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The Narrow Search
It doesn't take Clare Hunter many years of married life to discover that her husband, Arnold, is ruthless and unscrupulous. But it is not until she attempts to break up their unsatisfactory marriage that she herself becomes the victim of his power-complex.
To prevent her leaving him, Arnold resorts to blackmail - of a highly specialised variety. Ordinary legal methods seem powerless to cope with the situation and Clare is becoming desperate when she finds an ally in a former colleague, Hugh Cameron. With little to guide them but their own ingenuity, these two find themselves embarked on a series of adventures which take them - and the reader - deep into the heart of a fascinating and little-known aspect of English life.
Readers of 'The Megstone Plot', 'Death and the Sky Above', and other novels by Andrew Garve will know that they can count on him for a thrilling, realistic and ingenious story.
To prevent her leaving him, Arnold resorts to blackmail - of a highly specialised variety. Ordinary legal methods seem powerless to cope with the situation and Clare is becoming desperate when she finds an ally in a former colleague, Hugh Cameron. With little to guide them but their own ingenuity, these two find themselves embarked on a series of adventures which take them - and the reader - deep into the heart of a fascinating and little-known aspect of English life.
Readers of 'The Megstone Plot', 'Death and the Sky Above', and other novels by Andrew Garve will know that they can count on him for a thrilling, realistic and ingenious story.
150 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1957
10 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Garve
135 books11 followersAKA: Paul Somers, Roger Bax
Andrew Garve was the pen name of Paul Winterton (1908-2001). He was born in Leicester and educated at the Hulme Grammar School, Manchester and Purley County School, Surrey, after which he took a degree in Economics at London University. He was on the staff of The Economist for four years, and then worked for fourteen years for the London News Chronicle as reporter, leader writer and foreign correspondent. He was assigned to Moscow from 1942 to 1945, where he was also the correspondent of the BBC’s Overseas Service.
After the war he turned to full-time writing of detective and adventure novels and produced more than forty-five books. His work was serialized, televised, broadcast, filmed and translated into some twenty languages. He was noted for his varied and unusual backgrounds – including Russia, newspaper offices, the West Indies, ocean sailing, the Australian outback, politics, mountaineering and forestry – and for never repeating a plot.
Andrew Garve was a founding member and first joint secretary of the Crime Writers’ Association.
Andrew Garve was the pen name of Paul Winterton (1908-2001). He was born in Leicester and educated at the Hulme Grammar School, Manchester and Purley County School, Surrey, after which he took a degree in Economics at London University. He was on the staff of The Economist for four years, and then worked for fourteen years for the London News Chronicle as reporter, leader writer and foreign correspondent. He was assigned to Moscow from 1942 to 1945, where he was also the correspondent of the BBC’s Overseas Service.
After the war he turned to full-time writing of detective and adventure novels and produced more than forty-five books. His work was serialized, televised, broadcast, filmed and translated into some twenty languages. He was noted for his varied and unusual backgrounds – including Russia, newspaper offices, the West Indies, ocean sailing, the Australian outback, politics, mountaineering and forestry – and for never repeating a plot.
Andrew Garve was a founding member and first joint secretary of the Crime Writers’ Association.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 11, 2018
In 'The Narrow Search', Andrew Garve builds the tension page by page. It is not a murder tale, it is not a detective tale, it is simply a thrilling story of blackmail and abduction that keeps the reader on the edge of the seat as it unfolds.
Clare and Arnold Hunter are seemingly happily married but then the relationship sours and eventually Clare sees no alternative but to leave her husband. In an attempt to prevent her leaving him he resorts to blackmail of a highly specialised variety thus setting off an exciting chain of events.
Clare finds an ally in a former colleague, Hugh Cameron, and the pair of them set about trying to remedy the situation. It is not easy and they encounter many difficulties along the way, a way that leads them deep into the heart of the world of canals and canal boats, thus the title.
A thrilling climax results and once the affair is resolved, it leaves Clare and Hugh to pursue their own love, which has grown over the period of the tale.
Andrew Garve presents us with what could be described as the archetypal English thriller of the 1950s and an excellent read into the bargain.
April 2018
I can't believe it ... that I did not remember reading this book previously and even when reading it second time around, no bells were ringing that I had read it before; I'm not too sure what that says about the book or about my reading habits! Anyway ...
'The Narrow Search' would these days probably carry a strap line saying 'A psychological thriller' because there is no murder, no bodily atrocities and no gory detail in the book. It is a tale told around the abduction of a young girl from her mother, Clare. The abductor, Arnold, is the husband of the lady and father of the child but because his wife has fallen out of love with him, because of his underhand activities, and wants a divorce, he takes action and takes away little Christine.
Clare is understandably distraught and does her level best to get her daughter back - but with no success. And when Arnold fails to obey an injunction stating that he has to return the child, Clare is obliged to go to the police. However, the police do not take the case too seriously, arguing that it is the father who has the child so any harm to Christine is unlikely.
So, together with her close friend Hugh Cameron, Clare undertakes her own hunt for her daughter. By the time this happens, Arnold has been arrested for his underhand business dealings and a note from a mysterious 'A' gives some detail that could relate to Christine's abduction. But it is rather convoluted and difficult to make out exactly what is meant by some of the terminology.
After Arnold has categorically stated from prison that he will not return Christine, nor tell where she is, Clare and Hugh wander the countryside trying to find her. They meet with no success but then a sudden inspiration gives them a clue to one of the phrases in the note and they realise that they are on the wrong tack and that they should probably be searching the canals around the Midlands.
And this is what they do with Andrew Garve giving some very descriptive passages about those Midland waterways. The tension mounts as nothing is discovered until a chance passing of a narrow boat looks as though it will lead to some good news. Clare and Hugh follow the boat on foot and eventually chat with the occupants, who initially seem genuine ... but all is not always what it seems at first sight.
There is an exciting showdown and Christine, fortunately none the worse for her experience, is eventually discovered and reunited with her relieved mother, who is happy with her by then close friend Hugh.
The second reading of this novel was just as good as the first as the tension is there throughout but if the reader is looking for a blood and thunder thriller, this is definitely not it!
Clare and Arnold Hunter are seemingly happily married but then the relationship sours and eventually Clare sees no alternative but to leave her husband. In an attempt to prevent her leaving him he resorts to blackmail of a highly specialised variety thus setting off an exciting chain of events.
Clare finds an ally in a former colleague, Hugh Cameron, and the pair of them set about trying to remedy the situation. It is not easy and they encounter many difficulties along the way, a way that leads them deep into the heart of the world of canals and canal boats, thus the title.
A thrilling climax results and once the affair is resolved, it leaves Clare and Hugh to pursue their own love, which has grown over the period of the tale.
Andrew Garve presents us with what could be described as the archetypal English thriller of the 1950s and an excellent read into the bargain.
April 2018
I can't believe it ... that I did not remember reading this book previously and even when reading it second time around, no bells were ringing that I had read it before; I'm not too sure what that says about the book or about my reading habits! Anyway ...
'The Narrow Search' would these days probably carry a strap line saying 'A psychological thriller' because there is no murder, no bodily atrocities and no gory detail in the book. It is a tale told around the abduction of a young girl from her mother, Clare. The abductor, Arnold, is the husband of the lady and father of the child but because his wife has fallen out of love with him, because of his underhand activities, and wants a divorce, he takes action and takes away little Christine.
Clare is understandably distraught and does her level best to get her daughter back - but with no success. And when Arnold fails to obey an injunction stating that he has to return the child, Clare is obliged to go to the police. However, the police do not take the case too seriously, arguing that it is the father who has the child so any harm to Christine is unlikely.
So, together with her close friend Hugh Cameron, Clare undertakes her own hunt for her daughter. By the time this happens, Arnold has been arrested for his underhand business dealings and a note from a mysterious 'A' gives some detail that could relate to Christine's abduction. But it is rather convoluted and difficult to make out exactly what is meant by some of the terminology.
After Arnold has categorically stated from prison that he will not return Christine, nor tell where she is, Clare and Hugh wander the countryside trying to find her. They meet with no success but then a sudden inspiration gives them a clue to one of the phrases in the note and they realise that they are on the wrong tack and that they should probably be searching the canals around the Midlands.
And this is what they do with Andrew Garve giving some very descriptive passages about those Midland waterways. The tension mounts as nothing is discovered until a chance passing of a narrow boat looks as though it will lead to some good news. Clare and Hugh follow the boat on foot and eventually chat with the occupants, who initially seem genuine ... but all is not always what it seems at first sight.
There is an exciting showdown and Christine, fortunately none the worse for her experience, is eventually discovered and reunited with her relieved mother, who is happy with her by then close friend Hugh.
The second reading of this novel was just as good as the first as the tension is there throughout but if the reader is looking for a blood and thunder thriller, this is definitely not it!
November 24, 2022
Andrew Garve is a writer who always seems to come up with original locations and plots. Clare Hunter rejects her tyrannical husband, who is jailed then takes revenge by kidnapping their child and placing her with strangers. This is the engaging story of the search for the child, with Clare and her photographer friend Hugh piecing together clues that lead them to the waterways of the Midlands, and to build the foundations of a romance.
July 6, 2018
Tense tale of kidnap and pursuit in a setting almost reminiscent of Three Men in a Boat, but with locks. Yes, I read past my bedtime.
February 9, 2014
another great thriller written in the 1950's. A very original plot with lots of twists to it. Pleasing characters. It came to a conclusion a bit too suddenly though. I'd have liked to have seen it build up a bit. The end seemed rushed.
That aside, a very enjoyable read.
That aside, a very enjoyable read.
December 25, 2015
Boring book on a depressing topic (missing child)
Want to read
April 27, 2019Synopsis: Clare Hunter tries to get out of her unhappy marriage but finds her husband is ruthless and unscrupulous.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews