book out of the house. Ha! At least you made some money on it. If I come across another Wynne book I'll take a look, but I'll let your judgement be my guide. I know exactly what you mean by 'dullest, most humorless detectives in the genre.' But still I couldn't put the book down. You know it's funny, I usually have to like the detective (a lot) but in this case, it didn't seem to matter and that was all due to ATMOSPHERE and the fact that more bodies kept turning up. Ha!

      THE RED LADY, THE ROOM WITH THE IRON SHUTTERS and THE MYSTERY OF THE ASHES sound pretty good - at least by the titles, anyway.

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  3. This was the 12th Dr. Hailey with 16 more to follow. I like to start at the first of a series, but by your review it sounds as if I don't have to do that.

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    1. I don't think you do. Actually, I don't think you can. Wynne's books are not to be found that easily. Some may be lost forever. So I'll just read what I can find and be happy enough. If they continue to be this good.

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  4. Love the cover! And the review, of course! There, I've used up my "!" quota for this Friday.

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  5. I am glad you liked this one, Yvette. I bought a copy but haven't read it yet. I don't remember if I was motivated to buy it by the cover or the setting.

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    1. Yeah, it is a great cover. But you know, most of these BCC books have great covers - fabulous artwork. But all that glory can be misleading. :)

      This particular book is terrific though - so you made a good buy.

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  6. Anthony Wynne is a new author for me, Yvette. I don't think I have read a mystery set in Scotland either. And that lovely cover — I wouldn't think twice before buying the book.

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    1. I hope you find a copy on one of your book buying jaunts, Prashant. Wynne was new for me too. A very enjoyable discovery.

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  7. Thanks Yvette - Wynne is someone I am very curious to try and it's great that so many of these books are now available.

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