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Robert Macdonald #20
Case in the Clinic
When a man drops dead in his garden during the early days of WWII it seems to be a simple case of heart failure, even though he was in fine physical shape. But once Inspector Macdonald of Scotland Yard is brought in, British mystery readers know they're in for a wild ride. Now American readers can join in the fun.
252 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1941
108 people are currently reading
133 people want to read
About the author
E.C.R. Lorac
74 books177 followersEdith Caroline Rivett (who wrote under the pseudonyms E.C.R. Lorac, Carol Carnac, Carol Rivett, and Mary le Bourne) was a British crime writer. She was born in Hendon, Middlesex (now London). She attended the South Hampstead High School, and the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London.
She was a member of the Detection Club. She was a very prolific writer, having written forty-eight mysteries under her first pen name, and twenty-three under her second. She was an important author of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction.
She was a member of the Detection Club. She was a very prolific writer, having written forty-eight mysteries under her first pen name, and twenty-three under her second. She was an important author of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
July 13, 2022
Not one of the better Chief Inspector Macdonald stories, IMO.
The mystery is marvelously complicated, but Macdonald isn't on the page enough. I wasn't as fond of the amateur sleuths/potential suspects as the author seemed to be. I wanted a to see a bit more of the the basic police work in action. However, it was nice to see Inspector Jenkins and Reeves again.
Of course, Macdonald figured it all out, and the author had him deliver a nice wrap-up at the end. Though the clues were all there for the reader, I found some of them a tad vague.
thus my desire for more page time with Inspector Macdonald.
The mystery is marvelously complicated, but Macdonald isn't on the page enough. I wasn't as fond of the amateur sleuths/potential suspects as the author seemed to be. I wanted a to see a bit more of the the basic police work in action. However, it was nice to see Inspector Jenkins and Reeves again.
Of course, Macdonald figured it all out, and the author had him deliver a nice wrap-up at the end. Though the clues were all there for the reader, I found some of them a tad vague.
thus my desire for more page time with Inspector Macdonald.
April 24, 2024
I got pretty bored with this Lorac book just over half of the way through. There were not enough suspects and so many tedious conversations held between the detective and the suspects which really did not add to the mystery.
April 26, 2024
A thoroughly enjoyable story featuring the estimable Chief Inspector Macdonald at his best. Excellent misdirection. Strong characterisations of all the protagonists.
December 21, 2024
Why has it taken me so long to find E C R Lorac? Thoroughly enjoyed it
May 25, 2025
Suspicions are raisedi on the death of ex-vicar Anderby. Did his wife help in his death and what of the other elderly patients of this ex-nurse. Detective MacDonald investigates.
An entertaining historical mystery
Originally published in 1941
An entertaining historical mystery
Originally published in 1941
July 18, 2025
In this story, it begins with two men staying at an osteopath’s home to receive treatment for orthopedic pain. One of the men tells the other that about a situation of a man dropping dead a a gathering and that he believes that the man’s wife is responsible for it. The man who hears this story starts to become equally interested in this case and visits the home that the one death occurred. There is another death, and this brings in MacDonald.
By this time there has been a lot of water under the bridge, the local police have forwarded info to MacDonald, but as he starts to investigate people start to prevent him from getting information.
This is a quick story, not bad, but not one of ECR Lorac’s best. However, as a fan of hers I did enjoy the story as her writing is just that good.
If you like this author, you’ll certainly find the story and the well-drawn characters as usual.
By this time there has been a lot of water under the bridge, the local police have forwarded info to MacDonald, but as he starts to investigate people start to prevent him from getting information.
This is a quick story, not bad, but not one of ECR Lorac’s best. However, as a fan of hers I did enjoy the story as her writing is just that good.
If you like this author, you’ll certainly find the story and the well-drawn characters as usual.
August 15, 2023
I really enjoyed this Inspector Macdonald case, my only complaint being that he didn’t enter the case for several chapters, instead a character who eventually becomes a suspect plays “amateur detective” at first, trying to track down evidence of a suspected murder.
By the time local police call in Scotland Yard, the case is rather muddled and Macdonald and his team have to start from the ground up, interviewing suspects who’ve been caught up in the bungled investigation and are tired of answering questions, some outright hostile as the case has dragged on, and suspicions have lead to concerns about businesses and livelihoods! As always, Macdonald is ably assisted by wise Jenkins, his “favorite colleague at the Yard…an excellent gossip and a good raconteur, a great success in the saloon bar, and…a capacity for getting himself liked and trusted by the most diverse people…”, and young Reeves, the resourceful, dogged Cockney who is one of the Yard’s best shadower of suspects. He is kept on his mettle by one of the clever suspects in this case!
The case starts at an osteopathic clinic, where an elderly blowhard tells a fellow patient about a death he just witnessed; he’d been dining with a local man, a retired vicar and his wife, when the elderly vicar began watering some flowers in the garden and suddenly dropped dead. The old bore was rattled, but questions the heart failure verdict, and instead suggests the widow, a retired nurse, somehow killed her husband. During her nursing career she’d had some elderly patients die and leave her legacies, and gossip abounded. The hearer of these theories warns the old fella not to broadcast his suspicions, which could land him in legal trouble, but starts asking questions himself - he realizes the widow, in her prior career, had nursed an aunt of his - he begins to wonder if Nurse helped auntie out of this world.
An intriguing case, the solution was complex and convoluted, but the circumstances were mentioned early in the story. I thought the introduction of a seemingly minor character was odd, turns out the person was relevant! Lesson learned, pay attention to any suddenly appearing characters…
I enjoyed this but am sad, because I only have a couple of this author’s reissued mysteries left to read, and she has become a real golden age favorite. She wrote about 70 mysteries, and deserves to be be read and appreciated, in my opinion- I’ll keep looking for any reissues of her enjoyable, intelligent, well-written mysteries.
By the time local police call in Scotland Yard, the case is rather muddled and Macdonald and his team have to start from the ground up, interviewing suspects who’ve been caught up in the bungled investigation and are tired of answering questions, some outright hostile as the case has dragged on, and suspicions have lead to concerns about businesses and livelihoods! As always, Macdonald is ably assisted by wise Jenkins, his “favorite colleague at the Yard…an excellent gossip and a good raconteur, a great success in the saloon bar, and…a capacity for getting himself liked and trusted by the most diverse people…”, and young Reeves, the resourceful, dogged Cockney who is one of the Yard’s best shadower of suspects. He is kept on his mettle by one of the clever suspects in this case!
The case starts at an osteopathic clinic, where an elderly blowhard tells a fellow patient about a death he just witnessed; he’d been dining with a local man, a retired vicar and his wife, when the elderly vicar began watering some flowers in the garden and suddenly dropped dead. The old bore was rattled, but questions the heart failure verdict, and instead suggests the widow, a retired nurse, somehow killed her husband. During her nursing career she’d had some elderly patients die and leave her legacies, and gossip abounded. The hearer of these theories warns the old fella not to broadcast his suspicions, which could land him in legal trouble, but starts asking questions himself - he realizes the widow, in her prior career, had nursed an aunt of his - he begins to wonder if Nurse helped auntie out of this world.
An intriguing case, the solution was complex and convoluted, but the circumstances were mentioned early in the story. I thought the introduction of a seemingly minor character was odd, turns out the person was relevant! Lesson learned, pay attention to any suddenly appearing characters…
I enjoyed this but am sad, because I only have a couple of this author’s reissued mysteries left to read, and she has become a real golden age favorite. She wrote about 70 mysteries, and deserves to be be read and appreciated, in my opinion- I’ll keep looking for any reissues of her enjoyable, intelligent, well-written mysteries.
February 4, 2024
I bought this some years ago as part of a project to read classic mysteries - but it fell in a heap. My attention was drawn back to this Collins Crime Club author and I dug the book out of storage. It's a very old hard cover with no dust jacket, so may even be from the original 1941 edition for all I know. I was very surprised to find out that this was a female author, and she wrote dozens of mystery novels under various pseudonyms.
This one is #20 in the Inspector Macdonald series so I guess it also classifies as historical fiction. I haven't read anything from this author before, and this one is surprisingly good. Mind you, I got annoyed with the lengthy discussions between the various persons of interest as they speculated about who had committed the murder, if indeed it was murder. This helped to drag the book out to 245 pages.
DCI Macdonald is a fairly genial officer who jollies his suspects along in the hope of finding information. The author was clearly adept at presenting realistic dialogue, and of course uses some of the language of the era. An example is the use of "inflammable" which has been pretty much replaced by "flammable" in our times. There were quite a few "look heres", which was certainly a very British locution of that time.
There is a lot of confusion about what's going on, although most participants have a severe down on the ex-nurse who seems to have left a trail of dead people who left her some money.
I did not hit on the solution, although I did identify very quickly a possible identity issue as the basis for fraud.
I'd like to have rated this 4 stars, but it isn't quite there, so rating 3.3. I'd definitely like to read more of the series, if they can be found. The library doesn't have any of them, but I put in a request.
This one is #20 in the Inspector Macdonald series so I guess it also classifies as historical fiction. I haven't read anything from this author before, and this one is surprisingly good. Mind you, I got annoyed with the lengthy discussions between the various persons of interest as they speculated about who had committed the murder, if indeed it was murder. This helped to drag the book out to 245 pages.
DCI Macdonald is a fairly genial officer who jollies his suspects along in the hope of finding information. The author was clearly adept at presenting realistic dialogue, and of course uses some of the language of the era. An example is the use of "inflammable" which has been pretty much replaced by "flammable" in our times. There were quite a few "look heres", which was certainly a very British locution of that time.
There is a lot of confusion about what's going on, although most participants have a severe down on the ex-nurse who seems to have left a trail of dead people who left her some money.
I did not hit on the solution, although I did identify very quickly a possible identity issue as the basis for fraud.
I'd like to have rated this 4 stars, but it isn't quite there, so rating 3.3. I'd definitely like to read more of the series, if they can be found. The library doesn't have any of them, but I put in a request.
August 4, 2025
A Scotland Yard Inspector MacDonald mystery.
It is June and Robert Falkland, a successful London architect is ending his stay at Max Brook's Clinic and successful treatment on his injured knee. Falkland had a recent conversation with a fellow clinic resident who strongly believes a woman has been murdering her husband which peaks his interest. Things take a more ominous when that person ends up dead.
The triggering event is the sudden death of an elderly clergyman named Anderby, who drops dead while hosing the garden and his wife is the subject of a lot gossip who, as a former nurse, has received inheritances from patients who suddenly, but not expectedly died from heart related issues.
This is an intricate murder-mystery full of twists and turns and misdirection much of which revolves around Falkland & 2 others. Local police do their best, but are unable to make headway Scotland Yard Inspector MacDonald is called in to unravel the collected muddle of evidence.
It is June and Robert Falkland, a successful London architect is ending his stay at Max Brook's Clinic and successful treatment on his injured knee. Falkland had a recent conversation with a fellow clinic resident who strongly believes a woman has been murdering her husband which peaks his interest. Things take a more ominous when that person ends up dead.
The triggering event is the sudden death of an elderly clergyman named Anderby, who drops dead while hosing the garden and his wife is the subject of a lot gossip who, as a former nurse, has received inheritances from patients who suddenly, but not expectedly died from heart related issues.
This is an intricate murder-mystery full of twists and turns and misdirection much of which revolves around Falkland & 2 others. Local police do their best, but are unable to make headway Scotland Yard Inspector MacDonald is called in to unravel the collected muddle of evidence.
February 24, 2025
This was a very complex puzzle, and not as satisfying or accessible as Black Beadle, for example. I have still given it 4 stars because all of the pieces to solve the puzzle were there for the reader to interpret, even as our eyes are oh-so-gently directed elsewhere. The main characters are interesting and well-defined individuals. The title is a bit misleading, I think, but I'll leave that observation at that, to avoid more direct spoilers.
I will add a slight warning: the Kindle version I bought from Amazon is called "Case in the Clinic. The Robert Macdonald Mystery. Illustrated." The illustrations however are simply reproductions of early 1950's style cheesecake drawings of young women, like one might have found in certain men's magazines, not obscene but very suggestive and objectifying, and in no way related to the story. I will be complaining about this to Amazon.
I will add a slight warning: the Kindle version I bought from Amazon is called "Case in the Clinic. The Robert Macdonald Mystery. Illustrated." The illustrations however are simply reproductions of early 1950's style cheesecake drawings of young women, like one might have found in certain men's magazines, not obscene but very suggestive and objectifying, and in no way related to the story. I will be complaining about this to Amazon.
January 19, 2025
Thanks to the Shedunnit podcast for reminding me of the existence of E.C.R. Lorac, and again to whoever digitized so many of her works that were previously scarce. Though very much a police procedural, various characters affected by the case spend enough time in amateur sleuthing that the reader feels drawn in to the local circle. With access to both layperson speculation and C.I. MacDonald's notebook, it seems that the solution should be obvious- but Lorac has created such a clever tale of misdirection that the final twist is a delightful surprise. Solid characters, clever puzzle, and an overall engrossing story.
April 21, 2024
“Lorac”, with her urbane Inspector Macdonald, is a very good traditional English mystery writer. In this one the death of her husband causes suspicions about his wife, a nurse whose reputation is mixed. You’ll probably quickly spot the suspect, and catch the shadows of the plot, but the exposition is handled skillfully. Just because someone is unlikeable doesn’t make her/him a murderer. And vice versa…
August 2, 2024
I thought this was a clever and entertaining mystery and found it very enjoyable.
Loved the mentions of Woolworths, especially following the last book Death at Dyke's Corner!
Loved the mentions of Woolworths, especially following the last book Death at Dyke's Corner!
May 16, 2023
I am put out that I didn't cotton on to the method of the murder, even when I guessed the murderer early enough. It now seems rather obvious.
Almost all the characters in this one are great, though I am partial to Brook, and not Falker or whatever his name was.
Overall, an easy, satisfying read.
Almost all the characters in this one are great, though I am partial to Brook, and not Falker or whatever his name was.
Overall, an easy, satisfying read.
June 16, 2024
Poor old padre, popping off whilst pimping his petunias (Zinnias actually, but never mind). But who is the murderer, and how ,and of course, why?
Soon we are in the realm of alternative medicine and voices from the ether in a yarn that is more complex than most of Lorac's output.
After this I'll be sticking to Dr. Google for my medical advice.
Soon we are in the realm of alternative medicine and voices from the ether in a yarn that is more complex than most of Lorac's output.
After this I'll be sticking to Dr. Google for my medical advice.
September 7, 2024
Enjoyed this one, with it's osteopathic clinic and the addition of spiritualist elements; plus a convoluted plot that is right there but well-hidden: a good amount of obfuscation with all the amateurs saying there was only one way the plot could be constructed ... but in the end it's all smoke and mirrors and mistaken victims.
May 13, 2024
Another intriguing puzzle.
I enjoyed this immensely although some people might think it started off slowly. I never guessed the perpetrator until the end and never guessed the motive. An excellent story if you like that era.
I enjoyed this immensely although some people might think it started off slowly. I never guessed the perpetrator until the end and never guessed the motive. An excellent story if you like that era.
September 5, 2024
It was, as always with Lorac, a pleasant read - but not very gripping, and while in the end everything seemed to fall into place the ending was, imho, too constructed to be believable - and at least I felt a little cheated…
June 27, 2025
E. C. R. Lorca Can’t Be Beat As A Mystery Writer
I can’t recommend this author high enough. This book is so interesting and I truly believe the average reader like me would find it impossible to identify the murderer. I certainly didn’t.
I can’t recommend this author high enough. This book is so interesting and I truly believe the average reader like me would find it impossible to identify the murderer. I certainly didn’t.
April 28, 2024
Read in one sitting!
I read this book in one day! Very entertaining and quite clever. Interesting cast of characters and a fantastic plot.
I read this book in one day! Very entertaining and quite clever. Interesting cast of characters and a fantastic plot.
May 23, 2024
I think this is my least favorite Lorac book so far. A lot of repetitive conversations and I guessed who the killer was very early on. There were a few fun scenes though.
June 19, 2024
Enjoyed reading it but had trouble remembering the story after a couple of days.
September 22, 2024
Shadows Past
Atmosphere, vivid characters, terrific story telling - a plot with great details - an excellent Case Outside the Clinic Too!!!!
Atmosphere, vivid characters, terrific story telling - a plot with great details - an excellent Case Outside the Clinic Too!!!!
October 13, 2024
This wasn't my favorite Lorac (and the cover of the edition we own is horrible, to say the least), but I did get into the story and seeing how it all worked out.
March 8, 2025
Riveting
Excellent story line. Keeps you hooked until the end.
Highly recommended best of E C R Lorac I have read
Excellent story line. Keeps you hooked until the end.
Highly recommended best of E C R Lorac I have read
July 9, 2025
Excellent.
This tale was really a work of art. Great characters all different and they came alive to the reader. Very good background details too. A most enjoyable read.
This tale was really a work of art. Great characters all different and they came alive to the reader. Very good background details too. A most enjoyable read.
October 13, 2025
I guessed the outcome (not in detail) too soon. It was a another good solid who done it by this under rated story teller.
March 28, 2025
A good yarn!
Excellent story! It is atmospheric, has interesting characters, and kept me guessing to the end. I enjoyed the writing style, with its 1930/40s vernacular which I recall hearing from older relatives.
Excellent story! It is atmospheric, has interesting characters, and kept me guessing to the end. I enjoyed the writing style, with its 1930/40s vernacular which I recall hearing from older relatives.
August 11, 2024
Very enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews