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The King and the Corpse
At a quiet resort on the French Riviera Anthony Tolworth, companion and agent of the exiled king of Athenia, lands from the King’s yacht in his search for entertainment and remuneration for the Royal household, but he meets a corpse on the beach in front of the Casino,
He tries to solve the crime himself - before the police- who suspect the woman, Eve Raymond, with whom he is in love. He enlists the help of his headmistress aunt and two interfering and typical small boys. But the machinations of local politics not to mention Althenian affairs make the task almost impossible.
The book, first published in 1949, is written with enormous humour and zest and the identity of the murderer is very well concealed. It’s a real pleasure to read.
He tries to solve the crime himself - before the police- who suspect the woman, Eve Raymond, with whom he is in love. He enlists the help of his headmistress aunt and two interfering and typical small boys. But the machinations of local politics not to mention Althenian affairs make the task almost impossible.
The book, first published in 1949, is written with enormous humour and zest and the identity of the murderer is very well concealed. It’s a real pleasure to read.
- GenresMystery
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1949
About the author
Max Murray
48 books2 followersMaxwell Alexander Murray. 1901-1956. Born in Australia; newspaper reporter in that country, the U.S., and England; scriptwriter and editor for BBC during WWII; married to author Maysie Greig.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 31, 2015
Anthony Tolworth has spent several years accompanying his school friend, King Rudolph III, on his yacht as the king waited for the revolution that would bring him to his throne. But Anthony is also in love with Eve Raymond, and wants to protect her when her employer, the gambler and blackmailer Manetti, is killed. Eve, in turn, only wants to protect her feckless father, who was in Manetti's power. Anthony calls upon his aunt, Mrs. Etheldra Turman, headmistress of a school for young boys, to help Eve. When she arrives, she finds two of her students vacationing, and only too eager to help her sleuth.
January 16, 2024
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November 15, 2023
A novel which includes murder, the setting of the French Riviera, a deposed King and some frankly comic characters is a great find, and so I was really pleased to see this reprint from Galileo Publishing. There is a body at the beginning of this mystery, but it soon becomes obvious that no one is made distraught by the discovery on the beach of a fashionable resort. Instead, the local police slip into the background as we follow the progress of Anthony Tolworth, social advisor to the King of Althenia, as he tries to sort out what is really going on – especially with the suspected Eve Raymond. While there are stories of past traumas as part of the narrative, the atmosphere is greatly lightened by the presence of an older headmistress and two lively schoolboys. This is a book which manages to balance the grimness of murder with tales of those encountered in a place returning to popularity after war, including a charming young King exiled from his country and making a living on a luxury yacht. It is a genuine mystery which kept me guessing right until the end, and it is a well -reasoned plot which maintains a lively pace. I found it hugely entertaining, and I was very grateful to have the opportunity to read and review it.
At the beginning of the novel a prone body is to be seen lying on the beach largely ignored by passers by and beach users. It is late when a strolling Anthony spots that this person lying on the sand is in fact dead. Despite this discovery he proceeds to the Casino and makes a deal for King Rudolph to make a lucrative appearance, only afterwards remarking that the body on the beach ought to be discovered and moved under cover of darkness. He knows exactly who the body is – a notorious gangster leader with malevolent links to many significant cases. He does not really want to become involved, but when he encounters Eve Raymond who he has not seen for a yearhe has to change his man. She tells him that she has been picking up work in order to help support herself and her father, who has been engaged in writing a book for some time. When she is told the identity of the body, her extreme reaction alerts Anthony that she may be involved. As he seeks to help her, he involves his employer, the young king, who takes an active interest in the affair. Anthony’s discovery that his redoubtable aunt, Etheldra Truman, has arrived in the area leads to him enlisting her to help with his mission to discover the truth of the murder. She reluctantly accepts the haphazard help of two of her pupils, who are easily motivated by the promise of ice cream. As other characters and revelations crowd in, Anthony realises just how complicated the situation is becoming, and just how involved he is becoming with at least one of the suspects.
This is a really well written novel that I greatly enjoyed, especially for its humour and well plotted story. The setting is well used, the past and present being vividly described. The idea of the King in exile in his huge yacht making a sort of living from appearances and selling cars is an entertaining element which makes this book even more memorable. There is a murder at the centre of the story, but there is also a lightness in the writing which makes it an ideal read. I thoroughly recommend it to all fans of classic crime novels, and all those who enjoy reprinted mid twentieth century books.
At the beginning of the novel a prone body is to be seen lying on the beach largely ignored by passers by and beach users. It is late when a strolling Anthony spots that this person lying on the sand is in fact dead. Despite this discovery he proceeds to the Casino and makes a deal for King Rudolph to make a lucrative appearance, only afterwards remarking that the body on the beach ought to be discovered and moved under cover of darkness. He knows exactly who the body is – a notorious gangster leader with malevolent links to many significant cases. He does not really want to become involved, but when he encounters Eve Raymond who he has not seen for a yearhe has to change his man. She tells him that she has been picking up work in order to help support herself and her father, who has been engaged in writing a book for some time. When she is told the identity of the body, her extreme reaction alerts Anthony that she may be involved. As he seeks to help her, he involves his employer, the young king, who takes an active interest in the affair. Anthony’s discovery that his redoubtable aunt, Etheldra Truman, has arrived in the area leads to him enlisting her to help with his mission to discover the truth of the murder. She reluctantly accepts the haphazard help of two of her pupils, who are easily motivated by the promise of ice cream. As other characters and revelations crowd in, Anthony realises just how complicated the situation is becoming, and just how involved he is becoming with at least one of the suspects.
This is a really well written novel that I greatly enjoyed, especially for its humour and well plotted story. The setting is well used, the past and present being vividly described. The idea of the King in exile in his huge yacht making a sort of living from appearances and selling cars is an entertaining element which makes this book even more memorable. There is a murder at the centre of the story, but there is also a lightness in the writing which makes it an ideal read. I thoroughly recommend it to all fans of classic crime novels, and all those who enjoy reprinted mid twentieth century books.
November 7, 2023
I finished this book feeling unsatisfied rather as one does after eating a meringue or an eclair. It was quite amusing and reasonably well-written with characters who are vaguely interesting. The plot however is insubstantial and while you know in your heart of hearts who the murderer has to be, there are no real clues
The whole affair was oddly old-fashioned for a novel first published in 1949, with echoes of the politics of Ruritania or perhaps the Balkans- Albania kept springing to mind. There was the germ of something much better lurking somewhere, but it was the case of a great initial set-up which petered out- enough perhaps for a short story but here padded out with love affairs and backstory and cynical banter to an inordinate and tiring length.
Disappointing.
3.25 stars.
The whole affair was oddly old-fashioned for a novel first published in 1949, with echoes of the politics of Ruritania or perhaps the Balkans- Albania kept springing to mind. There was the germ of something much better lurking somewhere, but it was the case of a great initial set-up which petered out- enough perhaps for a short story but here padded out with love affairs and backstory and cynical banter to an inordinate and tiring length.
Disappointing.
3.25 stars.
October 29, 2026
At no time while reading this was I invested in who killed Leonardo Manetti. Murray tied it up well and had dropped some clever hints at the murderer's motivation, but this book's plot was hard to buy into compared to first one, The Voice of the Corpse. The humbler setting of the English countryside was easier to imagine than the French Riviera and coup d'etats.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews