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Victim
Book by Bell, Josephine
- GenresMystery
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
31 people want to read
About the author
Josephine Bell
86 books17 followersJosephine Bell (the pseudonym of Doris Bell Collier Ball) was born into a medical family, the daughter of a surgeon, in Manchester in 1897.
She attended Godolphin School from 1910 to 1916 and then she trained at Newnham College, Cambridge until 1919. On completing her studies she was assigned to University College Hospital in London where she became M.R.C.S. and L.R.C.P. in 1922 and M.B. B.S. in 1924. She married Dr. Norman Dyer Ball in 1923 and the couple had a son and three daughters.
From 1927 until 1935 the couple practised medicine together in Greenwich and London before her husband retired in 1934 and she carried on the practice on her own until her retirement in 1954.
Her husband died in 1936 and she moved to Guildford, Surrey and she became a member of the management committee of St. Luke's Hospital from 1954 to 1962.
She began writing detective fiction in 1936 using the pen name Josephine Bell and her first published novel in the genre was 'Murder in Hospital' (1937).
Perhaps not surprisingly many of her works had a medical background and the first one introduced one of her enduring characters, Dr David Wintringham who worked at Research Hospital in London as a junior assistant physician. He was to feature in 18 of her novels, ending with 'A Well Known Face' (1960).
Overall she wrote more than 60 books, 45 of them in the detective fiction genre where, as well as medical backgrounds, she used such as archaeology in 'Bones in the Barrow' (1953), music in 'The Summer School Mystery' (1950) and even a wildlife sanctuary as background in 'Death on the Reserve' (1966).
She also wrote on drug addicition and criminology and penned a great number of short stories. In addition she was involved in the foundation of the Crime Writers' Association in 1953, an organisation in which she served as chair person in the 1959–60 season.
She died in 1987.
Gerry Wolstenholme
June 2010
She attended Godolphin School from 1910 to 1916 and then she trained at Newnham College, Cambridge until 1919. On completing her studies she was assigned to University College Hospital in London where she became M.R.C.S. and L.R.C.P. in 1922 and M.B. B.S. in 1924. She married Dr. Norman Dyer Ball in 1923 and the couple had a son and three daughters.
From 1927 until 1935 the couple practised medicine together in Greenwich and London before her husband retired in 1934 and she carried on the practice on her own until her retirement in 1954.
Her husband died in 1936 and she moved to Guildford, Surrey and she became a member of the management committee of St. Luke's Hospital from 1954 to 1962.
She began writing detective fiction in 1936 using the pen name Josephine Bell and her first published novel in the genre was 'Murder in Hospital' (1937).
Perhaps not surprisingly many of her works had a medical background and the first one introduced one of her enduring characters, Dr David Wintringham who worked at Research Hospital in London as a junior assistant physician. He was to feature in 18 of her novels, ending with 'A Well Known Face' (1960).
Overall she wrote more than 60 books, 45 of them in the detective fiction genre where, as well as medical backgrounds, she used such as archaeology in 'Bones in the Barrow' (1953), music in 'The Summer School Mystery' (1950) and even a wildlife sanctuary as background in 'Death on the Reserve' (1966).
She also wrote on drug addicition and criminology and penned a great number of short stories. In addition she was involved in the foundation of the Crime Writers' Association in 1953, an organisation in which she served as chair person in the 1959–60 season.
She died in 1987.
Gerry Wolstenholme
June 2010
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 18, 2013
Laura Mellanby has decided she needs to sell her large Edwardian family house and move to somewhere smaller and more manageable. She receives an offer for the property before she has even advertised it, which is conditional on her obtaining planning permission for the house to be demolished and flats built on the site.
It seems as though things will be easy to sort out. But she reckons without the local feeling on the matter and she soon finds friends turning into enemies. When Florence Short, an elderly neighbour, is found dead Laura is cast as first murderer by many of her neighbours in Crown Road.
This is a well written story about corruption in high places and planning applications which succeed or fail on the basis of personal influence and hidden agendas. The characters are believable and the background all too real. I liked Laura herself and her family – especially Prue her resourceful young niece.
I also thought the elderly characters in this story were very well drawn and interesting – the reclusive Mr Clarke, the aristocratic Mrs Hone and various harpies acting as a Greek chorus. I found this an enjoyable and entertaining read and would recommend it to anyone who likes classic crime novels with interesting characters and a complex plot.
It seems as though things will be easy to sort out. But she reckons without the local feeling on the matter and she soon finds friends turning into enemies. When Florence Short, an elderly neighbour, is found dead Laura is cast as first murderer by many of her neighbours in Crown Road.
This is a well written story about corruption in high places and planning applications which succeed or fail on the basis of personal influence and hidden agendas. The characters are believable and the background all too real. I liked Laura herself and her family – especially Prue her resourceful young niece.
I also thought the elderly characters in this story were very well drawn and interesting – the reclusive Mr Clarke, the aristocratic Mrs Hone and various harpies acting as a Greek chorus. I found this an enjoyable and entertaining read and would recommend it to anyone who likes classic crime novels with interesting characters and a complex plot.
December 2, 2025
This is an interesting and different plot. Although it is more quiet, it is still a good mystery.
May 8, 2010
Old Mrs. Mellanby decides her house with its large rambling garden is just too much work for her to keep, so she lists it with a developer who plans to put three new homes in the spot. But when she goes to get planning permission, she suddenly finds herself the target of some mean and nasty gossip. Then her neighbor who had been firmly against the development changes her mind. But before she can tell anyone, she is found dead in her home. Gossips immediately finger Mrs. Mellanby as a murderer. The police rather halfheartedly investigate, and while they at least don't suspect Mrs. Mellanby at all, they don't seem to be getting any closer to figuring out what really did happen.
It's scandal and corruption on the local level, but it's remarkably nasty for all that. Mrs. Mellanby's grandniece moves in and enlists a friend to help investigate. It seems everywhere they look, there is some secret waiting to be uncovered. Who will be the next victim?
I like Bell's books and this one was good. She has a good sense of how villages work and a good feel for the many quirks of human nature. Recommended.
It's scandal and corruption on the local level, but it's remarkably nasty for all that. Mrs. Mellanby's grandniece moves in and enlists a friend to help investigate. It seems everywhere they look, there is some secret waiting to be uncovered. Who will be the next victim?
I like Bell's books and this one was good. She has a good sense of how villages work and a good feel for the many quirks of human nature. Recommended.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews