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A Gentle Murderer
A frightening confession leads a priest to hunt down a murderer in Grand Master of crime fiction Dorothy Salisbury Davis’s bestselling novel, which critic Anthony Boucher called “one of the best detective stories of modern times”
On a hot Saturday night in Manhattan, Father Duffy sits in a confessional, growing alarmed as he listens to the voice of a distraught young man who speaks of bloody hair and a dead woman and a compulsion to do things with a hammer that he does not understand. Before the priest can persuade the man to confess to the police, the killer flees, still clutching the hammer.
The next day, Father Duffy learns that a high-class call girl on the East Side has been savagely murdered, and no suspect has been found. As he searches for the disturbed young man who he fears will kill again, cerebral New York Police detective Sergeant Ben Goldsmith takes the lead in the investigation of the call-girl murder, racing against the clock to catch a very clever killer who, when enraged, cannot control his need to swing a hammer.
On a hot Saturday night in Manhattan, Father Duffy sits in a confessional, growing alarmed as he listens to the voice of a distraught young man who speaks of bloody hair and a dead woman and a compulsion to do things with a hammer that he does not understand. Before the priest can persuade the man to confess to the police, the killer flees, still clutching the hammer.
The next day, Father Duffy learns that a high-class call girl on the East Side has been savagely murdered, and no suspect has been found. As he searches for the disturbed young man who he fears will kill again, cerebral New York Police detective Sergeant Ben Goldsmith takes the lead in the investigation of the call-girl murder, racing against the clock to catch a very clever killer who, when enraged, cannot control his need to swing a hammer.
198 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1951
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375 people want to read
About the author
Dorothy Salisbury Davis
63 books15 followersDorothy Salisbury Davis is a Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America, and a recipient of lifetime achievement awards from Bouchercon and Malice Domestic. The author of seventeen crime novels, including the Mrs. Norris Mysteries and the Julie Hayes Mysteries; three historical novels; and numerous short stories; she has served as president of the Mystery Writers of America and is a founder of Sisters in Crime.
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February 2, 2019This hardcover is the first Gregg Press edition of a paperback published by Bantam Books in 1953.
The book contains a new introduction by Ms. Davis.
Anthony Boucher called this book "one of the best detective stories of modern times."
Dorothy Margaret Salisbury Davis (April 25, 1916 − August 3, 2014). This was her second book.
The book contains a new introduction by Ms. Davis.
Anthony Boucher called this book "one of the best detective stories of modern times."
Dorothy Margaret Salisbury Davis (April 25, 1916 − August 3, 2014). This was her second book.
March 20, 2023
EXCERPT: It was after nine o'clock and neither side of the confessional was occupied. The priest sat in semi-darkness, his body stiff and aching, with his hand on his breviary. He was waiting for perhaps one tardy penitent, as a child watches for one last drop from a turned-off faucet. He smiled at himself for the stubbornness that kept him waiting there, sweat-soaked, for just one more. That was greed of a sort. Through the open window above him, the August heat rolled in like a fat old man, and settled with him in the cubicle. It brought the smell of dust, bus exhaust, frankfurters and tobacco smoke. He would have liked a cigarette . . . ten minutes more. He held his watch to the dim, curtained light: nine twenty-three. In a brief hush in the flow of traffic down Ninth Avenue someone called: 'Goodnight, Father.'
ABOUT 'A GENTLE MURDERER': On a hot Saturday night in Manhattan, Father Duffy sits in a confessional, growing alarmed as he listens to the voice of a distraught young man who speaks of bloody hair and a dead woman and a compulsion to do things with a hammer that he does not understand. Before the priest can persuade the man to confess to the police, the killer flees, still clutching the hammer.
The next day, Father Duffy learns that a high-class call girl on the East Side has been savagely murdered, and no suspect has been found. As he searches for the disturbed young man who he fears will kill again, cerebral New York Police detective Sergeant Ben Goldsmith takes the lead in the investigation of the call-girl murder, racing against the clock to catch a very clever killer who, when enraged, cannot control his need to swing a hammer.
MY THOUGHTS: A Gentle Murderer was published in the 1950s. It took me a wee bit to settle into, but then I found myself quite enjoying it. It’s not quite a murder-mystery as we meet the murderer, one Timothy Brandon, making his confession early in the book, but it’s the police and the Priest to whom he confessed trying to ascertain just who he is, and then trying to find him, that provides the entertainment.
Dorothy Salisbury Davis excels with her characterisation. Father Duffy is a wonderful priest, a man with compassion but also a sense of justice. Having had an unknown man confess to murder, he is unable to just leave it there. He feels a need, a compulsion, to find that man and guide him to do the right thing.
Meanwhile, detectives are also seeking this man, with even less information to go on than Father Duffy. When their paths cross and their information is pooled progress starts to be made.
Concurrent to the police and priest's investigations, we are privy to the life of Tim Brandon, poet and handyman. We learn his backstory and, somewhat worryingly, live through his current circumstances. He is a man with strong moral principles, ones that he finds himself unable to live up to.
A Gentle Murderer is, in places, a strange read, and I occasionally felt baffled and bewildered, needing to read some parts more than once.
I liked, but did not love, A Gentle Murderer.
⭐⭐⭐.3
#AGentleMurderer #NetGalley
I: #DorothySalisburyDavis @poisonedpenpress
T: #DorothySalisburyDavis @PPPress
THE AUTHOR: Dorothy Salisbury Davis is a Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America, and a recipient of lifetime achievement awards from Bouchercon and Malice Domestic. The author of seventeen crime novels, including the Mrs. Norris Mysteries and the Julie Hayes Mysteries; three historical novels; and numerous short stories; she has served as president of the Mystery Writers of America and is a founder of Sisters in Crime.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of A Gentle Murderer by Dorothy Salisbury Davis for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
ABOUT 'A GENTLE MURDERER': On a hot Saturday night in Manhattan, Father Duffy sits in a confessional, growing alarmed as he listens to the voice of a distraught young man who speaks of bloody hair and a dead woman and a compulsion to do things with a hammer that he does not understand. Before the priest can persuade the man to confess to the police, the killer flees, still clutching the hammer.
The next day, Father Duffy learns that a high-class call girl on the East Side has been savagely murdered, and no suspect has been found. As he searches for the disturbed young man who he fears will kill again, cerebral New York Police detective Sergeant Ben Goldsmith takes the lead in the investigation of the call-girl murder, racing against the clock to catch a very clever killer who, when enraged, cannot control his need to swing a hammer.
MY THOUGHTS: A Gentle Murderer was published in the 1950s. It took me a wee bit to settle into, but then I found myself quite enjoying it. It’s not quite a murder-mystery as we meet the murderer, one Timothy Brandon, making his confession early in the book, but it’s the police and the Priest to whom he confessed trying to ascertain just who he is, and then trying to find him, that provides the entertainment.
Dorothy Salisbury Davis excels with her characterisation. Father Duffy is a wonderful priest, a man with compassion but also a sense of justice. Having had an unknown man confess to murder, he is unable to just leave it there. He feels a need, a compulsion, to find that man and guide him to do the right thing.
Meanwhile, detectives are also seeking this man, with even less information to go on than Father Duffy. When their paths cross and their information is pooled progress starts to be made.
Concurrent to the police and priest's investigations, we are privy to the life of Tim Brandon, poet and handyman. We learn his backstory and, somewhat worryingly, live through his current circumstances. He is a man with strong moral principles, ones that he finds himself unable to live up to.
A Gentle Murderer is, in places, a strange read, and I occasionally felt baffled and bewildered, needing to read some parts more than once.
I liked, but did not love, A Gentle Murderer.
⭐⭐⭐.3
#AGentleMurderer #NetGalley
I: #DorothySalisburyDavis @poisonedpenpress
T: #DorothySalisburyDavis @PPPress
THE AUTHOR: Dorothy Salisbury Davis is a Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America, and a recipient of lifetime achievement awards from Bouchercon and Malice Domestic. The author of seventeen crime novels, including the Mrs. Norris Mysteries and the Julie Hayes Mysteries; three historical novels; and numerous short stories; she has served as president of the Mystery Writers of America and is a founder of Sisters in Crime.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of A Gentle Murderer by Dorothy Salisbury Davis for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
January 3, 2023
I discovered Dorothy Salisbury Davis from an obituary in The New York Times. I loved Davis’ Julie Hayes series, one different than anything else I’ve ever read. I also loved the Mrs. Norris series and The Judas Cat, all of which have a less-dark vibe. And I loved God Speed the Night, too.
So when I had a chance to read Davis’ A Gentle Murderer, first published in 1951, I jumped at the chance! As with the later Colombo mystery TV show, the novel follows the same recipe: Readers will know the perpetrator’s name in Chapter 3. The fun is in the dueling investigations of the bloody murder by a conflicted priest and a police sergeant with an instinct for motives. Father Duffy, assistant pastor of St. Timothy’s in New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen (long before it gentrified into Clinton), hears the murderer’s confession on the very night of the murder; tied by the seal of the confessional, how can the young priest made sure that justice is done? At the same time, Sergeant Ben Goldsmith, an expert on human nature, has a feeling that the perpetrator is a nebbishy poet-scribbler pal of the victim, a red-headed beauty who worked as an expensive call girl. How to track that elusive “gentle murderer”? Readers will be glued to the novel to find out how the pair of sleuths fare!
Thank heaven that Poisoned Pen Press rereleased yet another of Davis’ gems! I only wish that Davis had chosen to build a series around the meticulous Father Duffy or the amusing Sergeant Goldsmith!
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review.
So when I had a chance to read Davis’ A Gentle Murderer, first published in 1951, I jumped at the chance! As with the later Colombo mystery TV show, the novel follows the same recipe: Readers will know the perpetrator’s name in Chapter 3. The fun is in the dueling investigations of the bloody murder by a conflicted priest and a police sergeant with an instinct for motives. Father Duffy, assistant pastor of St. Timothy’s in New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen (long before it gentrified into Clinton), hears the murderer’s confession on the very night of the murder; tied by the seal of the confessional, how can the young priest made sure that justice is done? At the same time, Sergeant Ben Goldsmith, an expert on human nature, has a feeling that the perpetrator is a nebbishy poet-scribbler pal of the victim, a red-headed beauty who worked as an expensive call girl. How to track that elusive “gentle murderer”? Readers will be glued to the novel to find out how the pair of sleuths fare!
Thank heaven that Poisoned Pen Press rereleased yet another of Davis’ gems! I only wish that Davis had chosen to build a series around the meticulous Father Duffy or the amusing Sergeant Goldsmith!
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review.
August 20, 2014
Sad not to discover a writer until they die but glad that I finally found Dorothy Salisbury Davis. This is beautifully crafted, a bit slow at times but I enjoyed it immensely!!
December 2, 2022
"A Gentle Murderer" is a mystery that was originally published in 1951. Father Duffy investigated the killer's past to try to track him down in the present. He learned that the killer's father was an abusive drunk while the mother was "too affectionate." I'm still not sure if that simply meant that she babied him or if she molested him. Duffy found plenty of reasons to believe the killer would kill again, but he didn't feel like he could share his knowledge with the police because it started out in a confessional. He's determined to find the man and convince him to turn himself in. At the same time, the police (mainly Detective Goldsmith) processed the crime scene, questioned people, and otherwise tried to identify and track down whodunit. He did a fine job even without Duffy's knowledge, and their paths converged at the end.
We know whodunit from the start, though, as the final point-of-view character was the killer. Women took one look at him and wanted to mother him, giving him (often free) room and board so he could pursue his attempts at writing poetry. He killed women he felt were leading other women astray or who were having affairs, so he seemed to feel that they deserved it. But he did know killing was a sin, thus the confession. His choices fed his desire to murder as he was often a temptation to lonely women. There was this weird "I want to mother him and have sex with him" vibe going on with his potential victims. Anyway, knowing he was close to killing again did add suspense, but I think I would have liked the mystery better without his viewpoint.
There was some bad language. There were no actual sex scenes. Any violence was minimally described, so it wasn't gory. Overall, I'd recommend this mystery to fans of "golden age" mysteries.
I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
We know whodunit from the start, though, as the final point-of-view character was the killer. Women took one look at him and wanted to mother him, giving him (often free) room and board so he could pursue his attempts at writing poetry. He killed women he felt were leading other women astray or who were having affairs, so he seemed to feel that they deserved it. But he did know killing was a sin, thus the confession. His choices fed his desire to murder as he was often a temptation to lonely women. There was this weird "I want to mother him and have sex with him" vibe going on with his potential victims. Anyway, knowing he was close to killing again did add suspense, but I think I would have liked the mystery better without his viewpoint.
There was some bad language. There were no actual sex scenes. Any violence was minimally described, so it wasn't gory. Overall, I'd recommend this mystery to fans of "golden age" mysteries.
I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
April 4, 2023
A priest hears a young man’s confession of murder and is deeply troubled. When he finds out that the young man did murder a woman, Father Duffy wrestles with his duty, but knows he cannot break the confidence of the confession. He decides to locate the young man to urge him to confess to police, and begins tracing the man through the little details he gleaned from the confession.
When the woman’s body is discovered later, police detective Goldsmith begins his investigation.
Interestingly, the author reveals at the book's outset the identity of the murderer, then sets her priest and detective off on parallel investigations. Of course, each must rely on their respective tools (police badge and clerical collar) to question people in the hope of finding the killer.
Meanwhile, we see the young man’s interactions with his landlady and her teenaged daughter at a boarding house. The girl is smitten, and does not seem to catch on that the man is giving off weird vibes.
This was an interesting story. I liked the way the biggest part of a mystery is who did it, and Dorothy Salisbury Davis dispensed with that right away. Instead, the part that kept me reading was watching the detective and the priest look for the killer, but use different means and talk to different people, as the priest’s collar got people to open up to him in a way they did not to Goldsmith.
Salisbury Davis gradually reveals more about the killer's backstory, and building up a psychology for her killer that explained his current murder. The story concludes with Father Duffy and Goldsmith converging on the killer's home.
While I could appreciate how different this story was from many other whodunnits, I found the prose occasionally confusing in places, and the pacing was a little hit and miss. But I can see why it is seen as a classic for its novel approach, for the time period, to an investigation.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.
When the woman’s body is discovered later, police detective Goldsmith begins his investigation.
Interestingly, the author reveals at the book's outset the identity of the murderer, then sets her priest and detective off on parallel investigations. Of course, each must rely on their respective tools (police badge and clerical collar) to question people in the hope of finding the killer.
Meanwhile, we see the young man’s interactions with his landlady and her teenaged daughter at a boarding house. The girl is smitten, and does not seem to catch on that the man is giving off weird vibes.
This was an interesting story. I liked the way the biggest part of a mystery is who did it, and Dorothy Salisbury Davis dispensed with that right away. Instead, the part that kept me reading was watching the detective and the priest look for the killer, but use different means and talk to different people, as the priest’s collar got people to open up to him in a way they did not to Goldsmith.
Salisbury Davis gradually reveals more about the killer's backstory, and building up a psychology for her killer that explained his current murder. The story concludes with Father Duffy and Goldsmith converging on the killer's home.
While I could appreciate how different this story was from many other whodunnits, I found the prose occasionally confusing in places, and the pacing was a little hit and miss. But I can see why it is seen as a classic for its novel approach, for the time period, to an investigation.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.
February 1, 2023
The Library of Congress Crime Classics has picked a great story to reissue, 1951’s “A Gentle Murderer” by Dorothy Salisbury Davis. A fine example of a psychological profile of a gentle murderer and the two people who are chasing him for very different reasons, although both seem to find some sympathy with the victim.
We have three different stories here, all interwoven and crossing over each other. We start with Father Duffy, a Catholic priest at St. Timothy’s in New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, the poor section of Manhattan. One evening he hears a confession of murder, from a troubled young man. Before he can make heads or tails of the story, the boy disappears. Duffy scans the papers looking for the murder until he unfortunately finds the crime. Thus begins his quest to track down the killer and save his soul before he can strike again. Digging deeply into the past, Father Duffy uses his vocation to get to places that others couldn’t.
Then we have Sergeant Ben Goldsmith, tasked with finding the killer of a high class call girl. Trolling through the underbelly of the big city, Goldsmith follows the trail through fellow working girls, club singers, prostitution clients, trying to find a sensitive poet who may have known the victim or maybe even was the probable killer.
Lastly is Tim Brandon, a quiet young man with a gentle soul, a troubled past, and an uncontrollable anger that leads him to strike out with his hammer when the madness gets to be too much. Not knowing that two different detectives are trying to reach him, we see his struggle as life continues to close in on him.
The three intersect in an explosive conclusion, a fine early example of a psychological thriller, a descent into the mind of a boy who was destined to end badly. I am looking forward to finding more of Ms. Davis’ work.
I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. Thank you!
We have three different stories here, all interwoven and crossing over each other. We start with Father Duffy, a Catholic priest at St. Timothy’s in New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, the poor section of Manhattan. One evening he hears a confession of murder, from a troubled young man. Before he can make heads or tails of the story, the boy disappears. Duffy scans the papers looking for the murder until he unfortunately finds the crime. Thus begins his quest to track down the killer and save his soul before he can strike again. Digging deeply into the past, Father Duffy uses his vocation to get to places that others couldn’t.
Then we have Sergeant Ben Goldsmith, tasked with finding the killer of a high class call girl. Trolling through the underbelly of the big city, Goldsmith follows the trail through fellow working girls, club singers, prostitution clients, trying to find a sensitive poet who may have known the victim or maybe even was the probable killer.
Lastly is Tim Brandon, a quiet young man with a gentle soul, a troubled past, and an uncontrollable anger that leads him to strike out with his hammer when the madness gets to be too much. Not knowing that two different detectives are trying to reach him, we see his struggle as life continues to close in on him.
The three intersect in an explosive conclusion, a fine early example of a psychological thriller, a descent into the mind of a boy who was destined to end badly. I am looking forward to finding more of Ms. Davis’ work.
I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. Thank you!
August 19, 2015
A frightening confession leads a priest to hunt down a murderer in Grand Master of crime fiction Dorothy Salisbury Davis's bestselling novel, which critic Anthony Boucher called "one of the best detective stories of modern times." On a hot Saturday night in Manhattan, Father Duffy sits in a confessional, growing alarmed as he listens to the voice of a distraught young man who speaks of bloody hair and a dead woman and a compulsion to do things with a hammer that he does not understand. Before the priest can persuade the man to confess to the police, the killer flees, still clutching the hammer. The next day, Father Duffy learns that a high-class call girl on the East Side has been savagely murdered, and no suspect has been found. As he searches for the disturbed young man who he fears will kill again, cerebral New York Police detective Sergeant Ben Goldsmith takes the lead in the investigation of the call-girl murder, racing against the clock to catch a very clever killer who, when enraged, cannot control his need to swing a hammer.
September 21, 2014
Until I read her obituary in the NY Times a few weeks ago, I had never heard of Dorothy Salisbury Davis. Now, after reading "A Gentle Murderer," I look forward to reading many more of her books. It's so nice to discover a "new" writer, even though she'll write no more.
February 23, 2023
A Gentle Murderer is a delectable multiple-perspective Golden Age mystery re-issued by the Library of Congress Crime Classics. Not only does it contain all the hallmarks of the great mysteries and thrillers of the time but also excels at characterization which is my favourite aspect of the story.
The reader knows the murderer is Tim Brandon from the beginning and is taken into his mind as a poor and moody poet with a temper and toolkit. Quiet and reclusive, he lives with Mrs. and Miss Galli who are both drawn to their mysterious boarder. Deception ensues.
Father Duffy hears a jarring confession but as a priest is bound to confidentiality. A man confesses to murder and Father Duffy urges him to turn himself in. The young man flees without disclosing his name. After reading about the murder of an escort the next day, Father Duffy becomes even more worried. He tries to find the killer on his own so he won't kill again. Meanwhile, Sergeant Ben Goldsmith of the NYPD does know who he is seeking and questions people who knew him previously. The murderer makes another confession.
Golden Age readers who enjoy connecting the dots with a blend of psychology, compelling characters and fantastic writing ought to enjoy this book.
My sincere thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this riveting book. Thank you for giving readers the chance to discover more about Golden Age authors!
The reader knows the murderer is Tim Brandon from the beginning and is taken into his mind as a poor and moody poet with a temper and toolkit. Quiet and reclusive, he lives with Mrs. and Miss Galli who are both drawn to their mysterious boarder. Deception ensues.
Father Duffy hears a jarring confession but as a priest is bound to confidentiality. A man confesses to murder and Father Duffy urges him to turn himself in. The young man flees without disclosing his name. After reading about the murder of an escort the next day, Father Duffy becomes even more worried. He tries to find the killer on his own so he won't kill again. Meanwhile, Sergeant Ben Goldsmith of the NYPD does know who he is seeking and questions people who knew him previously. The murderer makes another confession.
Golden Age readers who enjoy connecting the dots with a blend of psychology, compelling characters and fantastic writing ought to enjoy this book.
My sincere thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this riveting book. Thank you for giving readers the chance to discover more about Golden Age authors!
June 15, 2019
This is a 1950s book written by Dorothy Salisbury Davis. The setting is in Manhattan, New York. It starts with a person going to church and confessed to Father Duffy that he has just murdered somebody, and then promptly disappeared. What follows then are what happened to that mentally unbalanced person, what Father Duffy did to try to find him, as well as the police's investigation into the murder.
I find the writing very long winded and boring. However, the structure of the book is an interesting one. It runs along three parallel tracks. One follows the murderer, the second follows Father Duffy's journey to try to identify and find him, and the third is the police's efforts to do the same. At the end the three parties converge and brought the story to a climax. While I enjoyed the part about Father Duffy and the police, in the persons of Lieutenant Holden and Sergeant Goldsmith of the NYPD Homicide Squad, I find the part about the murderer Tim Brandon very long drawn out and is a distraction to the overall story.
I find the writing very long winded and boring. However, the structure of the book is an interesting one. It runs along three parallel tracks. One follows the murderer, the second follows Father Duffy's journey to try to identify and find him, and the third is the police's efforts to do the same. At the end the three parties converge and brought the story to a climax. While I enjoyed the part about Father Duffy and the police, in the persons of Lieutenant Holden and Sergeant Goldsmith of the NYPD Homicide Squad, I find the part about the murderer Tim Brandon very long drawn out and is a distraction to the overall story.
August 29, 2023
This book had me anxious as fuck by the end of it, worth the anticipation. The development of the case against and for the murder was incredible.
January 11, 2024
One of the most unexpected reading experiences I had in 2023 was falling in love with the Library of Congress Crime novels. These reprints of classic American crime stories have all been an absolute treat to read, and are high quality paperbacks. This novel grabbed me right from the blurb in the bookstore; the definition of an impulse buy. I was intrigued about a priest being a main character, and how his role in the story would play out. On top of this, immediately jumping into the crime, and how it's introduced via a confessional, was a major drawing factor. While I went into this with these expectations, I still found a few surprises along the way. For example, getting the perspective of the killer, as well as an interesting point of view from Goldsmith the police officer who was smart and quite methodical. The exploration of duty for the bounds of a confessional, as well as the struggles of mental illness and different versions of a person were a treat to read. I didn't feel any questions were answered (which is good), but it posed the questions that got you thinking.
The one thing I would caution, is this is not a mystery. You know who the killer is. BUT, it's more of a thriller. Will the killer kill again? Will the priest and Goldsmith catch their prey? You'll have to read to find out! Although this was written in the 1950s, the prose is really digestible, and the novel moves at a medium pace, with it picking up in the last third. I really enjoyed this one, it just didn't pack enough of a punch to jump to 5 stars. But I would highly recommend this for fans of classics, or those who like more a thriller/mystery. I can't wait to pick up another crime classic! 4.25/5.
Note: Unfortunately there are some cases of looking at women in not a modern lens, so be aware of that going in. It never felt too bad to put down but it is there.
Quick hits:
+ The characters are well drawn and diverse: a priest, a cop, and a killer.
+ The exploration of morality and the killer's struggle with his urge to kill were extremely engrossing.
+ Some unexpected surprises along the way.
+ Easily digestible prose and story.
The one thing I would caution, is this is not a mystery. You know who the killer is. BUT, it's more of a thriller. Will the killer kill again? Will the priest and Goldsmith catch their prey? You'll have to read to find out! Although this was written in the 1950s, the prose is really digestible, and the novel moves at a medium pace, with it picking up in the last third. I really enjoyed this one, it just didn't pack enough of a punch to jump to 5 stars. But I would highly recommend this for fans of classics, or those who like more a thriller/mystery. I can't wait to pick up another crime classic! 4.25/5.
Note: Unfortunately there are some cases of looking at women in not a modern lens, so be aware of that going in. It never felt too bad to put down but it is there.
Quick hits:
+ The characters are well drawn and diverse: a priest, a cop, and a killer.
+ The exploration of morality and the killer's struggle with his urge to kill were extremely engrossing.
+ Some unexpected surprises along the way.
+ Easily digestible prose and story.
November 1, 2023
I do not know what I expected going in after reading the introduction, but it definitely was not this. The title is very apt for the content, and I will probably be focusing on that with regard to this review because it took me by surprise.
Like many stories written in this time period, it begins slowly. We know that a priest in a church hears the confession of a man who has committed a crime. This confessor has left some clues as to his identity and the possible reasoning behind this act. Soon after, a dead body of a young woman is found, and the police start to work on the case.
Both the priest and the police do a great job of figuring out who the culprit is despite travelling in different directions with the clues they have. The efficiency with which they work and the story that the pieces put together was startling, especially since we see the villain of the piece living his life in his own way during the entire time that the investigation is ongoing.
I know I liked reading Agatha Christies when I was younger because of the psychological profiles of the various people we meet, but it was not as overt as in this case! This story and the way it pans out would not be amiss as a smaller episode of psychological profiling shows like The Criminal Minds, and I do not say that lightly. The profile of the killer that emerges and the dignity with which it is handled felt very contemporary despite being published originally published in 1951.
The pacing is more along the lines of older books, but the deeper I got into it, i was swept away by the different approaches everyone took to the information they had and the ultimate outcome.
I would highly recommend this to people who like thrillers and want to try older books while cautioning about the pacing and the elaborate extras that each chapter comes with to put the era into context. Sometimes, that felt helpful, but for the most part, I did not want to go read it and come back to the story in progress.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
Like many stories written in this time period, it begins slowly. We know that a priest in a church hears the confession of a man who has committed a crime. This confessor has left some clues as to his identity and the possible reasoning behind this act. Soon after, a dead body of a young woman is found, and the police start to work on the case.
Both the priest and the police do a great job of figuring out who the culprit is despite travelling in different directions with the clues they have. The efficiency with which they work and the story that the pieces put together was startling, especially since we see the villain of the piece living his life in his own way during the entire time that the investigation is ongoing.
I know I liked reading Agatha Christies when I was younger because of the psychological profiles of the various people we meet, but it was not as overt as in this case! This story and the way it pans out would not be amiss as a smaller episode of psychological profiling shows like The Criminal Minds, and I do not say that lightly. The profile of the killer that emerges and the dignity with which it is handled felt very contemporary despite being published originally published in 1951.
The pacing is more along the lines of older books, but the deeper I got into it, i was swept away by the different approaches everyone took to the information they had and the ultimate outcome.
I would highly recommend this to people who like thrillers and want to try older books while cautioning about the pacing and the elaborate extras that each chapter comes with to put the era into context. Sometimes, that felt helpful, but for the most part, I did not want to go read it and come back to the story in progress.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
February 27, 2023
Although I appreciated the skill of the author in the construction of the plot of this 1951 mystery, I found it quite hard going, and, despite the suspenseful atmosphere, not all that gripping.
The psychological study of a murderer, and the detailing of their pursuit, did not appeal to me, despite some pretty good writing.
I also find the annotation in these editions increasingly annoying. The numbered footnotes are obtrusive and largely unnecessary in this digital age.
My thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the digital review copy.
The psychological study of a murderer, and the detailing of their pursuit, did not appeal to me, despite some pretty good writing.
I also find the annotation in these editions increasingly annoying. The numbered footnotes are obtrusive and largely unnecessary in this digital age.
My thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the digital review copy.
July 4, 2023
Another very good reissue by Library of Congress Crime Classics. Timothy Brandon is a young, helpless poet bum with a warped religious bent and, as we eventually learn, a string of serial killings behind him. His very helplessness and unworldlyness is his charm. Every older woman he meets wants to mother him, at the same time as the young daughters fall in love with him (and he with them). However, when he eventually, somehow is disillusioned with his surroundings, he murders what or who he considers filthy.
The novel starts with a man stumbling in for confession in The Church St Timothys, and confessing to Father Duffy of a recent murder, then suddenly leaving. FD is distraught, even more so by the lingering suspicion that the murderer isn’t really repentant but considers himself righteous, and might murder again. After searching the morning papers, he realizes that the murder must be that of a neighborhood high-class prostitute. From then on, we follow both the two homicide detectives assigned to the case as well as Father Duffy turned amateur detective, as they search for the killer. At the same time, we get to know Timothy and his landlady/recent lover Mrs Galli and her seventeen-year-old daughter, who is wooing Tim.
This 1951 novel is an in-depth psychological character study, much ahead of its time. The minds of Timothy, of Father Duffy, the detectives, as well as Katerina and her mother, the daughter and mother now in danger, are probed, and none of them are only good or bad people. Davis aim is to probe and try to understand the motivations of each and every one of the characters in the book, and reminded me of Ruth Rendell’s A Judgment in Stone. It’s a rich book in that it’s at the same time a psychological study, a police procedural, and a thriller whodunnit with an amateur detective. As well, New York is described in all its glory and Hells Kitchen squalid detail. Davis does a good job of painting a pretty picture of a little bewildered lost boy, beloved by all women, in a way that makes you despise him. I found him insufferable with his tears and his frailty and self-deception. Some of the character descriptions, especially of the older women, are admittedly a bit dated in that they lampoon the women’s sexuality (and they aren’t even that old), but this is part of what makes Tim’s actions somewhat logical to him. Father Duffy is a delight and he is a very likeable, lowkey hero.
An interesting, suspenseful read.
The novel starts with a man stumbling in for confession in The Church St Timothys, and confessing to Father Duffy of a recent murder, then suddenly leaving. FD is distraught, even more so by the lingering suspicion that the murderer isn’t really repentant but considers himself righteous, and might murder again. After searching the morning papers, he realizes that the murder must be that of a neighborhood high-class prostitute. From then on, we follow both the two homicide detectives assigned to the case as well as Father Duffy turned amateur detective, as they search for the killer. At the same time, we get to know Timothy and his landlady/recent lover Mrs Galli and her seventeen-year-old daughter, who is wooing Tim.
This 1951 novel is an in-depth psychological character study, much ahead of its time. The minds of Timothy, of Father Duffy, the detectives, as well as Katerina and her mother, the daughter and mother now in danger, are probed, and none of them are only good or bad people. Davis aim is to probe and try to understand the motivations of each and every one of the characters in the book, and reminded me of Ruth Rendell’s A Judgment in Stone. It’s a rich book in that it’s at the same time a psychological study, a police procedural, and a thriller whodunnit with an amateur detective. As well, New York is described in all its glory and Hells Kitchen squalid detail. Davis does a good job of painting a pretty picture of a little bewildered lost boy, beloved by all women, in a way that makes you despise him. I found him insufferable with his tears and his frailty and self-deception. Some of the character descriptions, especially of the older women, are admittedly a bit dated in that they lampoon the women’s sexuality (and they aren’t even that old), but this is part of what makes Tim’s actions somewhat logical to him. Father Duffy is a delight and he is a very likeable, lowkey hero.
An interesting, suspenseful read.
March 6, 2023
A classic psychological mystery…
I’m not usually a big fan of psychological thrillers, but even I can recognize that The Gentle Murderer is a classic of the genre. Although it’s actually not clear whether it’s a psychological thriller as much as it’s a psychological mystery, with two different “detectives” on the trail of the man who bludgeoned a high-class call girl to death with a hammer.
The first investigator is the priest who heard the murderer’s confession late one evening - and also accidentally caught a glimpse of his face, which seemed to resemble that of St. Francis. Although Father Duffy tries to encourage the penitent to turn himself in, and offers to come with him while he does, the man flees the church instead. Because Duffy is a priest, and can’t violate the “seal of the confessional” by going to the police himself, he begins instead to try to find the “St. Francis man” on his own.
The second detective, on the other hand, is actually a real detective, assigned to investigate the murder. And as Sergeant Goldsmith follows clues and does his legwork, he begins to become aware of Father Duffy’s efforts, and eventually their paths cross.
The Gentle Murderer is a somewhat unusual murder mystery, because the author, Dorothy Salisbury Davis, lets the readers in early on the identity of the perpetrator. But even after telling us whodunnit, she skillfully keeps the tension level high (and keeps readers reading) as Duffy and Goldsmith try to catch up to the culprit before he kills someone else. And he does seem to have another victim in his sights…
As I mentioned, I’m not usually a big fan of psychological thrillers/mysteries, but A Gentle Murderer is so well plotted and written that I ended up liking it quite a lot. I’m giving it five stars, with the small caveat that folks who expect a lot of action (i.e. a thriller) may find it a bit slow. Instead, it’s all about the psychology of the perpetrator, and also about the painstaking investigations of the two very different men pursuing him. My thanks go to Poisoned Pen Press, who have re-issued this title in e-book as part of their Library of Congress Crime Classics series, and to NetGalley, for providing me with an advance review copy of the new edition.
I’m not usually a big fan of psychological thrillers, but even I can recognize that The Gentle Murderer is a classic of the genre. Although it’s actually not clear whether it’s a psychological thriller as much as it’s a psychological mystery, with two different “detectives” on the trail of the man who bludgeoned a high-class call girl to death with a hammer.
The first investigator is the priest who heard the murderer’s confession late one evening - and also accidentally caught a glimpse of his face, which seemed to resemble that of St. Francis. Although Father Duffy tries to encourage the penitent to turn himself in, and offers to come with him while he does, the man flees the church instead. Because Duffy is a priest, and can’t violate the “seal of the confessional” by going to the police himself, he begins instead to try to find the “St. Francis man” on his own.
The second detective, on the other hand, is actually a real detective, assigned to investigate the murder. And as Sergeant Goldsmith follows clues and does his legwork, he begins to become aware of Father Duffy’s efforts, and eventually their paths cross.
The Gentle Murderer is a somewhat unusual murder mystery, because the author, Dorothy Salisbury Davis, lets the readers in early on the identity of the perpetrator. But even after telling us whodunnit, she skillfully keeps the tension level high (and keeps readers reading) as Duffy and Goldsmith try to catch up to the culprit before he kills someone else. And he does seem to have another victim in his sights…
As I mentioned, I’m not usually a big fan of psychological thrillers/mysteries, but A Gentle Murderer is so well plotted and written that I ended up liking it quite a lot. I’m giving it five stars, with the small caveat that folks who expect a lot of action (i.e. a thriller) may find it a bit slow. Instead, it’s all about the psychology of the perpetrator, and also about the painstaking investigations of the two very different men pursuing him. My thanks go to Poisoned Pen Press, who have re-issued this title in e-book as part of their Library of Congress Crime Classics series, and to NetGalley, for providing me with an advance review copy of the new edition.
March 15, 2023
A Gentle Murderer begins with formulaic words of a confession, “Bless me Father, for I have sinned.” and did he. Father Duffy has heard it several times that night, but as his shift of listening to confessions nears the end, he hears the most extraordinary confession, a confession to murder. The confessing man is tortured by what he has done, but Father Duffy cannot get him to go to the police.
Ecclesiastical detectives have been around a long time, but Father Duffy is no all-knowing Father Brown. Father Duffy is more all-questioning, His questions lead him to a possible suspect and he tries to find him by going to his home town and to the pre-seminary boarding school he attended. He finds the psychological origins of the crime, leading with compassion and a growing certainty that the man will kill again, that he is driving my psychological monsters.
Meanwhile, the police are investigating and it begins to seem as though the police and Father Duffy are in a race to find the killer. Though can it be a race when they are not aware of the race they are in?
This is a good mystery. It’s fair. We learn what they investigators learn when they learn it. Father Duffy was a bit of a cipher though. I often wondered what he thought he was doing and going to do when and if he found the murderer. He could not force him to go to the police. He can’t tell anyone, though in a way, I wondered if he were treading past the line. Still, I wanted them to find him before he killed one or both of the women in the boarding house where he resided. There was real tension and jeopardy that was satisfying.
I received an e-galley of A Gentle Murderer from the publisher through NetGalley
A Gentle Murderer at Poisoned Pen Press | Sourcebooks
Dorothy Salisbury Davis
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
Ecclesiastical detectives have been around a long time, but Father Duffy is no all-knowing Father Brown. Father Duffy is more all-questioning, His questions lead him to a possible suspect and he tries to find him by going to his home town and to the pre-seminary boarding school he attended. He finds the psychological origins of the crime, leading with compassion and a growing certainty that the man will kill again, that he is driving my psychological monsters.
Meanwhile, the police are investigating and it begins to seem as though the police and Father Duffy are in a race to find the killer. Though can it be a race when they are not aware of the race they are in?
This is a good mystery. It’s fair. We learn what they investigators learn when they learn it. Father Duffy was a bit of a cipher though. I often wondered what he thought he was doing and going to do when and if he found the murderer. He could not force him to go to the police. He can’t tell anyone, though in a way, I wondered if he were treading past the line. Still, I wanted them to find him before he killed one or both of the women in the boarding house where he resided. There was real tension and jeopardy that was satisfying.
I received an e-galley of A Gentle Murderer from the publisher through NetGalley
A Gentle Murderer at Poisoned Pen Press | Sourcebooks
Dorothy Salisbury Davis
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
February 2, 2023
A Gentle Murderer by Dorothy Salisbury Davis was first published in 1951. It is a psychological study of a murderer, which starts in a New York Catholic church when a tormented man confesses to the young Father Duffy that he has murdered a woman with a hammer. Duffy cannot tell the police about the crime and doesn't know the murderer's name or where to find him, so his only recourse is to identify the murderer and persuade him to turn himself in. His starting point is the information revealed by the murderer's disjointed confessional ramblings.
Sergeant Goldsmith is carrying out a parallel search, starting with the acquaintances of the murder victim. We, the readers, know who the murderer is, are privy to his thoughts, and realise that a young woman and her mother are in danger. Will Duffy and Goldsmith be in time to prevent another murder?
The publishers have supplied numerous footnotes, starting with the very first line of the book, "Bless me father for I have sinned...." There is no need for a footnote to explain this, and the overuse of footnotes is a distraction throughout the book. They explain things most readers would already know, could pick up from the context, or don't need to know. Few are useful. There is a reading group guide at the end of the book, and I found some of the questions problematical because what you think will depend on your own religious beliefs, which might not be what you want in a book group discussion.
Overall, this is a suspense-filled, well-written, psychological crime novel.
Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC.
Sergeant Goldsmith is carrying out a parallel search, starting with the acquaintances of the murder victim. We, the readers, know who the murderer is, are privy to his thoughts, and realise that a young woman and her mother are in danger. Will Duffy and Goldsmith be in time to prevent another murder?
The publishers have supplied numerous footnotes, starting with the very first line of the book, "Bless me father for I have sinned...." There is no need for a footnote to explain this, and the overuse of footnotes is a distraction throughout the book. They explain things most readers would already know, could pick up from the context, or don't need to know. Few are useful. There is a reading group guide at the end of the book, and I found some of the questions problematical because what you think will depend on your own religious beliefs, which might not be what you want in a book group discussion.
Overall, this is a suspense-filled, well-written, psychological crime novel.
Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC.
March 13, 2024
God this book is really bad.
At best it’s confusing in my opinion, every chapter is a different characters perspective but it doesn’t tell us what character, which is a huge hindrance. Along with that, it’s so so obvious who the killer is. This is NOT a murder mystery, it’s barely a murder even. The whole book doesn’t have anything to do with the victim, who she was close with, her relations, sure her job is brought up saying it could’ve been any of those men she was working with, however that’s basically it and the murderer wasn’t even one of those men.
The only thing I liked in this book was the ending. The whole book I was so sure the suspected murderer wasn’t actually the murderer, but at the ending I was proven wrong which was a MASSIVE disappointment. But the suspense in the ending moments, the fact you wanted the girl and the guy to run away and be happy, the sudden shock that he’s going to kill again, it’s all great. However the fact he just dies, repercussions, nothing, is disappointed and disgusting.
I also hate how the whole point of the book is to be a insight into the catholic religion, however this character, let alone the topic of religion, is barely in this book at all. The father gets very little time in the spotlight throughout the whole book, and the detective takes most of it up, all for them to get to the same ends at the same time so realistically it doesn’t matter at all. Essentially there’s a character in this book that doesn’t need to and shouldn’t exist, because this book could have benefited from being more about the father, more about the religion aspect, and just straight out better written.
The only reason at all this book gets 2 stars is because the ending was compelling and made me heart race. That’s about the only part I actually liked and stood out to me, other then that this was a played out, extremely boring and disappointing read. Again, the killer is literally revealed by like chapter 3. It would have been so much better if there was a plot twist and the main suspect in the whole book was actually some innocent dude, and the mother commuted the murder for getting to close to the person she wanted for herself, and would have killed her daughter too. THAT would have made the back at least 3 stars.
At best it’s confusing in my opinion, every chapter is a different characters perspective but it doesn’t tell us what character, which is a huge hindrance. Along with that, it’s so so obvious who the killer is. This is NOT a murder mystery, it’s barely a murder even. The whole book doesn’t have anything to do with the victim, who she was close with, her relations, sure her job is brought up saying it could’ve been any of those men she was working with, however that’s basically it and the murderer wasn’t even one of those men.
The only thing I liked in this book was the ending. The whole book I was so sure the suspected murderer wasn’t actually the murderer, but at the ending I was proven wrong which was a MASSIVE disappointment. But the suspense in the ending moments, the fact you wanted the girl and the guy to run away and be happy, the sudden shock that he’s going to kill again, it’s all great. However the fact he just dies, repercussions, nothing, is disappointed and disgusting.
I also hate how the whole point of the book is to be a insight into the catholic religion, however this character, let alone the topic of religion, is barely in this book at all. The father gets very little time in the spotlight throughout the whole book, and the detective takes most of it up, all for them to get to the same ends at the same time so realistically it doesn’t matter at all. Essentially there’s a character in this book that doesn’t need to and shouldn’t exist, because this book could have benefited from being more about the father, more about the religion aspect, and just straight out better written.
The only reason at all this book gets 2 stars is because the ending was compelling and made me heart race. That’s about the only part I actually liked and stood out to me, other then that this was a played out, extremely boring and disappointing read. Again, the killer is literally revealed by like chapter 3. It would have been so much better if there was a plot twist and the main suspect in the whole book was actually some innocent dude, and the mother commuted the murder for getting to close to the person she wanted for herself, and would have killed her daughter too. THAT would have made the back at least 3 stars.
January 5, 2023
On a steamy summer evening, Father Duffy is at the end of his confessions when a young man asks for absolution for murdering a woman, bludgeoning her with a hammer. Father Duffy tries to draw information from the man behind the screen, but the killer flees and leaves the baffled priest not knowing how to proceed.
A weary cleaning lady finds a high class prostitute bludgeoned to death when cleaning the call girl's apartment, and police detective Ben Goldsmith is assigned the case.
Meanwhile, in a modest boarding house, the fortyish landlady has designed on one of her boarders, the young writer, Tim, while Tim is infatuated with the landlady's daughter, Katie.
This is more a "whydunit" than a "whodunit" since the culprit is made obvious from the start. It's not about figuring out who the killer is, since you know that very early on, but following the amateur background search of Father Duffy balanced against the investigation of Set Goldsmith, intersected with the tense episodes in Mrs. Galli's boarding house.
Originally published in 1951, the book gives an authentic feel of post war, working class New York, and the characters' psychology is well drawn. It is not fast paced and there will be no real "Ah hah!" moments but the pair of investigations, set against the escalating emotional tension from Mrs. Galli, Tim and Katie made writer Dorothy Salisbury Davis a favorite author of many of the mystery writers of the 80s, 90s and 2000s.
A weary cleaning lady finds a high class prostitute bludgeoned to death when cleaning the call girl's apartment, and police detective Ben Goldsmith is assigned the case.
Meanwhile, in a modest boarding house, the fortyish landlady has designed on one of her boarders, the young writer, Tim, while Tim is infatuated with the landlady's daughter, Katie.
This is more a "whydunit" than a "whodunit" since the culprit is made obvious from the start. It's not about figuring out who the killer is, since you know that very early on, but following the amateur background search of Father Duffy balanced against the investigation of Set Goldsmith, intersected with the tense episodes in Mrs. Galli's boarding house.
Originally published in 1951, the book gives an authentic feel of post war, working class New York, and the characters' psychology is well drawn. It is not fast paced and there will be no real "Ah hah!" moments but the pair of investigations, set against the escalating emotional tension from Mrs. Galli, Tim and Katie made writer Dorothy Salisbury Davis a favorite author of many of the mystery writers of the 80s, 90s and 2000s.
June 24, 2023
Before God, who are you to say who has the right or who hasn't to do anything in this world? God's mercy is greater than man's justice.
The opening chapters of the novel take place primarily in the largest parish. We know straight away who the killer is immediately. Father Duffy got a notion that the man intends to murder again. Or is it just another confession? But whatever the intentions, he thinks the penitent had reached certain points of crisis, guilt and punished himself.
Until Father Duffy read a tabloid carrying a story of a former showgirl who was brutally murdered. A true classic crime drama combining psychological insights with traditional police procedures. I think that the author intentionally makes me feel sympathy towards the murderer. His fragments of upbringing and trauma were so unbearable.
It is a thought-provoking. Just to be clear, A Gentle Murderer first published in 1951, is an old-fashioned novel with a clerical detective working in parallel with the police to track a serial killer (Yes, he certainly can). I give 4 ⭐️
Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher for earc. Opinions are my own.
📚
#donereading #AGentleMurderer by #dorothysalisburydavis #igbooks
#igreads #bookstagram #bookreview #bookrecommendations #emabaca #netgalley #kindlepaperwhite #malaysiamembaca #crimeclassics
The opening chapters of the novel take place primarily in the largest parish. We know straight away who the killer is immediately. Father Duffy got a notion that the man intends to murder again. Or is it just another confession? But whatever the intentions, he thinks the penitent had reached certain points of crisis, guilt and punished himself.
Until Father Duffy read a tabloid carrying a story of a former showgirl who was brutally murdered. A true classic crime drama combining psychological insights with traditional police procedures. I think that the author intentionally makes me feel sympathy towards the murderer. His fragments of upbringing and trauma were so unbearable.
It is a thought-provoking. Just to be clear, A Gentle Murderer first published in 1951, is an old-fashioned novel with a clerical detective working in parallel with the police to track a serial killer (Yes, he certainly can). I give 4 ⭐️
Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher for earc. Opinions are my own.
📚
#donereading #AGentleMurderer by #dorothysalisburydavis #igbooks
#igreads #bookstagram #bookreview #bookrecommendations #emabaca #netgalley #kindlepaperwhite #malaysiamembaca #crimeclassics
March 13, 2023
My mother's shelves held the works of so many of the greatest women mystery writers of the Golden Age, authors she read as they were first published. She treasured them and so do I. I became an avid mystery reader because of her collection. It was a pleasure to revisit A Gentle Murderer. For me it has aged well. Her talented writing gave us the concept of knowing the identity of the killer from the start - we have Columbo. She was a Grand Master of MWA and a founding member of Sisters in Crime.
With A Gentle Murderer the reader follows three points of view. There is the priest who hears the killer's confession but is bound by the seal of the confessional. He sets out to locate the killer and convince him to turn himself in to the police. There is the police detective who searches for the killer by following the victims contacts. The third is the killer himself. As the priest and the detective cross paths tension builds as the killer sets out to kill again.
The plotting and the writing are masterful. If you are used to a faster pace treat yourself to this psychological mystery with its slower pace. Your reading time will be well spent.
My thanks to the publisher Poisoned Pen Press and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
With A Gentle Murderer the reader follows three points of view. There is the priest who hears the killer's confession but is bound by the seal of the confessional. He sets out to locate the killer and convince him to turn himself in to the police. There is the police detective who searches for the killer by following the victims contacts. The third is the killer himself. As the priest and the detective cross paths tension builds as the killer sets out to kill again.
The plotting and the writing are masterful. If you are used to a faster pace treat yourself to this psychological mystery with its slower pace. Your reading time will be well spent.
My thanks to the publisher Poisoned Pen Press and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
November 8, 2024
I’m not a great fan of detective novels in general, but I welcomed the chance to read one by Dorothy Salisbury Davis as I was aware of her reputation and wanted to give her a try. And I’m so glad I did. I really enjoyed this psychological study of a murderer, and how his crime impacted the people charged with investigating him. One night a murderer confesses to a priest that he has killed someone. The confessional is sacrosanct – so what is the poor hapless priest, Father Duffy, to do? When a woman is found murdered the very next night, Father Duffy’s only hope is to track down the man who confessed to him before he strikes again. Meanwhile Sergeant Goldsmith of the NYPD is also on the murderer’s tracks. This is not a fast-paced thriller, but an exploration of motive. The characterisation is spot-on, and the pacing and plotting equally so. The tension builds inexorably as both men pursue the murderer. With the involvement of a priest bound by the rules of the confessional, this seemed to me to be an original and still relevant theme for a mystery novel, and Father Duffy’s dilemma was well handled. Overall I found it an immersive and compelling read.
April 14, 2023
Not a traditional ‘whodunnit’ but more a ‘will they do it again’ story for the reader, with the interesting twist of a priest and the police both racing to find out whodunnit so that the murderer doesn’t do it again. I felt like the characters were all a bit vague, like they talked and moved in circles and I wasn’t sure how they felt about things (like, were the priest and the cop cooperating? Did the mom like the guy, or no? Why did the daughter like the guy?) It felt like there were too many viewpoints swirling around and none was very strong. And for all the focus on the bad guy’s psychology, the logic of it felt off to me in places: like the motive for the main murder (punishment of a ‘bad’ woman) seemed very different from the potential second (really just self preservation). And why was the guy suddenly attracted to a teenager—that wasn’t really in his background? But the bad guy was certainly creepy and the women mid-century appropriate (if stereotypical) and the hot summer in the city well-portrayed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 3, 2025
The UK television personality Graham Norton has just published a mystery novel and in an interview he mentioned Dorothy Salisbury Davis as an author he admires. I ordered this book from the library and a first edition showed up. It's been reprinted by other companies over the years but for some reason our library system hasn't discarded this yet. It's in pretty bad shape.
Anyway, the reason to read this book is that while it was timely in 1951 when it was published, in 2025 it is not modern in any sense and thus provides an extreme contrast to what is being churned out today. There isn't even any mystery; we know everything from the beginning. What we read is a process through which two investigators, known to each other but acting alone and with entirely different goals, track through the history of the gentle man who is a killer. I can't imagine that many readers will be interested, yet it is in the accurate and detailed descriptions of the characters that we see a world that is no longer ours.
Anyway, the reason to read this book is that while it was timely in 1951 when it was published, in 2025 it is not modern in any sense and thus provides an extreme contrast to what is being churned out today. There isn't even any mystery; we know everything from the beginning. What we read is a process through which two investigators, known to each other but acting alone and with entirely different goals, track through the history of the gentle man who is a killer. I can't imagine that many readers will be interested, yet it is in the accurate and detailed descriptions of the characters that we see a world that is no longer ours.
April 16, 2025
2 1/2 stars. This was listed as one of the best mystery ever in some lists, now I wouldn't go that far. This is a reverse type of mystery where you know who has done the murder and the drama is in seeing how the detectives find out. Here, the two "detectives" are a priest who hears a dreadful confession and is determined to guide the man to do the right thing but he must find him first and the cop assigned to the case.
The author did a great job with characterization, particularly when it comes to the priest who is compassionate, knows he must keep the oath of silence of the confessional but wants to do something before someone else dies. Some parts of the book seem a bit dated in the portrayal of murderer and the prostitute with the heart of gold, but I can see how this would have made quite a stir at the time.
The author did a great job with characterization, particularly when it comes to the priest who is compassionate, knows he must keep the oath of silence of the confessional but wants to do something before someone else dies. Some parts of the book seem a bit dated in the portrayal of murderer and the prostitute with the heart of gold, but I can see how this would have made quite a stir at the time.
March 14, 2023
This re-release of of Davis's 1951 crime novel was my introduction to the author, and it's certainly made me want to read more. A Gentle Murderer is not a whodunnit but a howcatchem in the style of Columbo, where we follow both the criminal and the people pursuing him. Through her large cast of characters, Davis explores the weakness and strength of people and how easily good and bad can get mixed up together. She also portrays a diversity of experience, from nightclubs to churches, from urban Manhattan to suburban Cleveland, that offers a fascinating look at life in the early 20th century.
My thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
My thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 21, 2022
Father Duffy's last confession of the night is from a man who admits to committing murder. Father Duffy believes the man will turn himself in once he leaves the confessional. Next morning, he discovers the man did not turn himself in and begins to look into the man's background, using the information revealed in the confessional booth. Meanwhile, Homicide Sergeant Goldsmith is looking into the murder victim's life and her connection to the murderer. While both men are busy with their investigations, the murderer's day to day life is revealed. As more is revealed, will the murderer be caught before he kills again?
#AGentleMurderer #NetGalley
#AGentleMurderer #NetGalley
June 24, 2023
Very gripping! Father Duffy is hearing confession one Saturday night when a man who he doesn’t know confesses a murder to him. Father Duffy tries to convince the man to come with him to the police, and then man agrees but then runs away. Unable to violate the confidentiality of the confessional, Father Duffy desperately searches for the man hoping to get him to turn himself in. Meanwhile, Detective Goldsmith is trying to solve the brutal murder of a woman. The twists of fate bring priest, detective, and murderer together. The identity of the murderer is obvious quite early on, the suspense comes from not knowing whether either the priest or the detective will find him in time.
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