The Link

Colonel Gethryn #3

by Philip MacDonald

Hardback book with dust jacket titled THE LINK by Philip MacDonald (1930) See my photographs (4) of this book on main listing page. (LL-15Drawer#18)

Genres: Mystery

307 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1930

About the author

Philip MacDonald (who some give as 1896 or 1899 as his date of birth) was the grandson of the writer George MacDonald and son of the author Ronald MacDonald and the actress Constance Robertson.

During World War I he served with the British cavalry in Mesopotamia, later trained horses for the army, and was a show jumper. He also raised Great Danes. After marrying the writer F. Ruth Howard, he moved to Hollywood in 1931. He was one of the most popular mystery writers of the 1930s, and between 1931 and 1963 wrote many screenplays along with a few radio and television scripts.

His detective novels, particularly those featuring his series detective Anthony Gethryn, are primarily "whodunnits" with the occasional locked room mystery. His first detective novel was 'The Rasp' (1924), in which he introduced his character Anthony Gethryn.

In later years MacDonald wrote television scripts for Alfred Hitchcock Presents ('Malice Domestic', 1957) and Perry Mason ('The Case of the Terrified Typist', 1958).

He twice received an Edgar Award for Best Short Story: in 1953, for 'Something to Hide', and in 1956, for 'Dream No More'. Indeed many critics felt that his short story writing was superior to his novels and they did win five second prizes in the annual contests held by 'Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine'.

He also wrote under the pseudonyms Oliver Fleming, Anthony Lawless, Martin Porlock, W.J. Stuart and Warren Stuart.

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately, among writers of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, Philip MacDonald is remembered today far less than others and I'm not sure why that is. In any case, if you can find a copy of one of his Colonel Gethryn books, they are worth picking up. Some readers may find 'The Link' unsatisfying as it does not fit the mold of most Golden Age mysteries, but if you read this book with an open mind, without expectations, you may appreciate the author's attempt to break the mold.

There are no "cards on the table" in this book and the reader stands little to no chance of solving the crime before all is revealed. The pleasure of this book is to found in the presentation: written in the first-person as a memoir of a witness/suspect in the case, MacDonald injects new life into the well-worn midsummer murder investigation by mixing in elements of police procedural, courtroom drama, and thriller. The assembled product falls a bit flat, most characters have little depth and the entertainment value is low, but I can't help but feeling like this is a book that deserves to be read.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a perfect mystery--as so often happens, the finish is weaker than what's gone before--but it's top-notch MacDonald and top-notch Gethryn. Young veterinarian Michael Lawless is hopelessly in love with Lady Grenville. When her husband is murdered, he worries less about his lack of alibi than about the harsh words he overheard her speak to her husband. Fortunately, Anthony Gethryn is visiting one of the neighbors, and is tempted to take a hand. He's suspicious of Grenville's years in America, and the presence of a Canadian and an American, both part-time residents of the little village, and at daggers' drawn, increases Gethryn's feelings that the root of the murder lies across the Atlantic.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

The narrator of this book is Michael Lawless, a village veterinarian, whose main characteristic is that he is reduced to a gibbering jelly in the presence of Lady Grenville. When her husband, the unpleasant Baronet Grenville, is found shot on an evening that Lawless was aimlessly wandering about the neighborhood with a gun in his hand, things look dire for him. At least, that is, until the police arrest the local innkeeper, a former servant of Lord Grenville, who was overheard having some type of angry exchange.

Lawless seems incapable of doing anything except ambling around, trying to get in touch with the widowed Lady Grenville and having and offering drinks to his many visitors. These include the American Alviss and the Canadian Belton, who, for some unknown reason, detest each other.

Colonel Gethryn happens to be staying in the neighborhood, and is of course immediately pulled in. He's the type of strong, silent man that this type of literature thrives on, and so he's soon pursuing clues that escaped the police, including the fact that the late Lord Grenville had spent several lucrative years in the USA. He's direct to the point of rudeness, especially in the scenes with a rather pompous coroner, but he sees things that others, especially the clueless and lovesick Lawless, totally overlook.

In short : typical of its genre, good escapism

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overcooked.