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Pollard & Toye #3
Alibi for a Corpse
The peace of the English countryside is shattered one August morning by the discovery of a skeleton in the boot of a dumped car. A murder has been uncovered and when Detective Superintendent Pollard arrives on the scene he discovers that this hamlet buried deep in the country is not so calm a place as it first appears. It is a community whose ways are primitive and steeped in suspicion; men and women who can be cruel, aggressive and violent. The murder is linked with Lammas Eve, July 31, a date marked for supernatural happenings. Pollard brings to light some strange facts that prompt him to ask the question, "Why was it necessary to provide an alibi for a corpse?"
190 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1969
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48 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
November 25, 2018
This novel was published in 1969; has the ring of the old time crime novels / TV series like Perry Mason, Peter Gunn, Richard Diamond and others. There were no smart phones, DNA was still in the future. To solve a crime took a lot of foot work and investigation.
DS Pollard and DS Toye are called to investigate a crime. Seems like a couple of youngsters found some human bones in the boot of an old car. There's no way to identify the victim, although it is a young man. Upon checking, they find no missing persons who might be this man.
There are plenty of suspects to look at, but no clear motive. The detectives do get a lead or two ... but what connection to this murder would a flood drowning be? Add the long time family feuds and a woman who 'sees' things and the residents, new and old, who all have secrets that they want to stay hidden from the light of day.
The suspense holds steady at a low level. This is not quite a cozy, but a step above... nothing graphic, nothing to give the readers nightmares. It's well written with credible characters with a plausible ending.
Although third in a series, it is easily read as a stand-alone. There are many more in this series to read ad enjoy.
Many thanks to Sapere Books and Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
November 25, 2018
5 stars
Nine-year old twins find a skeleton in a car trunk. They and their parents are on a visit to a local manor house in Twiggadon that they inherited from a crusty old cousin who held a long grudge against that branch of the family. They have never been there before – or so the father Mr. Derek Wainwright says.
The local police are completely frustrated by the case and Detective Superintendent Pollard and his sidekick DS Toye are called in to investigate the case. As Pollard and Toye interview and toss around theories and scenarios, they are getting nowhere fast. No one claims to have seen any action around the abandoned car, no one had seen any strangers in the area – well there are lots of hikers around in the summer. But who pays attention to them. Pollard and Toye are leaning toward a finding of the body’s being local and he was placed in the trunk by a local. But they don’t even have a clue who the man was; he had no dental work and no obvious injuries. Where to start?
During their interviews, they meet all kinds of people, some odd, some sincere. There is a kindly farmer, a snotty elderly man, a maid/cook who is hiding something, the owner of the manor who is also hiding something, a self-styled medium and so on.
It is possible that the skeleton may be a young man by the name of Steve Mullins. He was in the area at the right time and the description the locals give him fit the body. As the investigation drags on, Pollard and Toye begin to make some small progress. At least they think they are making progress. Those who have not quite told the truth are revealed and their secrets told at last. A young man who was drowned in a nearby flood figures into the story. It seems he might have been misidentified on purpose.
This is a very well written and plotted cozy mystery. It is very well thought out. There is not a wasted word in the book. The transitions are relatively smooth and the story flows nicely. Superintendent Pollard has an understated way of questioning witnesses that is disarming. He is very clear in his questioning and doesn’t get rattled easily. There was enough background information given so as to make the Pollard seem more real, but not so much that it intruded on the story. I enjoyed the rather formal writing style of Elizabeth Lemarchand. The various dialects are very well done. I really liked this book and immediately went to Amazon to purchase the previous books in this series. I am very much looking forward to getting to them in my TBR pile.
I want to thank NetGalley and Sapere Books for giving me the opportunity to read, enjoy and review this book.
Nine-year old twins find a skeleton in a car trunk. They and their parents are on a visit to a local manor house in Twiggadon that they inherited from a crusty old cousin who held a long grudge against that branch of the family. They have never been there before – or so the father Mr. Derek Wainwright says.
The local police are completely frustrated by the case and Detective Superintendent Pollard and his sidekick DS Toye are called in to investigate the case. As Pollard and Toye interview and toss around theories and scenarios, they are getting nowhere fast. No one claims to have seen any action around the abandoned car, no one had seen any strangers in the area – well there are lots of hikers around in the summer. But who pays attention to them. Pollard and Toye are leaning toward a finding of the body’s being local and he was placed in the trunk by a local. But they don’t even have a clue who the man was; he had no dental work and no obvious injuries. Where to start?
During their interviews, they meet all kinds of people, some odd, some sincere. There is a kindly farmer, a snotty elderly man, a maid/cook who is hiding something, the owner of the manor who is also hiding something, a self-styled medium and so on.
It is possible that the skeleton may be a young man by the name of Steve Mullins. He was in the area at the right time and the description the locals give him fit the body. As the investigation drags on, Pollard and Toye begin to make some small progress. At least they think they are making progress. Those who have not quite told the truth are revealed and their secrets told at last. A young man who was drowned in a nearby flood figures into the story. It seems he might have been misidentified on purpose.
This is a very well written and plotted cozy mystery. It is very well thought out. There is not a wasted word in the book. The transitions are relatively smooth and the story flows nicely. Superintendent Pollard has an understated way of questioning witnesses that is disarming. He is very clear in his questioning and doesn’t get rattled easily. There was enough background information given so as to make the Pollard seem more real, but not so much that it intruded on the story. I enjoyed the rather formal writing style of Elizabeth Lemarchand. The various dialects are very well done. I really liked this book and immediately went to Amazon to purchase the previous books in this series. I am very much looking forward to getting to them in my TBR pile.
I want to thank NetGalley and Sapere Books for giving me the opportunity to read, enjoy and review this book.
November 21, 2018
I would like to thank Netgalley and Sapere Books for a review copy of Alibi for a Corpse, the third procedural to feature newly promoted Superintendent Poland and Sergeant Toye of Scotland Yard’s Murder Squad, originally published in 1969.
When a couple of children discover a skeleton in an abandoned scrap yard in Twaggerton Pollard and Toye are asked to investigate after the local police get nowhere. Their first order of business is to identify the bones but with no missing persons matching the description it proves difficult.
I thoroughly enjoyed Alibi for a Corpse which has a complicated plot full of twists and turns. I’m not sure I followed Pollard’s logic completely but no matter as the plot is utterly compelling and held my attention from start to finish. It is, however one of those novels which cries out for modern forensics as they have no way of proving the identity of the corpse which nowadays would be easy as pie with either DNA, facial reconstruction or dental x-rays. Instead the detectives have to jump through all kinds of hoops to prove their theorising. It does make for complicated reading but it’s also quite exciting as they build their case. The solution is quite ingenuous and unexpected.
As with most crime novels of the era it’s not big on the detectives’ characters. There is a brief description of them and it’s on with the plot. Pollard is the most developed with a brief description of his thoughts on the job and impending parenthood but it’s hardly penetrating, just enough to make him human. I enjoy these old fashioned plot driven novels which give the reader the opportunity to work out the solution alongside the detective, not that I ever do as the authors are too wily to give it away too soon and Ms Lemarchand is no exception.
Alibi for a Corpse is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
When a couple of children discover a skeleton in an abandoned scrap yard in Twaggerton Pollard and Toye are asked to investigate after the local police get nowhere. Their first order of business is to identify the bones but with no missing persons matching the description it proves difficult.
I thoroughly enjoyed Alibi for a Corpse which has a complicated plot full of twists and turns. I’m not sure I followed Pollard’s logic completely but no matter as the plot is utterly compelling and held my attention from start to finish. It is, however one of those novels which cries out for modern forensics as they have no way of proving the identity of the corpse which nowadays would be easy as pie with either DNA, facial reconstruction or dental x-rays. Instead the detectives have to jump through all kinds of hoops to prove their theorising. It does make for complicated reading but it’s also quite exciting as they build their case. The solution is quite ingenuous and unexpected.
As with most crime novels of the era it’s not big on the detectives’ characters. There is a brief description of them and it’s on with the plot. Pollard is the most developed with a brief description of his thoughts on the job and impending parenthood but it’s hardly penetrating, just enough to make him human. I enjoy these old fashioned plot driven novels which give the reader the opportunity to work out the solution alongside the detective, not that I ever do as the authors are too wily to give it away too soon and Ms Lemarchand is no exception.
Alibi for a Corpse is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
January 6, 2019
The rural community of Twiggadon (2 cottages,a"manor"house,a farm and a car dump) is startled by the discovery of a skeleton in the boot of a car. Scotland Yard is called in and D.I. Pollard and Sergeant Toye are sent to Northamptonshire to assist the local constabulary. The main problem is the identification of the victim (this was written in the sixties so no DNA,no digital database...) and the determination of the cause of death. After some solid detection work,with the help of the local constables, landlords and other inhabitants of the surrounding villages, one after the other suspect is cleared. Finally there is only one left but most of the evidence is circumstantial so they have to find a creative solution to capture their culprit...
Although written in the sixties, it has a Golden Age aura. Probably village life, small police stations and any absence of coarse language or behaviour (barring murder) ensures this atmosphere but that is fine by me!
Although written in the sixties, it has a Golden Age aura. Probably village life, small police stations and any absence of coarse language or behaviour (barring murder) ensures this atmosphere but that is fine by me!
Read
August 23, 2020Overall, the mystery was good and the characters well-written.
A body is discovered in the trunk of a car in a dump, and Pollard and Toye must discover the identity and the killer. Detective-Superintendent Pollard is newly promoted, and he fears this case will give him a black mark.
The difficulty I had with this mystery is there were so many rabbit holes and secrets that, by the conclusion, I wasn't sure who the dead guy was and had to try to trace the many people they thought might be him under different names. Confusing? I know how you feel.
It's worth a read, but have a paper and pencil handy.
A body is discovered in the trunk of a car in a dump, and Pollard and Toye must discover the identity and the killer. Detective-Superintendent Pollard is newly promoted, and he fears this case will give him a black mark.
The difficulty I had with this mystery is there were so many rabbit holes and secrets that, by the conclusion, I wasn't sure who the dead guy was and had to try to trace the many people they thought might be him under different names. Confusing? I know how you feel.
It's worth a read, but have a paper and pencil handy.
October 10, 2020
Excellent
Another difficult case for Detective Superintendent Pollard and Detective Sergeant Toye to deal with. The Wainwright family have just inherited a property in the countryside from an elderly Aunt. On their arrival the twins set off to explore while the couple inspect the property with the resident housekeeper Nora Pearce, later on the twins return to say that they have discovered a skeleton in the boot of an old car. The local police arrive but quickly call in Scotland Yard as the skeleton doesn’t match any local missing person from their area. It is up to Pollard and Toye to discover the identity of the skeleton and to find his killer.
Another difficult case for Detective Superintendent Pollard and Detective Sergeant Toye to deal with. The Wainwright family have just inherited a property in the countryside from an elderly Aunt. On their arrival the twins set off to explore while the couple inspect the property with the resident housekeeper Nora Pearce, later on the twins return to say that they have discovered a skeleton in the boot of an old car. The local police arrive but quickly call in Scotland Yard as the skeleton doesn’t match any local missing person from their area. It is up to Pollard and Toye to discover the identity of the skeleton and to find his killer.
November 29, 2018
I love this series and I think this instalment is the best one so far.
It's an atmospheric, complex and engaging book, a travel into another age when CSI was still sort of sci-fi.
The plot is complex, enthralling and full of twists and turns.
I loved the description of the small town where people have a lot of secrets and sometimes it was like looking to an old movie.
I was hooked since the first pages and I loved to read how the culprit was discovered and the logical processes behind this discovery.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Sapere Books and Netgalley for this ARC
It's an atmospheric, complex and engaging book, a travel into another age when CSI was still sort of sci-fi.
The plot is complex, enthralling and full of twists and turns.
I loved the description of the small town where people have a lot of secrets and sometimes it was like looking to an old movie.
I was hooked since the first pages and I loved to read how the culprit was discovered and the logical processes behind this discovery.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Sapere Books and Netgalley for this ARC
April 14, 2019
These stories are set circa 1970, back when forensics was rudimentary, cursing and four-letter words were edited out of novels and police thuggery, if it existed, was never mentioned. Pollard & Toye are well mannered, clever, and investigate thoroughly. Think of Ironside, Hawaii 5-O, and other stories of that era. Pollard's private life and his happy relationship with his understanding wife, Jane, also enters into the novels.
September 19, 2019
Say 2.5 stars.
This was a somewhat disappointing book, nowhere near as good as others by this author. The story was excellent but its realisation seemed forced. The use of dialect and accents I felt to be overdone. Some of the writing seemed less skilled than normal and there were a few strange grammatical oddities in the narration. There were also factors that seemed dated in a book set in the mid 1960s.
If your patience allows you to put up with these things then it is worth reading.
This was a somewhat disappointing book, nowhere near as good as others by this author. The story was excellent but its realisation seemed forced. The use of dialect and accents I felt to be overdone. Some of the writing seemed less skilled than normal and there were a few strange grammatical oddities in the narration. There were also factors that seemed dated in a book set in the mid 1960s.
If your patience allows you to put up with these things then it is worth reading.
October 31, 2019
Excellent!
This series, set in rural England circa 1966, is terrific. Scotland Yard is called to help solve unusual or confusing cases. Detective Superintendent Pollard and Sergeant Toye are the dynamic duo who solve these mysteries through thorough investigation and police methods of the time. They are thorough, careful, and determined. Solution through mental examination rather than violence. The 9 year old twins who decide to " help" DS Pollard are delightful!
This series, set in rural England circa 1966, is terrific. Scotland Yard is called to help solve unusual or confusing cases. Detective Superintendent Pollard and Sergeant Toye are the dynamic duo who solve these mysteries through thorough investigation and police methods of the time. They are thorough, careful, and determined. Solution through mental examination rather than violence. The 9 year old twins who decide to " help" DS Pollard are delightful!
July 6, 2019
This one is, by far, the best crafted of the series so far. The plot is taught and from the unpromising start of a bare skeleton hidden away a year ago, with no identification, the investigation teases out the murderer in a steady and progressive fashion. The pace may not suite everyone and character development remains fairly superficial, which is fine by me.
On to the next in the series.
On to the next in the series.
February 6, 2020
Not To Be Missed
At last, a good, old fashioned mystery with excellent writing, a twisting and turning plot and fully developed, interesting characters set in the English countryside. I also enjoyed that all the police offers were competent and worked well together to find the murderer. I’ll be reading more in this series.
At last, a good, old fashioned mystery with excellent writing, a twisting and turning plot and fully developed, interesting characters set in the English countryside. I also enjoyed that all the police offers were competent and worked well together to find the murderer. I’ll be reading more in this series.
March 12, 2021
Rereading this after about four decades. Does not hold up very well, in spite of Lemarchand's very good sentence-to-sentence writing. Nice cast of characters, but the procedural aspect dominates, and, to me, doesn't engage.
May 24, 2024
A skeleton is discovered in a boot of an abandoned car in a farmer's field in Twiggadon. Superintendent Tom Pollard and DS Gregory Toye investigate.
An entertaining 1960s mystery with its likeable main characters. Another good addition to this enjoyable series.
(originally published 1969)
An entertaining 1960s mystery with its likeable main characters. Another good addition to this enjoyable series.
(originally published 1969)
July 12, 2019
Darn good story
Lots of hidden family secrets, quirky characters, creepy countryside, and a skeleton in the boot of a junked car. Pillars and Toye have a epoxy of a mystery.
Lots of hidden family secrets, quirky characters, creepy countryside, and a skeleton in the boot of a junked car. Pillars and Toye have a epoxy of a mystery.
October 17, 2019
Pollard & Toye do a lot of running around in this one as a distraction for [and from] a plot that makes almost no sense.
January 18, 2020
Enjoyed the audiobook, which reminded me of the joys of these old classic mysteries
August 6, 2020
Great mystery
This series is really very good. Written in 1969 there are no cell phones, etc. Really makes policing tough especially out in the boonies.
This series is really very good. Written in 1969 there are no cell phones, etc. Really makes policing tough especially out in the boonies.
January 11, 2022
2 1/2 stars.
Read
February 5, 2022One of my favorite detectives
This is a great series. Classic English mystery. The main character is believable, and I enjoy his interactions with his wife.
This is a great series. Classic English mystery. The main character is believable, and I enjoy his interactions with his wife.
June 8, 2019
Extraneous.
October 15, 2020
Not my favorite by a long shot
The story centers around a corpse found in the boot of an old car. Who is it? How did he die?
The story centers around a corpse found in the boot of an old car. Who is it? How did he die?
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews