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The Cornish Coast Murder
'Never, even in his most optimistic moments, had he visualised a scene of this nature —himself in one arm-chair, a police officer in another, and between them . . . a mystery.'
The Reverend Dodd, vicar of the quiet Cornish village of Boscawen, spends his evenings reading detective stories by the fireside - but heaven forbid that the shadow of any real crime should ever fall across his seaside parish.
But the vicar's peace is shattered one stormy night when Julius Tregarthan, a secretive and ill-tempered magistrate, is found at his house in Boscawen with a bullet through his head.
The local police inspector is baffled by the complete absence of clues. Luckily for Inspector Bigswell, the Reverend Dodd is on hand, and ready to put his keen understanding of the criminal mind to the test.
This classic mystery of the golden age of British crime is set against the vividly described backdrop of a fishing village on Cornwall's Atlantic coast. It is now republished for the first time since the 1930s with an introduction by the award-winning crime writer Martin Edwards.
The Reverend Dodd, vicar of the quiet Cornish village of Boscawen, spends his evenings reading detective stories by the fireside - but heaven forbid that the shadow of any real crime should ever fall across his seaside parish.
But the vicar's peace is shattered one stormy night when Julius Tregarthan, a secretive and ill-tempered magistrate, is found at his house in Boscawen with a bullet through his head.
The local police inspector is baffled by the complete absence of clues. Luckily for Inspector Bigswell, the Reverend Dodd is on hand, and ready to put his keen understanding of the criminal mind to the test.
This classic mystery of the golden age of British crime is set against the vividly described backdrop of a fishing village on Cornwall's Atlantic coast. It is now republished for the first time since the 1930s with an introduction by the award-winning crime writer Martin Edwards.
286 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1935
269 people are currently reading
1690 people want to read
About the author
John Bude
56 books79 followersJohn Bude was a pseudonym used by Ernest Carpenter Elmore who was a British born writer.
He was born in 1901 and, as a boarder, he attended Mill Hill School, leaving in 1919 and moving on to Cheltenham where he attended a secretarial college and where he learned to type. After that he spent several years as games master at St Christopher School in Letchworth where he also led the school's dramatic activities.
This keen interest in the theatre led him to join the Lena Ashwell Players as stage manager and he took their productions around the country. He also acted in plays produced at the Everyman Theatre in Hampstead, where he lived for a time. He honed his writing skills, whenever he had a moment to spare, in the various dressing rooms that he found himself in.
He eventually returned to Maidstone, the town of his birth, and during the Second World War he ran his local Home Guard unit as he had been deemed unfit to serve in the forces.
He later lived in Loose, Kent, and after that near Rye, East Sussex, and enjoyed golf and painting but never learned to drive although that did not stop him apparently offering advice to his wife when she was driving! He had met his wife, Betty, when producing plays back in Maidstone and they married in 1933.
After becoming a full-time writer, he wrote some 30 crime fiction novels, many featuring his two main series characters Superintendent Meredith and Inspector Sherwood. He began with 'The Cornish Coast Murder' in 1935 and his final two crime novels, 'A Twist of the Rope' and 'The Night the Fog Came Down' were published posthumously in 1958.
He was a founder member of the Norfolk-based Crime Writers Association (CWA) in 1953 and was a co-organiser of the Crime Book Exhibition that was one of the CWA's early publicity initiatives. He was a popular and hard-working member of the CWA's committee from its inception through to May 1957.
Under his own name he also wrote a number of fantasy novels, the most well-known of which is 'The Lumpton Gobbelings' (1954). In addition he wrote a children's book, 'The Snuffly Snorty Dog' (1946).
He was admitted to hospital in Hastings on 6 November 1957, having just delivered his what turned out to be his final manuscript to his publisher, for a routine operation but he died two days later.
Fellow British crime writer Martin Edwards comments, "Bude writes both readably and entertainingly. His work may not have been stunning enough to belong with the greats, but there is a smoothness and accomplishment about even his first mystery, 'The Cornish Coast Murder', which you don't find in many début mysteries."
Interestingly he was the dedicatee of 'The Case of the Running Mouse' (1944) by his friend Christopher Bush. The dedication stated, 'May his stature, and his circulation, increase.'
NB: He was not born on 1 January but the system does not allow a date of birth without a month and date so it defaults to 1 January.
He was born in 1901 and, as a boarder, he attended Mill Hill School, leaving in 1919 and moving on to Cheltenham where he attended a secretarial college and where he learned to type. After that he spent several years as games master at St Christopher School in Letchworth where he also led the school's dramatic activities.
This keen interest in the theatre led him to join the Lena Ashwell Players as stage manager and he took their productions around the country. He also acted in plays produced at the Everyman Theatre in Hampstead, where he lived for a time. He honed his writing skills, whenever he had a moment to spare, in the various dressing rooms that he found himself in.
He eventually returned to Maidstone, the town of his birth, and during the Second World War he ran his local Home Guard unit as he had been deemed unfit to serve in the forces.
He later lived in Loose, Kent, and after that near Rye, East Sussex, and enjoyed golf and painting but never learned to drive although that did not stop him apparently offering advice to his wife when she was driving! He had met his wife, Betty, when producing plays back in Maidstone and they married in 1933.
After becoming a full-time writer, he wrote some 30 crime fiction novels, many featuring his two main series characters Superintendent Meredith and Inspector Sherwood. He began with 'The Cornish Coast Murder' in 1935 and his final two crime novels, 'A Twist of the Rope' and 'The Night the Fog Came Down' were published posthumously in 1958.
He was a founder member of the Norfolk-based Crime Writers Association (CWA) in 1953 and was a co-organiser of the Crime Book Exhibition that was one of the CWA's early publicity initiatives. He was a popular and hard-working member of the CWA's committee from its inception through to May 1957.
Under his own name he also wrote a number of fantasy novels, the most well-known of which is 'The Lumpton Gobbelings' (1954). In addition he wrote a children's book, 'The Snuffly Snorty Dog' (1946).
He was admitted to hospital in Hastings on 6 November 1957, having just delivered his what turned out to be his final manuscript to his publisher, for a routine operation but he died two days later.
Fellow British crime writer Martin Edwards comments, "Bude writes both readably and entertainingly. His work may not have been stunning enough to belong with the greats, but there is a smoothness and accomplishment about even his first mystery, 'The Cornish Coast Murder', which you don't find in many début mysteries."
Interestingly he was the dedicatee of 'The Case of the Running Mouse' (1944) by his friend Christopher Bush. The dedication stated, 'May his stature, and his circulation, increase.'
NB: He was not born on 1 January but the system does not allow a date of birth without a month and date so it defaults to 1 January.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 522 reviews
March 28, 2021
So I have to say I love the dated feel to the covers of these British Library Classics, they are just so evocative of anything between the 20s to the 50s, and being a fifties lad (by 3 months only I admit) I have a soft spot for it.
That said, did the book live up to the cover, well almost. I took a long time to read this book, almost 3 weeks, and went from 3 ahead in my challenge to 1 behind. Now I cannot blame it on the book really, a number of other factors which are of no interest really to review readers are what caused my 3 week reading slump.
So the book itself is set in the wonderful county of Cornwall (so that was an extra half star already as it was well described and true to the County) and centres on the murder of , well, one has to say he was an unlikeable man. But murder is murder and the local police Inspector is keen to investigate before The Yard are brought in to do a proper job (Cornish saying).
Things seem at first straight forward in terms of the investigation but then spanners start getting shoved in spokes and all of a sudden the Inspector is struggling with any sort of case. Meanwhile the local Vicar who is a keen amateur armchair sleuth has been doing some serious thinking and discusses some of his thoughts with the Inspector.
This was in essence a run of the mill detective story , well written, but with no major twists and turns or insight that takes it above the everyday. The reason I have given four stars is because of the writing and the location. A fun enjoyable read, but not Earth shattering.
(Would I read more John Bude books, yes but not just at the moment as I'm struggling with reading commitments. Would I read more British Library Classics, yes, simply because I think they all have great covers and if they are like this book, then at some point they will be worth reading).
November 4, 2017
First published in 1935 in easier times, when solving crime was done a la Agatha Christie with suspects and clues and basically no forensics. The local police ride bicycles and most people don't have a phone at all let alone a mobile.
My attention was caught by the setting - I will read almost anything with the words Cornwall or Cornish in the title! And then there is that eye catching cover which is reminiscent of the beautiful holiday posters they used to use to advertise holidays in England. I subscribe to the view that sometimes you really can judge a book by its cover and in this case it was true.
The crime is murder when the local magistrate is found, on a dark and stormy night, shot through the head in his own home. The little seaside town of Boscawen supports a police inspector, a doctor and a vicar and these three come together to discover the murderer. It is all very intriguing and entertaining in the manner of a Christie novel and I enjoyed it very much.
A gentle book which you will enjoy if you like your mysteries on the cosy side.
My attention was caught by the setting - I will read almost anything with the words Cornwall or Cornish in the title! And then there is that eye catching cover which is reminiscent of the beautiful holiday posters they used to use to advertise holidays in England. I subscribe to the view that sometimes you really can judge a book by its cover and in this case it was true.
The crime is murder when the local magistrate is found, on a dark and stormy night, shot through the head in his own home. The little seaside town of Boscawen supports a police inspector, a doctor and a vicar and these three come together to discover the murderer. It is all very intriguing and entertaining in the manner of a Christie novel and I enjoyed it very much.
A gentle book which you will enjoy if you like your mysteries on the cosy side.
August 30, 2021
'...the mystery of Tregarthan's death was rather like the encroaching night. Here and there little gleams of light still shone out weakly, but even as one looked at them they slowly vanished, and the obscurity thickened until the landscape was of a uniform blackness.'
3 1/2 stars for this classic English Murder Mystery that kept me guessing to the end.
Reverend Dodd—vicar of the quiet Cornish village of Boscawen is an avid reader of detective novels. Never does he expect to be involved in the actual solving of a crime.....and yet this is exactly what happens.
On a dark and stormy night Julius Tregarthan is found shot through the head at his house. And there is no shortage of suspects; from the dead man's niece who quarrelled with him immediately prior to the shooting, to a poacher heard volubly declaring his intention to get his revenge, to an author who disappears immediately after the murder.
There is a multitude of red herrings to wade through. I kept thinking I knew who the murderer was, but one by one my theories were shot down in flames.
The Cornish Coast Murder is a delightful and enjoyable foray into the world of the classic English Murder Mystery.
I have known John Bude's name from somewhere, and yet I have not read any of his other books. I have added his name to my "author's I want to read more of" list.
3 1/2 stars for this classic English Murder Mystery that kept me guessing to the end.
Reverend Dodd—vicar of the quiet Cornish village of Boscawen is an avid reader of detective novels. Never does he expect to be involved in the actual solving of a crime.....and yet this is exactly what happens.
On a dark and stormy night Julius Tregarthan is found shot through the head at his house. And there is no shortage of suspects; from the dead man's niece who quarrelled with him immediately prior to the shooting, to a poacher heard volubly declaring his intention to get his revenge, to an author who disappears immediately after the murder.
There is a multitude of red herrings to wade through. I kept thinking I knew who the murderer was, but one by one my theories were shot down in flames.
The Cornish Coast Murder is a delightful and enjoyable foray into the world of the classic English Murder Mystery.
I have known John Bude's name from somewhere, and yet I have not read any of his other books. I have added his name to my "author's I want to read more of" list.
December 19, 2015
This is a charming mystery, first published in 1935, and was the crime writing debut of Ernest Carpenter Elmore (who chose ‘John Bude’ as his pseudonym). The book begins with two friends; the Reverend Dodd, Vicar of St Michael’s-on-the-Cliff and Dr Pendrill. The two meet up weekly for dinner and to share their love of detective fiction, both enjoy attempting to solve the fictional mysteries they read. However, on a stormy night, their evening is interrupted by Ruth Tregarthan, who calls to say that someone has shot and killed her uncle, Julius.
Murder is unheard of in this tiny, coastal retreat of scattered cottages and the two men are astonished. Yet, Julius Tregarthan lies shot dead in his study and Ruth is acting oddly. She has been very friendly with an author named Ronald Hardy. Known to be shell shocked in the last war, his behaviour was strained when Reverend Dodd last met him and now he has disappeared. Despite his misgivings, it is soon apparent that the Reverend cannot resist the chance to try to solve a real life puzzle.
For Inspector Bigswell, the murder case is a chance to make his mark and he sets to work enthusiastically, before the ‘experts’ are called in. He finds himself with several suspects and much conflicting evidence. The Reverend Dodd is, though, not convinced by Inspector Bigswell’s line of enquiry and favoured suspects and sets out to solve the case himself. This is a delightful, Golden Age mystery, although the ending is a little weak. Still, the setting and characters made this an enjoyable read and I would certainly read more books by John Bude.
Rated 3.5
Murder is unheard of in this tiny, coastal retreat of scattered cottages and the two men are astonished. Yet, Julius Tregarthan lies shot dead in his study and Ruth is acting oddly. She has been very friendly with an author named Ronald Hardy. Known to be shell shocked in the last war, his behaviour was strained when Reverend Dodd last met him and now he has disappeared. Despite his misgivings, it is soon apparent that the Reverend cannot resist the chance to try to solve a real life puzzle.
For Inspector Bigswell, the murder case is a chance to make his mark and he sets to work enthusiastically, before the ‘experts’ are called in. He finds himself with several suspects and much conflicting evidence. The Reverend Dodd is, though, not convinced by Inspector Bigswell’s line of enquiry and favoured suspects and sets out to solve the case himself. This is a delightful, Golden Age mystery, although the ending is a little weak. Still, the setting and characters made this an enjoyable read and I would certainly read more books by John Bude.
Rated 3.5
June 13, 2015
This mystery was, in its way, refreshing. It was written in the mid-1930s, when the accepted view was that one's guilt and conscience would make one--eventually--want to confess, shoulder responsibility for the crime, and accept the consequences. No loose ends and no moral ambiguity.
In that way, this mystery was pure escapist entertainment for me. John Bude describes the Cornish coast in such detail, I feel as though I've been there; I really enjoyed all of the descriptions of the surroundings. The two main characters, the vicar and the inspector, reminded me of Chesterton's Fr. Brown characters. They were both earnest, intelligent, dogged, humble: the inspector driven by a need for justice, the vicar, for mercy.
The mystery is a quintessential police procedural. The novel goes through, step by step, dead-end by dead-end, how the mystery is eventually solved. For some, the plotting and pacing may be too slow, but I was as caught up in the characters' hopes and intentions as I was in finding out "whodunit."
Very enjoyable, late summertime reading, for sure.
In that way, this mystery was pure escapist entertainment for me. John Bude describes the Cornish coast in such detail, I feel as though I've been there; I really enjoyed all of the descriptions of the surroundings. The two main characters, the vicar and the inspector, reminded me of Chesterton's Fr. Brown characters. They were both earnest, intelligent, dogged, humble: the inspector driven by a need for justice, the vicar, for mercy.
The mystery is a quintessential police procedural. The novel goes through, step by step, dead-end by dead-end, how the mystery is eventually solved. For some, the plotting and pacing may be too slow, but I was as caught up in the characters' hopes and intentions as I was in finding out "whodunit."
Very enjoyable, late summertime reading, for sure.
November 24, 2024
This was an okay read for me. I found it a bit pedantic and contrived, and will not pursue any further volumes in the series.
Standout quotes:
“But then even a man of thirty-four seems young when one is nearing the last rungs of life’s ladder.”
“It was a wettish night as you know, sir, and I was surprised when a chap came on me sudden out of the dark and asked for a light.”
Standout quotes:
“But then even a man of thirty-four seems young when one is nearing the last rungs of life’s ladder.”
“It was a wettish night as you know, sir, and I was surprised when a chap came on me sudden out of the dark and asked for a light.”
May 1, 2016
In this Golden Age mystery, Reverend Dodd spends his evenings devouring detective novels but never imagines he’ll ever encounter a real-life crime more shocking than a penny-ante burglary in his quiet Cornish village of Boscawen. But when the village’s irascible magistrate is found shot to death, Dodd puts his mental cache of detective fiction at the disposal of Inspector Bigswell, a local plod who quickly realizes he’s out of his league with this murder. The vicar and the policeman join forces to reveal the canny murderer.
I fell in love with John Bude and his Inspector William Meredith from the very first novel of his that I read, The Lake District Murder. The Cornish Coast Murder was Bude’s first mystery novel, and while both novels were first published in 1935, The Lake District Murder and its dogged Inspector Meredith remain much more charming and entertaining 80 years later. Bude himself must have thought so too, as he never wrote another novel featuring vicar Dodd.
Even so, thanks again to British Library Publishing, for re-releasing John Bude’s wonderful cozies so that a new generation can enjoy them.
For those fortunate enough to listen to this novel on Audible, you’re in for a treat. Narrator Ben Allen does a splendid job.
I fell in love with John Bude and his Inspector William Meredith from the very first novel of his that I read, The Lake District Murder. The Cornish Coast Murder was Bude’s first mystery novel, and while both novels were first published in 1935, The Lake District Murder and its dogged Inspector Meredith remain much more charming and entertaining 80 years later. Bude himself must have thought so too, as he never wrote another novel featuring vicar Dodd.
Even so, thanks again to British Library Publishing, for re-releasing John Bude’s wonderful cozies so that a new generation can enjoy them.
For those fortunate enough to listen to this novel on Audible, you’re in for a treat. Narrator Ben Allen does a splendid job.
April 23, 2017
Taking more than a few cues from Murder at the Vicarage, published in 1930, Bude's 1935 mystery is quite entertaining if a bit derivative.
I love books set on the coast of Cornwall - and this one is also set in March, so it has all of the blustery, windswept charm that we might expect. The vicar and the doctor in the village of Boscawen spend their evenings reading detective novels by the fireside. When real murder intrudes, the Vicar is delighted with the opportunity to exercise his skills in assisting the local Inspector in his investigation.
I've now read several from the British Library Crime Classics series, and I've found Bude to be among the best of the writers. I also enjoyed his Death on the Riviera, and thought that this one had an even stronger mystery. I will admit, however, that none of the books, so far, have even approached Christie's mastery. The writing in them tends to be workmanlike at best, and at times positively awkward. No one manages pacing as well as she did, and her ability to describe a character using ten words is unparalleled.
I keep hoping to find another Agatha Christie, but I'm compelled, at this point, to admit that perhaps she was, in fact, the unassailable Queen, sharing her title with no one. This one is enjoyable, but it's no Poirot.
I love books set on the coast of Cornwall - and this one is also set in March, so it has all of the blustery, windswept charm that we might expect. The vicar and the doctor in the village of Boscawen spend their evenings reading detective novels by the fireside. When real murder intrudes, the Vicar is delighted with the opportunity to exercise his skills in assisting the local Inspector in his investigation.
I've now read several from the British Library Crime Classics series, and I've found Bude to be among the best of the writers. I also enjoyed his Death on the Riviera, and thought that this one had an even stronger mystery. I will admit, however, that none of the books, so far, have even approached Christie's mastery. The writing in them tends to be workmanlike at best, and at times positively awkward. No one manages pacing as well as she did, and her ability to describe a character using ten words is unparalleled.
I keep hoping to find another Agatha Christie, but I'm compelled, at this point, to admit that perhaps she was, in fact, the unassailable Queen, sharing her title with no one. This one is enjoyable, but it's no Poirot.
August 12, 2018
I’m a huge murder mystery fan, especially the golden age and this book is pure unadulterated horseshit. In this instance there is a reason it was out of print for so long. It’s dull.
It’s a 50 page short story dragged out to 286 pages, there is no subtlety of plot and no beauty in the language to redeem it. Miss Silver is “charming” this is as painful as that American show “seconds from disaster” where they assume their viewers are stupid and repeat everything that has come before after each advert break.
You can read the first chapter and the last chapter and literally nothing of value will have been lost in between.
Ugh.
It’s a 50 page short story dragged out to 286 pages, there is no subtlety of plot and no beauty in the language to redeem it. Miss Silver is “charming” this is as painful as that American show “seconds from disaster” where they assume their viewers are stupid and repeat everything that has come before after each advert break.
You can read the first chapter and the last chapter and literally nothing of value will have been lost in between.
Ugh.
May 17, 2022
I enjoyed this immensely. It was a good companion read for a rainy May weekend. I love the narrative frame of the bachelor Vicar and Doctor who meet every Monday night to unbox the week’s worth of mysteries and talk through the previous week’s mysteries. The friendship of the two of them anchors the story in a charming way and makes the mystery feel cozy.
I loved Vicar Dodd’s approach to sleuthing and how well it complements his own role in the community and Inspector Bigswell’s methods. There was a good amount of complexity to the mystery too and the plotting was satisfying. The end was a complete surprise to me, and I was a little annoyed at first. But the more I think about it, the more it’s fitting all around. There were some good questions of justice as well, which I won’t say anything more about. I definitely plan to read more from this author. Perhaps there is nothing particularly innovative here, but it’s solidly enjoyable and there were some good twists.
I loved Vicar Dodd’s approach to sleuthing and how well it complements his own role in the community and Inspector Bigswell’s methods. There was a good amount of complexity to the mystery too and the plotting was satisfying. The end was a complete surprise to me, and I was a little annoyed at first. But the more I think about it, the more it’s fitting all around. There were some good questions of justice as well, which I won’t say anything more about. I definitely plan to read more from this author. Perhaps there is nothing particularly innovative here, but it’s solidly enjoyable and there were some good twists.
September 24, 2016
This is one of a collection of British Library Crime Classics of books that were popular in their own time and have since been forgotten. If this example is representative of the collection then it is easy to see why they are no longer read.
This novel is set in Cornwall and if you are hoping for the county to be important to the story such as by Daphne du Maurier then you'll be disappointed. The setting is the village of Boscawen, which is the surname of Cornwall's prominent aristocrats family: Lord and Lady Falmouth. That is as far as Cornwall features.
The plot is simple and long winded and characterisation sketchy. A man in a remote country house is shot dead and the list of suspects is surprisingly short. It will not satisfy today's crime reader.
This novel is set in Cornwall and if you are hoping for the county to be important to the story such as by Daphne du Maurier then you'll be disappointed. The setting is the village of Boscawen, which is the surname of Cornwall's prominent aristocrats family: Lord and Lady Falmouth. That is as far as Cornwall features.
The plot is simple and long winded and characterisation sketchy. A man in a remote country house is shot dead and the list of suspects is surprisingly short. It will not satisfy today's crime reader.
September 17, 2017
Reading some of these 'lost' classics of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, you realise why they were lost. It's not just the way women and the 'lower' classes are represented, which is repellent, the whole societal structure is appalling to modern sensibilities. In this tale it is implied from the start that the upper class suspects could not possibly be guilty, no matter how much evidence is stacked against them. Instead we have a ridiculously contrived solution that fingers someone the reader had no reason to suspect. Of course, he's from the lower classes... Unlike Christie, Sayers or Marsh, we are not given a fair chance to solve the mystery, as its solution depends on knowledge only the vicar has.
It's no wonder book this has been out of print for decades.
It's no wonder book this has been out of print for decades.
February 27, 2021
I've been meaning to read some of the British Library Crime Classics series. This 1930s book is the first one I've tried, and it was an enjoyable read, with an atmospheric Cornish setting. The mix of amateur and professional detectives also worked well. I didn't feel the mystery element was quite up there with the best of the genre, especially the ending, but I still enjoyed it - editing in 2021 to say I've just reread this, and really like Bude's writing style.
June 23, 2024
"Quindici anni e tutto procede come sempre. Nascite, matrimoni, morti. … Immagino che i nostri colleghi più affermati direbbero che stiamo sprecando le nostre vite, in questo luogo isolato. Qui non succede mai niente. Niente! ”
La storia inizia con il reverendo Dodd, vicario di Boscawen, e il suo grande amico, il dottor Pendrill, seduti davanti al fuoco dopo la tradizionale cena "con delitto "del lunedì sera
Entrambe appassionati di gialli, scelgono dal baule dei libri per la loro prossima lettura che li vedrà sfidarsi a risolvere i misteri e trovare il colpevole di turno
Leggere è qualcosa che li unisce meglio della religione
Fuori è una notte tempestosa, piove e tuona.
All'improvviso il telefono squilla
È Ruth Tregarthan della casa accanto: suo zio Julius, un magistrato, è stato trovato morto nel soggiorno con una pallottola in testa
Da Greystoke arriva l’ispettore Bigswell, che non disdegna i pareri tecnici del reverendo
Un classico giallo poliziesco un po' datato per alcuni aspetti, ma il vecchio stile d’indagine è sempre affascinante con le sue deduzioni e ricostruzioni
La storia richiede tempo, non ci sono evidenti indizi ; l'ispettore e il vicario si spostano da una teoria all'altra e da un vicolo cieco all'altro e il reverendo si renderà presto conto che la realtà è più complicata della trama di un poliziesco, ma saprà dare il suo contributo, mandando a gambe all’aria le ipotesi dell’ispettore
Tutti i personaggi sono credibili e interessanti, il reverendo è simpaticissimo
È bella l’ambientazione ricca di descrizioni particolareggiate di questo piccolo villaggio di pescatori della Cornovaglia che vive letteralmente sotto gli occhi del lettore grazie alla brillante penna di John Bude.
Quante false piste prima che gli indizi si sommino e vadano ognuno al proprio posto!
Un’audio lettura piacevolissima molto ben interpretata da Riccardo Ricobello
La storia inizia con il reverendo Dodd, vicario di Boscawen, e il suo grande amico, il dottor Pendrill, seduti davanti al fuoco dopo la tradizionale cena "con delitto "del lunedì sera
Entrambe appassionati di gialli, scelgono dal baule dei libri per la loro prossima lettura che li vedrà sfidarsi a risolvere i misteri e trovare il colpevole di turno
Leggere è qualcosa che li unisce meglio della religione
Fuori è una notte tempestosa, piove e tuona.
All'improvviso il telefono squilla
È Ruth Tregarthan della casa accanto: suo zio Julius, un magistrato, è stato trovato morto nel soggiorno con una pallottola in testa
Da Greystoke arriva l’ispettore Bigswell, che non disdegna i pareri tecnici del reverendo
Un classico giallo poliziesco un po' datato per alcuni aspetti, ma il vecchio stile d’indagine è sempre affascinante con le sue deduzioni e ricostruzioni
La storia richiede tempo, non ci sono evidenti indizi ; l'ispettore e il vicario si spostano da una teoria all'altra e da un vicolo cieco all'altro e il reverendo si renderà presto conto che la realtà è più complicata della trama di un poliziesco, ma saprà dare il suo contributo, mandando a gambe all’aria le ipotesi dell’ispettore
Tutti i personaggi sono credibili e interessanti, il reverendo è simpaticissimo
È bella l’ambientazione ricca di descrizioni particolareggiate di questo piccolo villaggio di pescatori della Cornovaglia che vive letteralmente sotto gli occhi del lettore grazie alla brillante penna di John Bude.
Quante false piste prima che gli indizi si sommino e vadano ognuno al proprio posto!
Un’audio lettura piacevolissima molto ben interpretata da Riccardo Ricobello
August 12, 2021
This cozy crime novel from the 1930s looked promising at the start, with a scene of a vicar, who lives near the rocky Cornish coast, getting together for a regular meeting with the local doctor. They take delivery of their latest books from a lending library and share them out - both are keen readers of crime fiction. And soon they are involved in the aftermath of a real life local murder, though peripherally in the case of the doctor, and only to a limited extent on the part of the vicar.
I thought initially this might have a vicar-as-sleuth protagonist, and it probably would have been more interesting that way, but other than solving one difficulty in determining how the murder was carried out, his interest was more in exonerating a couple of young people than in actually solving the crime. That was left up to the colourless police inspector who took charge before long.
I had a few issues with this book. Firstly, it would greatly have benefited from a diagram showing how the house where the crime took place lay in relation to the cliff path, its own driveway, the vicarage etc. It seems that the back garden was so short that the house was practically on the cliff edge which doesn't sound sensible although I appreciate that in real life sudden and catastrophic cliff erosion has resulted in buildings actually collapsing into the sea. That didn't seem to be the case here - its precarious position was not even commented on - so it is very odd that it is so close - and a bit too convenient in terms of how it transpires the murder was supposed to have been carried out. I also found, in relation to that revelation, my suspension of disbelief collapsed under the strain. I just couldn't believe that (without giving a spoiler) the angle involved for gunshots were at all credible. Especially when another substance was supposed to have been tossed against a window just beforehand from the same point of origin.
The other main issue was that the motive for the crime and the person who carried it out were so peripheral to the story. I didn't feel that the author played fair with the reader. And the ending is so weird for crime fiction - for the murder in the story to have permanently put someone off reading crime fiction was so negative for the genre in which the writer was operating! It has permanently put me off reading any more of this author's fiction, but certainly not the greats of the era when this was written. And this copy didn't have the lovely 1930s railway poster cover that other editions have - good job it was a cheap Kindle one. All in all, I can only rate this as an 'OK' 2 stars.
I thought initially this might have a vicar-as-sleuth protagonist, and it probably would have been more interesting that way, but other than solving one difficulty in determining how the murder was carried out, his interest was more in exonerating a couple of young people than in actually solving the crime. That was left up to the colourless police inspector who took charge before long.
I had a few issues with this book. Firstly, it would greatly have benefited from a diagram showing how the house where the crime took place lay in relation to the cliff path, its own driveway, the vicarage etc. It seems that the back garden was so short that the house was practically on the cliff edge which doesn't sound sensible although I appreciate that in real life sudden and catastrophic cliff erosion has resulted in buildings actually collapsing into the sea. That didn't seem to be the case here - its precarious position was not even commented on - so it is very odd that it is so close - and a bit too convenient in terms of how it transpires the murder was supposed to have been carried out. I also found, in relation to that revelation, my suspension of disbelief collapsed under the strain. I just couldn't believe that (without giving a spoiler) the angle involved for gunshots were at all credible. Especially when another substance was supposed to have been tossed against a window just beforehand from the same point of origin.
The other main issue was that the motive for the crime and the person who carried it out were so peripheral to the story. I didn't feel that the author played fair with the reader. And the ending is so weird for crime fiction - for the murder in the story to have permanently put someone off reading crime fiction was so negative for the genre in which the writer was operating! It has permanently put me off reading any more of this author's fiction, but certainly not the greats of the era when this was written. And this copy didn't have the lovely 1930s railway poster cover that other editions have - good job it was a cheap Kindle one. All in all, I can only rate this as an 'OK' 2 stars.
July 15, 2020
This is the sort of book that is considered a nice, comfortable mystery to read on a rainy day. Life got really busy so there were gaps between the days I was able to read, so this book took a little longer to finish and I'm afraid I may have forgotten key events or characters. It also may be that they were a little hard to keep track of, but I think it's my fault, not the author's.
A vicar and a doctor meet Monday nights for dinner and sharing stories. Together they pay for a monthly package of mysteries to share. This evening is interrupted by an emergency at a local neighbor's house. They both arrive to find the neighbor, Julius Tregathan, lying dead in his living room. He has been shot through the head.
The shots came from outside, there were three although only one hit its mark, the holes through the window being discernible.
As the story progresses, we get to know the kind of man Tregarthan was and also who would have the motive to murder him.
This story was rather a slow burner, but I really appreciated how we get to try to figure out who murdered the man and why as the Inspector and Chief build up first one, then another, and then yet another theory as to who committed the murder, how they committed it and why. The continual evolution of their theories as new data enters the picture is probably the most interesting part of the book.
I believe I will be reading more of John Bude.
A vicar and a doctor meet Monday nights for dinner and sharing stories. Together they pay for a monthly package of mysteries to share. This evening is interrupted by an emergency at a local neighbor's house. They both arrive to find the neighbor, Julius Tregathan, lying dead in his living room. He has been shot through the head.
The shots came from outside, there were three although only one hit its mark, the holes through the window being discernible.
As the story progresses, we get to know the kind of man Tregarthan was and also who would have the motive to murder him.
This story was rather a slow burner, but I really appreciated how we get to try to figure out who murdered the man and why as the Inspector and Chief build up first one, then another, and then yet another theory as to who committed the murder, how they committed it and why. The continual evolution of their theories as new data enters the picture is probably the most interesting part of the book.
I believe I will be reading more of John Bude.
July 31, 2023
A first class English mystery! Well done!
July 29, 2016
2.5 stars.
I started reading this on a flight, thinking that, if the other books in this series were anything to go by, it would be wonderfully paced, intriguing, and would keep me entertained throughout my journey. It took rather a while to go anywhere, I felt, and the writing was not as strong as I was expecting. The Cornish Coast Murder is nowhere near as gripping as I thought it would be either, and it has made me rethink reading all of the British Library Crime Classics collection; sadly, this is not the only disappointing book I have read of theirs recently.
I started reading this on a flight, thinking that, if the other books in this series were anything to go by, it would be wonderfully paced, intriguing, and would keep me entertained throughout my journey. It took rather a while to go anywhere, I felt, and the writing was not as strong as I was expecting. The Cornish Coast Murder is nowhere near as gripping as I thought it would be either, and it has made me rethink reading all of the British Library Crime Classics collection; sadly, this is not the only disappointing book I have read of theirs recently.
July 12, 2021
Enjoyable, basic mystery that wasn't as good as other mysteries but perfectly British and a good distracting read.
July 12, 2023
Es una historia sencilla de corte clásico del estilo de los libros de Agatha Christie. Hay una muerte y un policía tendrá que investigar el crimen con ayuda del reverendo del pueblo.
Me ha gustado bastante, sobre todo la parte final y la historia que hay detrás del crimen.
Reseña: https://contandoteunlibro.blogspot.co...
Me ha gustado bastante, sobre todo la parte final y la historia que hay detrás del crimen.
Reseña: https://contandoteunlibro.blogspot.co...
June 2, 2014
If you like traditional murder mysteries then this will be a book you will enjoy. A man is shot dead in his cliff top home and the circumstances surrounding the shooting puzzle the vicar and the local doctor as well as the police. One of the prime suspects has disappeared and another is definitely lying but may not be lying about anything to do with the murder.
Amateur and professional detectives working together and some atmospheric scenery as well as interesting characters are the main ingredients for this classic crime story. It is well written with plenty of clues and red herrings to keep the reader guessing until close to the end of the book. I didn't guess the murderer and at first when the solution was revealed I felt a little bit cheated as I couldn't see where the clues were. But a few minutes thought revealed that the clues were there I had merely not given them the importance they deserved.
My advice to anyone reading this book is to keep their eyes open and their wits about them whilst reading and then you might do better than I did. It is good to see the British Museum Library releasing new editions of these classic mysteries so that modern readers can enjoy them.
Amateur and professional detectives working together and some atmospheric scenery as well as interesting characters are the main ingredients for this classic crime story. It is well written with plenty of clues and red herrings to keep the reader guessing until close to the end of the book. I didn't guess the murderer and at first when the solution was revealed I felt a little bit cheated as I couldn't see where the clues were. But a few minutes thought revealed that the clues were there I had merely not given them the importance they deserved.
My advice to anyone reading this book is to keep their eyes open and their wits about them whilst reading and then you might do better than I did. It is good to see the British Museum Library releasing new editions of these classic mysteries so that modern readers can enjoy them.
May 17, 2015
The Cornish Coast Murder was Bude’s first novel – and while it certainly doesn’t have the complexity and ingenuity of Christie, Marsh, Sayers et al – but there is still much to recommend it, it is an engagingly readable example of golden age crime, with a rather adorable pair of amateur detectives. This is a novel very much in the cosy tradition – it is pure escapism. Much of Bude’s focus in this novel is character and setting, there is not much in the way of investigative high jinks. In fact the arm chair sleuth may feel slightly cheated not having enough information to solve the mystery themselves.
Set along the atmospheric Cornish coast of the title, the novel opens on an appropriately stormy evening in Boscawen. The Cornish coast, a good setting for a murder, makes for a rather nice change from the Greater London, or Home Counties settings of so many other novels of this period.
Full review: https://heavenali.wordpress.com/2015/...
Set along the atmospheric Cornish coast of the title, the novel opens on an appropriately stormy evening in Boscawen. The Cornish coast, a good setting for a murder, makes for a rather nice change from the Greater London, or Home Counties settings of so many other novels of this period.
Full review: https://heavenali.wordpress.com/2015/...
February 26, 2018
The local vicar, Mr. Dodd, and his friend the doctor meet regularly to discuss the mystery stories they love to read. Then, in the midst of one of their evenings, the phone rings. It's the mansion across the road, calling for the doctor--the bad-tempered magistrate who lives there has been shot. As Mr. Dodd pries around the edges of the police investigation, Inspector Bigswell investigates intelligently (but not very imaginatively). In the battle between intuition and procedure, who is going to arrive at the correct solution? We have much to thank the British Library Crime Classics for, and this long-hidden gem is certainly one of the books most deserving a reprint.
April 21, 2024
A 90 year old reprint from the British Library Classic Crime collection, this was so tame compared to today's crime novels, could even say dull. But very of its day and had a fabulous railway poster cover like all this collection.
March 26, 2019
John Bude along with John Creasey founded the Crime Writers Association in 1953 which is still going strong with ‘over six hundred members’ worldwide, and ‘its Dagger Awards are renown’. It is thanks to the these two men and their realization that an ‘organization’ such as CWA would provide long range goals for writers of this genre. Being intrigued by this ‘Golden Age’ of British Crime writers, I decided to read John Bude’s The Cornish Coast Murder which I thoroughly enjoyed even though I along with Investigator Bigswell found myself at a ‘blind alley’ more times than I care to admit! I continued to pay attention to the details of the murder though, and I say this proudly- I did discover who the murderer was before the author stated this fact. Now, my discovery did occur towards the end of the book, but I did figure who it was. Why was a completely different matter. That I learned along with the cast of beautifully drawn characters in the classic Cornwall setting! This is the first selection that I have read by this author. I have Bude’s The Lake District Murder standing by! 4.25 stars
March 7, 2023
Ein recht straighter Krimi mit guten Beschreibungen der Ermittlungen. Die Auflösung war ziemlich traurig, wobei der Mörder vorher im Buch kaum eine Rolle gespielt hat. Das macht es schwierig sich als Leser:in am Auflösen des Falles zu beteiligen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 10, 2024
A good mystery book but doens't bring anything new for this genre of literature.
December 20, 2019
DAME AGATHA CHRISTIE AND HER PEERS
This is about as close to a "Christie Cozy" I've read that wasn't authored by Dame Agatha.
CAST= 3 stars: The opening has Vicar Dodd and his old and dear friend Dr. Pendrill sitting by the fireside, a nearby murder disrupting their cozy evening. I enjoyed the Vicar mentioning his favorite crime authors: "...Edgar Wallace...J.S. Fletcher...Farjean...Dorothy L. Sayers...Freeman Wills Crofts. And my old friend, my very dear old friend, Mrs. Agatha Christie." The young Ruth Tergarthon is an early suspect of the murder of her (perhaps) rich Uncle Julius Tergarthon. Julius refuses to allow Ruth to marry, or even entertain, a Ronald Hardy. Mrs. and Mr. Cowper keep up the house, Greylings, in which the Tergarthon's reside. Police Chief Grouch, Inspector Bigwell, and Chief Constable Fornham match wits with the Vicar and the Doctor. Solid cast but no one is particularly memorable.
ATMOSPHERE =3 stars. Again, Christie's classic Country Manor house (right on the coast) is here with all the trimmings: terraces, gardens, paths to the beach coves, curtains which SHOULD have been closed during a stormy murderous night, but weren't. Did I mention an old, yellowed note behind a desk providing a central clue? Footprints on wet grass, 3 bullet holes...but wait, was there only one shot?
CRIME-3 stars: Uncle Julius is murdered outside the actual text: an important part of a 'cozy'. as we usually never witness, as readers, an actual death. There are 3 bullet shots through 3 parts of a window: one of them went directly through Julius' brain.
INVESTIGATION - 2:This is the Vicar's and the Doctor's show. The author keeps us completely updated with everything that's found, etc., EXCEPT for the SINGLE FINAL CLUE, held till the last few pages, you have to know or you can't figure this one out. In the world of murder mysteries, this is a capitol offense. But it's all sorta fun.
RESOLUTION -2: Yes, everything makes sense...once you know the final clue the author holds back.
SUMMARY - 2.6. I'd say, on average, this plot is about half as convoluted as anything Christie wrote. Perhaps "Christie-Cozy-Lite" would be a better description. Fun read for a rainy afternoon though, and fine for about any age reader.
This is about as close to a "Christie Cozy" I've read that wasn't authored by Dame Agatha.
CAST= 3 stars: The opening has Vicar Dodd and his old and dear friend Dr. Pendrill sitting by the fireside, a nearby murder disrupting their cozy evening. I enjoyed the Vicar mentioning his favorite crime authors: "...Edgar Wallace...J.S. Fletcher...Farjean...Dorothy L. Sayers...Freeman Wills Crofts. And my old friend, my very dear old friend, Mrs. Agatha Christie." The young Ruth Tergarthon is an early suspect of the murder of her (perhaps) rich Uncle Julius Tergarthon. Julius refuses to allow Ruth to marry, or even entertain, a Ronald Hardy. Mrs. and Mr. Cowper keep up the house, Greylings, in which the Tergarthon's reside. Police Chief Grouch, Inspector Bigwell, and Chief Constable Fornham match wits with the Vicar and the Doctor. Solid cast but no one is particularly memorable.
ATMOSPHERE =3 stars. Again, Christie's classic Country Manor house (right on the coast) is here with all the trimmings: terraces, gardens, paths to the beach coves, curtains which SHOULD have been closed during a stormy murderous night, but weren't. Did I mention an old, yellowed note behind a desk providing a central clue? Footprints on wet grass, 3 bullet holes...but wait, was there only one shot?
CRIME-3 stars: Uncle Julius is murdered outside the actual text: an important part of a 'cozy'. as we usually never witness, as readers, an actual death. There are 3 bullet shots through 3 parts of a window: one of them went directly through Julius' brain.
INVESTIGATION - 2:This is the Vicar's and the Doctor's show. The author keeps us completely updated with everything that's found, etc., EXCEPT for the SINGLE FINAL CLUE, held till the last few pages, you have to know or you can't figure this one out. In the world of murder mysteries, this is a capitol offense. But it's all sorta fun.
RESOLUTION -2: Yes, everything makes sense...once you know the final clue the author holds back.
SUMMARY - 2.6. I'd say, on average, this plot is about half as convoluted as anything Christie wrote. Perhaps "Christie-Cozy-Lite" would be a better description. Fun read for a rainy afternoon though, and fine for about any age reader.
March 4, 2021
This was John Bude’s first mystery but the second one I have read (the two had no characters in common). So far in my exploration of this author, I can see some characteristic strengths and weaknesses.
First the strengths: Bude is good at evoking specific places, and all his books I am aware of have different settings. He also tends to have interesting characters who feel like real people—at least the male characters; women in his stories seem a bit more like types. In the case of this book, there is a vicar who turns out to be a somewhat better sleuth than the police inspector, but finds out that sleuthing is not a game. His character added dimension and some suspense to the story.
Among Bude’s weaknesses: He favors rather preposterous murder methods that play better on the page than they would in real life. He follows the activities of his police inspectors in a plodding, step-by-step fashion that gets a bit monotonous and sits uncomfortably with the fantastical murder methods. He tends to let his characters get caught up in long, multi-paragraph explications that feel like amateurish writing. And he tends to cheat on the “rules” of detective novels, choosing perpetrators who are tangential to the story or basing the solutions on clues that are not revealed till the end.
All these flaws are apparent in this novel, leaving me with a dissatisfied feeling even though I enjoyed the story as I went along with it.
First the strengths: Bude is good at evoking specific places, and all his books I am aware of have different settings. He also tends to have interesting characters who feel like real people—at least the male characters; women in his stories seem a bit more like types. In the case of this book, there is a vicar who turns out to be a somewhat better sleuth than the police inspector, but finds out that sleuthing is not a game. His character added dimension and some suspense to the story.
Among Bude’s weaknesses: He favors rather preposterous murder methods that play better on the page than they would in real life. He follows the activities of his police inspectors in a plodding, step-by-step fashion that gets a bit monotonous and sits uncomfortably with the fantastical murder methods. He tends to let his characters get caught up in long, multi-paragraph explications that feel like amateurish writing. And he tends to cheat on the “rules” of detective novels, choosing perpetrators who are tangential to the story or basing the solutions on clues that are not revealed till the end.
All these flaws are apparent in this novel, leaving me with a dissatisfied feeling even though I enjoyed the story as I went along with it.
August 31, 2015
Slow and pedestrian, and commits the cardinal whodunnit sin of introducing a character almost from scratch in the last couple of chapters as the culprit
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