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A Small Deceit
Book by MARGARET YORKE
Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
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About the author
Margaret Yorke
94 books49 followersMargaret Yorke was an English crime fiction writer, real name Margaret Beda Nicholson (née Larminie).
Margaret Yorke was awarded the 1999 CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger.
Born in Surrey, England, to John and Alison Larminie in 1924, Margaret Yorke (Margaret Beda Nicholson) grew up in Dublin before moving back to England in 1937, where the family settled in Hampshire, although she later lived in a small village in Buckinghamshire.
During World War II she saw service in the Women’s Royal Naval Service as a driver. In 1945, she married, but it was only to last some ten years, although there were two children; a son and daughter. Her childhood interest in literature was re-enforced by five years living close to Stratford-upon-Avon and she also worked variously as a bookseller and as a librarian in two Oxford Colleges, being the first woman ever to work in that of Christ Church.
She was widely travelled and has a particular interest in both Greece and Russia.
Her first novel was published in 1957, but it was not until 1970 that she turned her hand to crime writing. There followed a series of five novels featuring Dr. Patrick Grant, an Oxford Don and amateur sleuth, who shares her own love of Shakespeare. More crime and mystery was to follow, and she wrote some forty three books in all, but the Grant novels were limited to five as, in her own words, ‘authors using a series detective are trapped by their series. It stops some of them from expanding as writers’.
She was proud of the fact that many of her novels were essentially about ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary situations which may threatening, or simply horrific. It is this facet of her writing that ensures a loyal following amongst readers, who inevitably identify with some of the characters and recognise conflicts that may occur in everyday life. Indeed, Yorke stated that characters were far more important to her than intricate plots and that when writing ‘I don’t manipulate the characters, they manipulate me’.
Critics have noted that she has a ‘marvellous use of language’ and she has frequently been cited as an equal to P.D. James and Ruth Rendell. She was a past chairman of the Crime Writers' Association and in 1999 was awarded the Cartier Diamond Dagger, having already been honoured with the Martin Beck Award from the Swedish Academy of Detection.
Margaret Yorke died in 2012.
Margaret Yorke was awarded the 1999 CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger.
Born in Surrey, England, to John and Alison Larminie in 1924, Margaret Yorke (Margaret Beda Nicholson) grew up in Dublin before moving back to England in 1937, where the family settled in Hampshire, although she later lived in a small village in Buckinghamshire.
During World War II she saw service in the Women’s Royal Naval Service as a driver. In 1945, she married, but it was only to last some ten years, although there were two children; a son and daughter. Her childhood interest in literature was re-enforced by five years living close to Stratford-upon-Avon and she also worked variously as a bookseller and as a librarian in two Oxford Colleges, being the first woman ever to work in that of Christ Church.
She was widely travelled and has a particular interest in both Greece and Russia.
Her first novel was published in 1957, but it was not until 1970 that she turned her hand to crime writing. There followed a series of five novels featuring Dr. Patrick Grant, an Oxford Don and amateur sleuth, who shares her own love of Shakespeare. More crime and mystery was to follow, and she wrote some forty three books in all, but the Grant novels were limited to five as, in her own words, ‘authors using a series detective are trapped by their series. It stops some of them from expanding as writers’.
She was proud of the fact that many of her novels were essentially about ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary situations which may threatening, or simply horrific. It is this facet of her writing that ensures a loyal following amongst readers, who inevitably identify with some of the characters and recognise conflicts that may occur in everyday life. Indeed, Yorke stated that characters were far more important to her than intricate plots and that when writing ‘I don’t manipulate the characters, they manipulate me’.
Critics have noted that she has a ‘marvellous use of language’ and she has frequently been cited as an equal to P.D. James and Ruth Rendell. She was a past chairman of the Crime Writers' Association and in 1999 was awarded the Cartier Diamond Dagger, having already been honoured with the Martin Beck Award from the Swedish Academy of Detection.
Margaret Yorke died in 2012.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 24, 2014
A Small Deceit was first published in 1991 although the story it tells is set firmly in 1990. The first thing I noticed is how small the book seems, back in the early 90’s some paperbacks could still fit in a reasonably sized coat pocket although the size of the print has decreased to match resulting in a tidy 200 page book.
At the centre of our plot is William Adams a cold-hearted killer who sentenced for rape and assault has just been released from prison. He changes his name but when visiting a rural guest house he meets someone from the past who is not who he says he is. ‘From a small deceit, great crimes can grow…’
This book flits backwards and forwards building up the characters of both William and Judge Colin Drew, his wife Felicity and grown-up son Tim. Felicity is bored with the routine of her life so she has taken up buying and selling small antiques as a hobby, all this is kept secret from the judge who has kept her well but holds the school of thought that women are to be kept in the home and not encouraged to spread their wings but Felicity needs more than a twice-monthly visit from her pompous son and daughter-in-law to keep her spirits up. As befits her standing in the community Felicity has the faithful Mrs Hunter to help out with the house. This book gives a fascinating peek behind the window-dressing where all in the household is not well.
To the mix of characters we meet June a doctor’s widow who has transformed her home into a welcoming guest house where weary travellers or visitors to the area can rest-up and enjoy a good breakfast.
I found this to be a masterpiece of a crime novel, only slightly marred by too many soliloquies on the rehabilitation of prisoners. The characters really are key to this type of crime novel which keeps its bodies mainly out of sight. The plot tension was carefully tightened as the feeling of menace emanates from our known killer grows page by page.
I’m glad I found this little book particularly as one of the characters is a staunch monarchist and so it was also a snapshot in time of the year before the Queen stated; ‘1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure. In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an 'Annus Horribilis.’ So within the pages of A Small Deceit our character was still able to revere a monarchy free from scandal.
A brilliant little book, I am very glad that I have two more books by Margaret Yorke to read on my TBR.
At the centre of our plot is William Adams a cold-hearted killer who sentenced for rape and assault has just been released from prison. He changes his name but when visiting a rural guest house he meets someone from the past who is not who he says he is. ‘From a small deceit, great crimes can grow…’
This book flits backwards and forwards building up the characters of both William and Judge Colin Drew, his wife Felicity and grown-up son Tim. Felicity is bored with the routine of her life so she has taken up buying and selling small antiques as a hobby, all this is kept secret from the judge who has kept her well but holds the school of thought that women are to be kept in the home and not encouraged to spread their wings but Felicity needs more than a twice-monthly visit from her pompous son and daughter-in-law to keep her spirits up. As befits her standing in the community Felicity has the faithful Mrs Hunter to help out with the house. This book gives a fascinating peek behind the window-dressing where all in the household is not well.
To the mix of characters we meet June a doctor’s widow who has transformed her home into a welcoming guest house where weary travellers or visitors to the area can rest-up and enjoy a good breakfast.
I found this to be a masterpiece of a crime novel, only slightly marred by too many soliloquies on the rehabilitation of prisoners. The characters really are key to this type of crime novel which keeps its bodies mainly out of sight. The plot tension was carefully tightened as the feeling of menace emanates from our known killer grows page by page.
I’m glad I found this little book particularly as one of the characters is a staunch monarchist and so it was also a snapshot in time of the year before the Queen stated; ‘1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure. In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an 'Annus Horribilis.’ So within the pages of A Small Deceit our character was still able to revere a monarchy free from scandal.
A brilliant little book, I am very glad that I have two more books by Margaret Yorke to read on my TBR.
August 15, 2011
A Small Deceit by Margaret Yorke
A Small Deceit is a book I couldn’t put down. The story opens with William Adams, newly released from prison. As he adjusts to life on the outside he assumes various names, sets up phony businesses to dupe unsuspecting people out of their money and soon builds up a sizeable bank account. A chance meeting at Willow House between Judge Colin Drew and Adams, both of whom are using false names, sets off a chain of events that eventually lead to murder. Yorke’s characters are precisely drawn – the judge, rigid, controlling, yet fair minded, his docile wife Felicity, son Stephen and his wife Emily; June Phillips and her three children, Amy, Sebastian, and teenager, Rose; Judith Kent, owner of a Bed and Breakfast; housekeepers Mrs. Turner and Mrs. Downes. Finally ex convict William Adams, a killer who preys on young women. A enticing read, I have added Margaret Yorke to my list of favorite British Mystery novelist
A Small Deceit is a book I couldn’t put down. The story opens with William Adams, newly released from prison. As he adjusts to life on the outside he assumes various names, sets up phony businesses to dupe unsuspecting people out of their money and soon builds up a sizeable bank account. A chance meeting at Willow House between Judge Colin Drew and Adams, both of whom are using false names, sets off a chain of events that eventually lead to murder. Yorke’s characters are precisely drawn – the judge, rigid, controlling, yet fair minded, his docile wife Felicity, son Stephen and his wife Emily; June Phillips and her three children, Amy, Sebastian, and teenager, Rose; Judith Kent, owner of a Bed and Breakfast; housekeepers Mrs. Turner and Mrs. Downes. Finally ex convict William Adams, a killer who preys on young women. A enticing read, I have added Margaret Yorke to my list of favorite British Mystery novelist
June 20, 2017
Not one of my favourite Yorke novels. I think I prefer her earlier books. They seemed more gritty with finer distinctions between the classes of Brits. I didn't really take to many of the characters but my favourite was Mrs. Turner, the maid. She was funny, lived the Queen and kept her cool under all circumstances. Oh, and the bad dude should have died - it would have been a fitting ending.
June 18, 2012
I picked up A Small Deceit after reading Small Hours of the Morning, also by Margaret Yorke,which I had found at my grandparents' house and enjoyed. Unfortunately I didn't find this one near as interesting.
The basic plot follows two unrelated men using aliases, one of whom we know is not only a recently released convicted rapist but also a murderer. They happen to both be staying at a Bed & Breakfast and recognize each other there. Not only that but they both realize the other is staying there under a false name. At the same time we follow the daily routine and thoughts of a Judge's wife (and to a lesser extent the Judge himself) as well as her friend/maid. She married the older judge when she was young and their marriage is one where passion and openness are replaced with a cold sort of properness. Their son and wife are also featured to a lesser extent as is the owner of the Bed & Breakfast (though she all but disappears by story's end) and a divorcee with three children. There are also a few short sections devoted to the struggle of a young boy in an abusive home. All of these characters' lives will intersect, more than once, as the convicted rapist, Adams, concocts a plot to harass the man he recognized at the B&B under the assumption that the man was there using an alias for blackmail-worthy reasons. The real reason for the alias is where the title of the novel arises.
I found this book slow (though easy to read) and began catching my self scanning instead of reading somewhere between pages 23 and 44. The entire section is devoted to the Judge and his wife and I found it, and the remainder of the book, oft-repeated the same thoughts and that neither character was particularly interesting. And that might be my biggest issue with this novel. None of the main characters are very interesting. They barely seem to exist. The rapist/murderer character doesn't even have a macabre sort of spark to him. A few of the lesser characters show promise but are never allowed to go anywhere with it (and usually disappear from the narrative shortly after showing promise). And when the one mystery character's identity is revealed it makes him immediately uninteresting as well.
It's about 80 pages before the plot really unfolds. The plot seemed to have a lot of padding and be more fitting of a novella. It might not have felt so if I had cared more for the characters. The ending was rather anti-climatic. A good example of this is with less than 20 pages until the novels end, with one character racing to confront the murderer caught in a tense situation, we spend a paragraph inside the maid's head debating about whether she should go home to pick up her things if she stays over at the Judge's residence or if she could just borrow something from them. Who cares! Afterwards everything wraps up nicely in the end in a manner that felt oddly rushed. The two main characters go through a rather quick positive transformation but given their ordeal it didn't feel entirely unnatural. There's also one last discovery of a connection between the characters at the very end but I'm not sure what point it served (for better or worse).
The books writing style flows easily. I noticed quite often Yorke would remind the reader that a certain character didn't know something and that was why he/she had a thought or statement that was factually wrong. I can see this book appealing to some if they find themselves attached to the characters, it just wasn't for me.
The basic plot follows two unrelated men using aliases, one of whom we know is not only a recently released convicted rapist but also a murderer. They happen to both be staying at a Bed & Breakfast and recognize each other there. Not only that but they both realize the other is staying there under a false name. At the same time we follow the daily routine and thoughts of a Judge's wife (and to a lesser extent the Judge himself) as well as her friend/maid. She married the older judge when she was young and their marriage is one where passion and openness are replaced with a cold sort of properness. Their son and wife are also featured to a lesser extent as is the owner of the Bed & Breakfast (though she all but disappears by story's end) and a divorcee with three children. There are also a few short sections devoted to the struggle of a young boy in an abusive home. All of these characters' lives will intersect, more than once, as the convicted rapist, Adams, concocts a plot to harass the man he recognized at the B&B under the assumption that the man was there using an alias for blackmail-worthy reasons. The real reason for the alias is where the title of the novel arises.
I found this book slow (though easy to read) and began catching my self scanning instead of reading somewhere between pages 23 and 44. The entire section is devoted to the Judge and his wife and I found it, and the remainder of the book, oft-repeated the same thoughts and that neither character was particularly interesting. And that might be my biggest issue with this novel. None of the main characters are very interesting. They barely seem to exist. The rapist/murderer character doesn't even have a macabre sort of spark to him. A few of the lesser characters show promise but are never allowed to go anywhere with it (and usually disappear from the narrative shortly after showing promise). And when the one mystery character's identity is revealed it makes him immediately uninteresting as well.
It's about 80 pages before the plot really unfolds. The plot seemed to have a lot of padding and be more fitting of a novella. It might not have felt so if I had cared more for the characters. The ending was rather anti-climatic. A good example of this is with less than 20 pages until the novels end, with one character racing to confront the murderer caught in a tense situation, we spend a paragraph inside the maid's head debating about whether she should go home to pick up her things if she stays over at the Judge's residence or if she could just borrow something from them. Who cares! Afterwards everything wraps up nicely in the end in a manner that felt oddly rushed. The two main characters go through a rather quick positive transformation but given their ordeal it didn't feel entirely unnatural. There's also one last discovery of a connection between the characters at the very end but I'm not sure what point it served (for better or worse).
The books writing style flows easily. I noticed quite often Yorke would remind the reader that a certain character didn't know something and that was why he/she had a thought or statement that was factually wrong. I can see this book appealing to some if they find themselves attached to the characters, it just wasn't for me.
September 24, 2018
Since finally discovering Margaret Yorke a few years ago, I can't get enough of her thrillers. This one is called A Small Deceit, but there are several small deceits and a few large ones too. A man stays at a B&B on foggy night, a second man is released from gaol, a woman buys and sells some small trinkets and makes a small sum, another woman takes a lodger in. All these events crisscross and as the lens pulls away, we see how all these separate tales relate. What I really like about Yorke, is she seems to get to some emotional truth and inner life of her characters, without flowery language or exposition. She turns what the reader first perceives about the characters upside down, as if to say, "Well you thought this person was this way, but look a little deeper."
As the topic is rather dark and quite sad, she throws a little humour in to lighten the mood with Mrs. Turner, the housekeeper, who is quite bonkers about the royal family; to the point of wearing the same hairstyle as the Queen and calling her home Balmoral. But Mrs. Turner proves to be quite clever, and actually comes up with very pertinent information that brings the entire episode to it's conclusion. Three cheers for Mrs. Turner!
As the topic is rather dark and quite sad, she throws a little humour in to lighten the mood with Mrs. Turner, the housekeeper, who is quite bonkers about the royal family; to the point of wearing the same hairstyle as the Queen and calling her home Balmoral. But Mrs. Turner proves to be quite clever, and actually comes up with very pertinent information that brings the entire episode to it's conclusion. Three cheers for Mrs. Turner!
July 8, 2020
Best crime author .
Better than agatha Christie and an equal of Ruth Rendell .her characters are believable most are ordinary people trapped in extraordinary situations .l am surprised that. Her work has not been dramatised.she has never written a an uninteresting book.
Better than agatha Christie and an equal of Ruth Rendell .her characters are believable most are ordinary people trapped in extraordinary situations .l am surprised that. Her work has not been dramatised.she has never written a an uninteresting book.
July 10, 2013
Actually, a number of small deceits. Mostly harmless, until they intersect with the wrong person's bigger deceits...
September 10, 2021
An enticing British thriller with plenty of twists and turns. Good find at a used book sale.
February 19, 2018
Two men grew up in dysfunctional homes and were abandoned by their mothers. One becomes a judge and a responsible citizen, though he does struggle with attachment and showing emotion. The other becomes a murder and a rapist. Their paths meet in this drama/mystery. I thought the book was well-written, but the author does kind of ramble on and on at places.
September 15, 2023
A Small Deceit
Worth a read !!
As always a good read with good characters.
Only criticism is slight confusion with character names.
Worth a read !!
As always a good read with good characters.
Only criticism is slight confusion with character names.
April 11, 2018
sharter story, but was handy to read between appointments.
November 25, 2012
Gostei muito, pena não haver mais livros desta autora em português!
( Uma Mentira Inocente )
( Uma Mentira Inocente )
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews