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Charles Venables #2
Fatality in Fleet Street
London 1938 and war is brewing with Russia. It’s brewing primarily due to the agenda of Lord Carpenter, proprietor of the leading newspaper The Mercury, a man determined to bring forward what he sees as an inevitable conflict. As he prepares to publish his coup de grace, a lead story that will make that conflict unavoidable, he locks his employees in the building so that his paper can publish an exclusive in the late edition without his competitors scooping him. And then, as so many future murder victims do in these novels, he isolates himself in his quarters with orders not to be disturbed. Guess what happens to him? He really shouldn’t have kept that extremely sharp dagger on display on his wall…
296 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1933
About the author
Christopher St. John Sprigg
20 books13 followersChristopher St. John Sprigg aka Christopher Caudwell was a British Marxist writer, thinker and poet.
He was born into a Roman Catholic family, resident at 53 Montserrat Road, Putney. He was educated at the Benedictine Ealing Priory School, but left school at the age of 15 after his father, Stanhope Sprigg, lost his job as literary editor of the Daily Express. Caudwell moved with his father to Bradford and began work as a reporter for the Yorkshire Observer. He made his way to Marxism and set about rethinking everything in light of it, from poetry to philosophy to physics, later joining the Communist Party of Great Britain in Poplar, London.
In December 1936 he drove an ambulance to Spain and joined the International Brigades there, training as a machine-gunner at Albacete before becoming a machine-gun instructor and group political delegate. He edited a wall newspaper.
He was killed in action on 12 February 1937, the first day of the Battle of the Jarama Valley. His brother, Theodore, had attempted to have Caudwell recalled by the Communist Party of Great Britain by showing its General Secretary, Harry Pollitt, the proofs of Caudwell's book Illusion and Reality. Caudwell's Marxist works were published posthumously. The first was Illusion and Reality (1937), an analysis of poetry.
Caudwell published widely, writing criticism, poetry, short stories and novels. Much of his work was published posthumously.
He was born into a Roman Catholic family, resident at 53 Montserrat Road, Putney. He was educated at the Benedictine Ealing Priory School, but left school at the age of 15 after his father, Stanhope Sprigg, lost his job as literary editor of the Daily Express. Caudwell moved with his father to Bradford and began work as a reporter for the Yorkshire Observer. He made his way to Marxism and set about rethinking everything in light of it, from poetry to philosophy to physics, later joining the Communist Party of Great Britain in Poplar, London.
In December 1936 he drove an ambulance to Spain and joined the International Brigades there, training as a machine-gunner at Albacete before becoming a machine-gun instructor and group political delegate. He edited a wall newspaper.
He was killed in action on 12 February 1937, the first day of the Battle of the Jarama Valley. His brother, Theodore, had attempted to have Caudwell recalled by the Communist Party of Great Britain by showing its General Secretary, Harry Pollitt, the proofs of Caudwell's book Illusion and Reality. Caudwell's Marxist works were published posthumously. The first was Illusion and Reality (1937), an analysis of poetry.
Caudwell published widely, writing criticism, poetry, short stories and novels. Much of his work was published posthumously.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 19, 2018
Questo libro non è un giallo in puro stile 'classico' o della golden age. Mescola nella sua trama parti riguardanti la politica del tempo, lo spionaggio, l'influenza dei giornali nell'opinione pubblica, tutte cose in sé molto interessanti, ma che a me sinceramente piacciono poco in un giallo di genere.
Perciò non ho amato molto la parte centrale del libro con gli intrighi su cellule comuniste sovversive e compagnia bella.
Alla fine la parte processuale, però, ha risvegliato il mio interesse e quindi il voto finale è più che positivo. Una cosa non mi è andata giù: il movente del colpevole!
Perciò non ho amato molto la parte centrale del libro con gli intrighi su cellule comuniste sovversive e compagnia bella.
Alla fine la parte processuale, però, ha risvegliato il mio interesse e quindi il voto finale è più che positivo. Una cosa non mi è andata giù: il movente del colpevole!
June 13, 2020
For my full review click on the link below:
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
October 16, 2026
Warning to young authors: if your first book is too good, readers will be disappointed in the next one.
I loved this author’s “Death in Kensington” which is filled with off-beat wit and insane-but-believable characters. His detective (man-about-town and journalist Charles Venables) is appealing and the mystery is well-plotted, even if the puzzle does take a back seat to the general lunacy of the characters and their actions.
In his second book, Sprigg centered his story on his career (journalism) and one of his passions (Marxism.) “Kensington” is a lively 164 pages. At almost 300 pages, this one limps on interminably. And while Marx may have had some good points, he’s not a barrel of laughs and neither is this book.
The villain is Lord Carpenter, who controls several powerful London newspapers, including the “Mercury” (which employs Charles Venables as its chief crime reporter.) In the early part of the 20th century, press lords were men to be feared and propitiated and several went from being “lords” to being “Lords.” In England the traditional way to show deference and curry favor is to award fancy titles. The knighthoods the royals hand out today like Halloween candy are chump change. They're not inherited and do not raise “Sir Whoever” to the peerage.
The press lords came out better. Lord Beaverbrook was a Canadian commoner who was made a baron (a hereditary title) because of his power as the head of several newspapers. The Harmsworth brothers were English commoners who were first made barons, then promoted to viscounts. Lord Carpenter is just a baron and if his enemies have anything to say about it, he’ll never rise any higher.
His power to inflame public opinion has gone to Lord Carpenter's head. He’s decided the Soviet Union is the greatest threat to England and that war is the only answer. It’s 1937 and Hitler and Mussolini are scaring most people into fits, but Lord Carpenter ignores them in favor of fomenting a war with Russia. The Prime Minister begs Carpenter to reconsider, but is ignored. The Mercury staff is appalled, but must either go along or lose their jobs. The Chief challenges anyone who doesn’t agree with him to murder him with one of the daggers adorning his wall. Otherwise he’ll proceed with his plan.
Predictably, some one takes him up on the dare. His sensible younger brother takes over and the Prime Minister is able to calm the public. War is averted, but Scotland Yard must find the murderer. Everyone agrees Lord Carpenter's murderer is a public benefactor, but offing people must not be encouraged.
In addition to his overbearing ways and political idiocies, Lord Carpenter is also a ladies man and several young women on the staff have fallen prey to his charms. So the field of suspects is wide, including his angry wife, her angry lover, two ditched mistresses, and enraged boyfriends, husbands, brothers, and fathers.
Instead of Chief Inspector Bray (Charles Venables' boyhood friend who investigated the death in "Kensington") we get Detective Inspector Mancible, a much less likable character. He’s sharp and hard-working, but lacking in PR skills. He arrests first one person, then another in an attempt to shake something loose. Of course, amateur detective Charles Venables realizes he must solve the murder himself or risk losing his new girlfriend to terminal sorrow. His girlfriend in “Kensington” has ditched him due to his sloppy play when they were partnered in bridge one evening. Upper class Brits take their bridge very seriously. Now he’s in love with another girl and her brother’s head is on the chopping block if he can’t find the real murderer.
There’s a pretty good courtroom scene and I speak as one who normally dislikes courtroom drama. Still, this one has a lot going for it, including an incompetent judge, a competent prosecutor, and a tenacious defense attorney who’s prepared to go down for the count. The clock is ticking while Charles Venables works frantically to get evidence against the real murderer.
The ending isn’t terribly realistic, but the story winds its way to a conclusion at long last and there are some good parts. Given that Sprigg was a committed Marxist, I'm surprised the members of the London communist cell are such buffoons. Did he believe in Marxism in theory, but think the Russians were too dim to pull it off?
I’d like it better if I wasn’t comparing it to “Death in Kensington” but I don’t know how a reader can help comparing one of an author’s books to another one. Still, it's not stopping me from going on to the next book in the series - "Death of an Airman."
I loved this author’s “Death in Kensington” which is filled with off-beat wit and insane-but-believable characters. His detective (man-about-town and journalist Charles Venables) is appealing and the mystery is well-plotted, even if the puzzle does take a back seat to the general lunacy of the characters and their actions.
In his second book, Sprigg centered his story on his career (journalism) and one of his passions (Marxism.) “Kensington” is a lively 164 pages. At almost 300 pages, this one limps on interminably. And while Marx may have had some good points, he’s not a barrel of laughs and neither is this book.
The villain is Lord Carpenter, who controls several powerful London newspapers, including the “Mercury” (which employs Charles Venables as its chief crime reporter.) In the early part of the 20th century, press lords were men to be feared and propitiated and several went from being “lords” to being “Lords.” In England the traditional way to show deference and curry favor is to award fancy titles. The knighthoods the royals hand out today like Halloween candy are chump change. They're not inherited and do not raise “Sir Whoever” to the peerage.
The press lords came out better. Lord Beaverbrook was a Canadian commoner who was made a baron (a hereditary title) because of his power as the head of several newspapers. The Harmsworth brothers were English commoners who were first made barons, then promoted to viscounts. Lord Carpenter is just a baron and if his enemies have anything to say about it, he’ll never rise any higher.
His power to inflame public opinion has gone to Lord Carpenter's head. He’s decided the Soviet Union is the greatest threat to England and that war is the only answer. It’s 1937 and Hitler and Mussolini are scaring most people into fits, but Lord Carpenter ignores them in favor of fomenting a war with Russia. The Prime Minister begs Carpenter to reconsider, but is ignored. The Mercury staff is appalled, but must either go along or lose their jobs. The Chief challenges anyone who doesn’t agree with him to murder him with one of the daggers adorning his wall. Otherwise he’ll proceed with his plan.
Predictably, some one takes him up on the dare. His sensible younger brother takes over and the Prime Minister is able to calm the public. War is averted, but Scotland Yard must find the murderer. Everyone agrees Lord Carpenter's murderer is a public benefactor, but offing people must not be encouraged.
In addition to his overbearing ways and political idiocies, Lord Carpenter is also a ladies man and several young women on the staff have fallen prey to his charms. So the field of suspects is wide, including his angry wife, her angry lover, two ditched mistresses, and enraged boyfriends, husbands, brothers, and fathers.
Instead of Chief Inspector Bray (Charles Venables' boyhood friend who investigated the death in "Kensington") we get Detective Inspector Mancible, a much less likable character. He’s sharp and hard-working, but lacking in PR skills. He arrests first one person, then another in an attempt to shake something loose. Of course, amateur detective Charles Venables realizes he must solve the murder himself or risk losing his new girlfriend to terminal sorrow. His girlfriend in “Kensington” has ditched him due to his sloppy play when they were partnered in bridge one evening. Upper class Brits take their bridge very seriously. Now he’s in love with another girl and her brother’s head is on the chopping block if he can’t find the real murderer.
There’s a pretty good courtroom scene and I speak as one who normally dislikes courtroom drama. Still, this one has a lot going for it, including an incompetent judge, a competent prosecutor, and a tenacious defense attorney who’s prepared to go down for the count. The clock is ticking while Charles Venables works frantically to get evidence against the real murderer.
The ending isn’t terribly realistic, but the story winds its way to a conclusion at long last and there are some good parts. Given that Sprigg was a committed Marxist, I'm surprised the members of the London communist cell are such buffoons. Did he believe in Marxism in theory, but think the Russians were too dim to pull it off?
I’d like it better if I wasn’t comparing it to “Death in Kensington” but I don’t know how a reader can help comparing one of an author’s books to another one. Still, it's not stopping me from going on to the next book in the series - "Death of an Airman."
July 24, 2019
A most interesting and unusual detective novel, the second of four which feature the crime reporter/amateur detective, Charles Venables. Although first published in 1933, it is set forward in time in 1938, with an economically restored Russia rivalling Britain.
The murder victim is the hugely unlikeable newspaper proprietor Lord Carpenter, killed when about to launch a campaign to bring certain war with the Soviet Union. There are plenty of suspects, including Venables himself, and the Prime Minister, who were in and around the crime-scene at the vital time.
Detective Inspector Manciple does his best to sort out the various clues and motives, but it is Venables who comes up with the solution which is very ingenious and unique, although a famous novel of the following year would take the idea a lot further.
The trial towards the end, especially, has amusing moments, and there is a good general sprinkle of humour about newspapers, politics and human relationships.
I like Venables rather more than Peter Wimsey to whom, for some readers, he appears to bear a resemblance which I deem superficial at best.
Highly recommended.
The murder victim is the hugely unlikeable newspaper proprietor Lord Carpenter, killed when about to launch a campaign to bring certain war with the Soviet Union. There are plenty of suspects, including Venables himself, and the Prime Minister, who were in and around the crime-scene at the vital time.
Detective Inspector Manciple does his best to sort out the various clues and motives, but it is Venables who comes up with the solution which is very ingenious and unique, although a famous novel of the following year would take the idea a lot further.
The trial towards the end, especially, has amusing moments, and there is a good general sprinkle of humour about newspapers, politics and human relationships.
I like Venables rather more than Peter Wimsey to whom, for some readers, he appears to bear a resemblance which I deem superficial at best.
Highly recommended.
March 22, 2026
I enjoyed the author's Death of An Airman and thought this would be equally good. But I found this ponderously long and although the solution to the crime was interesting, getting there was a lot of tedium. Published in 1933, the story is oddly set in 1938 and 1939 London. But war is not part of the plot. It's one of those books that really needed a Cast of Characters listed. There are a few things that reflect the times: the Chinese character talks like the movies' Charlie Chan, and Russia is a bigger threat than Germany. Note: the Oleander Press edition from 2013 is 290 pages, but the margins are so large that it really doesn't equal that much text.
November 2, 2023
it is a tragedy this author died at the age of 29. A most ingenious murder with wonderful characters; and a leavening of humor.
January 10, 2020
The premise of this story is that a media mogul who has used his resources to agitate war with Russia has been murdered just before his big news story breaks that will most certainly cause an actual war. The suspects are among a closed group of people who never left the news office. Who did it? Venables & Detective Inspector Mancible aim to ferret it out.
Detective Inspector Mancible said, "Now let us get down to business: at 11:25 p.m. you left Lord Carpenter. He announced his intention of going to sleep, and apparently did so. Between that time and say 1:45 a.m. he was stabbed. The weapon, so far as one can see at present, is this dagger, which was replaced on the wall, and which still, though wiped, bears minute traces of blood. There may or may not be fingerprints on it."
Detective Inspector Mancible said, "Now let us get down to business: at 11:25 p.m. you left Lord Carpenter. He announced his intention of going to sleep, and apparently did so. Between that time and say 1:45 a.m. he was stabbed. The weapon, so far as one can see at present, is this dagger, which was replaced on the wall, and which still, though wiped, bears minute traces of blood. There may or may not be fingerprints on it."
October 29, 2013
A rare book by Christopher St.John Sprigg who in 1933 plotted a mystery set in 1937 of a murder that stops a war between England and Russia. The plot is good but Sprigg,s vision of the future makes it special.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews