Last First

by Richard Hull

‘Last First is dedicated to those who habitually read the last chapter first, but Mr Richard Hull’s many admirers, even if they do, will not succeed in spotting the man who brought about Mr Appleyard’s death with such ruthless cunning. Only those who follow the story from its first thrilling chapter to the last will know the answer. Set in a hotel in Scotland with a background of lochs, mountains and good fishing, the story is in itself an exciting open-air holiday told with that particular humorous flavour and ingenuity which have justly won for Mr Hull such a wide and enthusiastic public.’

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1947

About the author

Richard Henry Sampson FCA (6 September 1896 – 1973), known by the pseudonym Richard Hull, was a British writer who became successful as a crime novelist with his first book in 1934.

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_...

Note: At least two other authors with the same name: Richard Hull-illustrator & Richard Hull-non-fiction

Reviews

[Gregory · Rating 2 out of 5]

Richard Hull wrote many excellent mystery novels including The Murder of My Aunt and Keep It Quiet. I was disappointed with this novel, however. It starts with the last chapter first. This gimmick didn’t work since it was hard to tell what was going on in the opening chapter. The novel is set at a resort hotel at which the guests fish in a nearby river. A dispute over which rooms two men will get in the hotel leads to a fishing contest. Most of the novel is taken up with talk of this fishing contest, setting the rules for it, etc. The reader does not care about this. There is also a lot of discussion concerning a hill with bogs that is behind the hotel. Eventually, there is a murder and an inspector gets involved. This happened too late for me to become interested. The novel does display Hull’s humor and his ability at characterization. That was not enough to save this one. I recommend trying one of Hull’s novels that is in print or on kindle. These are all good.

[Adam Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

A clever idea - Richard Hull begins with the last chapter, but still leaves you guessing whodunnit. But sadly not well executed, with too much stodgy content about fishing.