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Sir John Appleby #2
Hamlet Revenge!
At Scamnum Court, seat of the Duke of Horton, the Lord Chancellor of England is murdered at the climax of a private presentation of Hamlet, in which he plays Polonius. To solve this crime, Inspector Appleby pursues some of the most famous names in the country, unearthing dreadful suspicion.
350 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1937
149 people are currently reading
803 people want to read
About the author
Michael Innes
128 books90 followersMichael Innes was the pseudonym of John Innes MacKintosh (J.I.M.) Stewart (J.I.M. Stewart).
He was born in Edinburgh, and educated at Edinburgh Academy and Oriel College, Oxford. He was Lecturer in English at the University of Leeds from 1930 - 1935, and spent the succeeding ten years as Jury Professor of English at the University of Adelaide, South Australia.
He returned to the United Kingdom in 1949, to become a Lecturer at the Queen's University of Belfast. In 1949 he became a Student (Fellow) of Christ Church, Oxford, becoming a Professor by the time of his retirement in 1973.
As J.I.M. Stewart he published a number of works of non-fiction, mainly critical studies of authors, including Joseph Conrad and Rudyard Kipling, as well as about twenty works of fiction and a memoir, 'Myself and Michael Innes'.
As Michael Innes, he published numerous mystery novels and short story collections, most featuring the Scotland Yard detective John Appleby.
He was born in Edinburgh, and educated at Edinburgh Academy and Oriel College, Oxford. He was Lecturer in English at the University of Leeds from 1930 - 1935, and spent the succeeding ten years as Jury Professor of English at the University of Adelaide, South Australia.
He returned to the United Kingdom in 1949, to become a Lecturer at the Queen's University of Belfast. In 1949 he became a Student (Fellow) of Christ Church, Oxford, becoming a Professor by the time of his retirement in 1973.
As J.I.M. Stewart he published a number of works of non-fiction, mainly critical studies of authors, including Joseph Conrad and Rudyard Kipling, as well as about twenty works of fiction and a memoir, 'Myself and Michael Innes'.
As Michael Innes, he published numerous mystery novels and short story collections, most featuring the Scotland Yard detective John Appleby.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
July 3, 2017
This is the second Inspector Appleby book, following on from, “Death at the President’s Lodging.” This mystery was published in 1937 and has a classic, Golden Age setting, with much of the action taking place in a country house, where there is a production of “Hamlet,” taking place. Before the play is staged, there are warning messages received. Then, during the performance, there is a cry of help and a pistol shot…
A very distinguished guest has been killed and Inspector Appleby is sent to investigate. He meets up with Giles Gott, who appeared in the first book in the series, and acts as his guide to the guests and family. With war on the horizon, there are suggestions of espionage, along with murder, for Appleby to contend with and a mysterious puzzle to unravel.
Michael Innes writes very dense plots, which really involve a lot of complex themes. If you imagine that Golden Age crime novels involve country house parties, a few aristocratic guests and a simple plot, you are very wrong. If you want to have any hope of solving this crime you will need a sharper mind than I possess and possibly need to take notes! I do enjoy Innes, but his writing requires concentration and an excellent memory for characters and the different strands of the plot, which he deftly weaves together.
A very distinguished guest has been killed and Inspector Appleby is sent to investigate. He meets up with Giles Gott, who appeared in the first book in the series, and acts as his guide to the guests and family. With war on the horizon, there are suggestions of espionage, along with murder, for Appleby to contend with and a mysterious puzzle to unravel.
Michael Innes writes very dense plots, which really involve a lot of complex themes. If you imagine that Golden Age crime novels involve country house parties, a few aristocratic guests and a simple plot, you are very wrong. If you want to have any hope of solving this crime you will need a sharper mind than I possess and possibly need to take notes! I do enjoy Innes, but his writing requires concentration and an excellent memory for characters and the different strands of the plot, which he deftly weaves together.
February 10, 2023
Innes takes his time setting the stage, introducing us to (most of) the cast of characters in what is essentially an English country house murder mystery with a twist, as Scamnum Court is closer to a castle than a house and the Duke and Duchess of Horton have over 200 house guests (with associated servants). The pace picks up considerably once the murder occurs (during an amateur performance of Hamlet), and Inspector Appleby is sent to investigate by none other than the Prime Minister himself as there is the possibility of espionage. Only hours after arriving, Appleby is confronted with a second corpse...
Innes' writing style is a bit dry with a hidden wit - it might not be to everyone's taste but I like it; an author who can refer to Conrad's Lord Jim and P.G. Wodehouse's Lord Emsworth on the same page and make sly references to Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot is my kind of guy! As Appleby says at one point in the investigation: "Order, method: the little grey cells!" and later, one of the house guests suggests the Duke send for "...a real detective. There is a very good man whose name I forget; a foreigner and very conceited -- but, they say, thoroughly reliable."
This is a greater tribute than it might appear at first sight; Hamlet, Revenge! first was released in 1937 so Poirot was not nearly as well-known as he is today. My biggest complaint is that things got pretty convoluted towards the end, although the ultimate solution was satisfying and unexpected (at least by me).
Innes' writing style is a bit dry with a hidden wit - it might not be to everyone's taste but I like it; an author who can refer to Conrad's Lord Jim and P.G. Wodehouse's Lord Emsworth on the same page and make sly references to Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot is my kind of guy! As Appleby says at one point in the investigation: "Order, method: the little grey cells!" and later, one of the house guests suggests the Duke send for "...a real detective. There is a very good man whose name I forget; a foreigner and very conceited -- but, they say, thoroughly reliable."
This is a greater tribute than it might appear at first sight; Hamlet, Revenge! first was released in 1937 so Poirot was not nearly as well-known as he is today. My biggest complaint is that things got pretty convoluted towards the end, although the ultimate solution was satisfying and unexpected (at least by me).
February 29, 2020
I recently read the first book in this series, which I liked so much that I decided to read this book as well. Unfortunately, although the criminal mystery is very good, I did not like this book as much as the previous one.
To begin with, I had a big problem with getting into the story. This is a fairly short book, but the beginning is really long and extensive. The author devotes a lot of time to outline the background of the whole situation, individual characters and relationships between them. Unfortunately, it wasn't so interesting for me. In the first book, the action of the book begins with finding a corpse and this format suits me much better. Here I was close to leaving this book unfinished. And even when there is a murder finally, in my opinion, the action does not pick up the pace much. The whole story became really interesting to me only somewhere around 40%.
Too long introduction to the story made me easily distracted, I did not pay proper attention to all characters. This took revenge on me later when I couldn't fully distinguish all the characters. It's my fault, really. And there are a lot of characters. In my opinion a little too many. I admit that sometimes I found it hard to distinguish them. It only made it more difficult for me to fully enjoy this book.
The plot is very good. Although it seems to me that in the first book it was a bit better, but it is possible that it is only a matter of the fact that the first book was generally more interesting to me. Anyway, the whole intrigue is multithreaded and complicated. Of course, there are many suspects, as well as motives. Definitely a very good story.
The writing style is as floral and erudite as in the first book. For a person like me for whom English is not a native language, this creates some problems. But either I have already got used it after the first book, or this book is written a little simpler, whatever the reason, it was easier for me to read this book than the previous one. People who like such a beautiful language in their reads will not be disappointed.
Although it probably took me three or four months to read this book, I don't regret it. Still, I admit it was an effort for me and I won't read another book in this series soon. But I do not rule out finally reading one, because I like the main character, and the mysteries in these stories are really worth it.
February 13, 2018
While there’s a reasonable story buried in this book, my summary word is ‘indulgent’. It reads as if the author is playing a lengthy parlour game with a small group of friends and letting the narrative emerge from the game. The lengthy first chapter, setting the scene appears designed to eliminate readers without a textual interest in Shakespeare’s plays. I persevered, mainly because I wanted to see if Appleby rescued the book.
Partially he did. He is a skillfully drawn character and the police procedures restored some interest -enough, at least, for me to finish reading. The narrative, however, became increasingly convoluted and tiresome. In the end I didn’t care - in my view a bad outcome for an author to achieve.
Innes can write - Appleby is testimony to that. This book would have benefitted substantially from an application of writerly discipline and craft.
Partially he did. He is a skillfully drawn character and the police procedures restored some interest -enough, at least, for me to finish reading. The narrative, however, became increasingly convoluted and tiresome. In the end I didn’t care - in my view a bad outcome for an author to achieve.
Innes can write - Appleby is testimony to that. This book would have benefitted substantially from an application of writerly discipline and craft.
September 9, 2017
I have read Hamlet, Revenge! A number of times over the years and I still get a lot of pleasure from it. It was first published in 1937, which shows very plainly in the language, the assumptions about the reader's literary knowledge and the attitudes. It's a period piece, in other words, and a very good one.
The plot hinges on a murder committed during a production of Hamlet in a large country house. The redoubtable Inspector Appleby investigates as possibilities of pre-war espionage and the inevitable personal motives emerge. It is, like all Innes's plots, dense and intricate, and depends upon minutiae of sightlines in a 16th-Century theatre, a pretty detailed knowledge of Hamlet and so on. I rather like this, and Innes's enjoyable prose and dry wit add to the pleasure – including one wonderfully amusing and memorable, if wholly absurd, escape from pursuit in a formal garden.
This isn't a light read and does require more intellectual engagement than many Golden Age detective novels, but it's still very rewarding and is regarded by many as a classic of the genre. Recommended.
(I received an ARC via NetGalley.)
The plot hinges on a murder committed during a production of Hamlet in a large country house. The redoubtable Inspector Appleby investigates as possibilities of pre-war espionage and the inevitable personal motives emerge. It is, like all Innes's plots, dense and intricate, and depends upon minutiae of sightlines in a 16th-Century theatre, a pretty detailed knowledge of Hamlet and so on. I rather like this, and Innes's enjoyable prose and dry wit add to the pleasure – including one wonderfully amusing and memorable, if wholly absurd, escape from pursuit in a formal garden.
This isn't a light read and does require more intellectual engagement than many Golden Age detective novels, but it's still very rewarding and is regarded by many as a classic of the genre. Recommended.
(I received an ARC via NetGalley.)
July 26, 2017
A wealthy duchess has decided to host a large-scale house party during which a semi-amateur performance of Hamlet will be produced. She has assembled a crowd of relations and friends, plus one professional actor and Britain’s Lord Chancellor, to carry it off. Before the performance, there are various warnings that all is not right in the state of Denmark—uh, Surrey: anonymous warning messages, strange doings in the garden at night, tensions under the surface. But when a death occurs, it’s time for Scotland Yard’s most promising (and most socially acceptable) detective to be summoned to the scene.
This is a house party mystery with a strong academic undertone. Characters debate (ad nauseam for some readers) the rival merits and interpretations of various historical productions of the play; literary allusions and sophisticated banter fly. The brutality of the crime (and subsequent crimes) sit oddly in this context, and are treated as a game or an inconvenience by many of the characters. This much is business-as-usual for many British mysteries of the era (it was published in 1937, though it feels closer to World War II), but the author takes the norms to his own extremes—deliciously or tediously, depending on the reader’s taste.
Michael Innes (and his real-world counterpart, J. I. M. Stewart) is one of my favorite authors: I love the challenge of following his erudition, learning new vocabulary (especially in the Stewart novels set in academia), and watching an able mind at work. That’s not, I realize, what everyone looks for in a murder mystery—and if it’s not, this book might not be for you. It is intricately plotted, with many twists both foreseeable and not. There is a plethora of characters (perhaps a few too many), and there’s a sufficiency of police procedure. Characters—the key to my enjoyment of a mystery—are well-drawn and engaging. The dénouement is long and complex, with plausible cases being made for a whole series of perpetrators. I knocked off a star (or perhaps part of a star) for the fact that the final solution seemed to me the least plausible among the possibilities. A feast of the logorrheically inclined.
This is a house party mystery with a strong academic undertone. Characters debate (ad nauseam for some readers) the rival merits and interpretations of various historical productions of the play; literary allusions and sophisticated banter fly. The brutality of the crime (and subsequent crimes) sit oddly in this context, and are treated as a game or an inconvenience by many of the characters. This much is business-as-usual for many British mysteries of the era (it was published in 1937, though it feels closer to World War II), but the author takes the norms to his own extremes—deliciously or tediously, depending on the reader’s taste.
Michael Innes (and his real-world counterpart, J. I. M. Stewart) is one of my favorite authors: I love the challenge of following his erudition, learning new vocabulary (especially in the Stewart novels set in academia), and watching an able mind at work. That’s not, I realize, what everyone looks for in a murder mystery—and if it’s not, this book might not be for you. It is intricately plotted, with many twists both foreseeable and not. There is a plethora of characters (perhaps a few too many), and there’s a sufficiency of police procedure. Characters—the key to my enjoyment of a mystery—are well-drawn and engaging. The dénouement is long and complex, with plausible cases being made for a whole series of perpetrators. I knocked off a star (or perhaps part of a star) for the fact that the final solution seemed to me the least plausible among the possibilities. A feast of the logorrheically inclined.
March 12, 2019
“He thinks he won’t but he will.” This statement by a female character said about the male detective’s probable bias is typical of how insightful Michael Innes is. In a recent book by Michael Lewis, the Undoing Project, Lewis discusses emerging evidence that people are highly controlled by their preconceptions even in the face of overwhelming statistics. Innes figured this out 80 years ago. As a Scotsman writing about English high society, Innes has just enough objectivity and familiarity to write an incredibly accurate depiction of the motivations and hidden lives of English high society of the late 1930’s. The twin tensions of murder and a world on the brink of war are expertly woven through this mystery. The setting is a lavish country estate that is staging a production of Hamlet. Innes is it at his best here, weaving together two stories in which human motivation remains constant.
“We are always impersonating our own idealized image of ourselves - our persona, is it called? - in order to shine in our own eyes or in other peoples. Or we are shamming something quite false in order to get something that our real self wants.”
Having recently read Good Old Neon” by David Foster Wallace this passage struck me particularly hard.
“We are always impersonating our own idealized image of ourselves - our persona, is it called? - in order to shine in our own eyes or in other peoples. Or we are shamming something quite false in order to get something that our real self wants.”
Having recently read Good Old Neon” by David Foster Wallace this passage struck me particularly hard.
September 20, 2010
As with all detective novels, the solution to the central puzzle of "Hamlet, Revenge" is somewhat arbitrary, the mystery itself merely providing a context for the author to show off his ingenious plotting. Unlike most detective novels, "Hamlet, Revenge" offers character portraits so complex and sharply observed that the mystery becomes secondary to the thrill of discovery of a world much more sophisticated and witty than everyday reality. Occasionally offending with anachronistic colonialisms and ultimately disappointing in its plot because of its limited scope, "Hamlet, Revenge" nevertheless rewards our attention with line by line subtlety and sharpness that few mainstream literary novels ever approach.
September 3, 2017
I would like to thank Netgalley and Ipso Books for a review copy of Hamlet, Revenge!, a country house police procedural originally published in 1937.
The Duchess of Horton is putting on an Elizabethan Hamlet in the great hall. The majority of the actors are friends and family so when Polonius, aka Lord Auldearn, the Lord Chancellor, is shot during the performance the list of suspects is under 30. To complicate matters the Prime Minister suspects spies as Lord Aulderdean had some secret documents with him and various members of the Dast have been receiving strange messages. Inspector Appleby has his hands full.
There is no doubt that Hamlet, Revenge! is a clever novel. It is chock full of literary quotations and allusions, intellectual characters, a convoluted plot and takes a few mocking swipes at detective fiction which seems to be regarded as a bit lowbrow and embarrassing. Well, I don't mind being regarded as lowbrow as I found the novel to be pretentious twaddle.
I didn't realise what I was in for when I picked this novel to read as I was expecting a Golden Age police procedural so I found the detached style of writing extremely difficult to connect with and quite boring - it takes 25% of the novel to set the scene leading up to the murder and even then the investigation is full of discussion about the psychology of the crime (yawn). The quotations and literary allusions went right over my head and I didn't care enough to investigate. I admit that some of the psychology is good and apt, not as old fashioned as it might have been and I found the casual racism in the novel interesting as a reflection of the era although it made me shudder.
Hamlet, Revenge! is an interesting read in its curiosity value but its style did not appeal to me.
The Duchess of Horton is putting on an Elizabethan Hamlet in the great hall. The majority of the actors are friends and family so when Polonius, aka Lord Auldearn, the Lord Chancellor, is shot during the performance the list of suspects is under 30. To complicate matters the Prime Minister suspects spies as Lord Aulderdean had some secret documents with him and various members of the Dast have been receiving strange messages. Inspector Appleby has his hands full.
There is no doubt that Hamlet, Revenge! is a clever novel. It is chock full of literary quotations and allusions, intellectual characters, a convoluted plot and takes a few mocking swipes at detective fiction which seems to be regarded as a bit lowbrow and embarrassing. Well, I don't mind being regarded as lowbrow as I found the novel to be pretentious twaddle.
I didn't realise what I was in for when I picked this novel to read as I was expecting a Golden Age police procedural so I found the detached style of writing extremely difficult to connect with and quite boring - it takes 25% of the novel to set the scene leading up to the murder and even then the investigation is full of discussion about the psychology of the crime (yawn). The quotations and literary allusions went right over my head and I didn't care enough to investigate. I admit that some of the psychology is good and apt, not as old fashioned as it might have been and I found the casual racism in the novel interesting as a reflection of the era although it made me shudder.
Hamlet, Revenge! is an interesting read in its curiosity value but its style did not appeal to me.
May 20, 2013
“Marry, this is miching mallecho; it means mischief.” – Shakespeare.
And so it was. And Inspector Appleby arrives to find a man dead on the stage of a private production of Hamlet. What does it mean? Why? Why in those circumstances. Is it spies or a very private sort of revenge?
I loved this book. It starts slow, and I wish I’d re-read Hamlet before hand, but when Appleby arrives en scene, the book becomes compelling.
This is my sort of mystery. Very cerebral, very puzzle driven, a smart, calculating, inventive bad guy, where the clues are scarce on the ground and the only way to solve it is by deep thinking.
Definitely continuing this series!
September 15, 2017
Published in 1937, this is the second in Michael Innes' series of detective novels featuring Inspector John Appleby. However, Appleby doesn’t appear until the second section of the novel – the first part is devoted to setting the scene and introducing the very large cast of characters. As with many Golden Age mysteries, the action takes place in an English country house – in this case, Scamnum Court, which has been home to the Dukes of Horton for centuries. The novel opens with friends and acquaintances of the family beginning to arrive at Scamnum to take part in an amateur production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. When one of the guests is murdered during the performance, Appleby is called in to investigate.
This is a wonderfully complex mystery, even more so because Appleby doesn’t know exactly what type of crime has been committed. The murdered man was an important statesman whose death could have serious implications for the government, giving rise to fears that spies are operating at Scamnum Court. On the other hand, a series of revenge-themed messages received by the victim and several other guests indicate that this could be a crime of a more personal nature. With a long list of potential suspects – we are told that there are more than thirty people involved in the play in some way – Appleby is kept busy trying to establish alibis and uncover motives, while avoiding the red herrings that are thrown in his way.
After a slightly overwhelming start (due to the number of characters and the detailed background information on Scamnum Court), once Appleby arrives on the scene and begins his inquiries the pace picks up and the story becomes quite gripping. It’s the sort of mystery I love: one with plenty of clues and several possible solutions – although of course only one is correct, and we have to wait until the end of the novel before everything is revealed. It’s also a very erudite and literary mystery; as well as lots of discussion and analysis of Hamlet, there are also a number of other literary allusions and references. If you know your Shakespeare you will probably get more out of the novel, but if not, don’t worry as it isn’t completely essential.
Although this is described as an Appleby novel, much of the story is actually written from the perspective of one of the other characters, Giles Gott, an academic who also writes crime novels under a pseudonym. As Michael Innes himself is a pseudonym (he also wrote using his real name of J.I.M. Stewart), I wondered whether Gott was a way for Innes to project some of his own personality into the story. There seems to be a previous friendship between the characters of Appleby and Gott, whom I have found out also appears in the first book in the series which I haven’t read yet; I don’t know whether he is in any of the others.
I really enjoyed Hamlet, Revenge! and am looking forward to reading more by Michael Innes.
This is a wonderfully complex mystery, even more so because Appleby doesn’t know exactly what type of crime has been committed. The murdered man was an important statesman whose death could have serious implications for the government, giving rise to fears that spies are operating at Scamnum Court. On the other hand, a series of revenge-themed messages received by the victim and several other guests indicate that this could be a crime of a more personal nature. With a long list of potential suspects – we are told that there are more than thirty people involved in the play in some way – Appleby is kept busy trying to establish alibis and uncover motives, while avoiding the red herrings that are thrown in his way.
After a slightly overwhelming start (due to the number of characters and the detailed background information on Scamnum Court), once Appleby arrives on the scene and begins his inquiries the pace picks up and the story becomes quite gripping. It’s the sort of mystery I love: one with plenty of clues and several possible solutions – although of course only one is correct, and we have to wait until the end of the novel before everything is revealed. It’s also a very erudite and literary mystery; as well as lots of discussion and analysis of Hamlet, there are also a number of other literary allusions and references. If you know your Shakespeare you will probably get more out of the novel, but if not, don’t worry as it isn’t completely essential.
Although this is described as an Appleby novel, much of the story is actually written from the perspective of one of the other characters, Giles Gott, an academic who also writes crime novels under a pseudonym. As Michael Innes himself is a pseudonym (he also wrote using his real name of J.I.M. Stewart), I wondered whether Gott was a way for Innes to project some of his own personality into the story. There seems to be a previous friendship between the characters of Appleby and Gott, whom I have found out also appears in the first book in the series which I haven’t read yet; I don’t know whether he is in any of the others.
I really enjoyed Hamlet, Revenge! and am looking forward to reading more by Michael Innes.
March 20, 2021
I’ve read a lot of erudite, complicated mysteries—quite a lot. So I think I can safely say that this mystery is the most erudite and most complicated of them all. This doesn’t mean best, by any means. In fact, with all the untranslated languages, allusions to tons of Shakespeare (of course), T.S. Eliot, psychoanalysis, etc., and 31 suspects who are accused, cleared, and accused again, one often has the desire to throw it on the ground and jump on it. But, with patience, it pays off through excellent writing, good humor, and surprising feminism. Even the racism isn’t too awful for 1937.
But maybe Dorothy Sayers will do you better.
But maybe Dorothy Sayers will do you better.
February 7, 2013
This is the second book in the Appleby series. Giles Gott – who featured in the first book in the series as Appleby’s Dr Watson – reappears in this one as a guest of the Duke of Horton at Seammum Court. He is directing an amateur performance of Hamlet which includes the Lord Chancellor as Polonius. When the Lord Chancellor is murdered during the play enemy action is suspected and Appleby is sent with all haste to investigate the crime.
With a huge cast of suspects this crime novel threatens to become completely unwieldy but fortunately the author manages to stay just on the right side of the line. This is a complex story with many twists and turns, plenty of clues and an equal number of red herrings. I enjoyed the background of the performance of Hamlet as it was interesting to renew my acquaintance with the play. Appleby as ever is an interesting character who is not afraid to admit when he has made a mistake or jumped to a conclusions.
If you enjoy reading crime novels which require a bit more ‘input’ from the reader – pencil and paper may be necessary to keep track of who was where and when – then this series of well written novels may be for you. They can be read in any order as standalone novels.
With a huge cast of suspects this crime novel threatens to become completely unwieldy but fortunately the author manages to stay just on the right side of the line. This is a complex story with many twists and turns, plenty of clues and an equal number of red herrings. I enjoyed the background of the performance of Hamlet as it was interesting to renew my acquaintance with the play. Appleby as ever is an interesting character who is not afraid to admit when he has made a mistake or jumped to a conclusions.
If you enjoy reading crime novels which require a bit more ‘input’ from the reader – pencil and paper may be necessary to keep track of who was where and when – then this series of well written novels may be for you. They can be read in any order as standalone novels.
July 6, 2017
Seems I'm in the minority here, but this book just didn't appeal to me. I know the author has to set the scene at the beginning , but this went on for 25% before anything actually got underway. I thought the quoting of Shakespeare was put in for padding , where he could have said the play commenced. I admit I had no idea who was the murderer, but by that time I had given up caring. I have read the first book in the series and that introduced Appleby to me, who I quite liked , even though he did seem to be going round in circles in that , but I find in this one , he was doing it again, and every thing kept being repeated.
I may well read another in the series , but doubt if it will be for a long time
I may well read another in the series , but doubt if it will be for a long time
August 22, 2009
When the Lord Chancellor of England is killed during an amateur performance of Hamlet, John Appleby must first determine whether a confidential document has been stolen before he can begin to investigate the murder. This novel, set in pre-World War II England, is totally delightful (if not entirely politically correct by today's standards) and a good introduction to Appleby's crime solving abilities.
June 12, 2017
One of the earliest and best (Sir) John Appleby detective novels (1937). A murder during an amateur Hamlet at a country house.
March 6, 2022
Inspector Appleby is rather growing on me in this, his second outing, even if he does seem inordinately calm in a situation where the Lord Chancellor has been murdered and he has 29 suspects. Killed behind the arras while playing the part of Polonius in a country house production of Hamlet. I love the idea of the great and the good in government taking time out for amateur theatricals, which also muddies the waters by bringing a potential international espionage motive for the crime, which up to then had been sensationalised by various Shakespearean notes appearing, all predicting gruesome revenge. Appleby calmly sifts his way through the alibis, eventually to a satisfactory conclusion.
July 8, 2017
Very interesting writing style but wordy and flowery with a great deal of repetition. The interaction between the two main characters is great. The plot is convoluted and the solution is a bit unsatisfactory. The use of the play Hamlet is interesting. Enjoyable read but takes more time and thought than most 'golden age' mysteries.
May 19, 2025
A senior politician is murdered during a performance of Hamlet at the country home of the Duke and Duchess of Horton. And (surprise!) he had brought a top secret document with him... Appleby, a mere Inspector at this early stage in the series, is asked by the Prime Minister to take on the case.
I found this rather long and slow, especially in the beginning. It's only just over 300 pages but there's a lot of build-up with many characters introduced before the murder happens. There are also, of course, many quotes from Shakespeare, but considering that J.I.M. Stewart a.k.a. Michael Innes was a Professor of English, it's not too self-indulgent. Once I got into it, I enjoyed it, but not as much as some of his other books.
I found this rather long and slow, especially in the beginning. It's only just over 300 pages but there's a lot of build-up with many characters introduced before the murder happens. There are also, of course, many quotes from Shakespeare, but considering that J.I.M. Stewart a.k.a. Michael Innes was a Professor of English, it's not too self-indulgent. Once I got into it, I enjoyed it, but not as much as some of his other books.
February 16, 2021
This did seem to take an inordinate amount of time to get going.
December 15, 2020
I finally finished this mystery. It was slow going for me but it has helped me to remember why I have passed on reading this series. I am not a Shakespeare nut so much of the dialogue was lost on me, though I was certainly able to follow the murder mystery. Since I do not enjoy reading this series, this may be the last one for me, at least for awhile.
‘Death at Scamnum Court!’
Appleby, who had already begun a swift exploration, paused. ‘Yes?’
‘It would be a learned joke. Perhaps somebody’s having a learned joke … Scamnum.’ ‘Scamnum?’ Appleby frowned in perplexity. ‘A bench?’
‘Yes; it was arrogantly named after old Roger Crippen’s usurious counter. But it’s the same word as something else.’ Appleby shook his head.
"There was only one wound; the bullet came from the gun we possess, and we have expert evidence that it was fired at not less than two nor more than five paces. Quite apart from the weapon’s having been removed, the evidence against suicide is conclusive."
As Gott talked he was systematically examining the dead man’s bedroom. ‘Now go on to the mob,’ he directed.
‘It’s rather a large order. Shall I begin alphabetically? A’s for Auldearn, the man who was shot. B is for Bunney, the man who was not. Very little to say about Bunney. He’s rather like yourself – same policemanly figure and something of a detective mind. C is for Clay –’
‘It might be better,’ said Appleby, ‘if you didn’t go right through but simply picked out the type of the amazingly foolhardy murderer.’
‘You think he – or she – must have been that?’
Appleby nodded. ‘He walked out on the rear stage, shot Auldearn almost point-blank in what might have been full view of the prompter, was lucky in having five seconds to get off and amazingly lucky in manoeuvring into some uncompromising position thereafter without exciting remark. I call him foolhardy.’
‘Death at Scamnum Court!’
Appleby, who had already begun a swift exploration, paused. ‘Yes?’
‘It would be a learned joke. Perhaps somebody’s having a learned joke … Scamnum.’ ‘Scamnum?’ Appleby frowned in perplexity. ‘A bench?’
‘Yes; it was arrogantly named after old Roger Crippen’s usurious counter. But it’s the same word as something else.’ Appleby shook his head.
"There was only one wound; the bullet came from the gun we possess, and we have expert evidence that it was fired at not less than two nor more than five paces. Quite apart from the weapon’s having been removed, the evidence against suicide is conclusive."
As Gott talked he was systematically examining the dead man’s bedroom. ‘Now go on to the mob,’ he directed.
‘It’s rather a large order. Shall I begin alphabetically? A’s for Auldearn, the man who was shot. B is for Bunney, the man who was not. Very little to say about Bunney. He’s rather like yourself – same policemanly figure and something of a detective mind. C is for Clay –’
‘It might be better,’ said Appleby, ‘if you didn’t go right through but simply picked out the type of the amazingly foolhardy murderer.’
‘You think he – or she – must have been that?’
Appleby nodded. ‘He walked out on the rear stage, shot Auldearn almost point-blank in what might have been full view of the prompter, was lucky in having five seconds to get off and amazingly lucky in manoeuvring into some uncompromising position thereafter without exciting remark. I call him foolhardy.’
May 14, 2022
This is a 1937 book by Scottish author John Innes Stewart (writing using the pseudonym Michael Innes) and it is the second book in his mystery novel series featuring Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Sir John Appleby. It is a cozy mystery and a police procedural book. The setting of this case is in 1937 (so it is right before the Second World War with war clouds already on the horizon) in a country house in Sussex and Appleby was able to solve the case with help from his friend Giles Gott and a few others. I am not very impressed by the book. I find the various red herrings unnecessarily long and divertive. In the end, when the surprise ending came, you look back and feel that little efforts have been spent developing the clues to help readers to reach that conclusion. It is definitely not a fair-play clue-based detective novel. Too much time are spent on side issues and not enough on the main plot.
Spoiler Alert. The core of the story is built around William Shakespeare’s famous play The Tragedy of Hamlet. I do find having read Hamlet does enhance my enjoyment of this book given the various literary references to the classic in the story. For example, it is kind of funny that the murder weapon was found inside Yorick’s skull. Also, having an understanding on how the Polonius murder scene work helps understand how the actual murder can be committed. Having said that, it is not an absolute prerequisite because Innes did give enough pointers and explanations to describe the key features of the play. The story starts out with the Duke and Duchess of Horton organizing a big country house weekend party (with hundreds attending) with the main attraction as an amateur production of Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet. The play was to be produced by Elizabethan theater scholar Giles Gott (who also happens to be a detective mystery novel author and a very good friend of Appleby). While the Duke and the Duchess have roles in the play, they also invited many famous guests to participate, including famous actor Melville Clay to play Hamlet and the Lord Chancellor of England, Lord Auldearn, to play Polonius. One complaint I have about the book is that it does have too large a cast of characters.
During the play in the country house, at Act Three, Scene iv, line 23 in Hamlet, Hamlet (played by Clay) was supposed to kill Polonius (played by Lord Auldearn) who was hiding behind a screen. At that very moment, instead of Clay slicing through the screen, a shot was heard. Later it was discovered somebody has shot Auldearn dead. The Duke immediately sealed off the stage area, pending police arrival, which helped limited the number of suspects. Appleby, who was in London at the time, was ordered by the Prime Minister himself to immediately travel to Scamnum Court to oversee the investigation. It soon became clear that three separate crimes might be involved. Auldearn at the time of his death was carrying on his person a highly sensitive secret treaty which some foreign spies are trying to steal. With a huge party going on at Scamnum Court that weekend, the government has received information that some unidentified spies are at work there. It was also known that a famous safe cracker, Happy Hutton, has been seen in the neighborhood. Hutton’s specialty is to dress up as a society gentleman and gate crash into society parties during which he would crack the safes in the country house and steal jewelries. Even though Lord Auldearn’s safe in his guest room in Scamnum Court was broken into, Appleby soon concluded it was not related to his murder and it was just part of Happy Hutton’s safe cracking robbery. Appleby, however, struggled with whether the murder was against Auldearn in his personal capacity or whether it was related to the spies trying to steal the treaty. It turned out Auldearn was very clever in hiding the treaty. He hid it in the prop he has to carry as Polonius so he always has it with him. However, after the treaty was uncovered on his body after his death, the question became whether the spies copied the treaty and returned the original to Lord Auldearn’s body so it can be found later, or whether they never found the treaty.
While Appleby’s preconceived notion is that spies normally do not need to resort to murder to steal treaties, so Auldearn’s murder probably is personal instead of business in nature, it turns out Auldearn was actually murdered by spies to get his treaty instead of for personal reasons. Ultimately, Appleby was able to uncover it was actually a clever spy with theatrical flair who deliberately tried to build diversions to let people think that the murder is an independent act and the treaty is never in danger. The spy mastermind was the famous actor Melville Clay (who played Hamlet). He, together with his accomplice Anna Merkalova, set up a plot to frame another guest at the party, Sir Richard Nave, for the murder. They first sent five different warning messages to five different people involved in the play in the days preceding the murder. They involve messages like “Hamlet, Revenge!” (hence the book’s name) as well as references to a person called Raven. Raven is of course, an anagram for the name “R. Nave”, which is Sir Richard Nave, a Harley Street psychiatrist who was at the country house for the weekend party. The real murderer also planted another red herring for Appleby. One of the guests was an old rival of Lord Auldearn, David Malloch. It turns out 40 years ago, when both Malloch and Lord Auldearn were in university, they were archrivals and have even fought a duel. Appleby finally concluded that was a red herring. Giles, in helping Appleby, concluded Sir Richard was the murderer because of the messages with references to Hamlet, Revenge.
Thankfully, Appleby saw through all that and, with help from the daughter of the Duke and Duchess, Lady Elizabeth, was able to uncover the fact that Clay was the real murderer (with help from Merkalova) and it was Clay who had actually stole the treaty, dictated the terms verbatim into a dictaphone recording cylinder, then returned the treaty to Lord Auldearn’s dead body. Just when Clay and Merkalova were trying to get away with the recording of the treaty, Appleby and the cavalry arrived. Both spies died in a shootout.
Spoiler Alert. The core of the story is built around William Shakespeare’s famous play The Tragedy of Hamlet. I do find having read Hamlet does enhance my enjoyment of this book given the various literary references to the classic in the story. For example, it is kind of funny that the murder weapon was found inside Yorick’s skull. Also, having an understanding on how the Polonius murder scene work helps understand how the actual murder can be committed. Having said that, it is not an absolute prerequisite because Innes did give enough pointers and explanations to describe the key features of the play. The story starts out with the Duke and Duchess of Horton organizing a big country house weekend party (with hundreds attending) with the main attraction as an amateur production of Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet. The play was to be produced by Elizabethan theater scholar Giles Gott (who also happens to be a detective mystery novel author and a very good friend of Appleby). While the Duke and the Duchess have roles in the play, they also invited many famous guests to participate, including famous actor Melville Clay to play Hamlet and the Lord Chancellor of England, Lord Auldearn, to play Polonius. One complaint I have about the book is that it does have too large a cast of characters.
During the play in the country house, at Act Three, Scene iv, line 23 in Hamlet, Hamlet (played by Clay) was supposed to kill Polonius (played by Lord Auldearn) who was hiding behind a screen. At that very moment, instead of Clay slicing through the screen, a shot was heard. Later it was discovered somebody has shot Auldearn dead. The Duke immediately sealed off the stage area, pending police arrival, which helped limited the number of suspects. Appleby, who was in London at the time, was ordered by the Prime Minister himself to immediately travel to Scamnum Court to oversee the investigation. It soon became clear that three separate crimes might be involved. Auldearn at the time of his death was carrying on his person a highly sensitive secret treaty which some foreign spies are trying to steal. With a huge party going on at Scamnum Court that weekend, the government has received information that some unidentified spies are at work there. It was also known that a famous safe cracker, Happy Hutton, has been seen in the neighborhood. Hutton’s specialty is to dress up as a society gentleman and gate crash into society parties during which he would crack the safes in the country house and steal jewelries. Even though Lord Auldearn’s safe in his guest room in Scamnum Court was broken into, Appleby soon concluded it was not related to his murder and it was just part of Happy Hutton’s safe cracking robbery. Appleby, however, struggled with whether the murder was against Auldearn in his personal capacity or whether it was related to the spies trying to steal the treaty. It turned out Auldearn was very clever in hiding the treaty. He hid it in the prop he has to carry as Polonius so he always has it with him. However, after the treaty was uncovered on his body after his death, the question became whether the spies copied the treaty and returned the original to Lord Auldearn’s body so it can be found later, or whether they never found the treaty.
While Appleby’s preconceived notion is that spies normally do not need to resort to murder to steal treaties, so Auldearn’s murder probably is personal instead of business in nature, it turns out Auldearn was actually murdered by spies to get his treaty instead of for personal reasons. Ultimately, Appleby was able to uncover it was actually a clever spy with theatrical flair who deliberately tried to build diversions to let people think that the murder is an independent act and the treaty is never in danger. The spy mastermind was the famous actor Melville Clay (who played Hamlet). He, together with his accomplice Anna Merkalova, set up a plot to frame another guest at the party, Sir Richard Nave, for the murder. They first sent five different warning messages to five different people involved in the play in the days preceding the murder. They involve messages like “Hamlet, Revenge!” (hence the book’s name) as well as references to a person called Raven. Raven is of course, an anagram for the name “R. Nave”, which is Sir Richard Nave, a Harley Street psychiatrist who was at the country house for the weekend party. The real murderer also planted another red herring for Appleby. One of the guests was an old rival of Lord Auldearn, David Malloch. It turns out 40 years ago, when both Malloch and Lord Auldearn were in university, they were archrivals and have even fought a duel. Appleby finally concluded that was a red herring. Giles, in helping Appleby, concluded Sir Richard was the murderer because of the messages with references to Hamlet, Revenge.
Thankfully, Appleby saw through all that and, with help from the daughter of the Duke and Duchess, Lady Elizabeth, was able to uncover the fact that Clay was the real murderer (with help from Merkalova) and it was Clay who had actually stole the treaty, dictated the terms verbatim into a dictaphone recording cylinder, then returned the treaty to Lord Auldearn’s dead body. Just when Clay and Merkalova were trying to get away with the recording of the treaty, Appleby and the cavalry arrived. Both spies died in a shootout.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2022
3.5 stars. An interesting detective novel where an actor is shot dead in the middle of Shakespeare’s play, ‘Hamlet’. The play had been enacted at Scamnum Court, the private estate of the Crippen family. Lord Auldearn, acting the part of Polonius, was shot dead and on his person he had important documents. Auldearn was Lord Chancellor and it was believed a spy had attempted to steal the documents.
There are many suspects and red herrings with lots of plot twists. There is interesting information provided about the play ‘Hamlet’. The ending is well done. I did find the book hard going in places as there are so many characters to remember.
This book was first published in 1937.
There are many suspects and red herrings with lots of plot twists. There is interesting information provided about the play ‘Hamlet’. The ending is well done. I did find the book hard going in places as there are so many characters to remember.
This book was first published in 1937.
January 18, 2013
I haven't read it for years, but I've kept it a long time, so I decided to re-read it before it was consigned to the thinning-out pile. And I still like it a lot. It's a real period piece now, and I wish I'd re-read Hamlet before I started it, but it's still a really good country house murder with plot twists. I love the language and the hundreds of literary references scattered throughout, and even though I didn't recognise them all there was enough pace to keep me turning the page.
May 12, 2016
A daring technical experiment: multiple approaches to detecting applied to the same *massively complex* problem, the various (plausible) scenarios that they come up with, and the insight into whether or not errors matter--and in whose favor.
This isn't really a novel so much as it is a bunch of literary references used to spice up a HOW TO WRITE MYSTERIES guide. A mystery writer's mystery :)
This isn't really a novel so much as it is a bunch of literary references used to spice up a HOW TO WRITE MYSTERIES guide. A mystery writer's mystery :)
September 7, 2013
One of the great literate inter-war thrillers. 4R2C2E, often find myself chanting "bunchy cushiony bunch" at times of stress or lightheadedness. A perfect Evelyn Waugh-ish house party, a production of Hamlet, a spy story, and the greatest of all English C20 detectives, John Appleby.
June 17, 2020
A very nearly perfect murder mystery by the great Michael Innes, a Golden Age writer. So smooth and erudite and literate a style is always a pleasure to read.
The action takes place at Scamnum Court in Sussex, seat of the Duke and Duchess of Horton. The Duchess, the former Anne Dillon, has decided to host a private performance of Shakespeare's Hamlet and has assembled a cast consisting of a cinema actor named Melville Clay (along the lines of Laurence Olivier but much more conceited) as Hamlet, her husband as the uncle-king, her daughter as Ophelia, the Lord Chancellor of the country as Polonius, a well-known novelist as Horatio, herself as Gertrude the Queen, and various other notables for the rest of the cast. The director is Oxford don and mystery novelist Giles Gott, who wants to marry the Hortons' daughter, Elizabeth. Those invited are all high society.
The rehearsals are fraught with unexplainable tension, and several of the cast have received vaguely threatening notes that quote Shakespearean plays with lines about revenge.
During the play, when Polonius hides behind the arras in Queen Gertrude's chamber to overhear what Hamlet says to his mother, and when Hamlet hears him and is about to stab through the curtain to kill him, a pistol shot instead rings out and Polonius–the Lord Chancellor–is dead of that gunshot.
The questions of how and why and who consume Giles Gott, the erstwhile director and on-the-spot expert in murder mystery plots. The Scotland Yard man sent down to investigate turns out to be Giles Gott's good friend John Appleby. With Gott cleared by being in a group of four other people at the time of the murder, he helps Appleby get to the truth, which is so exceedingly complex and crafty that I couldn't begin to guess before very close to the end of the book.
One of my favorite things about Golden Age mystery writers is how they reference each other. In here, there are a couple of shout-outs to Agatha Christie's Belgian detective, Poirot:
From page 183: "Appleby waved Mr. Timothy Tucker aside. 'Order,' he said; 'method; the little gray cells! . . .'." (Appleby obviously reads Agatha Christie.)
Another reference on page 222:
"'And in my opinion the Duke should send for a detective.'
"'A detective?' said Noel politely from across the table. 'You mean a real detective–not like the police?'
"'Exactly–a real detective. There is a very good man whose name I forget; a foreigner and very conceited–but, they say, thoroughly reliable.'"
Here the original set-up of the reference is turned on its head by making Poirot an unnamed character in this book, instead of a reference to a character in a book by Agatha Christie that Appleby has read. The original quote must be reread to suggest that Appleby is familiar with Poirot personally. On the other hand, we could surmise that Captain Hastings (of Agatha Christie's creation) has written up the mystery stories based on Poirot's exploits, and John Appleby has read those in order to become familiar with the "little grey cells." This would be a story embedded in a story embedded in a story, certainly one of Michael Innes' clever tricks on full display here with the Shakespeare play within a mystery plot within a story within a book . . .
In any case, Poirot is not needed when John Appleby and Giles Gott are both so very, very clever.
The action takes place at Scamnum Court in Sussex, seat of the Duke and Duchess of Horton. The Duchess, the former Anne Dillon, has decided to host a private performance of Shakespeare's Hamlet and has assembled a cast consisting of a cinema actor named Melville Clay (along the lines of Laurence Olivier but much more conceited) as Hamlet, her husband as the uncle-king, her daughter as Ophelia, the Lord Chancellor of the country as Polonius, a well-known novelist as Horatio, herself as Gertrude the Queen, and various other notables for the rest of the cast. The director is Oxford don and mystery novelist Giles Gott, who wants to marry the Hortons' daughter, Elizabeth. Those invited are all high society.
The rehearsals are fraught with unexplainable tension, and several of the cast have received vaguely threatening notes that quote Shakespearean plays with lines about revenge.
During the play, when Polonius hides behind the arras in Queen Gertrude's chamber to overhear what Hamlet says to his mother, and when Hamlet hears him and is about to stab through the curtain to kill him, a pistol shot instead rings out and Polonius–the Lord Chancellor–is dead of that gunshot.
The questions of how and why and who consume Giles Gott, the erstwhile director and on-the-spot expert in murder mystery plots. The Scotland Yard man sent down to investigate turns out to be Giles Gott's good friend John Appleby. With Gott cleared by being in a group of four other people at the time of the murder, he helps Appleby get to the truth, which is so exceedingly complex and crafty that I couldn't begin to guess before very close to the end of the book.
One of my favorite things about Golden Age mystery writers is how they reference each other. In here, there are a couple of shout-outs to Agatha Christie's Belgian detective, Poirot:
From page 183: "Appleby waved Mr. Timothy Tucker aside. 'Order,' he said; 'method; the little gray cells! . . .'." (Appleby obviously reads Agatha Christie.)
Another reference on page 222:
"'And in my opinion the Duke should send for a detective.'
"'A detective?' said Noel politely from across the table. 'You mean a real detective–not like the police?'
"'Exactly–a real detective. There is a very good man whose name I forget; a foreigner and very conceited–but, they say, thoroughly reliable.'"
Here the original set-up of the reference is turned on its head by making Poirot an unnamed character in this book, instead of a reference to a character in a book by Agatha Christie that Appleby has read. The original quote must be reread to suggest that Appleby is familiar with Poirot personally. On the other hand, we could surmise that Captain Hastings (of Agatha Christie's creation) has written up the mystery stories based on Poirot's exploits, and John Appleby has read those in order to become familiar with the "little grey cells." This would be a story embedded in a story embedded in a story, certainly one of Michael Innes' clever tricks on full display here with the Shakespeare play within a mystery plot within a story within a book . . .
In any case, Poirot is not needed when John Appleby and Giles Gott are both so very, very clever.
June 20, 2021
Note: The edition I read was from Ipso Books, not the one pictured here. I tried to change it. I mention this because the editing in the Ipso edition is woefully horrible. Lapses in punctuation make some sections hard going. I strongly recommend choosing a different edition. This was not an advance reader copy where one might expect to find theses flaws.
Be forewarned, by day Michael Innes was the venerated Oxford don J. I. M. Stewart. Like his character Giles Gott, an Oxford tutor in Renaissance literature, writing detective fiction was a diversion. This can make or the break a reader’s engagement with the novel, especially in the first quarter of the book, the literary allusion abound. Along with this, a fair grounding in 1930s culture helps. Then there is a robust cast. This is an English country house mystery on growth hormones. Within the first 25 pages something like 25 characters, all potentially suspected are introduced. Hint: make a check list.
The set-up goes like this, our hostess, The Duchess of Horton has gathered various friends, acquaintances and curiosities to her home Scamnum Court to perform in an amateur production if Hamlet. Scamnum is a monumental pile which is described as larger than Blenheim. Oh! Also there are some eligible bright, young things who manage not to come off as insufferable while adding a light romantic twist. Among the cast are Lord Auldearn, the Lord Chancellor of England; an actual actor of dazzling male beauty and skill; Gervase Crispin, one of the Duke’s cousins and one of England’s wealthiest men. Thrown in this mix are an American philologist and and American woman and her identical twin daughters.
After introductions, the book’s pace picks up enormously. Still, the details of the stages set-up were lost on me, as is usually the case. The literary allusions continued to bounce about - everything from Beatrix Potter to James Joyce to P. G. Wodehouse. Still, though not as tautly crafted as I would have like, it is crafty. Nothing is hidden, but a good bit is deluged by words. The end is satisfying, one that you could hit on yourself, but still stays vaguely out of reach.
This is a book of its period, and some aspects do not hold up well. This is especially true of the characterization of the Indian guest, while at times he is described with dignity, there is more than a whiff of racial condescension and in some cases blatant racism.
Be forewarned, by day Michael Innes was the venerated Oxford don J. I. M. Stewart. Like his character Giles Gott, an Oxford tutor in Renaissance literature, writing detective fiction was a diversion. This can make or the break a reader’s engagement with the novel, especially in the first quarter of the book, the literary allusion abound. Along with this, a fair grounding in 1930s culture helps. Then there is a robust cast. This is an English country house mystery on growth hormones. Within the first 25 pages something like 25 characters, all potentially suspected are introduced. Hint: make a check list.
The set-up goes like this, our hostess, The Duchess of Horton has gathered various friends, acquaintances and curiosities to her home Scamnum Court to perform in an amateur production if Hamlet. Scamnum is a monumental pile which is described as larger than Blenheim. Oh! Also there are some eligible bright, young things who manage not to come off as insufferable while adding a light romantic twist. Among the cast are Lord Auldearn, the Lord Chancellor of England; an actual actor of dazzling male beauty and skill; Gervase Crispin, one of the Duke’s cousins and one of England’s wealthiest men. Thrown in this mix are an American philologist and and American woman and her identical twin daughters.
After introductions, the book’s pace picks up enormously. Still, the details of the stages set-up were lost on me, as is usually the case. The literary allusions continued to bounce about - everything from Beatrix Potter to James Joyce to P. G. Wodehouse. Still, though not as tautly crafted as I would have like, it is crafty. Nothing is hidden, but a good bit is deluged by words. The end is satisfying, one that you could hit on yourself, but still stays vaguely out of reach.
This is a book of its period, and some aspects do not hold up well. This is especially true of the characterization of the Indian guest, while at times he is described with dignity, there is more than a whiff of racial condescension and in some cases blatant racism.
October 16, 2019
Another murder mystery where the murder itself takes place during a production of a Shakespeare play. This time, rather than Light Thickens and Macbeth and Macbeth's decapitation being for real, this time it's Hamlet and the murder of Polonius behind the arras being for real. Of course I can't resist such a premise, but this fails to live up to even the fairly low standard of the aforementioned Ngaio Marsh book.
Where Marsh spent fully the first two-thirds of her book building up a glorious Macbeth-ian atmosphere of doom and fate and moral darkness, Innes instead rushes through the set-up, introduces a wide cast of mostly the uber-rich who are mostly indistinguishable from each other. The plot itself is far too complex, with different versions gone over and over again by our characters, until you've lost all track of the significance of any one particular item.
It's also all suffused with a sort of respect, nostalgia, awe for the stately home of Scamnum and its stately inhabitants, an emotion I find rather despicable, to be frank. Of course a great deal of Agatha Christie has a similar setting (and there's some references in here to her work that I think Innes thinks are funny), but she always reveals these stately people to be greedy and grubby and fully despicably human like the rest of us. Innes does no such thing.
It has its moments, most them Hamlet-related for a Hamlet nut like me, but I can't really recommend it on any other grounds.
Where Marsh spent fully the first two-thirds of her book building up a glorious Macbeth-ian atmosphere of doom and fate and moral darkness, Innes instead rushes through the set-up, introduces a wide cast of mostly the uber-rich who are mostly indistinguishable from each other. The plot itself is far too complex, with different versions gone over and over again by our characters, until you've lost all track of the significance of any one particular item.
It's also all suffused with a sort of respect, nostalgia, awe for the stately home of Scamnum and its stately inhabitants, an emotion I find rather despicable, to be frank. Of course a great deal of Agatha Christie has a similar setting (and there's some references in here to her work that I think Innes thinks are funny), but she always reveals these stately people to be greedy and grubby and fully despicably human like the rest of us. Innes does no such thing.
It has its moments, most them Hamlet-related for a Hamlet nut like me, but I can't really recommend it on any other grounds.
December 30, 2024
【A Crime Thriller in Which Nobody Is Serious / Michael Innes / Hamlet, Revenge!】
It ended up having taken up 5 months just to finish one crime thriller. If it was Agatha Christie, it'd be a uncomfortable even to the author to be read at that pace. However, Michael Innes is exactly a rich author with full erudition about literature in a parodying way.
Characters in this book call a murderer "an unknown person, callous of human life and apparently utterly reckless, at large." (P130, Pt.2, 6). Just say it a murderer. But people in this book mainly belong to the upper class and the one that was murdered was the Lord Chancellor appearing on an amateur production of Hamlet. The witnesses simply talking about their imagination and opinions about Hamlet to finding the criminal.
They really seem to be indifferent to murders in general, and they find chocolate exchange's homosexuality (p156, Pt.2, 8) more interesting than the lethal matter. Even the detective himself is distracted by a person "rather more like a domestic chaplain, Appleby thought, than a butler - and was extremely bewildered" (p174, Pt.3, 1). Of course, he has more to do than grumbling about the old manservant.
To sum up, people in this thriller is "all - or nearly all - with the motives of kids just underneath. Peter Marryat simply lacks a protective covering of conventional adulthood," as one of those childish characters say (p209, Pt.3, 3).
However, for the very fact people in this novel never takes crime seriously, the detective inspector has to be minute, conscientious and intensive in his investigation. It's a great after-Christmas read for those who are already tired of Agatha Christie.
It ended up having taken up 5 months just to finish one crime thriller. If it was Agatha Christie, it'd be a uncomfortable even to the author to be read at that pace. However, Michael Innes is exactly a rich author with full erudition about literature in a parodying way.
Characters in this book call a murderer "an unknown person, callous of human life and apparently utterly reckless, at large." (P130, Pt.2, 6). Just say it a murderer. But people in this book mainly belong to the upper class and the one that was murdered was the Lord Chancellor appearing on an amateur production of Hamlet. The witnesses simply talking about their imagination and opinions about Hamlet to finding the criminal.
They really seem to be indifferent to murders in general, and they find chocolate exchange's homosexuality (p156, Pt.2, 8) more interesting than the lethal matter. Even the detective himself is distracted by a person "rather more like a domestic chaplain, Appleby thought, than a butler - and was extremely bewildered" (p174, Pt.3, 1). Of course, he has more to do than grumbling about the old manservant.
To sum up, people in this thriller is "all - or nearly all - with the motives of kids just underneath. Peter Marryat simply lacks a protective covering of conventional adulthood," as one of those childish characters say (p209, Pt.3, 3).
However, for the very fact people in this novel never takes crime seriously, the detective inspector has to be minute, conscientious and intensive in his investigation. It's a great after-Christmas read for those who are already tired of Agatha Christie.
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