Requiem for Robert

by Mary Fitt

Requiem for Robert

Genres: Mystery

Paperback

First published January 1, 1948

About the author

"Mary Fitt" was the pen-name used for her crime novels by Dr. Kathleen Freeman, who for several years was Lecturer in Greek at the University of Wales at Cardiff.

Reviews

[Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novel was written during WWII and set during that period, but it feels much older, almost Victorian. I think that has to do with the unusual (and to me, disappointing) format of the story. Inspector Mallet and his friend Fitzgerald are lodging in a country inn, busy with some war-related work. They see a notice for the funeral of a Robert Raynald, the local squire, in the newspaper and decided to attend. They then realize that the 3 other guests in the inn are the deceased's mother, estranged wife, and estranged former tutor, respectively. From then on the story is not much more than a set of narratives recounted by the people who knew Raynald best, including the 3 mentioned above, plus his teenage daughter, his former best friend and his housekeeper. So we end up with something that is more a family saga than a mystery, starting with old Mrs Raynald's girlhood and marriage and ending up with the end of Raynald. There are elements that really do seem to belong in a Victorian novel, such as a hidden illegitimate daughter, and a stark, uncompromising Catholic priest. That's all fine, but there is really very little mystery, and almost no detection at all. So this is not for readers who enjoy police procedurals or detective novels.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

For my full review click on the link below:
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...