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Inspector Harry Charlton #4
Il canto di Natale
A Paulsfield, nel sud dell’Inghilterra, la domenica prima di Natale è in corso la tradizionale questua a beneficio di un ospedale del luogo. Mentre un gruppo di cantori si sposta da un angolo all’altro della cittadina intonando carole natalizie, due volontari passano di porta in porta a raccogliere qualche penny o, nei casi migliori, un paio di sterline. Tutto sembra filare liscio come al solito, sennonché, al termine della serata, uno dei due risulta scomparso insieme alla sua cassetta per le offerte. Thomas Vavasour – questo il suo nome – fa il commesso viaggiatore e potrebbe essere partito con grande urgenza per questioni di lavoro. L’uomo, però, non possiede un’automobile, e il personale della stazione non lo ha visto salire su un treno quella sera. Perfino sua moglie pare essere all’oscuro dei motivi della sua partenza. Due giorni dopo la cassetta ricompare, vuota, in un parco della cittadina, ma di Vavasour non si hanno ancora notizie, salvo un biglietto ricevuto dalla moglie in cui lui le assicura che sarà di ritorno per Natale. E invece Vavasour non rincaserà mai più… Dopo Ipotesi per un delitto (I bassotti n. 67), un nuovo, intrigante caso per l’ispettore Charlton in un mystery del 1939 che viene pubblicato in Italia per la prima volta.
303 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1939
39 people are currently reading
231 people want to read
About the author
Clifford Witting
37 books16 followersClifford Witting (1907-68) was an English writer who was educated at Eltham College, London, between 1916 and 1924.
During World War II he served as a bombardier in the Royal Artillery, 1942-44, and as a Warrant Officer in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, 1944-46.
He married Ellen Marjorie Steward in 1934 and they had one daughter. Before becoming a full-time writer, he worked as a clerk in Lloyds bank from 1924 to 1942. He was Honorary Editor of The Old Elthamian magazine, London. from 1947 up to his death.
His first novel 'Murder in Blue' was published in 1937 and his series characters were Sergeant (later Inspector) Peter Bradford and Inspector Harry Charlton. Unusually, he didn’t join The Detection Club until 1958 by which time he had written 12 detective novels.
In their 'A Catalogue of Crime', Jacques Barzun and Wendell Hertig Taylor stated, 'Witting started feebly, improved to a point of high competence, and has since shown a marked capacity for character and situation, with uneven success in keeping up the detective interest.'
On the gadetection website it reports, 'Why is Witting so obscure? His detection is genuinely engrossing, and his style is witty, if occasionally facetious. He could do setting very well—Army life in Subject: Murder. His books have the genuine whodunit pull. He can brilliantly misdirect the reader (Midsummer Murder) or invent a genuinely clever and simple murder method (Dead on Time).
'He experimented with form: the surprise victim (whowillbedunin?) of Measure for Murder, or, weak as it is otherwise is, the riff on the inverted detective story in Michaelmas Goose. In short, he always has something to offer the reader, and found original ideas within the conventions of the formal detective story.
'And yet he’s barely known—no entry in 20th Crime and Mystery Writers, and only a passing reference in the Oxford guide. Only treated in detail in Cooper and Pike, and in Barzun.'
During World War II he served as a bombardier in the Royal Artillery, 1942-44, and as a Warrant Officer in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, 1944-46.
He married Ellen Marjorie Steward in 1934 and they had one daughter. Before becoming a full-time writer, he worked as a clerk in Lloyds bank from 1924 to 1942. He was Honorary Editor of The Old Elthamian magazine, London. from 1947 up to his death.
His first novel 'Murder in Blue' was published in 1937 and his series characters were Sergeant (later Inspector) Peter Bradford and Inspector Harry Charlton. Unusually, he didn’t join The Detection Club until 1958 by which time he had written 12 detective novels.
In their 'A Catalogue of Crime', Jacques Barzun and Wendell Hertig Taylor stated, 'Witting started feebly, improved to a point of high competence, and has since shown a marked capacity for character and situation, with uneven success in keeping up the detective interest.'
On the gadetection website it reports, 'Why is Witting so obscure? His detection is genuinely engrossing, and his style is witty, if occasionally facetious. He could do setting very well—Army life in Subject: Murder. His books have the genuine whodunit pull. He can brilliantly misdirect the reader (Midsummer Murder) or invent a genuinely clever and simple murder method (Dead on Time).
'He experimented with form: the surprise victim (whowillbedunin?) of Measure for Murder, or, weak as it is otherwise is, the riff on the inverted detective story in Michaelmas Goose. In short, he always has something to offer the reader, and found original ideas within the conventions of the formal detective story.
'And yet he’s barely known—no entry in 20th Crime and Mystery Writers, and only a passing reference in the Oxford guide. Only treated in detail in Cooper and Pike, and in Barzun.'
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September 9, 2022That rare thing, a book with a major spoiler in the title. I'm accustomed to spoilers in the blurbs after the calamity that was Six Suspects, but the title is a new one on me.
Adequate 1950s mystery, nothing special except for the title which I'm still thinking about because Jesus.
Adequate 1950s mystery, nothing special except for the title which I'm still thinking about because Jesus.
December 27, 2020
I love Golden Age crime, but hadn't read anything by Clifford Witting before. Sadly, this is the only one of his books available in kindle, which is a shame, as this is a fun, Christmas mystery, first published in 1939.
The book starts on the 21st December, when narrator, John Rutherford, is coerced by his wife, Molly, to finally accept an invitation from the de Fraynes. Mrs de Frayne is one of those ladies who is the pillar of the community and who drags hen-pecked husband Charles, and anyone who enters her path, to join her in every charitable cause going. As such, John and Molly Rutherford find themselves in a constant round of visits, concerts, children's parties and Carol Singing...
John is holding the lantern as Mrs de Frayne marches her Carol Singers to a tight time-table and the breezy, caddish, Mr Vavasour and the spinsterish Miss Gordon, knock on doors and collect money for the Cottage Hospital. However, Mr Vavasour suddenly goes missing and Rutherford, along with another house guest of the de Frayne's, look into the disappearance of Mr Vavasour; a commercial traveller with a suspiciously behaving wife.
I must admit that I enjoyed the first half of this mystery more than the second half, when John Rutherford becomes involved in the police investigation and there is much rushing around the country, chasing clues. However, overall, this was a really enjoyable read, with some excellent humour as you view things through John Rutherford's ironic gaze. I will hope that more of Mr Witting's books become re-published and, if so, will certainly be reading them.
The book starts on the 21st December, when narrator, John Rutherford, is coerced by his wife, Molly, to finally accept an invitation from the de Fraynes. Mrs de Frayne is one of those ladies who is the pillar of the community and who drags hen-pecked husband Charles, and anyone who enters her path, to join her in every charitable cause going. As such, John and Molly Rutherford find themselves in a constant round of visits, concerts, children's parties and Carol Singing...
John is holding the lantern as Mrs de Frayne marches her Carol Singers to a tight time-table and the breezy, caddish, Mr Vavasour and the spinsterish Miss Gordon, knock on doors and collect money for the Cottage Hospital. However, Mr Vavasour suddenly goes missing and Rutherford, along with another house guest of the de Frayne's, look into the disappearance of Mr Vavasour; a commercial traveller with a suspiciously behaving wife.
I must admit that I enjoyed the first half of this mystery more than the second half, when John Rutherford becomes involved in the police investigation and there is much rushing around the country, chasing clues. However, overall, this was a really enjoyable read, with some excellent humour as you view things through John Rutherford's ironic gaze. I will hope that more of Mr Witting's books become re-published and, if so, will certainly be reading them.
November 18, 2020
This is certainly in the running for my personal " Best Neglected GAD of 2020" award. It is exceptionally well-written-I could hardly stop reading- neatly plotted, and with just the right amount of dry and wry humour.
The characterisation is sharp and amusing, while never falling into caricature, and the dialogue is witty without being facetious or facile.
The plot is interesting, with a very few clues about the perpetrator, and some neat misdirection. I did not guess the solution until very late on.
I hope this very reasonably priced reissue heralds the publication of more by this unjustly ignored writer.
4.5 stars.
The characterisation is sharp and amusing, while never falling into caricature, and the dialogue is witty without being facetious or facile.
The plot is interesting, with a very few clues about the perpetrator, and some neat misdirection. I did not guess the solution until very late on.
I hope this very reasonably priced reissue heralds the publication of more by this unjustly ignored writer.
4.5 stars.
December 12, 2021
Wishing you a Merry Christmas from 1939 a classic Christmas murder mystery that has sud the test of time a real twister.
A Catt is some one who is big man who makes plans and not cat spelled wrong. This very funny story. I voted my top Classic 2021.
The author gives you real feel of Bing in the room stood next to him and looking at the people who he sees which can make book interesting. You can hear the Christmas carols too. This not first book in the series but does not matter to anyone. There only few of his books in New print which is shame, unfortunately its second hand or outer print cost to dig out the copies.
A Catt is some one who is big man who makes plans and not cat spelled wrong. This very funny story. I voted my top Classic 2021.
The author gives you real feel of Bing in the room stood next to him and looking at the people who he sees which can make book interesting. You can hear the Christmas carols too. This not first book in the series but does not matter to anyone. There only few of his books in New print which is shame, unfortunately its second hand or outer print cost to dig out the copies.
December 13, 2021
A clever crime read for Christmas.
Likeable (well most of them) characters,
Set in a village where you can't move without bumping into someone you know makes the.
disappearance of a carol singer even the more bizarre. Luckily John Waits is on hand to start the investigation.
Well written with a hint of humour I really enjoyed this festive read.
Likeable (well most of them) characters,
Set in a village where you can't move without bumping into someone you know makes the.
disappearance of a carol singer even the more bizarre. Luckily John Waits is on hand to start the investigation.
Well written with a hint of humour I really enjoyed this festive read.
November 16, 2023
I just loved this. A perfect golden age detective story written with wit and humour and brim full of great characters, some perhaps a little unnecessary but not to the detriment of the story, which twists and turns until rather late you get to grips with the title of the book. Fab.
November 14, 2021
The title of Catt Out of the Bag doesn’t start to make sense until the last, I think, twenty pages, and even then it comes as a drop in a torrent of revelations that might have been more intriguingly distributed throughout the book. I enjoyed Catt Out of the Bag for a lot of reasons unrelated to this pacing issue, thankfully, but it utterly defines the story.
John Rutherford is drafted into a regimented evening of Christmas caroling from which a mysterious member goes missing leading, initially, to an amateur investigation in partnership with the eccentric Raymond Cloud-Gledhill, and then a more official road-trip inquiry with Rutherford’s police-inspector uncle, uncovering all manner of skulduggery and, eventually, a satisfying and twisty conclusion.
Clifford Witting is witty and bold and the effect is usually tremendously charming. The dialogue, in particular, is warm and accessible and natural and it bubbles along on top of the tale in a manner that makes it all sound over-heard at a boisterous gathering of good friends.
The story covers a great deal of ground, literally and figuratively, and introduces a delightful gallery of supporting characters that Witting draws with affectionate and absorbing detail.
However it’s made quite clear early on that Witting regretted starting out in the first person. Doubtless he’d have gone back and started over, but he’d already worked up so many clever fixes to the problem of a tale that occurs largely outside of the direct experience of the narrator that he just assumed that they’d keep on coming. It’s about the halfway point, I think, when he gives up entirely and just flat out relates a scene without bothering to pretend that it was told to him sometime later or off-stage or that this is, roughly, how he imagines it went.
That’s not the only trace of improvisational plotting (although it’s certainly the most glaring). The introduction, eccentricities, and initial contribution of Cloud-Gledhill suggest that he was meant to be the actual sleuth but then, at some point and without clear justification, he’s swapped out for Uncle Charlton of the Yard. Later, he’s brought back to deliver an important clue, but that mainly serves to remind the reader that he used to figure quite prominently back in the happy-go-lucky days of chapters two through five.
Having made all those presumptions, I have great respect for the patience with which Witting reveals a maelstrom of a subtext which simmers just beneath the surface of the story — it’s a bit of a journey but the payoff is immensely satisfying. Click here for the longer, shamelessly self-promotional version of this review...
John Rutherford is drafted into a regimented evening of Christmas caroling from which a mysterious member goes missing leading, initially, to an amateur investigation in partnership with the eccentric Raymond Cloud-Gledhill, and then a more official road-trip inquiry with Rutherford’s police-inspector uncle, uncovering all manner of skulduggery and, eventually, a satisfying and twisty conclusion.
Clifford Witting is witty and bold and the effect is usually tremendously charming. The dialogue, in particular, is warm and accessible and natural and it bubbles along on top of the tale in a manner that makes it all sound over-heard at a boisterous gathering of good friends.
The story covers a great deal of ground, literally and figuratively, and introduces a delightful gallery of supporting characters that Witting draws with affectionate and absorbing detail.
However it’s made quite clear early on that Witting regretted starting out in the first person. Doubtless he’d have gone back and started over, but he’d already worked up so many clever fixes to the problem of a tale that occurs largely outside of the direct experience of the narrator that he just assumed that they’d keep on coming. It’s about the halfway point, I think, when he gives up entirely and just flat out relates a scene without bothering to pretend that it was told to him sometime later or off-stage or that this is, roughly, how he imagines it went.
That’s not the only trace of improvisational plotting (although it’s certainly the most glaring). The introduction, eccentricities, and initial contribution of Cloud-Gledhill suggest that he was meant to be the actual sleuth but then, at some point and without clear justification, he’s swapped out for Uncle Charlton of the Yard. Later, he’s brought back to deliver an important clue, but that mainly serves to remind the reader that he used to figure quite prominently back in the happy-go-lucky days of chapters two through five.
Having made all those presumptions, I have great respect for the patience with which Witting reveals a maelstrom of a subtext which simmers just beneath the surface of the story — it’s a bit of a journey but the payoff is immensely satisfying. Click here for the longer, shamelessly self-promotional version of this review...
December 11, 2022
Choppy pacing and a weirdly unnecessary character, but a good classic Christmas murder cozy with light humor. | I have several Christmas mysteries that I've been holding all year to read in season, this is the first this year, and my feelings on all of them will be impacted by how many others I've read recently. This, as the first, gets generous indulgence. Good chunks of page space wasted by describing in minute detail things that neither matter nor interest the reader. The first-person narration was a strange choice that the author seemed to abruptly regret, and the narrator was taken in hand by a character who, upon hearing that a caroler didn't rejoin the group when expected, instantly became a devoted private investigator for no explained reason, to little purpose, and with a lack of human personality or emotion that made him fairly creepy. Then, after turning himself into an intense amateur detective with strong feelings against involving the police, he drops out of the story entirely but for a brief moment later when he appears unexpectedly to tell the police he has a tiny bit of vaguely helpful information they could easily have gotten themselves. His very existence in the book is weird and pointless, everything he did could have been done more reasonably by another character. It was strange.
December 26, 2020
Questo è uno di quei libri che ho sempre voluto leggere, ma che, per qualche strano motivo, ho sempre accantonato. Quest’anno per fortuna ho rimediato, anzi una mia cara amica ha rimediato regalandomelo! L’unico altro libro di Dickens che io abbia mai letto è il famosissimo “Oliver Twist”, ma non me lo ricordo molto bene poiché lo presi in mano da piccina (urge una rilettura!).
Lo stile di questo autore è assolutamente perfetto, ne sono completamente innamorata; tramite le sue parole riesce a risvegliare tutti e cinque i sensi del lettore, trasportandolo direttamente nella Londra di quel periodo: è una cosa che cerco sempre nei libri e, quando la trovo, ne rimango sempre colpita poiché ogni autore riesce a farti provare le più svariate sensazioni in mille modi diversi.
Oltre ad essere un bellissimo racconto di Natale per grandi e piccini, questo romanzo breve non pecca della caratteristica principale dei libri di Dickens: la descrizione della società dell’epoca nei minimi dettagli; dai più ricchi ai più poveri.
Ho sempre visto i film tratti da questo libro, ma ora sono contenta di aver conosciuto anche la vera storia originale; devo dire che la crescita personale di Scrooge è emozionante – sì, ho pianto.
IG: @skyesbooktique 🌹
Lo stile di questo autore è assolutamente perfetto, ne sono completamente innamorata; tramite le sue parole riesce a risvegliare tutti e cinque i sensi del lettore, trasportandolo direttamente nella Londra di quel periodo: è una cosa che cerco sempre nei libri e, quando la trovo, ne rimango sempre colpita poiché ogni autore riesce a farti provare le più svariate sensazioni in mille modi diversi.
Oltre ad essere un bellissimo racconto di Natale per grandi e piccini, questo romanzo breve non pecca della caratteristica principale dei libri di Dickens: la descrizione della società dell’epoca nei minimi dettagli; dai più ricchi ai più poveri.
Ho sempre visto i film tratti da questo libro, ma ora sono contenta di aver conosciuto anche la vera storia originale; devo dire che la crescita personale di Scrooge è emozionante – sì, ho pianto.
IG: @skyesbooktique 🌹
December 5, 2021
An entertaining, low-key mystery from 1939. On a dark night, a man disappears from a group of Christmas carolers, along with their donation box, which eventually leads to the uncovering of various dark secrets. The overall style is like the template for the BBC mystery model: it's set in a quaint small English town where everyone's in each other's business, overlaid with a police procedural full of witness interviews, traced bank notes and the making of footprint molds. There's even a bossy local matron and her henpecked husband, who I immediately pictured as Hyacinth and Richard Bucket. I saved this one for December, and it was a good read on a snowy day.
January 7, 2023
A-:
Witting's first real triumph, in which he finally manages to tie in the motive seamlessly. The writing style is beautifully conversational. A great Christmas mystery.
Witting's first real triumph, in which he finally manages to tie in the motive seamlessly. The writing style is beautifully conversational. A great Christmas mystery.
November 23, 2021
Really enjoyed this Christmas mystery, and yes it takes place just before, during and just after Christmas and has many holiday elements in it-- which actually brings humor into the mix. Certainly a page turner, and told in a lively manner. A caroler goes missing and the story has many dead ends, twists and turns and does end on a sad note. However, I feel you are given a fair play chance at trying to figure out the murderer. It's a bit easier as the story goes on, but there is more than just finding out who, there is why and more importantly- who was this man?
Would highly recommend this is you're looking a mystery with a holiday feel, and one that also provides a chase of clues and some bruises if you're not careful like the narrator of the story. ;)
Would highly recommend this is you're looking a mystery with a holiday feel, and one that also provides a chase of clues and some bruises if you're not careful like the narrator of the story. ;)
June 26, 2021
Excellent reminder why it was called the golden age ..not from a very well known author but still so good ...
This is a very well crafted GAD mystery with lots of clues,deftly placed misdirection and lots of red herrings (and mackerel as well) . The prose is lucid and some quips are hilarious . The ending of the story is sad in a way and all my sympathy is with the murderer ...
However, I wonder ...what if this case was placed in the hands of Inspector French ...I believe he would solve it in a jiffy ..because the vital question is about who could know the victims movements ..
This is a very well crafted GAD mystery with lots of clues,deftly placed misdirection and lots of red herrings (and mackerel as well) . The prose is lucid and some quips are hilarious . The ending of the story is sad in a way and all my sympathy is with the murderer ...
However, I wonder ...what if this case was placed in the hands of Inspector French ...I believe he would solve it in a jiffy ..because the vital question is about who could know the victims movements ..
December 24, 2025
My next Clifford Witting read was supposed to be Murder in Blue, which I do own, but could I find it?? No. So I had to give that a miss, and jump ahead to the only other Witting book I have, Catt out of the Bag. And you might think, well why not wait until after you've found Murder in Blue, and save Catt for next December? And I would have, only the very first line is 'A rather curious thing happened during the evening of Sunday, the 21st December.' Which was the same date for this year! So really, I had no choice.
We begin with John Rutherford, Charlton's nephew through marriage, who finds himself as the unwilling participant of a strict carol service through the streets of Paulsfield at the insistence of the formidable Mrs. de Frayne, an old friend of his wife's family, who runs the carol service proceedings with military precision. But things go awry when one of those out collecting money is missing...along with the collection box!
John is persuaded into searching for the missing man by one of Mrs. de Frayne's other carolling guests, Raymond Cloud-Gledhill, a mysterious traveller who's keen to locate the man without getting the police involved.
But what do they really know about the missing man? Even his own wife doesn't know what he does for a living. Eventually charlton gets involved, taking a step back from being the main protagonist of the piece, but still very much involved, as the case sees him leave the town of Paulsfield to travel as far as London and Devon.
Sometimes in mystery books of the 20s/30s there can be a bit of a lull in the middle, but Catt out of the Bag held my interest with its good pacing, interesting characters, and funny interactions. And it ticks off the Christmas criteria to get you in the festive mood, from last minute Christmas shopping, caroling, and of course, the obligatory children's party held in the grand house on Christmas day, where someone (in this case, John) is made to dress up as Father Christmas.
A fun Christmas mystery with excellently crafted characters, fine detail, and sharp wit. And as I'd given Midsummer Murder four and a half out of five (even with that ending), and I enjoyed this one more...five it is!
We begin with John Rutherford, Charlton's nephew through marriage, who finds himself as the unwilling participant of a strict carol service through the streets of Paulsfield at the insistence of the formidable Mrs. de Frayne, an old friend of his wife's family, who runs the carol service proceedings with military precision. But things go awry when one of those out collecting money is missing...along with the collection box!
John is persuaded into searching for the missing man by one of Mrs. de Frayne's other carolling guests, Raymond Cloud-Gledhill, a mysterious traveller who's keen to locate the man without getting the police involved.
But what do they really know about the missing man? Even his own wife doesn't know what he does for a living. Eventually charlton gets involved, taking a step back from being the main protagonist of the piece, but still very much involved, as the case sees him leave the town of Paulsfield to travel as far as London and Devon.
Sometimes in mystery books of the 20s/30s there can be a bit of a lull in the middle, but Catt out of the Bag held my interest with its good pacing, interesting characters, and funny interactions. And it ticks off the Christmas criteria to get you in the festive mood, from last minute Christmas shopping, caroling, and of course, the obligatory children's party held in the grand house on Christmas day, where someone (in this case, John) is made to dress up as Father Christmas.
A fun Christmas mystery with excellently crafted characters, fine detail, and sharp wit. And as I'd given Midsummer Murder four and a half out of five (even with that ending), and I enjoyed this one more...five it is!
October 26, 2021
It's a shame that Witting has sunk almost completely from sight apart from an entry in Barzun and Taylor (who describe this book as "perhaps too elaborate for its cargo") because he's altogether better than most of the writers who've been dragged out of well-deserved obscurity and bunged into 'classic crime' collections and arguably better than a few golden and silver age authors I could mention. This book is witty, sharp, entertaining, and circuitous with a very full cast of vivid characters, loads of atmosphere, and plenty of haring about in fast motors. I'd give it five stars but the switches from first person to third and back, which didn't happen until about half way through, disrupted my flow. Witting was very adept at organising his narrative but I prefer points of view that don't move about. In all though, an absolutely splendid bit of entertainment and I look forward to seeing more of him from this publisher.
November 29, 2021
How, where and why did a man disappear from a group of carol singers on that cold December night? It hardly seemed likely that he had absconded with the collection box. But the more Inspector Charlton found out about the missing man, the less certain he became he would find him alive...
A decent enough murder mystery from 1939, sufficiently seasonal but with a rather seedy undercurrent. There is some humour, although this is balanced by the darkness of the plight of a couple of the characters. Definitely more lower class than Agatha Christie in terms of social standing, this aspect gives a refreshing change to the usual 'golden-age' of murder mysteries.
I felt the first half of the novel dragged, whereas the second half flew at a brisk pace, almost too fast to follow the twists and turns as the investigation progressed. Slightly uneven, but nevertheless a solid mystery novel.
A decent enough murder mystery from 1939, sufficiently seasonal but with a rather seedy undercurrent. There is some humour, although this is balanced by the darkness of the plight of a couple of the characters. Definitely more lower class than Agatha Christie in terms of social standing, this aspect gives a refreshing change to the usual 'golden-age' of murder mysteries.
I felt the first half of the novel dragged, whereas the second half flew at a brisk pace, almost too fast to follow the twists and turns as the investigation progressed. Slightly uneven, but nevertheless a solid mystery novel.
December 31, 2020
Un giallo veramente riuscito in ogni sua parte, sicuramente uno dei migliori letti quest'anno dalla lunga lista dei Bassotti in mio possesso. Trama semplice, ma tutta l'atmosfera di contorno (l'ambientazione natalizia, il piccolo paesello di Paulfield) e la metodologia d'indagine lo rendono un libro veramente piacevole da leggere, a cui non manca nemmeno un finale totalmente inaspettato, ma che è sotto gli occhi sin da inizio lettura. Un buon modo di chiudere l'anno. Non rimane quindi che augurare a tutti un buon 2021
February 16, 2023
What A Wonderful Book
This is the second book of Clifford Witting that I have read. I had enjoyed the first one so much that I had decided to try another one. The book is well written from a first person view. I loved the humor of the person telling the story. It moves so quickly. I have to admit that I was sure who the murderer was after the first few chapters. However, as usual I was totally off base and very surprised as to who it was. I seldom give a book 5 stars but this one deserves it.
This is the second book of Clifford Witting that I have read. I had enjoyed the first one so much that I had decided to try another one. The book is well written from a first person view. I loved the humor of the person telling the story. It moves so quickly. I have to admit that I was sure who the murderer was after the first few chapters. However, as usual I was totally off base and very surprised as to who it was. I seldom give a book 5 stars but this one deserves it.
November 22, 2021
This was the first book I had read by Clifford Witting and I thoroughly enjoyed it - the style was so humorous and with many of those little asides that just made me smile or laugh outright (the hair in the mole on the woman's chin...) and the mystery was quirky and quite different to the everyday stuff. I did get a bit muddled with the huge cast of characters and their names, but this was a hugely enjoyable mystery novel and I will definitely read more by this author.
January 7, 2023
I enjoyed this classic 1930's crime story. The characters were good and the plot ingenious. The way the crime was carried out was plausible too, which is not always the case with "Golden Age" crime novels. I also enjoyed the dry humour throughout the book. I do wonder if the police would really have permitted non-police involvement to the degree that occurred in this book, even in the 1930's, but that was the only thing that stopped me giving it 5 stars.
October 6, 2022
Fantastic Christmas mystery!
_ beautiful enthralling and suspenseful plot
_ lively and humorous story
_ nice the protagonists
_ exciting to the end
_ surprising ending
_ 5 stars are not enough, I would give 6 out of 5
_ I will reread it in the future with great pleasure
_the best Christmas mystery after the short story "The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding" by Agatha Christie
_ beautiful enthralling and suspenseful plot
_ lively and humorous story
_ nice the protagonists
_ exciting to the end
_ surprising ending
_ 5 stars are not enough, I would give 6 out of 5
_ I will reread it in the future with great pleasure
_the best Christmas mystery after the short story "The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding" by Agatha Christie
January 8, 2024
A very enjoyable and well written tale featuring Inspector Harry Charlton who is very likeable policeman.
Quite difficult to review without spoiling. Plenty of interesting characters. I thought I had worked out who the murderer was but I was completely wrong although looking back there were veiled clues.
Quite difficult to review without spoiling. Plenty of interesting characters. I thought I had worked out who the murderer was but I was completely wrong although looking back there were veiled clues.
September 2, 2021
This was an a old fashion sort of crime/detective novel and sometimes the sentence structures and words caught me out a little. However, I enjoyed reading it. The characters were well defined and the hint of whodunnit was strong which kept me reading.
June 17, 2024
Another one where I could not guess the perpetrator.
I love these books. I love the style of the narrative and I find all the main characters very engaging. The plot was complicated and I nearly lost it a couple of times but very entertaining!
I love these books. I love the style of the narrative and I find all the main characters very engaging. The plot was complicated and I nearly lost it a couple of times but very entertaining!
February 15, 2019
Il mio libro preferito di tutti i tempi. Da sempre.
September 10, 2022
These books are so cozy. You can practically smell the tea steeping as you read them.
January 10, 2023
This book was a little disappointing to me. It was readable, but kind of a slog—then whoosh all is made clear as dirty water in the last few pages.
February 4, 2023
Interesting characters, involved plot, humor and wit. A British classic reissued.
February 22, 2023
Not a great mystery, but a charming read.
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