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Guest in the House
Colonel St. George was definitely an unwanted guest as far as Mary Gould was concerned--but how could she throw out the charming, disturbing Englishman who had saved her husband's life? There was something secret and suspicious about him, something both heroic and roguish. Yet when the shadow of a monstrous horror darkened her life, the Colonel proved to be surprisingly adept in the fantastic and chilling climax to this fast-paced tale of suspense and brooding terror
188 pages
First published March 1, 1955
15 people want to read
About the author
Philip MacDonald
154 books17 followersPhilip MacDonald (who some give as 1896 or 1899 as his date of birth) was the grandson of the writer George MacDonald and son of the author Ronald MacDonald and the actress Constance Robertson.
During World War I he served with the British cavalry in Mesopotamia, later trained horses for the army, and was a show jumper. He also raised Great Danes. After marrying the writer F. Ruth Howard, he moved to Hollywood in 1931. He was one of the most popular mystery writers of the 1930s, and between 1931 and 1963 wrote many screenplays along with a few radio and television scripts.
His detective novels, particularly those featuring his series detective Anthony Gethryn, are primarily "whodunnits" with the occasional locked room mystery. His first detective novel was 'The Rasp' (1924), in which he introduced his character Anthony Gethryn.
In later years MacDonald wrote television scripts for Alfred Hitchcock Presents ('Malice Domestic', 1957) and Perry Mason ('The Case of the Terrified Typist', 1958).
He twice received an Edgar Award for Best Short Story: in 1953, for 'Something to Hide', and in 1956, for 'Dream No More'. Indeed many critics felt that his short story writing was superior to his novels and they did win five second prizes in the annual contests held by 'Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine'.
He also wrote under the pseudonyms Oliver Fleming, Anthony Lawless, Martin Porlock, W.J. Stuart and Warren Stuart.
During World War I he served with the British cavalry in Mesopotamia, later trained horses for the army, and was a show jumper. He also raised Great Danes. After marrying the writer F. Ruth Howard, he moved to Hollywood in 1931. He was one of the most popular mystery writers of the 1930s, and between 1931 and 1963 wrote many screenplays along with a few radio and television scripts.
His detective novels, particularly those featuring his series detective Anthony Gethryn, are primarily "whodunnits" with the occasional locked room mystery. His first detective novel was 'The Rasp' (1924), in which he introduced his character Anthony Gethryn.
In later years MacDonald wrote television scripts for Alfred Hitchcock Presents ('Malice Domestic', 1957) and Perry Mason ('The Case of the Terrified Typist', 1958).
He twice received an Edgar Award for Best Short Story: in 1953, for 'Something to Hide', and in 1956, for 'Dream No More'. Indeed many critics felt that his short story writing was superior to his novels and they did win five second prizes in the annual contests held by 'Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine'.
He also wrote under the pseudonyms Oliver Fleming, Anthony Lawless, Martin Porlock, W.J. Stuart and Warren Stuart.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 24, 2024
Another of my rereads of 1950s thriller/mystery novels. I had forgotten how good they were. This is an excellent story by Philip MacDonald. Not a murder mystery but a suspense thriller. It kept me reading as I followed Ivor St. George as he tried to help his friend Jeff Gould, and his family, navigate through their difficulties.
November 2, 2014
She was never able to understand why it was that she hadn't the faintest foretaste of disaster until it was upon her. (p. 2)
Philip MacDonald does a bit of HIBK in a beach-side country house in California complete with nerve-wracking thunderstorm to usher in the mysterious titular guest of his suspense novel Guest in the House (1955). Mary and Jeff Gould have settled down in El Morro Beach so Jeff can earn his living as a Hollywood writer. But the Goulds are harassed by Mary's blackmailing ex-husband who threatens to invoke his parental rights over their nine-year old daughter if they don't cough up infusions of cash every time he demands it. And he's just decided to demand it again. If the Goulds won't come up to scratch, then he's going to demand that Sandy (the daughter) be handed over to him for the time he's missed in visitations--quite an accumulated bit of time. If only Mary had read the divorce agreement more closely. If only she had met with her lawyer as intended. If only...
First it was just a dark shape, full of undefined foreboding which lay like a heavy weight on her chest, so that she felt as if she couldn't breathe. The oppression fought with the padded feeling in her mind and won--and she sat suddenly upright as everything came back to her...(p.33)
About this time along comes Colonel Ivor Dalgleish St. Pelham St. George, ex-commando and a British officer with connections to Jeff's past. St. George is down-on-his-luck (and it's never explained exactly why he's pottering around the U. S.) and plans to "accidentally" drop in on his former war-time colleague for a bit help and a place to stay. Gould should be happy to help him, for Jeff is a man who quite literally owes St. George his life. When St. George sees the lay of the land, he comes up with a rather unique way of helping the Goulds deal with Mary's pesky ex.
MacDonald also moved to California and wrote screenplays for Hollywood and this effort, more than any of his work I've read so far, reads as though it would easily translate to film. Lots of tension and suspense--caused both by Mary's reluctance to tell her husband about the slimy ex's latest demands while Jeff is enjoying a reunion with his comrade-in-arms and by the slimy ex's strong arm tactics in an effort to force the Goulds to meet his terms. The final scenes--where St. George enacts his plans to put a stop to the slimy ex would make for a pretty nifty cinematic climax.
My only complaint is that there really isn't much mystery here...lots of suspense but no real detecting needed. A pleasant and quick read for a Sunday afternoon.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
Philip MacDonald does a bit of HIBK in a beach-side country house in California complete with nerve-wracking thunderstorm to usher in the mysterious titular guest of his suspense novel Guest in the House (1955). Mary and Jeff Gould have settled down in El Morro Beach so Jeff can earn his living as a Hollywood writer. But the Goulds are harassed by Mary's blackmailing ex-husband who threatens to invoke his parental rights over their nine-year old daughter if they don't cough up infusions of cash every time he demands it. And he's just decided to demand it again. If the Goulds won't come up to scratch, then he's going to demand that Sandy (the daughter) be handed over to him for the time he's missed in visitations--quite an accumulated bit of time. If only Mary had read the divorce agreement more closely. If only she had met with her lawyer as intended. If only...
First it was just a dark shape, full of undefined foreboding which lay like a heavy weight on her chest, so that she felt as if she couldn't breathe. The oppression fought with the padded feeling in her mind and won--and she sat suddenly upright as everything came back to her...(p.33)
About this time along comes Colonel Ivor Dalgleish St. Pelham St. George, ex-commando and a British officer with connections to Jeff's past. St. George is down-on-his-luck (and it's never explained exactly why he's pottering around the U. S.) and plans to "accidentally" drop in on his former war-time colleague for a bit help and a place to stay. Gould should be happy to help him, for Jeff is a man who quite literally owes St. George his life. When St. George sees the lay of the land, he comes up with a rather unique way of helping the Goulds deal with Mary's pesky ex.
MacDonald also moved to California and wrote screenplays for Hollywood and this effort, more than any of his work I've read so far, reads as though it would easily translate to film. Lots of tension and suspense--caused both by Mary's reluctance to tell her husband about the slimy ex's latest demands while Jeff is enjoying a reunion with his comrade-in-arms and by the slimy ex's strong arm tactics in an effort to force the Goulds to meet his terms. The final scenes--where St. George enacts his plans to put a stop to the slimy ex would make for a pretty nifty cinematic climax.
My only complaint is that there really isn't much mystery here...lots of suspense but no real detecting needed. A pleasant and quick read for a Sunday afternoon.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
May 9, 2014
Philip MacDonald is mostly remembered for "The List of Adrian Messenger" which was made into a curious 1963 movie featuring a roster of stars disguised in cameo roles. (Good fun, if you haven't seen it.) But he was a productive writer who worked from the thirties through the sixties. His Gethryn mysteries are fine examples of British Golden Age whodunnits.
This one is a stand-alone set in California in the fifties, reflecting MacDonald's stint in Hollywood doing screenplays. A hard-working Hollywood director with a wife and step-daughter of whom he is very fond is plagued by the wife's no-good ex, an unscrupulous playboy with a mean streak who is blackmailing the couple, using the threat of asserting his parental rights to the daughter as leverage. Into this mess floats a wartime comrade of the husband's, a slightly seedy, down-on-his-luck upper-class Brit who just happens to have been a commando officer in the war. Initially intending only to sponge off his old pal until he can tap a source of funds, the colonel takes a shine to the daughter and, inevitably, decides it's up to him to scrape the chiseling ex off the family's heel. Good fun ensues.
Not perhaps MacDonald's best, but it kept me reading. The man could tell a story, and he deserves to be read. Look for him at your local library.
This one is a stand-alone set in California in the fifties, reflecting MacDonald's stint in Hollywood doing screenplays. A hard-working Hollywood director with a wife and step-daughter of whom he is very fond is plagued by the wife's no-good ex, an unscrupulous playboy with a mean streak who is blackmailing the couple, using the threat of asserting his parental rights to the daughter as leverage. Into this mess floats a wartime comrade of the husband's, a slightly seedy, down-on-his-luck upper-class Brit who just happens to have been a commando officer in the war. Initially intending only to sponge off his old pal until he can tap a source of funds, the colonel takes a shine to the daughter and, inevitably, decides it's up to him to scrape the chiseling ex off the family's heel. Good fun ensues.
Not perhaps MacDonald's best, but it kept me reading. The man could tell a story, and he deserves to be read. Look for him at your local library.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews