Dramatic Murder

by Elizabeth Anthony, Penelope Rawlins (reader)

Dimpson McCabe—Dimpsie—has invited all of his closest friends of the theatre world to join him for Christmas at his castle on a private island a few hours’ drive from Edinburgh. The festivities have barely had a chance to begin when poor Dimpsie is found draped atop the Christmas tree, electrocuted by the lights with which it is festooned.

The Sheriff’s Court yields a verdict of Accidental Death, but in the swirling snow suspicion is dancing among the flakes. Through Dimpsie’s cadre of directors, producers, actors, secretaries and agents runs a hot streak of hidden grievances and theatrical scheming, and as the group return to London the dogged Inspector Smith begins to circle, seeking to find the leading man or prima donna responsible for this ghoulish crime.

First published in 1948 and lost for over 75 years, this classic seasonal murder mystery is long overdue its bedazzling return to print.

Genres: Mystery, Christmas, Fiction, Crime, Audiobook, Scotland, 20th Century

Audio CD

First published August 1, 1948

About the author

Elizabeth Anthony discovered historical novels early in her teens. After graduating from university she worked as a tutor in English Studies, but always dreamed of writing. Her ambition was fulfilled with the publication of an 18th century thriller received with great acclaim in the UK and US and translated into nine languages. She has also written several historical romances. Elizabeth lives with her husband in the Peak District.

Reviews

[Alan (the Lone Librarian) Teder · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Christmas Cheat
A review of the British Library Publishing paperback (October 10, 2024) of the original Hodder hardcover (August 1, 1948).

Labelling this as "A Lost Christmas Murder Mystery" is a real stretch by the marketing department at British Library Crime Classics and it should be condemned as false advertising. The only tie-in to Christmas is that playwright Dimpson "Dimpsie" McCabe has invited friends and associates to a Christmas gathering at his castle on Possett Island in Scotland. When the final guests arrive they find their host hanging in the Christmas tree where he has been apparently electrocuted due to the faulty wiring of the Christmas lights.

After those initial few chapters the setting moves to the theatrical world of London where Dimpsie's final play is in rehearsals. Although the initial death was labelled an accident, obvious murders soon begin to take place among Dimpsie's associates. The suspects are plentiful due to theatrical rivalries and issues of copyright. The investigation proceeds on a very haphazard basis with an Inspector Smith from Scotland Yard appearing only periodically. The story often loses focus as chapters pivot through the dozen or so characters.

I can't call for an Unsatisfactory Ending Alert as a solution is eventually provided but the process to get there was rather tedious and drawn out. It was definitely unsatisfactory as a Christmas mystery however. This does continue my annual December tradition of reading a seasonal mystery from the British Library Crime Classics series.

Elizabeth Anthony was the penname of Barbara Courlander who wrote only one other mystery Made for Murder (1950).

Trivia and Links
The British Library Crime Classics series are reprints of forgotten titles from the 1860's through to the 1950's. You can see a list at the British Library Crime Classics Shop (for North America they are often reprinted by the publisher Poisoned Pen Press). There is also a Goodreads Listopia for the series which you can see here.

[Alexander Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sorry, but Martin Edwards in his introduction to this novel states something that caused me confusion when reading this novel (or, at least, until half-way through). He describes Smith, the investigating police officer, as 'a low-key Scotland Yard man'. First of all, a Scotland Yard man would have no business investigating a murder in Scotland; Scotland Yard has jurisdiction in England and Wales, NOT in Scotland. The Scottish police, and legal system, are entirely separate. Secondly, on discovery of the body in Possett Castle, the police are sent for from the nearby town of Drumbrunnock and arrive within the hour. How, I wondered, did Smith get up from London so incredibly fast? Or was Smith, 'a Scotland Yard man', based in the Scottish town of Drumbrunnock? That would be silly! However, the action moves to London, and Smith reappears (on page 151) and all is explained. Smith is an Englishman, and did serve as an officer at Scotland Yard, but six years previously he re-located to Scotland and, presumably, became an officer in the local Scottish force. This brings me on to the main problem I had with this novel: all the characters are undeveloped; Smith is a cardboard cut-out and Katherine Mickey, who seems to be intended as the heroine, pops up at random intervals. There is a nice romance between her and Dr Hurley though. And talking of romance, all the other characters appear to be having illicit love-affairs all over the place! AND what's the deal between Henry Walters and young Jeffery? Are they having an affair too, or are they 'just good friends'? (They are lovers, I think - unusual in a British crime novel of the 1940's!) By the way, what's the deal with two characters having the same first name? ( Henry Walters and Henry Brown/Braun)? Another thing ... is this novel set in the year of its publication, or is it set earlier, before WW2? Because there's absolutely no mention of any kind of rationing; ie, at Possett Castle, a meal is described; 'a ham, a cold turkey ... shapely pears and polished apples, rosy plums and brilliant oranges, bland yellow bananas and dusky grapes.' There's no shortage of sugar, either. Or cigarettes. Or petrol; when the characters leave Possett, they all drive home to London from near Edinburgh without a mention of fuel shortages. Sorry, I had high hopes of this but it was a bit of a disappointment!

[Shauna]

Not very Christmassy at all as the main action takes place in London after Christmas. I really didn't the book. None of the characters came alive, they were very flat. This is one lost mystery novel that should have stayed lost!

[Graham Watts · Rating 3 out of 5]

This crime novel starts with the well-trodden premise of a group of people at a Christmas party in a remote Scottish castle. A death has occurred and is discovered by two latecomers to the castle. The circumstances are suspicious but the cause of the death could be misadventure or accident or murder.

The action moves to London and over time more of the guests at the castle are murdered. Inspector Smith has the job of working it all out!

There are several problems with this book starting with the fact that most of the characters are caricatured with very little depth. The gradual killing off of possible suspects meant that there were very few left by the end. Police procedures are incredibly lax and characters are able to wander around and disturb evidence at will!

The description of this as a “lost Christmas murder mystery” is very misleading because almost the whole narrative takes place in the New Year.

On the plus side, there’s a rather sweet (albeit unlikely) romance between the two latecomers - a much older doctor (who describes himself as a ‘small ugly man’) and a beautiful young reporter. And there is a very strong implication of a homosexual relationship between two other characters, which is highly unusual for a book of this era.

The book was first published in 1948 but it’s difficult to tell when it is set - there is no mention of rationing and food and petrol seem in plentiful supply so I imagine it is set in the 30s but this is not clear.

It is well-written and a page turner - I read it quickly

[The Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I suspended disbelief and just went with the flow, enjoying the descriptions of an England long gone. I still think it wonderful when you can pick up a book written decades ago and yet identify with the characters and recognise their motives for acting the way they do.

A minor point I know but I loved the cover. I was hoping it would be available as a print as some of the British crime library covers are, but sadly not in this case.

[Eleanor]

This is subtitled “A Lost Christmas Murder Mystery”, but really, there’s nothing Christmassy about it apart from the setup. The victim is found dead on Christmas Eve, apparently electrocuted by his tree lights, but Christmas itself is over by chapter three and everyone’s back in London by New Year’s; the investigation goes well into January. If you want a properly festive-set Golden Age mystery, then, I’d recommend Cyril Hare’s An English Murder (1951) instead. How does Dramatic Murder hold up otherwise? Well… not particularly well, I must be honest. The characterisation is decent, but Anthony’s plotting, and especially her seeding of clues, is very clumsy. In one scene, a character asks a doctor for sleeping medication, but they claim they can’t swallow pills and need the prescription in powder form, then ask one too many questions about how easy it’ll be to disguise the bitter taste. The game’s pretty much up at that point, surely; you might not know why they’re the killer, but obviously they are. Yet we’re nowhere near the end! There are a few surprises: the matter-of-fact, even sympathetic, presentation of what’s surely a gay mentoring/sugar-daddying relationship between a university student and the dead man, and the significance of several characters having an Eastern European background, especially just after WWII. But mostly this feels quite by-the-numbers, over-long, and in places grossly misogynistic. (We’re not meant to like one of the men who refers to adult women as “little girls”, but the other ends up with our heroine. Not an attractive quality, paternalism!)

[Tuesdayschild · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely a vintage era story.
I tried to suspend my disbelief and not get too concerned about the one-dimensional characters as I thought this was going to be a fully fledged Christmas time mystery. It’s not, the mystery starts at Christmas in Scotland and then the rest of the story happens in January, mostly, playing out in England.
Good as a background listen, no effort required, while I got things ready for Christmas.

Extra: I was surprised at how much bed hopping the author included – most of the characters seem involved in an illicit affair – and she repeatedly had an older man trying to hit on a younger guy.
Includes a romance with a huge age difference which ends in them getting engaged.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the most well disguised killer, but the book overall was very enjoyable. It is very old fashioned but that is much of its charm. It is a version of a locked room murder, but in this instance it is a small Scottish island where a group of people are meeting to celebrate Christmas. There are no obvious motives and it feels a bit bewildering at first. This is definitely from the golden age of crime and it is sad that this author produced so few novels. I am getting much better luck recently with The British Library Crime series.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too many characters for me to follow!

[Lisa Kucharski · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I like the plot of the story, but found the execution weak in the first half.
The story begins at Christmas, where an rich guy invites a bunch of “friends” to his estate in Scotland. He dies. After you hear more about him, you understand that the mystery is-while many were annoyed with him- who would want to kill the hand that feeds a lot of them.

The story while written in 1948, feels like it takes place in the 1970’s as the interactions of the group is much more casual than other stories I’ve read from this time.

Pros- I like the whole murder plot and motivation. I also love the characters, which feel alive and real.

Cons- the story’s structure was mostly characters talking to each other and hoping that could get something for themselves either information, a job, or sex. There was very very little detecting. It is even suggested to start doing so, to the journalist.

I feel like the story needed a bit more detecting sooner. I found it odd that a journalist wouldn’t immediately start to dig into the event of an odd death.

If you want to “be the detective” though- this is a book you would probably like very much because through the first half at least- you’re the one doing it.

[Adam Carson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Somewhere around 2.5 stars for me - I found this a bit of a slog.

For ‘a lost Christmas Murder Mystery’ it is not very festive - sure, the first murder is at Christmas but that’s over in a flash.

Generally it’s a bit long winded, there’s a lot of chatter and there isn’t a great deal of detecting. I think this is worse in the first half is worse than the second, where the pace picks up. The plot itself is quite good - but the execution is off. The most interesting characters - like Katherine the journalist - are made far too little of.

Also, with all the names in the world, why have two characters named Henry?

[Tracy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have been managing stress by reading golden age mysteries so I chose this title from the British Library Crime Classics series. Honestly, the cover art makes me want to buy them all! This one was not one of the best, although some of the plot points were pretty entertaining simply by their ridiculousness. I don't want to mark this review as having spoilers, so I'll just say that a circus poster is a clue, and leave it at that. Also, a couple with an age gap so great that he calls her "dear child" are engaged by they end. That's not a spoiler unless you've never read a golden age mysery! The book I read before this had a couple that were engaged after a week and married by the epilogue.

Seriously, though, the casual xenophobia, misogyny, anti-semitism and other awful views that were publicly on display then (and seem to be making a comeback today), put a damper on this and many other books of this era. I do appreciate that this is usually mentioned in the introduction.

[Lisa Prince · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite a good read, not too taxing on the brain cells as you can identify the murderer pretty early on and as long as you aren’t too offended at professional career women being called ‘little girl’ then it is quite fun. I find it interesting how the author subtly implies that characters are gay, but not outwardly stating it due to the era.
Definitely of its time, but a great window into what life was like in the 40s for those with money and I loved the descriptions of the female characters attire!

[Sarah Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining and easy reading. It was a pleasant change to read a whodunnit from multiple perspectives. The characters are somewhat underdeveloped but I think that is fairly typical of the genre. The main disappointment for me was that I worked out who did it and why fairly early on, and of all the possible outcomes it felt like one of the flimsier explanations for a handful of murders 😁

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

A not particularly distinguished entry in the category of "country house murder around Christmas". In this case, it's a famous playwright who was found electrocuted by his own Christmas tree lights. The house party of suspects consisted of his long-term secretary, his young protege, a theatrical producer and his ambitious wife, an up-and-coming starlet, a female journalist and the victim's doctor. It seems all of these folks had more motives for keeping the victim alive than for killing him, so both Scotland Yard and the pair of amateur detectives (the doctor and the newspaper gal) are stumped when more murders follow.

I found it all either predictable (the clues may just as well have had flashing lights on them) or a little off. For instance, one of the members of the house party is a big game hunter/safari guide... who also works as a lightning designer in the theatrical world?!! That does not seem like a natural combination of interests/skills/professions to me, and it gave the distinct impression that the author contrived this for some plot reason that escaped me.

[Andi · Rating 2 out of 5]

A frustrating novel. Although I enjoyed the author’s writing, the mystery aspect is weak. The plot is disjointed, and it’s replete with stereotypes and poorly developed characters (the depictions of female characters were especially cringeworthy). Nominally there’s a detective, but you wonder what he’s actually doing throughout most of the novel. Catherine, a young (apparently good-looking) journalist is also supposed to be investigating the murders, but she’s neither very competent nor very interested. I suppose she was too caught up in her implausible romance with the short, ugly (that’s Catherine’s description) and much older doctor.

Early on, the author makes it pretty obvious to the reader who the guilty party is, yet there’s no one in the story piecing together all the clues she drops. The characters are just fumbling around (and getting murdered) while we wait for the very slow inspector to eventually start detecting. Two-thirds of the way in, I was ready to chuck the whole thing, and had to force myself to finish.

[Martin Pilkington · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was first published in 1948 and is centered around the theatre and theatrical people. It starts off in Scotland with the death of a author of both plays and articles in newspapers/magazines. Is it an accident or not? Even without reading the book you can probably guess the answer to that one.

If you read as many crime novels as I do, a lot, the identity of the murderer isn't too difficult to work out. But the way the book is written held my interest throughout the book. The author didn't write many novels and it would appear only two are crime novels.

A good look at the people involved in the theatre, though maybe some of the characters are a a little stereotyped, and gives you the feel of the changes, across europe, briefly and sketchily, after WWII. But for all of that worth a read.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katherine, a young journalist, and her friend, a doctor, arrive at an isolated Scottish island to enjoy a dramatic Christmas party hosted by their friend, a famous playwright. The holiday is more dramatic than intended when they discover, instead of festivities, the body of their friend. Although the cause of death is initially thought to be an accident, both Katherine and a local detective are less sure. When the tragedy continues in the theatre world in London, Katherine is pulled into a web of lies, egos and murder.

This was a well-written, enjoyable book. It was fairly easy to work out who the murderer was, but the challenge was to work out how all the parts fitted together. The novel picked up the pace in the final quarter, switching between characters in a way that was entertaining and useful for denouement purposes.

[Chesanovska Ilona · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read, perfect for getting out of a dreadful reading slump. Unfortunately, the holiday spirit is gone by page 30-35 as the protagonists are back in grim and not so much festive London. Overall, the murder mystery is quite gripping. The setting is lovely and characters, though flawed, are quite fascinating to read about.

However, my biggest disappointment must be the character of Katherine Mickey. Severely overrated and underdeveloped. This specific part really got me:

“In that case,” he said firmly, “we’re going to be married. And you’re going to give up that job. Agreed?”
“Yes, sir,” she said meekly. “Anything you say.”

Of course, worth mentioning that the book was written back in the 1940s. But still.

[Gracie:) · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Dr Harley and journalist Kate drive down to see their close friend, Dimpsie, on Christmas Eve, they are shocked to find him dead, draped atop the Christmas tree. An investigation follows, and everyone is a suspect.
What I loved about this book was the focus on each different suspect. The little romance elements were perfect and precious, but I have to say the denouement wasn't shocking - but one revelation did indeed take me by surprise! It did get confusing when two of the suspects had the first name "Henry", and there were four murders all together - maybe too many?
Saying that, I loved the charm, the cosiness, the thriller-element that seemed to pervade it. Definitely a recommendation, but not my favourite.

[Zoe Sophia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The pacing, characters and plot points were engaging— and the turns that the mystery took really surprised me! I also loved the way it was written. The dialogue was conducive to a modern-day audience while encapsulating the time in which it was written.

I loved the circus aspect. Such a fun twist that kept coming around. Gallia, her little dog and her brother were an important piece of the puzzle and I thought that was sprinkled through the plot brilliantly.

As others have stated, this isn’t really a Christmas novel. The initial setup takes place at Christmas and of course involves the Christmas tree, but it isn’t very festive and the whole story pretty much takes place after the holidays. I like the cover enough but it feels like whoever designed it didn’t read the book. I mean the Christmas tree with London in the background felt very surface level. I would have liked to see all of the characters peering around the tree! It feels like this person just read the synopsis, was told to make it sellable in the Christmas market and called it a day.

I really liked the reveal— the ending with Frederica on the “tightrope” really sealed it perfectly. Bravo! However, as I feel with a lot of books that need to be tied up, the ending did happen very fast, a bit too fast, I would have liked to see more of what happened after the reveal. Perhaps a final scene at Katherine & Bill’s wedding?

Overall— an enjoyable read.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cosy closed-room murder mystery. It starts off in a remote house in Scotland at Christmas but soon moves to London in early January, so it's not really a Christmas book. It's called 'Dramatic...' as most of the protagonists work in theatre. The interesting thing is that none of the potential suspects seem to have a motive for murder.
The book was published in 1948. It's not clear when it's set - maybe in the 1930s? There is no mention of war or rationing.
I found the book entertainging and enjoyable. Some events seem a bit unbelievable but if you ignore that and take it as pure entertainment, I'd certainly recommend it.

[Gisela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dimpsie invited some co-workers and friends from the theater to spend Christmas with him in his castle located in a private island near to Edinburgh. Dimpsie was found dead near to the tree…. which appear to be an accidental death…Dun Dun Dunnnand the drama begins….
Quite predictable 😏 with some funny scenes but predictable. I enjoyed it as a holiday read. It should be an okay read but I usually enjoy these crime classic stories

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pass. The first couple of chapters were well written and interesting, and there were some sparkling passages here and there, but the whole was muddy and flat. It felt as though the author, having accomplished the first fictional murder, could only hope that another body would liven things up. Too many characters, too many POVs, and an all-too-obvious ending. Don't bother with this one unless for the sake of completing a personal goal.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun mystery. I found the misogyny woven throughout hard to take, but that’s what you have to deal with with these older books. The christmas elements appear at the beginning but disappear quickly. The cast of characters is kind of confusing, but you develop favorites. The explicit reference to gay guys is fun.

[Maggie Timlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Death by Christmas Tree!
When a well known playwright is found dead at Christmas time the pool of suspects is of course a dramatic one.
This is such a good story to have resurfaced. The puzzle is a good one and the characters are all distinct and fully rounded. I would certainly read more from this author.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

DRC from Edelweiss and Poisoned Pen Press / Sourcebooks
A re-printing of the 1948 version - mystery/detective story, released as part of the British Library Crime Classics
Dimpsie, popular among the theatre crowd, invites a group to his private island to celebrate Christmas. When the last two arrive, they find him dead. Supposedly electrocuted while fixing the tree lights. It is ruled an accident. We then follow the group back to London, where more deaths occur. It seems someone is murdering those involved in a play Dimpsie wrote. This is an interesting mystery in that now, over 70 years later, many things still ring true. Motives for murder don’t really change over time.

[Laura Hannaway · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot was quite good, though the characters were, for the most part, a bit weird. I found the ending disappointing though (I had guessed who did it early on which i don’t generally mind) as it felt rushed and weak.

[Chavi · Rating 2 out of 5]

So sad for the husband. *rolls eyes*
Am I supposed to sympathise with him?

Anyways, thin plot for murder. I kept waiting for it all be a red herring and it all to take a sharp turn, but nope.

Poor Fredrica, to be surrounded by such "piteous" men.