Counterpoint Murder

Superintendent Wilson #21

by G.D.H. Cole, Margaret Cole

245 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1941

About the author

George Douglas Howard Cole was an English political theorist, economist, writer and historian. As a libertarian socialist he was a long-time member of the Fabian Society and an advocate for the cooperative movement. He and his wife Margaret Cole (1893-1980) together wrote many popular detective stories, featuring the investigators Superintendent Wilson, Everard Blatchington and Dr Tancred.

Cole was educated at St Paul's School and Balliol College, Oxford.

As a conscientious objector during World War One, Cole's involvement in the campaign against conscription introduced him to a co-worker, Margaret Postgate, whom he married in 1918. The couple both worked for the Fabian Society for the next six years before moving to Oxford, where Cole started writing for the Manchester Guardian. During these years, he also authored several economic and historical works including biographies of William Cobbett and Robert Owen. In 1925, he became reader in economics at University College, Oxford. In 1944, Cole became the first Chichele Professor of Social and Political Theory at Oxford. He was succeeded in the chair by Isaiah Berlin in 1957.

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Corcoran is found murdered in his London club, Scotland Yard is sure that they know the culprit--but they can't find evidence to break his alibi. Reluctantly, they place the case in the inactive file. Not too much later, a different Scotland Yard inspector is looking into the murder of a wealthy elderly lady. Again, the person with the strongest motive would have been unable to be there to kill her. Of course, the reader knows that these dissimilar crimes are linked--they're in the same book, after all--but not until Superintendent Wilson looks at the problems with the case does he see a pattern.

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: two murders occur, and the likely killer for each has an air-tight alibi. Only Superintendent Wilson sees a pattern.