Detective-Superintendent Budd is a busy man. In Thatchford on a minor investigation, calling on his old friend Superintendent Hawkins, he's asked to help with a murder mystery. One man has been stabbed, two of his business associates have been threatened.
Then another murder takes place in a locked room with police guards outside...
The case bristles with difficulties, but Budd sifts all the clues with his usual thoroughness, and exposes a dastardly plot.
Gerald Verner is one of the pseudonyms used by John Robert Stuart Pringle, who was born in Streatham, London, on 31 January 1897.
In his early writing days he used the name Donald Stuart, under which name he wrote 44 stories for the Sexton Blake Library as well as six stories for Union Jack and three for the Thriller magazine. In addition he wrote two stage plays, 'Sexton Blake' and 'The Shadow', two films, 'The Man Outside' (1933) and 'The Shadow' (1933) under the Stuart name. Later a number of his books were adapted for radio serials, stage plays and films.
He became a hugely successful thriller writer, producing more than 120 novels that were translated in 35 languages. The Duke of Windsor was a big Verner fan and at one time he was presented with 15 volumes specially bound.
Heavily influenced by Edgar Wallace, he wrote extensively for magazines such as Detective Weekly, the Sexton Blake Library, Union Jack and The Thriller. He also adapted Peter Cheyney's 'Meet Mr Callaghan' and Agatha Christie's 'Towards Zero' for the stage.
He also used the pseudonyms Thane Leslie, Derwent Steele and Nigel Vane.
He died at Broadstairs, Kent, of natural causes on 16 September 1980.
The books with Budd front and center are a better read than the ones with some reporter and his wife doing the sleuthing, with Budd basically a walk on. Budd is an investigator and it shows, a humble one at that, willing to admit he ain't got a clue - until he finally does, and it's a wrap. A good read.
While in Thatchford, Budd calls on his old friend Superintendent Hawkins. While there Hawkins gets a call about a murder. Both head off to investigate. But why was the man killed and will he be the first and last. An enjoyable enough murder mystery story
This was an interesting mystery, which was full of surprises. I look forward to reading more Robert Budd mysteries, and I highly recommend this English mystery to other mystery readers.
Quite a short book. I read it in one go in just over two hours.. An interesting plot but I felt that the author didn't quite play fair with the reader as it was difficult to work out whodunit. However, an enjoyable if lightweight read.
Classic old-fashioned murder mystery in the English countryside, when & where nobody has a phone. Superintendent Budd of Scotland Yard is OK, but he's no Poirot.