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Inspector Kendall #2
La casa dei sette cadaveri
Ted Lyte è un ladruncolo molto sfortunato. Abituato a sbarcare il lunario con piccoli furti e borseggi, per una volta ha deciso di puntare in alto e di introdursi in una villa sulla costa dell'Essex. Ma lo spettacolo che si trova davanti è così spaventoso che per poco non impazzisce: sette persone - sei uomini e una donna - giacciono privi di vita nel salotto dell'abitazione. Ted fugge a gambe levate, ma viene subito acciuffato da Thomas Hazeldean, un giornalista freelance appena approdato nei paraggi con il suo amato yacht. L'ispettore Kendall, accompagnato sul posto dallo stesso Hazeldean, trova un biglietto che lascerebbe pensare a un suicidio collettivo: una soluzione fin troppo facile per il numero di interrogativi che il caso solleva. Chi erano costoro? Da dove venivano? E, soprattutto, perché si erano riuniti lì? Forse i due abitanti della casa, un certo Fenner e la sua giovane nipote Dora, potrebbero gettare un po' di luce sulla vicenda, ma a quanto pare sono partiti in tutta fretta verso una destinazione ignota. E più il salotto viene esaminato più particolari curiosi emergono: un ritratto a olio trapassato da una pallottola, una misteriosa palla da cricket appoggiata sopra un vaso da fiori, un indecifrabile indirizzo scritto in punto di morte da uno dei presunti suicidi... Un mystery del 1939 finora inedito in Italia che tiene col fiato sospeso fino all'ultima pagina.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1939
35 people are currently reading
490 people want to read
About the author
J. Jefferson Farjeon
89 books91 followersJoseph Jefferson Farjeon was always going to be a writer as, born in London, he was the son of Benjamin Leopold Farjeon who at the time was a well-known novelist whose other children were Eleanor Farjeon, who became a children's writer, and Herbert Farjeon, who became a playwright and who wrote the well-respected 'A Cricket Bag'.
The family were descended from Thomas Jefferson but it was his maternal grandfather, the American actor Joseph Jefferson, after whom Joseph was named. He was educated privately and at Peterborough Lodge and one of his early jobs, from 1910 to 1920, was doing some editorial work for the Amalgamated Press.
His first published work was in 1924 when Brentano's produced 'The Master Criminal', which is a tale of identity reversal involving two brothers, one a master detective, the other a master criminal. A New York Times reviewer commented favourably, "Mr. Farjeon displays a great deal of knowledge about story-telling and multiplies the interest of his plot through a terse, telling style and a rigid compression." This was the beginning of a career that would encompass over 80 published novels, ending with 'The Caravan Adventure' in 1955.
He also wrote a number of plays, some of which were filmed, most notably Number Seventeen which was produced by Alfred Hitchcock in 1932, and many short stories.
Many of his novels were in the mystery and detective genre although he was recognised as being one of the first novelists to entwine romance with crime. In addition he was known for his keen humour and flashing wit but he also used sinister and terrifying storylines quite freely. One critic for the Saturday Review of Literature reviewed one of his later books writing that it was "amusing, satirical, and [a] frequently hair-raising yarn of an author who got dangerously mixed up with his imaginary characters. Tricky."
When he died at Hove in Sussex in 1955 his obituary in The Times wrote of his "deserved popularity for ingenious and entertaining plots and characterization".
Gerry Wolstenholme
June 2010
The family were descended from Thomas Jefferson but it was his maternal grandfather, the American actor Joseph Jefferson, after whom Joseph was named. He was educated privately and at Peterborough Lodge and one of his early jobs, from 1910 to 1920, was doing some editorial work for the Amalgamated Press.
His first published work was in 1924 when Brentano's produced 'The Master Criminal', which is a tale of identity reversal involving two brothers, one a master detective, the other a master criminal. A New York Times reviewer commented favourably, "Mr. Farjeon displays a great deal of knowledge about story-telling and multiplies the interest of his plot through a terse, telling style and a rigid compression." This was the beginning of a career that would encompass over 80 published novels, ending with 'The Caravan Adventure' in 1955.
He also wrote a number of plays, some of which were filmed, most notably Number Seventeen which was produced by Alfred Hitchcock in 1932, and many short stories.
Many of his novels were in the mystery and detective genre although he was recognised as being one of the first novelists to entwine romance with crime. In addition he was known for his keen humour and flashing wit but he also used sinister and terrifying storylines quite freely. One critic for the Saturday Review of Literature reviewed one of his later books writing that it was "amusing, satirical, and [a] frequently hair-raising yarn of an author who got dangerously mixed up with his imaginary characters. Tricky."
When he died at Hove in Sussex in 1955 his obituary in The Times wrote of his "deserved popularity for ingenious and entertaining plots and characterization".
Gerry Wolstenholme
June 2010
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January 11, 2018
Seven Dead, originally published in 1939, is the latest release in Poisoned Pen’s British Library Crime Classics series. For those not familiar with the series, it is a republication of English authors’ Golden Age – between the World Wars – detective fiction. Agatha Christie is the poster child for Golden Age authors, but there are many others, in addition to Farjeon, with whom the average crime reader may not be familiar: John Bude, Mavis Doriel Hay, Charles Williams,Freeman Wills Crofts. Some are sterling; others less so. I was delighted by Seven Dead and Farjeon is in the sterling category.
Seven Dead takes place in a countryside town in England and also in Boulogne-sur-mer, France. At the outset, the police have discovered seven bodies in a room locked from the outside, in an otherwise empty English manor house. None of the seven lived in the house or were related to its owners, who happened to leave impulsively for an out of town trip. The lead police detective, Detective Inspector Kendall, and a conveniently placed yachtsman, Hazeldean, are equally prominent in the book, and readers learn many if not most of the key facts as a result of Hazeldean’s unofficial, concurrent investigation. The sum far exceeds its parts, in large part because Farjeon’s writing is crisp, clear and interesting, the period details bountiful and intriguing, and his two lead characters make sensible choices.
Often, when reading novels from the early 20th century – especially those labeled “genre” fiction - - I steel myself against the sexism, racism, colloquialisms and wordiness I frequently encounter. With crime novels, an over-emphasis on motive frequently adds another layer of irritation. I determine not to roll my eyes, no matter how conveniently a key clue or witness falls into the laps of the subject detective. Seven Dead included none of those negatives, and it also wasn’t a search for motive but was focused on the evidence revealed over time. I found it to be blessedly un-dated in its language and style. The motive is disclosed at the end, and it’s not one the reader had the clues to figure out prior to the big reveal, but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment. The funny thing is, if I were sharing a beer with another mystery/detective reader who had finished Seven Dead recently, we could probably identify a dozen things that didn’t make sense or otherwise would be flagged as flaws or problems. But none of them bothered me one wit, because the novel as a whole was so enjoyable.
If you like Golden Age mysteries, Seven Dead is a sure thing. If, like me, you read them from time to time but only the very best, Seven Dead should still be on your short list. I’ll be looking for and reading more Farjeon novels this year.
For a list of British Library Crime Classics novels, topped by another Farjeon novel: Mystery in White, click here: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/9...
About the author. J. Jefferson Farjeon is a long-forgotten English crime and mystery novelist, playwright and screenwriter, and Eleanor Farjeon's brother. He wrote more than 90 novels and plays between 1924 and 1955. One of Farjeon's best known works was a play, No. 17, which was made into a number of films, including Number Seventeen directed by Hitchcock.
Thanks to Poisoned Press and NetGalley for making an ecopy available for review.
Seven Dead takes place in a countryside town in England and also in Boulogne-sur-mer, France. At the outset, the police have discovered seven bodies in a room locked from the outside, in an otherwise empty English manor house. None of the seven lived in the house or were related to its owners, who happened to leave impulsively for an out of town trip. The lead police detective, Detective Inspector Kendall, and a conveniently placed yachtsman, Hazeldean, are equally prominent in the book, and readers learn many if not most of the key facts as a result of Hazeldean’s unofficial, concurrent investigation. The sum far exceeds its parts, in large part because Farjeon’s writing is crisp, clear and interesting, the period details bountiful and intriguing, and his two lead characters make sensible choices.
Often, when reading novels from the early 20th century – especially those labeled “genre” fiction - - I steel myself against the sexism, racism, colloquialisms and wordiness I frequently encounter. With crime novels, an over-emphasis on motive frequently adds another layer of irritation. I determine not to roll my eyes, no matter how conveniently a key clue or witness falls into the laps of the subject detective. Seven Dead included none of those negatives, and it also wasn’t a search for motive but was focused on the evidence revealed over time. I found it to be blessedly un-dated in its language and style. The motive is disclosed at the end, and it’s not one the reader had the clues to figure out prior to the big reveal, but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment. The funny thing is, if I were sharing a beer with another mystery/detective reader who had finished Seven Dead recently, we could probably identify a dozen things that didn’t make sense or otherwise would be flagged as flaws or problems. But none of them bothered me one wit, because the novel as a whole was so enjoyable.
If you like Golden Age mysteries, Seven Dead is a sure thing. If, like me, you read them from time to time but only the very best, Seven Dead should still be on your short list. I’ll be looking for and reading more Farjeon novels this year.
For a list of British Library Crime Classics novels, topped by another Farjeon novel: Mystery in White, click here: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/9...
About the author. J. Jefferson Farjeon is a long-forgotten English crime and mystery novelist, playwright and screenwriter, and Eleanor Farjeon's brother. He wrote more than 90 novels and plays between 1924 and 1955. One of Farjeon's best known works was a play, No. 17, which was made into a number of films, including Number Seventeen directed by Hitchcock.
Thanks to Poisoned Press and NetGalley for making an ecopy available for review.
February 21, 2018
EXCERPT: The woman was in a chair, her head resting against a blue cushion. It would have been easy at first glance to mistake her sex, for she was wearing a man's clothing -- jersey, trousers and heavy boots -- while her features, framed in short dark hair, were coarsened by exposure. She might have been attractive once. She was not attractive now. Her unseeing eyes were open. . .
THE BLURB: Ted Lyte, amateur thief, has chosen an isolated house by the coast for his first robbery. But Haven House is no ordinary country home. While hunting for silverware to steal, Ted stumbles upon a locked room containing seven dead bodies. Detective Inspector Kendall takes on the case with the help of passing yachtsman Thomas Hazeldean. The search for the house's absent owners brings Hazeldean across the Channel to Boulogne, where he finds more than one motive to stay and investigate.
MY THOUGHTS: J. Jefferson-Farjeon is one of my favorite golden age detective story writers. His writing is both atmospheric and compelling, yet at the same time he manages to inject it with an underlying wry sense of humour.
Seven Dead is a locked room mystery. Seven bodies are discovered in a room where the shutters have been nailed closed and the key is in the lock on the outside of the room. Add a note with a cryptic clue and the portrait of a pretty young girl with a bullet hole through her heart, and the mystery deepens.
I first encountered Detective Inspector Kendall in Jefferson-Farjeon's The Z Murders, and then Thirteen Guests, both titles that have been republished by Poisoned Pen Press as part of the British Library Crime Classics series. He is a decisive man, very thorough in his investigative techniques, and a deep thinker. He is, rather unusually for this period, a relatively realistic police detective without any of the affectations so commonly given to characters in this era.
He is aided and abetted in his investigation by a young journalist and yachtsman, Hazeldean, who had inadvertently stumbled upon burglar Ted Lyte fleeing the crime scene, his pockets full of silverware. He becomes obsessed with the painting of the girl and is determined to find her.
There are plenty of twists and unexpected turns in this story, and I became a little obsessed myself with the relevance of the silk trader.
Early on in the book, one of the characters, I think it was Kendall, says 'There's some mighty queer story behind all this. ', and he's right. Not only queer, but compelling. Seven Dead was almost a five star read, but the ending fell a little short for me.
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press via Netgalley for providing a digital copy of Seven Dead by J. Jefferson-Farjeon for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.
This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
THE BLURB: Ted Lyte, amateur thief, has chosen an isolated house by the coast for his first robbery. But Haven House is no ordinary country home. While hunting for silverware to steal, Ted stumbles upon a locked room containing seven dead bodies. Detective Inspector Kendall takes on the case with the help of passing yachtsman Thomas Hazeldean. The search for the house's absent owners brings Hazeldean across the Channel to Boulogne, where he finds more than one motive to stay and investigate.
MY THOUGHTS: J. Jefferson-Farjeon is one of my favorite golden age detective story writers. His writing is both atmospheric and compelling, yet at the same time he manages to inject it with an underlying wry sense of humour.
Seven Dead is a locked room mystery. Seven bodies are discovered in a room where the shutters have been nailed closed and the key is in the lock on the outside of the room. Add a note with a cryptic clue and the portrait of a pretty young girl with a bullet hole through her heart, and the mystery deepens.
I first encountered Detective Inspector Kendall in Jefferson-Farjeon's The Z Murders, and then Thirteen Guests, both titles that have been republished by Poisoned Pen Press as part of the British Library Crime Classics series. He is a decisive man, very thorough in his investigative techniques, and a deep thinker. He is, rather unusually for this period, a relatively realistic police detective without any of the affectations so commonly given to characters in this era.
He is aided and abetted in his investigation by a young journalist and yachtsman, Hazeldean, who had inadvertently stumbled upon burglar Ted Lyte fleeing the crime scene, his pockets full of silverware. He becomes obsessed with the painting of the girl and is determined to find her.
There are plenty of twists and unexpected turns in this story, and I became a little obsessed myself with the relevance of the silk trader.
Early on in the book, one of the characters, I think it was Kendall, says 'There's some mighty queer story behind all this. ', and he's right. Not only queer, but compelling. Seven Dead was almost a five star read, but the ending fell a little short for me.
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press via Netgalley for providing a digital copy of Seven Dead by J. Jefferson-Farjeon for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.
This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
October 31, 2023
3.5★
I wonder if this mystery was originally serialised in a magazine.
If anyone knows, please put it in my comments.
This novel had such a great beginning, but really lost its way when the story shifted to The "Seven Dead" seemed to be forgotten about & a lot of the text seemed to be filler.
There was a good, if highly improbable, ending & Farjeon has shown enough writing ability that I want to try another of his mysteries, but frankly I'm starting to understand why the most famous Golden Age Mystery writers are woman!
I wonder if this mystery was originally serialised in a magazine.
If anyone knows, please put it in my comments.
This novel had such a great beginning, but really lost its way when the story shifted to The "Seven Dead" seemed to be forgotten about & a lot of the text seemed to be filler.
There was a good, if highly improbable, ending & Farjeon has shown enough writing ability that I want to try another of his mysteries, but frankly I'm starting to understand why the most famous Golden Age Mystery writers are woman!
https://wordpress.com/view/carolshess...
September 11, 2020
The story of how seven dead people come to be in a locked room of a manor house was what hooked me into reading this and I loved the way it began with a burglar being the one to happen upon them while trying to rob the house. Sadly, what followed was mostly disappointing to this reader. I loved Mystery in White by Farjeon so my disappointment was probably felt more.
The investigation took two paths with Inspector Kendall (whom I very much enjoyed) and reporter Thomas Hazeldean (whom I didn't enjoy at all). Hazeldean pretty much falls in love with a portrait of a preteen girl and takes off to find the woman she's become and yes, that pretty much put me off of him. There's quite a lot of the story where he's the lead tracking down the girl and the clues in Boulogne and I just didn't have the ability to buy into the relationship the author was trying to sell. I didn't want it at all and it overshadowed other elements of the main mystery. It didn't help that Dora Fenner was in damsel mode the entire time. I allow for these stories being of their time but this just grated on me. Maybe I'm cranky this year and suffering from low tolerance due to life during pandemic. YMMV.
Kendall finally reappears around Chapter 16 and the story picked up a bit, which I enjoyed. In the end, the explanation and what the disparate clues hinged on was a bit too far fetched for me but I can't say it was terrible. I would read another book with Kendall as the lead and I think he's a great character and I enjoyed his portion of the story. Hazeldean I will avoid at all costs. A note here that you'll likely have to break out your highschool French or use your translate app because there's plenty of French & Franglish in this book.
Neutral on recommend. I will, of course, continue reading the British Crime Library Classics as I've enjoyed them a lot.
The investigation took two paths with Inspector Kendall (whom I very much enjoyed) and reporter Thomas Hazeldean (whom I didn't enjoy at all). Hazeldean pretty much falls in love with a portrait of a preteen girl and takes off to find the woman she's become and yes, that pretty much put me off of him. There's quite a lot of the story where he's the lead tracking down the girl and the clues in Boulogne and I just didn't have the ability to buy into the relationship the author was trying to sell. I didn't want it at all and it overshadowed other elements of the main mystery. It didn't help that Dora Fenner was in damsel mode the entire time. I allow for these stories being of their time but this just grated on me. Maybe I'm cranky this year and suffering from low tolerance due to life during pandemic. YMMV.
Kendall finally reappears around Chapter 16 and the story picked up a bit, which I enjoyed. In the end, the explanation and what the disparate clues hinged on was a bit too far fetched for me but I can't say it was terrible. I would read another book with Kendall as the lead and I think he's a great character and I enjoyed his portion of the story. Hazeldean I will avoid at all costs. A note here that you'll likely have to break out your highschool French or use your translate app because there's plenty of French & Franglish in this book.
Neutral on recommend. I will, of course, continue reading the British Crime Library Classics as I've enjoyed them a lot.
December 23, 2017
I first met the intrepid Inspector Kendall — and his creator J. Jefferson Farjeon — in Thirteen Guests (1936). In that incredibly suspenseful twist on the country-house murder mystery, a journalist/amateur sleuth gets the best of poor Kendall; however, in Seven Dead, published three years after Thirteen Guests, Kendall (once again working with a journalist) cracks a very creepy murder mystery with seven corpses killed at once. The great Dorothy L. Sayers herself called Farjeon “unsurpassed for creepy skill in mysterious adventures,” and he proves it here!
Farjeon, very popular in his day, is nearly forgotten these days — too bad too, as I’ve loved all four of his novels that I’ve read. Those were re-released by British Library and Poisoned Pen Press, which has been steadily bringing back Golden Age crime classics. And they cannot reprint Farjeon novels fast enough for me! Yes, they’re that intriguing!
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, British Library and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review.
Farjeon, very popular in his day, is nearly forgotten these days — too bad too, as I’ve loved all four of his novels that I’ve read. Those were re-released by British Library and Poisoned Pen Press, which has been steadily bringing back Golden Age crime classics. And they cannot reprint Farjeon novels fast enough for me! Yes, they’re that intriguing!
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, British Library and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review.
February 9, 2019
This is not Ted Lyte’s story. He merely had the excessive misfortune to come into it, and to remain in it longer than he wanted. Had he adopted Cardinal Wolsey’s advice and flung away ambition, continuing to limit his illegal acts to the petty pilfering and pickpocketing at which he was fairly expert, he would have spared himself on this historic Saturday morning the most horrible moment of his life. The moment was so horrible that it deprived him temporarily of his senses. But he was not a prophet; all he could predict of the future was the next instant, and that often wrongly; and the open gate, with the glimpse beyond of the shuttered window, tempted him.
Oh I wish we had more of J. Jefferson Farjeon's books widely available to us, but alas I only have one more of his books to look forward to (The Z Murders) - unless I want to give the Ben, the Tramp series another shot.
Seven Dead was a curious book. It didn't start out like the usual Golden Age mystery. There was little that was twee about the start of the book (and even less about the ending!), we didn't get to meet any characters that we can fully trust (apart from the police), we get snippets of facts that seem to be pieces of a horrible puzzle, but each turn of event just put a question mark on the suppositions made in the previous chapter.
The only guide through all this is Detective Inspector Kendall, whose no-nonsense approach is lauded in mockery.
“You mentioned your name. There are plenty of Kendalls in the world, but I remember one who did pretty good work recently at Bragley Court, in the case of the Thirteen Guests. What I liked about him was that he didn’t play the violin, or have a wooden leg, or anything of that sort. He just got on with it.”
Fear not: Kendall gives as good as he gets.
So, there is a fun undertone to the story, some flippancy, some snark, but this really is only light relief from the tense atmosphere that Farjeons sets up for us - especially whenever we are near the scene of the crime, the ironically-named Haven House:
“Hey! What’s that?” jerked the sergeant. Something was happening in the house. As they darted towards it, an unearthly noise issued from the hall, and the sergeant admitted afterwards that it “fair went up his spine.” The sound grew venomously. It was like a hive of bees that had gone mad. There seemed no rhyme or reason in it, unless it had been designed as a macabre overture to what was to follow.
The light touch, the mockery, and the jokes are still not enough to lift the story into the realms of a cozy mystery. The underlying plot - even tho we do not find out until the end what actually happened - is entirely sinister and just plain horrible.
"There’s some mighty queer story behind all this, and maybe, when we’ve unearthed it—as we’re going to—suicide will fit the climax. But I’m not going to accept that theory until it’s explained to me how .”
Farjeon wasn't writing in the horror genre but there was something about the three books that I have read by him that makes me think he could have been at home in it. The atmosphere of his settings, and the suspense in his plots are well-crafted and reminded me of some of the Gothic tales written by late Victorian authors. I'd also wager that he may have been influenced by the writing of Arthur Conan Doyle, not just the Holmes stories, though I was somewhat reminded of them when reading the conclusion of Seven Dead (not a spoiler or a clue, btw.).
Btw, this story also had another one of Farjeon's delightful romances in it, which is improved only by the fact that I couldn't figure out until the end if any of the characters were trustworthy:
“Good-evening, Miss Fenner.”
She almost dropped her book. The brown eyes were on his again, bright with both astonishment and alarm. He discovered within himself an intense desire to dispel the latter, and dreaded the moment ahead when he would have to introduce a far greater alarm than any she could now be feeling.
“I’m quite harmless,” he smiled.
“Who are you?” she asked. “I don’t know you. Do I?”
“No.”
Oh I wish we had more of J. Jefferson Farjeon's books widely available to us, but alas I only have one more of his books to look forward to (The Z Murders) - unless I want to give the Ben, the Tramp series another shot.
Seven Dead was a curious book. It didn't start out like the usual Golden Age mystery. There was little that was twee about the start of the book (and even less about the ending!), we didn't get to meet any characters that we can fully trust (apart from the police), we get snippets of facts that seem to be pieces of a horrible puzzle, but each turn of event just put a question mark on the suppositions made in the previous chapter.
The only guide through all this is Detective Inspector Kendall, whose no-nonsense approach is lauded in mockery.
“You mentioned your name. There are plenty of Kendalls in the world, but I remember one who did pretty good work recently at Bragley Court, in the case of the Thirteen Guests. What I liked about him was that he didn’t play the violin, or have a wooden leg, or anything of that sort. He just got on with it.”
Fear not: Kendall gives as good as he gets.
So, there is a fun undertone to the story, some flippancy, some snark, but this really is only light relief from the tense atmosphere that Farjeons sets up for us - especially whenever we are near the scene of the crime, the ironically-named Haven House:
“Hey! What’s that?” jerked the sergeant. Something was happening in the house. As they darted towards it, an unearthly noise issued from the hall, and the sergeant admitted afterwards that it “fair went up his spine.” The sound grew venomously. It was like a hive of bees that had gone mad. There seemed no rhyme or reason in it, unless it had been designed as a macabre overture to what was to follow.
The light touch, the mockery, and the jokes are still not enough to lift the story into the realms of a cozy mystery. The underlying plot - even tho we do not find out until the end what actually happened - is entirely sinister and just plain horrible.
"There’s some mighty queer story behind all this, and maybe, when we’ve unearthed it—as we’re going to—suicide will fit the climax. But I’m not going to accept that theory until it’s explained to me how .”
Farjeon wasn't writing in the horror genre but there was something about the three books that I have read by him that makes me think he could have been at home in it. The atmosphere of his settings, and the suspense in his plots are well-crafted and reminded me of some of the Gothic tales written by late Victorian authors. I'd also wager that he may have been influenced by the writing of Arthur Conan Doyle, not just the Holmes stories, though I was somewhat reminded of them when reading the conclusion of Seven Dead (not a spoiler or a clue, btw.).
Btw, this story also had another one of Farjeon's delightful romances in it, which is improved only by the fact that I couldn't figure out until the end if any of the characters were trustworthy:
“Good-evening, Miss Fenner.”
She almost dropped her book. The brown eyes were on his again, bright with both astonishment and alarm. He discovered within himself an intense desire to dispel the latter, and dreaded the moment ahead when he would have to introduce a far greater alarm than any she could now be feeling.
“I’m quite harmless,” he smiled.
“Who are you?” she asked. “I don’t know you. Do I?”
“No.”
April 11, 2022
A late-in-the-day Golden Era mystery, with almost all the furnishings: Odd location, odd circumstances, clever chief inspector, plodding but canny sergeant, clever repartee. (Fizz!) In the midst of which our casual & irreverent protagonist meets his dithery but stalwart distressed-ingenue. (Frisson!) Untrustworthy foreigners and rickety orientalism, those bounders, are encountered as we start in the cozy village green of England but spiral out to exotic locales. (France!)
Do NOT ask obvious questions along the way, just go with that pre-midcentury mystery vibe. Jeepers!
Absolutely perfect beach or vacation read.
Do NOT ask obvious questions along the way, just go with that pre-midcentury mystery vibe. Jeepers!
Absolutely perfect beach or vacation read.
Read
December 5, 2021British Library reprint. Intriguing premise, though focusing more on the "wtf is going on" than the detection, and a largish chunk of the murder basically doesn't make any sense. Still, pulp fun.
June 2, 2025
Rather odd! It’s like a cross between an adventure story/thriller, detective novel, and Robinson Cruesoe. 🤔 I liked some parts of it but on the whole wasn’t too engaged with it and wanted to be finished.
November 1, 2023
This is not what I anticipated for some reason. I was expecting more humor, more wit, more emotive complexity a la Agatha?
It's very simplistic in plot and I found the conversations colloquial and strange. Often I don't think I gathered most of the context because I just couldn't embed in an inspector and his associate speaking about theoretical possibles in such a way.
It's a cozy from era before the mystery genre got its slick, IMHO. It's just ok. The changes of locale were interesting, but all else I found jumpy. Tension of what had happened did exist, but I can't say, for me anyway, that the continuity of the progress to filling out the answers, ever did.
The tricky quirky non-connecting writing style (full of void type tricks) annoys me enough to lose an entire star for that alone.
It's very simplistic in plot and I found the conversations colloquial and strange. Often I don't think I gathered most of the context because I just couldn't embed in an inspector and his associate speaking about theoretical possibles in such a way.
It's a cozy from era before the mystery genre got its slick, IMHO. It's just ok. The changes of locale were interesting, but all else I found jumpy. Tension of what had happened did exist, but I can't say, for me anyway, that the continuity of the progress to filling out the answers, ever did.
The tricky quirky non-connecting writing style (full of void type tricks) annoys me enough to lose an entire star for that alone.
January 29, 2025
Enjoyable nonsense! Farjeon takes the body in a locked room theme and gives us seven. We then embark on a ridiculous tale which takes us to France and then halfway across the world. The dialogue is frightfully 1930s, much of it silently read in clipped Brief Encounter accents. Dora Fenner, the main female character, cannot manage life without a man to take care of her and seems happy to be endlessly patronised. Kendall, the detective, morphed into Captain Mainwaring for me as he only just stops short of calling his sergeant, “You stupid boy!”
I had great fun with this. It’s chock full of stereotypes but the dialogue is often witty and clever, the French scenes playing out in ridiculous Franglais. The crime and its denouement are outlandish but I enjoyed myself and will definitely read more Farjeon.
I had great fun with this. It’s chock full of stereotypes but the dialogue is often witty and clever, the French scenes playing out in ridiculous Franglais. The crime and its denouement are outlandish but I enjoyed myself and will definitely read more Farjeon.
September 27, 2023
DNF - I’ve tried this author before, figured one more time, as the group voted for him. I got almost halfway through, but too many books, too little time. This author just babbles on about nothing for too long - 20 words when eight will do! Melodrama, trying for a horror-like vibe, too much “woo woo” paranormal feel to ending, just not my thing at all.
This one started out with a good premise, then veered into nonsense. I jumped to last chapter to see how he’d resolve this mess, couldn’t figure out what he was banging on about, gave it up because I don’t care enough. The second to last chapter read like a whole other book, so he must’ve gone right off the rails, and never made it back…rating one star to make sure I don’t mistakenly forget and try another of his books! I try and check reviews before choosing or nominating a book, I will be pickier in future, not waste my time on a book several reviews indicated was a hot mess!
This one started out with a good premise, then veered into nonsense. I jumped to last chapter to see how he’d resolve this mess, couldn’t figure out what he was banging on about, gave it up because I don’t care enough. The second to last chapter read like a whole other book, so he must’ve gone right off the rails, and never made it back…rating one star to make sure I don’t mistakenly forget and try another of his books! I try and check reviews before choosing or nominating a book, I will be pickier in future, not waste my time on a book several reviews indicated was a hot mess!
October 2, 2021
The title is just a tad misleading--there are more than seven deaths in the story, but it is the seven bodies found together in one abandoned house that sets the investigation off with a gruesome beginning. Ted Lyte, petty thief and pickpocket, spies an empty house and decides to make a career move--into the housebreaking business. The house is nice and isolated, on the outskirts of a village. It has an abandoned air about it. There's no one in sight and the shuttered windows just seem to call his name. So, he goes round to the back and makes his way through a window into the kitchen. After fortifying himself with some bread and cheese, he finds a splendid bit of silver, scoops it up, and wonders what else there might be. But, being all nervous on his first ever spot of burglary, he decides to take what he's got and run.
And yet...there's a door with a key in it that tempts him. His curiosity gets the better of him (much to his regret) and he opens the door and finds--not a treasure in need of safe-keeping, but seven people. All dead. He takes to his heels, shedding silverware along way, until he runs into Thomas Hazeldean, amateur yachtsman and freelance journalist, who spots him as the petty thief he is. He also recognizes that the gibbering man has had quite a fright and hauls him off to the police station where Inspector Kendall has been bemoaning how quiet it has been in detective-land. That's all about to change....
Hazeldean and Kendall form an alliance of sorts and begin investigating the mystery. One clue is a revolver bullet hole in the portrait of a very pretty young woman, Miss Fenner. Miss Dora Fenner and her uncle are the legitimate residents of Haven House, but they are not among the seven found dead in the drawing room. All evidence points to the Fenners have left the place in a hurry. Hazeldean follows the Fenner trail to Boulogne, France where he runs into a mysterious silk merchant and suspicious and uncommunicative servants. He does manage to track down Miss Fenner, but before he can really get down to discussing the mystery with her, he is hit over the head and locked in a room.
Meanwhile, Inspector Kendall has been uncovering clues at Haven House. He's got everything from two dead cats, a missing bicycle, a hidden laboratory, and an abandoned lifeboat from an ocean-going vessel. All trails lead to France, where Mr. Frenner is missing, his friend--a certain Dr. Jones--has died in a plane crash, and a lot of rough house has been going on in the boarding house where they all lived while in France. Kendall and Hazeldean uncover most of the answers--but they won't get the final solution until they make one final trip in Hazeldean's boat.
This is an interesting and eclectic hodge-podge of a book. It starts out in classic detective mode with a dash of possibly impossible crime thrown in. It then moves into a thrilleresque mode, and ends with a chase scene that is done slightly in reverse. I thoroughly enjoyed another outing with Inspector Kendall (whom I first met in Thirteen Guests). He is a steady copper with a somewhat quirky sense of humor (I don't think Sergeant Wade appreciates it as much I do, though) and an intelligent penchant for noticing details. Hazeldean is also a nicely fleshed-out character, though he does seem to have been invented expressly to fulfill the thriller-hero role in the second portion of the adventure and to fall in love with Miss Fenner. Still, he does do a good bit of detective work himself.
I plume myself on having pinpointed the killer's identity (and most of the slight twist involved). Fortunately, that didn't spoil my enjoyment of the story. I did find the ending to be a bit anti-climatic and wish there had been a better way of revealing ALL to us. I'm also a bit baffled as to But...putting aside those few quibbles, I thought this well-plotted and quite enjoyable.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of reveiw. Thanks.
And yet...there's a door with a key in it that tempts him. His curiosity gets the better of him (much to his regret) and he opens the door and finds--not a treasure in need of safe-keeping, but seven people. All dead. He takes to his heels, shedding silverware along way, until he runs into Thomas Hazeldean, amateur yachtsman and freelance journalist, who spots him as the petty thief he is. He also recognizes that the gibbering man has had quite a fright and hauls him off to the police station where Inspector Kendall has been bemoaning how quiet it has been in detective-land. That's all about to change....
Hazeldean and Kendall form an alliance of sorts and begin investigating the mystery. One clue is a revolver bullet hole in the portrait of a very pretty young woman, Miss Fenner. Miss Dora Fenner and her uncle are the legitimate residents of Haven House, but they are not among the seven found dead in the drawing room. All evidence points to the Fenners have left the place in a hurry. Hazeldean follows the Fenner trail to Boulogne, France where he runs into a mysterious silk merchant and suspicious and uncommunicative servants. He does manage to track down Miss Fenner, but before he can really get down to discussing the mystery with her, he is hit over the head and locked in a room.
Meanwhile, Inspector Kendall has been uncovering clues at Haven House. He's got everything from two dead cats, a missing bicycle, a hidden laboratory, and an abandoned lifeboat from an ocean-going vessel. All trails lead to France, where Mr. Frenner is missing, his friend--a certain Dr. Jones--has died in a plane crash, and a lot of rough house has been going on in the boarding house where they all lived while in France. Kendall and Hazeldean uncover most of the answers--but they won't get the final solution until they make one final trip in Hazeldean's boat.
This is an interesting and eclectic hodge-podge of a book. It starts out in classic detective mode with a dash of possibly impossible crime thrown in. It then moves into a thrilleresque mode, and ends with a chase scene that is done slightly in reverse. I thoroughly enjoyed another outing with Inspector Kendall (whom I first met in Thirteen Guests). He is a steady copper with a somewhat quirky sense of humor (I don't think Sergeant Wade appreciates it as much I do, though) and an intelligent penchant for noticing details. Hazeldean is also a nicely fleshed-out character, though he does seem to have been invented expressly to fulfill the thriller-hero role in the second portion of the adventure and to fall in love with Miss Fenner. Still, he does do a good bit of detective work himself.
I plume myself on having pinpointed the killer's identity (and most of the slight twist involved). Fortunately, that didn't spoil my enjoyment of the story. I did find the ending to be a bit anti-climatic and wish there had been a better way of revealing ALL to us. I'm also a bit baffled as to But...putting aside those few quibbles, I thought this well-plotted and quite enjoyable.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of reveiw. Thanks.
August 17, 2018
This is a really entertaining entry into the British Library Crime Classics line-up: the premise had me from the word go, for sure. It’s a locked room mystery with a rather creepy beginning: a would-be burglar stumbles on a room full of corpses in a seemingly empty house. There’s a serious romantic plot that I think might put some readers off, especially as it involves a guy getting rather creepily fixated on a painting of a young girl and deciding he has to know her (though at least he knows she’s an adult now); sometimes it doesn’t feel like the primary point is the mystery, but instead the relationship between two people who are mostly on the edge of it.
There’s also some rather odd banter between the inspector and the policeman who works with him. Sometimes I seemed to be missing context — which makes no sense, considering they weren’t supposed to know each other long before the case, so it should all be perfectly comprehensible — and sometimes it just seemed like the dialogue was trying to be too clever.
Nonetheless, it’s entertaining and the weirdness of that opening kept me interested in how the mystery itself worked out. Unlike with some of the other books reissued by the British Library for the Classic Crime series, I do actually find myself rather eager to pick up another book by Farjeon, instead of just pleasantly entertained but not ready to leap on it. The Z Murders and Thirteen Guests are now on my TBR pile.
Reviewed for The Bibliophibian.
There’s also some rather odd banter between the inspector and the policeman who works with him. Sometimes I seemed to be missing context — which makes no sense, considering they weren’t supposed to know each other long before the case, so it should all be perfectly comprehensible — and sometimes it just seemed like the dialogue was trying to be too clever.
Nonetheless, it’s entertaining and the weirdness of that opening kept me interested in how the mystery itself worked out. Unlike with some of the other books reissued by the British Library for the Classic Crime series, I do actually find myself rather eager to pick up another book by Farjeon, instead of just pleasantly entertained but not ready to leap on it. The Z Murders and Thirteen Guests are now on my TBR pile.
Reviewed for The Bibliophibian.
February 24, 2018
I have read quite a few of Farjeon's books over the years and some of them were quite good, but there is always something that does not quite work for me and with Seven Dead I finally figured out what it is: He is trying to appeal to too many audiences at once. You know some people like the murder mystery, the puzzle figuring out how a murder was committed, others like the adventure stories chasing an "unknown" villain, hunting them down, others love the suspense type books, that keep you on the edge of the seat whilst another group does love a bit of romance in their books, some like a policeman doing the investigation, others love a bystander becoming the sleuth. In this book you have all of that and more. Whilst for the most part it is enjoyable in a way, the conclusion of the book is just silly and so random that if you lived in my neighbourhood, you would have heard a frustrated sigh. A loud one. Still, these days, I adore these books and these re-issues since the Golden Age has become almost of academic interest to me. It's like a personal research topic for me. So on that note, this one was interesting.
November 20, 2017
This reprint from 1939 is the first book I have read by this author. Martin Edwards provided an extremely Illuminating introduction with background information on J Jefferson Farjeon (1883-1955).While his books had gone out of print, Mr. Edwards in his role as Series Consultant to the British Library has the enviable position of learning more about writers such as Mr. Farjeon from family and friends and helping to ensure that quality books and their writers won’t be forgotten. I truly enjoyed reading this mystery and appreciate those whose work allowed me the opportunity to discover Seven Dead.
Inspector Kendall is summoned to Haven House where a gruesome discovery has been made. Seven bodies are found in a locked room, none showing any obvious cause of death. Thomas Hazeldean, a journalist, becomes involved after seeing a man fleeing Haven House. When Inspector Kendall allows him entry to the crime scene, Hazeldean becomes enamored with a girl whose picture he sees on the wall. Dora, the girl in the picture has gone to Boulogne and Hazeldean follows her hoping that when he locates her, she will provide information about the seven deaths. While Inspector Kendall works to solve the case in England, Thomas locates Dora and her uncle and attempts to understand what happened in their house. When the Inspector and Thomas meet again, they share what they each have learned and all the pieces of this mystery come together, as well as the killer’s identity. No spoilers here! The plot and characters reflect the time that the book was written, so while the dialogue is dated, a good mystery is a good mystery and this is a good mystery! The author had my attention on page one, the ending was quite unique and everything in-between was well written. A thoroughly good book and one I recommend.
Thank you, Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. My favorite books are those where the reveal takes me totally by surprise and this book certainly accomplished that.
Inspector Kendall is summoned to Haven House where a gruesome discovery has been made. Seven bodies are found in a locked room, none showing any obvious cause of death. Thomas Hazeldean, a journalist, becomes involved after seeing a man fleeing Haven House. When Inspector Kendall allows him entry to the crime scene, Hazeldean becomes enamored with a girl whose picture he sees on the wall. Dora, the girl in the picture has gone to Boulogne and Hazeldean follows her hoping that when he locates her, she will provide information about the seven deaths. While Inspector Kendall works to solve the case in England, Thomas locates Dora and her uncle and attempts to understand what happened in their house. When the Inspector and Thomas meet again, they share what they each have learned and all the pieces of this mystery come together, as well as the killer’s identity. No spoilers here! The plot and characters reflect the time that the book was written, so while the dialogue is dated, a good mystery is a good mystery and this is a good mystery! The author had my attention on page one, the ending was quite unique and everything in-between was well written. A thoroughly good book and one I recommend.
Thank you, Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. My favorite books are those where the reveal takes me totally by surprise and this book certainly accomplished that.
August 30, 2017
The premise of the book piqued my interest immediately. A thief stumbling across a room with seven dead bodies, what an absolutely delicious mystery who could resist? I certainly couldn’t. I devoured this read in a day, I really enjoyed it.
What I particularly enjoyed was the atmosphere created by Farjeon throughout the book. Our tale opens at a quiet, secluded country home containing a dreadful secret. Farjeon paints a vivid picture of what lies behind the shuttered windows and you could almost be in the room taking in the horrifying sight with your own eyes. The story takes its readers to Boulogne, where once again you feel you’re walking through the ramparts and sitting in Madame Paula’s dark, tiny guest house.
The mystery is investigated by Detective Inspector Kendall, not the local sergeant because he ‘isn’t a man burdened with brains’ and Thomas Hazeldean, a passing journalist come yachtsman who becomes embroiled in the mystery purely by accident. These two make a great duo, Kendall full of gumption and enthusiasm and Hazeldean, full of adventure and a thirst for the truth. I’d love to see them join forces again.
The truth behind ‘Seven Dead’ is unpredictable and even the most experienced classic crime reader will be stumped! This is a fantastic addition to the crime classics series and as always, my favourite crime ingredients appear to make an entertaining and enjoyable read full of red herrings, baffling clues, shifty characters and a conclusion you won’t see coming.
What I particularly enjoyed was the atmosphere created by Farjeon throughout the book. Our tale opens at a quiet, secluded country home containing a dreadful secret. Farjeon paints a vivid picture of what lies behind the shuttered windows and you could almost be in the room taking in the horrifying sight with your own eyes. The story takes its readers to Boulogne, where once again you feel you’re walking through the ramparts and sitting in Madame Paula’s dark, tiny guest house.
The mystery is investigated by Detective Inspector Kendall, not the local sergeant because he ‘isn’t a man burdened with brains’ and Thomas Hazeldean, a passing journalist come yachtsman who becomes embroiled in the mystery purely by accident. These two make a great duo, Kendall full of gumption and enthusiasm and Hazeldean, full of adventure and a thirst for the truth. I’d love to see them join forces again.
The truth behind ‘Seven Dead’ is unpredictable and even the most experienced classic crime reader will be stumped! This is a fantastic addition to the crime classics series and as always, my favourite crime ingredients appear to make an entertaining and enjoyable read full of red herrings, baffling clues, shifty characters and a conclusion you won’t see coming.
December 22, 2017
Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a digital copy of this novel.
This began as an interesting read for me until it began to show signs early on of the hot buttons that cause me to argue with a story. I kept on reading and finally ended up at a rather farfetched ending that just didn't satisfy me. Obviously the policeman in this story didn't have even one superior officer he had to report to because he could take off for days and even weeks at a time in pursuit of this criminal. Never mind that he was a regional policeman and not a part of Scotland Yard. Add to that an amateur who happens on the scene and is instantly allowed access to all the police findings and it would be bad enough. In this story it gets even worse because the amateur falls into *adoration* instantly with the sweet young girl of the piece. They have conversations where neither of them finishes a sentence because they just "know" what the other is thinking. Hmm.
This is the story of a crime which had it's beginnings in the past - although the time line is rather confusing and blurred. There are seven suicides to begin with (maybe), some murders, a mutiny aboard ship, a group of castaways, cricket balls and bats, a self-employed journalist, a fainting heroine, a not-so-nice uncle, and a policeman who seems to pull solutions out of the air. It started out well and then it just wasn't. Not a favorite from the British Library Crime Classics series but I did read it all because some bits were interesting.
This began as an interesting read for me until it began to show signs early on of the hot buttons that cause me to argue with a story. I kept on reading and finally ended up at a rather farfetched ending that just didn't satisfy me. Obviously the policeman in this story didn't have even one superior officer he had to report to because he could take off for days and even weeks at a time in pursuit of this criminal. Never mind that he was a regional policeman and not a part of Scotland Yard. Add to that an amateur who happens on the scene and is instantly allowed access to all the police findings and it would be bad enough. In this story it gets even worse because the amateur falls into *adoration* instantly with the sweet young girl of the piece. They have conversations where neither of them finishes a sentence because they just "know" what the other is thinking. Hmm.
This is the story of a crime which had it's beginnings in the past - although the time line is rather confusing and blurred. There are seven suicides to begin with (maybe), some murders, a mutiny aboard ship, a group of castaways, cricket balls and bats, a self-employed journalist, a fainting heroine, a not-so-nice uncle, and a policeman who seems to pull solutions out of the air. It started out well and then it just wasn't. Not a favorite from the British Library Crime Classics series but I did read it all because some bits were interesting.
February 25, 2018
3 1/2 stars. Seven people are found dead in an empty house. Who they are and how they died is the central puzzle of the book. I was riveted by the plot for most the whole book although I thought the ending was slightly bizarre. There are great historical details, the plot is tight, and the central characters are well drawn. Overall a fun vintage mystery.
September 30, 2023
A fun adventure story that I read in one sitting (always a good sign). Very little that is realistic about it and not really in the golden age mystery genre. I would have liked it better if the background story could have been told in another manner (some things are just too unrealistic!).
June 26, 2013
In una casa vengono ritrovati sette cadaveri: chi sono? Perché si trovano lì e come sono morti? A queste domande dovrà rispondere l’ispettore Kendall, affiancato da un giovane giornalista freelance.
Nonostante l’omicidio sia un delitto a camera chiusa il giallo si sviluppa su diverse nazioni alla ricerca di un paio di elementi chiave per la risoluzione; per come è costruita la trama il lettore non ha la possibilità di scoprire il colpevole in autonomia e gli sono concesse solo alcune supposizioni – soprattutto sul finale.
Personalmente preferisco gialli più coinvolgenti, questo è risultato avvincente nella prima parte per poi perdersi in incontri, fughe e inseguimenti nella seconda.
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In a house seven dead are found: who are they? Why are they there and what was the cause of death? To these questions inspector Kendall will have to answer, with the help of a young freelance journalist.
Despite the murders are closed room ones, the crime novel is set in different nations for the hunt of a couple of key elements to solve the case; the plot does not allow the reader to identify the culprit; it does allow only a couple of hypothesis – in particular in the ending.
Personally I like more captivating crime novels, this is engaging in the beginning but it becomes more action-like in the second part with meetings and escaping.
Nonostante l’omicidio sia un delitto a camera chiusa il giallo si sviluppa su diverse nazioni alla ricerca di un paio di elementi chiave per la risoluzione; per come è costruita la trama il lettore non ha la possibilità di scoprire il colpevole in autonomia e gli sono concesse solo alcune supposizioni – soprattutto sul finale.
Personalmente preferisco gialli più coinvolgenti, questo è risultato avvincente nella prima parte per poi perdersi in incontri, fughe e inseguimenti nella seconda.
---
In a house seven dead are found: who are they? Why are they there and what was the cause of death? To these questions inspector Kendall will have to answer, with the help of a young freelance journalist.
Despite the murders are closed room ones, the crime novel is set in different nations for the hunt of a couple of key elements to solve the case; the plot does not allow the reader to identify the culprit; it does allow only a couple of hypothesis – in particular in the ending.
Personally I like more captivating crime novels, this is engaging in the beginning but it becomes more action-like in the second part with meetings and escaping.
February 10, 2018
This review is also available on my blog
This book stars with seven dead people. Then it gets more absurd. Then a plane crashes and then things get really weird. And as reader, you have no way of guessing how the weirdness will manifest because there are no clues beforehand.
So no, this isn’t a typical golden age mystery. No country house party where coincidentally everyone has a grudge against one party-member. I actually was reminded more of Edgar Wallace (especially the German movie adaptations). There’s a Russian nesting doll of dark secrets, mysterious characters (including an ominous –gasp– foreign silk merchant), a beautiful damsel in distress (she gets to have slightly more agency than those in the Wallace-movies but not much), lots of fog and – most importantly – nobody takes things too serious. They all joke around a lot. Especially the conversation between the inspector and his sergeant are glorious:
You will have to suspend your disbelief a lot, though. Even more than “Of course ten people would just accept an invitation from a complete stranger to spend a weekend at a remote island.” More than onceper chapter I found myself going Oh come on but – much like in Mystery in White (whose plot looks plain and normal compared to Seven Guests) – I didn’t care. The writing is so fast-paced that that I didn’t have the time to worry about pesky things like logic and realism. But at the same time the absurdity is well-contained. There are surprising coincidences, of course, but they all relate to the crime and the reasons for it; no inspector coincidentally stumbles over an important clue because he happens to be at the right place at right time. There is no bad timing that leads to a side-character betraying important information because they just missed the announcement about who the villain is. The main characters are fairly normal characters who sometimes have bad luck and sometimes good luck.
Still, traditionalists might not enjoy this too much. It really is more Edwardian pulp fiction than golden age mystery.
ARC provided by NetGalley
There are plenty of Kendalls in the world, but I remember one who did pretty good work recently at Bragley Court, in the case of the Thirteen Guests. What I liked about him was that he didn’t play the violin, or have a wooden leg, or anything of that sort. He just got on with it.
This book stars with seven dead people. Then it gets more absurd. Then a plane crashes and then things get really weird. And as reader, you have no way of guessing how the weirdness will manifest because there are no clues beforehand.
So no, this isn’t a typical golden age mystery. No country house party where coincidentally everyone has a grudge against one party-member. I actually was reminded more of Edgar Wallace (especially the German movie adaptations). There’s a Russian nesting doll of dark secrets, mysterious characters (including an ominous –gasp– foreign silk merchant), a beautiful damsel in distress (she gets to have slightly more agency than those in the Wallace-movies but not much), lots of fog and – most importantly – nobody takes things too serious. They all joke around a lot. Especially the conversation between the inspector and his sergeant are glorious:
Your trouble isn’t that you fail to mention things, Wade, but that you mention them too late, and then incomplete. I have no doubt that, three years after your death, you will send somebody the information.
You will have to suspend your disbelief a lot, though. Even more than “Of course ten people would just accept an invitation from a complete stranger to spend a weekend at a remote island.” More than once
Still, traditionalists might not enjoy this too much. It really is more Edwardian pulp fiction than golden age mystery.
ARC provided by NetGalley
July 17, 2023
Review of the audiobook narrated by Gordon Griffin.
This is a weird mystery. The set-up is brilliant, but the investigation bounces around a lot. The who and why eluded me until the very end. That’s because the who and why are complicated and . . . weird.
This is a weird mystery. The set-up is brilliant, but the investigation bounces around a lot. The who and why eluded me until the very end. That’s because the who and why are complicated and . . . weird.
July 13, 2022
Three and a half stars.
A real good page turner which I read in 1 day. Possibly a little far-fetched but enjoyable nevertheless. The ending was a little unsatisfactory though.
A real good page turner which I read in 1 day. Possibly a little far-fetched but enjoyable nevertheless. The ending was a little unsatisfactory though.
November 17, 2017
I would like to thank Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advance copy of Seven Dead, a police procedural cum adventure originally published in 1939 and set mostly in Essex and Boulogne. This latest edition has a very informative introduction written by Martin Edwards.
Inspector Kendall is finishing off a week of training the local police when a constable staggers in carrying burglar Ted Lyte and closely followed by journalist Tom Hazeldean. It turns out that Lyte has found 7 dead bodies in a locked room in an empty house. While Kendall continues his investigation in England he manipulates Hezeldean into going to Boulogne to find the missing home owners.
Seven Dead is an interesting read with both good and bad points. The plot is well thought out and fairly addictive so I found myself feverishly turning the pages to find out what was coming next. I am full of praise for the ending which, while rather unreal and definitely unbelievable, is moving, fitting and apt.
Unreal and unbelievable probably sums up much of the novel. Hazeldean falls in love with a portrait of the home owner's niece, Dora Fenner and, moved to help her, he takes off immediately for Boulogne to try and find her, which of course he does. It is all a bit naïve, innocent and chivalrous for modern sensibilities and hardly realistic but not unexpected in a novel of this vintage. His adventures in France, however, are risible from the slapstick fights to the dodgy French and had me laughing out loud.
The plot is, however, compulsive and while many of its devices are coincidental and the investigation hardly scientific or rigorous I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is easy to pick faults with a novel written in a different age for a less informed readership but readability is always one of my main priorities and this novel has it in spades as it held my attention throughout. The solution is ingenious although the motive is age old and the ending is exotic and extremely unusual so, despite its faults, I have no hesitation in recommending Seven Dead as a good read.
Inspector Kendall is finishing off a week of training the local police when a constable staggers in carrying burglar Ted Lyte and closely followed by journalist Tom Hazeldean. It turns out that Lyte has found 7 dead bodies in a locked room in an empty house. While Kendall continues his investigation in England he manipulates Hezeldean into going to Boulogne to find the missing home owners.
Seven Dead is an interesting read with both good and bad points. The plot is well thought out and fairly addictive so I found myself feverishly turning the pages to find out what was coming next. I am full of praise for the ending which, while rather unreal and definitely unbelievable, is moving, fitting and apt.
Unreal and unbelievable probably sums up much of the novel. Hazeldean falls in love with a portrait of the home owner's niece, Dora Fenner and, moved to help her, he takes off immediately for Boulogne to try and find her, which of course he does. It is all a bit naïve, innocent and chivalrous for modern sensibilities and hardly realistic but not unexpected in a novel of this vintage. His adventures in France, however, are risible from the slapstick fights to the dodgy French and had me laughing out loud.
The plot is, however, compulsive and while many of its devices are coincidental and the investigation hardly scientific or rigorous I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is easy to pick faults with a novel written in a different age for a less informed readership but readability is always one of my main priorities and this novel has it in spades as it held my attention throughout. The solution is ingenious although the motive is age old and the ending is exotic and extremely unusual so, despite its faults, I have no hesitation in recommending Seven Dead as a good read.
November 11, 2018
I enjoyed this while I was reading it, up until the last 2 chapters, when the holes in the plot just got too big to ignore. It's a fun read, but there were just too many nonsensical bits in it.
(Spoilers ahead: the major problem is how seven people, having been shipwrecked then marooned on a very isolated speck in the ocean for what seems to have been 4-5 years, manage to sail to England in another ship's lifeboat, without being picked up at any point by another ship. Why would they not head for the nearest land, get rescued and report the person who stole their first boat to the authorities?
The whole Dora situation was too improbable - no teenage girl whose loved father has died would forget exactly how old she was when it happened. We never find out her current age - it appears to be anywhere between 18 & 21.
Inspector Kendall seems to have been able to sail off (literally) to chase a criminal into the South Atlantic with no problems being away for an extended length of time. He then leaves a loaded revolver for a man, who has already murdered at least 10 people, to find, apparently trusting that he will shoot himself.
Various other minor plot points were also irritating.)
(Spoilers ahead: the major problem is how seven people, having been shipwrecked then marooned on a very isolated speck in the ocean for what seems to have been 4-5 years, manage to sail to England in another ship's lifeboat, without being picked up at any point by another ship. Why would they not head for the nearest land, get rescued and report the person who stole their first boat to the authorities?
The whole Dora situation was too improbable - no teenage girl whose loved father has died would forget exactly how old she was when it happened. We never find out her current age - it appears to be anywhere between 18 & 21.
Inspector Kendall seems to have been able to sail off (literally) to chase a criminal into the South Atlantic with no problems being away for an extended length of time. He then leaves a loaded revolver for a man, who has already murdered at least 10 people, to find, apparently trusting that he will shoot himself.
Various other minor plot points were also irritating.)
December 19, 2017
A petty thief gets a scare when he chooses Haven House for his first household robbery. He discovers the bodies of seven persons in the house. He runs, slowly losing the silverware he picked up. He's pursued by a free-lance journalist, Thomas Hazeldean, as well as a member of the local law enforcement. Haven House was entrusted to the uncle of a young girl to manage until she is able to inherit. Both are missing from the house but were seen at the home during the day. Inspector Kendall is put on the case which leads him and Hazeldean to France and ultimately to the South Atlantic in pursuit of the criminals. This is an early work from the golden age of detective fiction as the genre developed. It's plot, while still engaging, is more simplistic than some. Hazeldean's character needed further development. Most cozies and police procedurals stick with one jurisdiction, but this one takes the reader to different locales, similar to what a thriller might do. It's an enjoyable read. These remarks are based on an electronic advance review copy provided by the author through NetGalley with the expectation an honest review would be written.
September 15, 2017
Really 3.5 stars.
Those readers who like a high body-count will get full value from this. The title could have been "Ten Dead".
I certainly enjoyed this more than "The Z Murders" but still found some of Farjeon's writing tricks annoying. The hero and heroine not telling each other vital bits of information for instance appears again in this.The romance element was fine.
The ending was pretty awful- so contrived, melodramatic, and rather obvious even for 1939.
It is rather surprising to me that D.L.Sayers considered Farjeon one of her favourite writers.
Very readable.
Those readers who like a high body-count will get full value from this. The title could have been "Ten Dead".
I certainly enjoyed this more than "The Z Murders" but still found some of Farjeon's writing tricks annoying. The hero and heroine not telling each other vital bits of information for instance appears again in this.The romance element was fine.
The ending was pretty awful- so contrived, melodramatic, and rather obvious even for 1939.
It is rather surprising to me that D.L.Sayers considered Farjeon one of her favourite writers.
Very readable.
June 23, 2020
I was going to like it more but then I realised that the girl really was just a fainting female in need of rescue and it's a little bit yucky that the man fell in love with a painting of her aged 12. I was hoping for more of a twist tbqh. Also none of the dead people bar one had a proper backstory or family and the two sailors didn't even get surnames. The classism stinks the whole novel right up
Eta: actually it makes less sense the more I think about it. I've taken off another star
Eta: actually it makes less sense the more I think about it. I've taken off another star
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 22, 2017
Stavolta metto solo 3 stelle al Bassotto perché non è molto nelle mie corde l'elemento avventuroso mescolato al giallo classico stile inglese. Quando i protagonisti iniziano a correre di qua e di là, prima a Boulogne in Francia e poi nei Mari del Sud, fra marinai, furfanti e ammutinamenti, beh il mio interesse per la storia svanisce un po'. Ma ripeto, è solo questione di gusto personale.
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