What do you think?
Rate this book
Inspector Hugh Collier #7
The Mystery of the Kneeling Woman
"Not another murder!" "You've said it." Kindly Reverend John Clare pays a social call upon the saturnine Simon Killick at his forbidding house, The Grange. Killick is a virtual recluse who relies on three dogs and a parrot for company. Killick is soon found murdered in his home, while in a nearby wood a local schoolboy, Toby, discovers a dying stranger whose last words refer to a "kneeling woman." This kick-starts a complicated case for the local police and it is not long before Scotland Yard, in the form of Inspector Collier, is called in. Yet more murders follow-this time by poisoned chocolates. Are all the deaths connected, and is the "kneeling woman" the link? What might Sir Henry Webber, the new owner of Brock Hall, know about the case, or, for that matter, his snobbish wife Beryl, and their two ghastly sons? Or odd jobs man Tommy Yates, or Florrie Soper, cook at the Hall, who adores Edgar Wallace thrillers and is intent on marrying Tommy. At least Collier has the eager assistance of Toby . . . and his widowed mother Sandra. Has love finally entered the life of Inspector Collier?This new edition includes an introduction by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans.
324 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1936
34 people are currently reading
52 people want to read
About the author
Moray Dalton
36 books25 followersPseudonym of Katherine Mary Deville Dalton Renoir (1881-1963)
Katherine Dalton was born in Hammersmith, London in 1881, the only child of a Canadian father and English mother. The author wrote two well-received early novels, Olive in Italy (1909), and The Sword of Love (1920). However, her career in crime fiction did not begin until 1924, after which Moray Dalton published twenty-nine mysteries, the last in 1951. The majority of these feature her recurring sleuths, Scotland Yard inspector Hugh Collier and private inquiry agent Hermann Glide. Moray Dalton married Louis Jean Renoir in 1921, and the couple had a son a year later. The author lived on the south coast of England for the majority of her life following the marriage. She died in Worthing, West Sussex, in 1963.
Katherine Dalton was born in Hammersmith, London in 1881, the only child of a Canadian father and English mother. The author wrote two well-received early novels, Olive in Italy (1909), and The Sword of Love (1920). However, her career in crime fiction did not begin until 1924, after which Moray Dalton published twenty-nine mysteries, the last in 1951. The majority of these feature her recurring sleuths, Scotland Yard inspector Hugh Collier and private inquiry agent Hermann Glide. Moray Dalton married Louis Jean Renoir in 1921, and the couple had a son a year later. The author lived on the south coast of England for the majority of her life following the marriage. She died in Worthing, West Sussex, in 1963.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
November 27, 2024
3.5 stars
The mystery is why so many murders in this small village?
"Kindly Reverend John Clare pays a social call upon the saturnine Simon Killick at his forbidding house, The Grange. Killick is a virtual recluse who relies on three dogs and a parrot for company.
Killick is soon found murdered in his home, while in a nearby wood a local schoolboy, Toby, discovers a dying stranger whose last words refer to a "kneeling woman." This kick-starts a complicated case for the local police and it is not long before Scotland Yard, in the form of Inspector Collier, is called in. Yet more murders follow-this time by poisoned chocolates. Are all the deaths connected, and is the "kneeling woman" the link? What might Sir Henry Webber, the new owner of Brock Hall, know about the case, or, for that matter, his snobbish wife Beryl, and their two ghastly sons? Or odd jobs man Tommy Yates, or Florrie Soper, cook at the Hall, who adores Edgar Wallace thrillers and is intent on marrying Tommy."
I really like our Scotland Yard man, Inspector Hugh Collier, who has a deft touch in questioning not only young Toby, but other villagers, who had not taken kindly to the local detective's brusque manner. And I was fond of Sergeant Duffield, his right hand man. Toby is a treat, and his charming mother caught Collier's eye. A nice bit of romance there for our good Inspector.
There were all sorts of twists and turns, with red herrings by the bushel. But gradually I began to suspect the identity of Killick's murderer. What I really did not expect was the very dramatic conclusion to the book! Very thought provoking...
I had a hard time rating this one. I thought of rounding down for too many repetitions of dialog/past history of some characters. (Oh, where was the editor?). On the other hand, I was glued to the pages and had a hard time putting the book down. Editing quibbles aside, I will definitely track down more of her mysteries.
The mystery is why so many murders in this small village?
"Kindly Reverend John Clare pays a social call upon the saturnine Simon Killick at his forbidding house, The Grange. Killick is a virtual recluse who relies on three dogs and a parrot for company.
Killick is soon found murdered in his home, while in a nearby wood a local schoolboy, Toby, discovers a dying stranger whose last words refer to a "kneeling woman." This kick-starts a complicated case for the local police and it is not long before Scotland Yard, in the form of Inspector Collier, is called in. Yet more murders follow-this time by poisoned chocolates. Are all the deaths connected, and is the "kneeling woman" the link? What might Sir Henry Webber, the new owner of Brock Hall, know about the case, or, for that matter, his snobbish wife Beryl, and their two ghastly sons? Or odd jobs man Tommy Yates, or Florrie Soper, cook at the Hall, who adores Edgar Wallace thrillers and is intent on marrying Tommy."
I really like our Scotland Yard man, Inspector Hugh Collier, who has a deft touch in questioning not only young Toby, but other villagers, who had not taken kindly to the local detective's brusque manner. And I was fond of Sergeant Duffield, his right hand man. Toby is a treat, and his charming mother caught Collier's eye. A nice bit of romance there for our good Inspector.
There were all sorts of twists and turns, with red herrings by the bushel. But gradually I began to suspect the identity of Killick's murderer. What I really did not expect was the very dramatic conclusion to the book! Very thought provoking...
I had a hard time rating this one. I thought of rounding down for too many repetitions of dialog/past history of some characters. (Oh, where was the editor?). On the other hand, I was glued to the pages and had a hard time putting the book down. Editing quibbles aside, I will definitely track down more of her mysteries.
November 15, 2023
A workmanlike 1930s mystery enough...but once I guessed, correctly, who the culprit was, I also guessed where this was heading and I was right: You get a streak of that in many (too many) mysteries, but it's astonishingly blatant in this one. Also suffers from the all-too-common flaw of secular writers trying to write Christian characters without a proper grasp of Christian doctrine, particularly what forgiveness does and does not mean.
August 26, 2023
My second book by Moray Dalton, and one which a really enjoyed. It took me sometime to get into the story, but once I did, I found myself swiping pages after pages on my Kindle very quickly.
The story takes place in a small village where a young boy witnesses a murder on the same day that the misanthrope of the village is found dead. Is there a connection between the two murders? Or are they two completely unrelated affairs? When the local police is unable to solve the case, Inspector Colliers of Scotland Yard is sent and he tries to solve the case taking the young boy and his mother into confidence. The mystery is full of a lot of ups and downs and red-herrings. I was totally taken in by the narrative and didn't suspect the person who ends up being the killer. Despite all the murders and the killings, this is a soft sort of a book and even the killer seems very much human and not a villain by a long chalk. It also touches upon themes like bullying, war and its aftermath as well as featuring a sweet romance within its pages.
Recommended!
The story takes place in a small village where a young boy witnesses a murder on the same day that the misanthrope of the village is found dead. Is there a connection between the two murders? Or are they two completely unrelated affairs? When the local police is unable to solve the case, Inspector Colliers of Scotland Yard is sent and he tries to solve the case taking the young boy and his mother into confidence. The mystery is full of a lot of ups and downs and red-herrings. I was totally taken in by the narrative and didn't suspect the person who ends up being the killer. Despite all the murders and the killings, this is a soft sort of a book and even the killer seems very much human and not a villain by a long chalk. It also touches upon themes like bullying, war and its aftermath as well as featuring a sweet romance within its pages.
Recommended!
March 17, 2024
If you can get over the rabbit turned to mush, the child torture, and the bullying, then the story is well done. I liked Collier's approach to the case even though he was hampered by the local police, and there was enough crime to keep this book interesting. I did guess one of the murder's from quite early on, but the plot kept me engaged throughout.
This is the third book I have read by this author, and will look forward to reading more.
This is the third book I have read by this author, and will look forward to reading more.
February 8, 2024
Interesting premise but felt there was too much going on with the plot. Enjoyed most of the characters and setting. Unfortunately it didn't quite hit the mark for this reader.
February 15, 2024
This was firmly in what I think of as the melodramatic international thriller style of 1920s-30s GA mystery. It was propulsive (most of the time), somewhat preposterous and coincidental, but entertaining.
An unbelievable second war was brewing in Europe, seventeen years after the horrific devastation and loss of the first war; the toll of that conflict carries on here as a likely motive for not just one, but four murders. There are menacing, shadowy “enemies of Britain” skulking about trying to steal secret formulas for devastating chemical weapons of war, and they are willing to do anything to get what they’re after - even torture a child! There’s a poison chocolate box, a beautiful but wicked witch of a mother, a sweet, wholesome struggling single mother (perhaps providing a love interest for our handsome young Scotland Yard man, Collier?), and a dramatic courtroom climax.
Dalton throws just about every melodramatic device and detail at this plot, and it’s busting at the seams; I finished last night, and thought about it to write my review, but honestly I can’t think clearly about it. All I can say is a lot happened, there are several likable characters, a few nasty ones, and I’m not exactly clear on what happened…but then again, neither is Collier and his super at the end, so…
I’ve read three or four of this female GA author’s mysteries over the last few years, a couple with Collier, others were standalone. Most recently read The Black Wings, which was also melodramatic and propulsive and fun (to me, perked up a gloomy, grey January); was it silly and over-the-top? Yes. Do I remember exactly what happened? Meh. But was it fun? Yes! Same here, plus the added minor romance for our hero, but don’t worry, it doesn’t take over. Thus, 4 stars. Will Dalton ever take over from Christie and Sayers, my two favorite queens of GA mystery? Of course not! But as mystery is my favorite genre, I’ll read more of Dalton’s work to see if the melodrama/international thriller angle keeps showing up. To me, also a history buff, it gives insight into the fears of the time, and the wounds left by the Great War. So recommended if you can suspend belief and logic and close legal questions and arguments, and just enjoy the ride! And like GA mysteries of course, in all their various iterations.
An unbelievable second war was brewing in Europe, seventeen years after the horrific devastation and loss of the first war; the toll of that conflict carries on here as a likely motive for not just one, but four murders. There are menacing, shadowy “enemies of Britain” skulking about trying to steal secret formulas for devastating chemical weapons of war, and they are willing to do anything to get what they’re after - even torture a child! There’s a poison chocolate box, a beautiful but wicked witch of a mother, a sweet, wholesome struggling single mother (perhaps providing a love interest for our handsome young Scotland Yard man, Collier?), and a dramatic courtroom climax.
Dalton throws just about every melodramatic device and detail at this plot, and it’s busting at the seams; I finished last night, and thought about it to write my review, but honestly I can’t think clearly about it. All I can say is a lot happened, there are several likable characters, a few nasty ones, and I’m not exactly clear on what happened…but then again, neither is Collier and his super at the end, so…
I’ve read three or four of this female GA author’s mysteries over the last few years, a couple with Collier, others were standalone. Most recently read The Black Wings, which was also melodramatic and propulsive and fun (to me, perked up a gloomy, grey January); was it silly and over-the-top? Yes. Do I remember exactly what happened? Meh. But was it fun? Yes! Same here, plus the added minor romance for our hero, but don’t worry, it doesn’t take over. Thus, 4 stars. Will Dalton ever take over from Christie and Sayers, my two favorite queens of GA mystery? Of course not! But as mystery is my favorite genre, I’ll read more of Dalton’s work to see if the melodrama/international thriller angle keeps showing up. To me, also a history buff, it gives insight into the fears of the time, and the wounds left by the Great War. So recommended if you can suspend belief and logic and close legal questions and arguments, and just enjoy the ride! And like GA mysteries of course, in all their various iterations.
March 24, 2024
This is the seventh mystery featuring Hugh Collier. I have read the first and don't usually like reading books out of order, but it was chosen by one of my reading groups so I gave it a try and I am pleased that I did. For the same book group we have had a challenge of modern series set in the Golden Age this year, but none of them have the charm and the realism of books written at the time. This was originally published in 1936 and the Collier series ran from 1929 to 1951.
Set in a village, it begins with the vicar, Reverend John Clare, visiting his neighbour, Simon Killick, for a game of chess. Clare's beloved son, Dick, died in WWI and he is horrified when Killick, who worked as a chemist before retiring, has invented a poisoned gas which he intends to sell to a foreign agent. Later, Killick is found murdered and also a local boy, Toby, who lives with his widowed mother nearby, comes across a dying man in a local wood. With the village suddenly experiencing two murders, Collier is called in to assist from Scotland Yard.
This is a clever mystery, with the reasons for the violence having its roots in the past and Dalton, who was a single mother herself, shows a lot of sympathy for Sandra and her son Toby. She is struggling (although, with Collier somewhat smitten, perhaps not for long) and Toby is an important character in the book. Firstly, he discovers the dying man and hears his final words, which are important to the plot. Secondly, he goes to school with one of the two unpleasant sons of Sir Henry Webber and his horrible wife, Beryl, who inhabit the 'Big House'. The Webber's sons are bullies and Dalton writes about Toby with sensitivity. In addition, having published this in 1936 when war was again approaching Europe, she writes with great sympathy of the young men who died in the first conflict and may have to face the second.
What most intrigues me about mysteries written in the Golden Age, is that the authors were not writing with the benefit of hindsight. Dalton's generation had lived through the Great War and were facing another conflict, which must have been terrifying for her with her son to think about, having seen a generation of young men wiped out. This is a mystery, but one with a sense of both the past and a fear of the future that gives this mystery a great depth.
Set in a village, it begins with the vicar, Reverend John Clare, visiting his neighbour, Simon Killick, for a game of chess. Clare's beloved son, Dick, died in WWI and he is horrified when Killick, who worked as a chemist before retiring, has invented a poisoned gas which he intends to sell to a foreign agent. Later, Killick is found murdered and also a local boy, Toby, who lives with his widowed mother nearby, comes across a dying man in a local wood. With the village suddenly experiencing two murders, Collier is called in to assist from Scotland Yard.
This is a clever mystery, with the reasons for the violence having its roots in the past and Dalton, who was a single mother herself, shows a lot of sympathy for Sandra and her son Toby. She is struggling (although, with Collier somewhat smitten, perhaps not for long) and Toby is an important character in the book. Firstly, he discovers the dying man and hears his final words, which are important to the plot. Secondly, he goes to school with one of the two unpleasant sons of Sir Henry Webber and his horrible wife, Beryl, who inhabit the 'Big House'. The Webber's sons are bullies and Dalton writes about Toby with sensitivity. In addition, having published this in 1936 when war was again approaching Europe, she writes with great sympathy of the young men who died in the first conflict and may have to face the second.
What most intrigues me about mysteries written in the Golden Age, is that the authors were not writing with the benefit of hindsight. Dalton's generation had lived through the Great War and were facing another conflict, which must have been terrifying for her with her son to think about, having seen a generation of young men wiped out. This is a mystery, but one with a sense of both the past and a fear of the future that gives this mystery a great depth.
April 6, 2023
As Curtis Evans points out in his Introduction, this novel quite accurately reflects British public opinion, and some of the divergences in it, in the time of increasing international tension and fascist aggression during the mid 1930s. WW1 had far reaching effects and, as the levels of support for the League of Nations Association and the Peace Pledge Union indicate, many in Britain fundamentally opposed further war. Most, however, eschewed all-out pacifism and were committed to collective security. This was to change radically as the ambitions of the dictators moved beyond a righting of the wrongs inflicted by the postwar Peace Treaties.
So Dalton's sixth Hugh Collier investigation is firmly located in its time, with its portrayal of Simon Killick and John Clare, whose opposing views of war and mankind have a common root in loss.It also includes interesting developments in the Inspector's private life through his professional involvement with the widowed Sandra Fleming, and her son, Toby who discovers one of the murdered men.
However, I was not quite so enamoured of the plot, despite an unusual twist at the end. One murder is effectively unresolved and the others-there are four in all - were just too obvious of solution for my liking.
The characterisation is strong and clear and the writing of high quality- I read this almost at one sitting. Feelings of pity and regret are paramount, for lives wasted and destroyed, as are feelings of disdain and revulsion for one player who sails on in her selfish way, heedless of others.
Collier is a nuanced creation, efficient but not infallible, sensitive yet resilient, devoted to justice and still compassionate.
My gratitude to DSP and Curtis Evans for another solid and recommendable read. I look forward to reading the others in this latest tranche and hope another publisher will be found for the rest of Dalton's works. Rupert Heath is remembered by me with affection and regard. This and other reprints provide a fine memorial to him.
4 stars.
So Dalton's sixth Hugh Collier investigation is firmly located in its time, with its portrayal of Simon Killick and John Clare, whose opposing views of war and mankind have a common root in loss.It also includes interesting developments in the Inspector's private life through his professional involvement with the widowed Sandra Fleming, and her son, Toby who discovers one of the murdered men.
However, I was not quite so enamoured of the plot, despite an unusual twist at the end. One murder is effectively unresolved and the others-there are four in all - were just too obvious of solution for my liking.
The characterisation is strong and clear and the writing of high quality- I read this almost at one sitting. Feelings of pity and regret are paramount, for lives wasted and destroyed, as are feelings of disdain and revulsion for one player who sails on in her selfish way, heedless of others.
Collier is a nuanced creation, efficient but not infallible, sensitive yet resilient, devoted to justice and still compassionate.
My gratitude to DSP and Curtis Evans for another solid and recommendable read. I look forward to reading the others in this latest tranche and hope another publisher will be found for the rest of Dalton's works. Rupert Heath is remembered by me with affection and regard. This and other reprints provide a fine memorial to him.
4 stars.
February 4, 2024
4 STARS | I cannot lie. The covers drew me to this series immediately. They are "repurposed" magazine covers and ads by vintage illustrator, Coles Phillips, and the "fadeaway girl" style he is known for. As for the mystery writer, Moray Dalton is one worth rediscovering as well.
This mystery by Dalton, was far more captivating than the first I read (One by One They Disappeared), but then that was her first in the Inspector Hugh Collier series and this was her sixth. Although it takes a while to get into the plot, give it time. Suddenly I found myself caught up in the lives of the characters and whodunnit.
A young village boy finds a dying man in the woods who murmurs "Kneeling Woman" before he takes his last breath. On the same day the town misanthrope is found violently murdered in his isolated home. When the local authorities find it all above their pay grade, Scotland Yard sends in Inspector Hugh Collier. He figures out the truth but not before two more deaths and a poisoned box of chocolates which no mystery reader can resist.
This mystery by Dalton, was far more captivating than the first I read (One by One They Disappeared), but then that was her first in the Inspector Hugh Collier series and this was her sixth. Although it takes a while to get into the plot, give it time. Suddenly I found myself caught up in the lives of the characters and whodunnit.
A young village boy finds a dying man in the woods who murmurs "Kneeling Woman" before he takes his last breath. On the same day the town misanthrope is found violently murdered in his isolated home. When the local authorities find it all above their pay grade, Scotland Yard sends in Inspector Hugh Collier. He figures out the truth but not before two more deaths and a poisoned box of chocolates which no mystery reader can resist.
February 5, 2024
A surprisingly high body count and partially unresolved at the end, the author put a lot of focus into the ethical issues she was raising through the various motives | I did recognize the killer straight off, just because I've read so many cozy mysteries of the time that I can pick up the careful phrasing that's meant to be an a-ha moment in a second reading. But multiple murders are interwoven, as Collier attempts to figure out times and motives, and one of those is just kind of left, because the victim didn't matter to the main protagonists. This is a book about people still struggling with the horrors of war, on the cusp of another one, and the different ways they manage their grief, but it's also a perfectly serviceable murder mystery by a good writer.
July 1, 2023
When two murders occur within hours of each other in a small county, a Scotland Yard Detective, Inspector Collier, is sent to investigate. The more Collier uncovers about the victims, the more complex the case becomes. Collier becomes friends with Toby, the boy who found the first, and the vicar, the only friend of the second, making the local police force feel that he may be biased.
As I have come to expect from Dalton's novels, this is well-written and engaging. In addition, it's an absorbing mix of mystery, suspense, police procedure, and court room drama, with a memorable solution. I certainly recommend it.
As I have come to expect from Dalton's novels, this is well-written and engaging. In addition, it's an absorbing mix of mystery, suspense, police procedure, and court room drama, with a memorable solution. I certainly recommend it.
October 23, 2023
In a sleepy village in England, circa 1935, two men are murdered within hours from each other. One, an unknown man who manages to whisper "the kneeling woman" to the schoolboy who finds him, and the other the local misanthrope. The bumbling local detective manages to alienate everyone, and the more astute Scotland Yard man is called in. The pompous squire, his snobbish wife, their ghastly sons, their cook and her dimwit fiancé, the vicar... lots of characters to muddy the waters!
Alas, I had figured out at least some parts of the mystery very early on, and so for me the book fell flat.
Alas, I had figured out at least some parts of the mystery very early on, and so for me the book fell flat.
April 16, 2023
Excellent Mystery
If you can get past how much of a complete imbecile Mrs. Fleming is, and the fact that the brothers Harold and Kenneth are referred to as Godfrey and Keith at the beginning of the book, you’re in for an A+ mystery.
If you can get past how much of a complete imbecile Mrs. Fleming is, and the fact that the brothers Harold and Kenneth are referred to as Godfrey and Keith at the beginning of the book, you’re in for an A+ mystery.
May 31, 2023
This one is an oldie, from the Golden Age of Mystery. If you have a little time, read about this author, who wrote several good mysteries. This one keeps you guessing, a real, old fashioned who done it. Says a lot about the post war years, too.
July 20, 2023
I really enjoyed this, the first Dalton I have read. Firmly Golden Age in character, Collier, the detective, is a good man and the rumblings of disquiet between the wars is well represented. Recommended.
March 28, 2024
This was quite a story wrapped around a murder investigation. There might have been a small hole, or two, in the plot but the characters, good and evil, carried the story. So much pain from the Great War and another looming on the horizon.
February 6, 2024
Wholesome & thought provoking.
A page turner, held my interest 100%. A village, an honest cleric, a boy with a future in a nineteen fifties type tale. Could it ever happen today?
A page turner, held my interest 100%. A village, an honest cleric, a boy with a future in a nineteen fifties type tale. Could it ever happen today?
May 19, 2024
A detective wihtout mannerisms or quirks! Kept me reading long after I should have stopped. Will definitely look for more by this author.
July 18, 2024
My sixth Moray Dalton book and I couldn't put it down. An excellent mystery, thought provoking too.
January 15, 2024
This would have been a 3-star from me because of the lagging in the middle section, but the structure was interesting, the characters well drawn, and the lengthy denouement included unusual courtroom proceedings which brought the whole to a satisfactory conclusion. The choice of victims reminded me of the novel-writing governess in The Importance of Being Ernest: "The good end happily and the evil unhappily; that is what fiction means."
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews