Friday 18 March 2022
Stephen Ransome - So Deadly My Love - Mystery Book Guild - 1959
Stephen Ransome - So Deadly My Love - Mystery Book Guild - 1959
1959 reprint of book first published in 1957
Stephen Ransome
Stephen Ransome was one of a number of pseudonyms used by Frederick C Davis (1902-77), an American writer.
In the UK his books were invariably credited to Stephen Ransome even if they had first been published in the US under another name.
Some of his stories were published only in the UK and in general UK editions of his books are more common than the equivalent US editions.
All of this probably indicates that he was more popular in the UK than in his homeland.
So Deadly My Love
SDML tells the story of a young woman`s experiences as a kidnap victim, of how she turns the tables on the man behind the kidnapping, and of the pressures she faces from those around her, who have their own ideas as to who is responsible and, in some cases, have their own agenda.
It is a gripping story, told well and keeps your attention.
I have two grumbles but overall they did not really spoil my enjoyment.
One is the character of Chief of Police Dan Teague. We are repeatedly told how he is a tough, capable officer, but if the author didn`t tell you this, you`d never know. `Dimwitted` and `ineffectual` would be more appropriate terms and in fact the story relies on his inability to solve the case.
The other concerns the person who is eventually found to be behind the kidnapping. I don`t want to reveal the ending but one aspect of the plot seems to make him a rather implausible perpetrator. If the book had been longer it might have been possible to address this weakness, but obviously that didn`t happen.
However, this is an ingenious and very readable mystery story which avoids any of the cliches of the genre and did give me a lot of enjoyment
Monday 7 March 2022
Sir David Napley - The Camden Town Murder - Weidenfeld and Nicolson - 1987
Sir David Napley - The Camden Town Murder - Weidenfeld and Nicolson - 1987
In the W&N `Great Murder Trials of the 20th Century` series
This non-fiction book came to me as a spontaneous gift from my son, who spotted it on a charity book stall in a supermarket.
Prior to that, I had no knowledge of either the author or the case in question.
I did google Sir David Napley out of curiosity but I avoided reading anything else about the case in question until I had finished the book.
The book concerns the 1907 trial of Robert Wood, accused of murdering a young prostitute.
Sir David provides an articulate and readable account, stopping along the way to explain various points of interest relating to British legal history that have bearing on the case.
Those of you who have read accounts online that suggest Mr Wood was provided with a dazzling defence by Marshal Hall KC may feel that the truth is rather different.
I`m not going to mention the outcome of the trial but I would certainly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in historical non-fiction crime/criminology.
Elizabeth Ferrars - Unreasonable Doubt - Mystery Book Guild - 1959
Elizabeth Ferrars - Unreasonable Doubt - The Mystery Book Guild - 1959
MBG reprint of book first published in 1958
Elizabeth Ferrars (real name Morna MacTaggart) aka E X Ferrars was a prolific writer of crime fiction.
While most, if not all, of her books deal with murder, they are not books about violence so much as the impact of violent crime on people whose lives have been hitherto comfortable, or at least have appeared to be so.
Initially I was unsure if I was going to warm to this book but I have to say that as it proceeded I found it increasingly absorbing.
This is only the third Ferrars book I have read, so I`m no expert. Whatever else you can say about her, she seems to be a dependable source of intelligently written novels which are not likely to be action-packed but tend to be a satisfying read.
I shall certainly look out more titles by her.