Scarecrow: A Chief Inspector Pointer Mystery

Chief Inspector Pointer #22

by A.E. Fielding

Chief Inspector Pointer has a problem. More specifically, he has a body and two women claiming it as their husband. The body, the apparent victim of robbery with violence, was discovered on the beach at Dover dressed in old clothes. The competing claims of the women are soon dismissed as those of women looking for a “convenient” body, the one to collect on an insurance policy, the other to remarry. That leaves Pointer with the question of the identity of the dead man and how did he come to be lying in a beach shelter with his head bashed in. His investigation leads him to the sunny fields of the south of France and entanglements with another, more sensational, murder case that had long been thought solved.

Genres: Mystery

282 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1937

About the author

A. Fielding (also known as Archibald Fielding or A.E. Fielding) was a pseudonym of Dorothy Feilding.

Reviews

[Dhspilsbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twists and turns and dashes along with a good surprise at the end.

Devious cunning well hidden to almost the end. Missed an excellent clue on the lines of a Sherlock Holmes mystery. Cant for the life if me feel much sympathy for such a naive victim surrounded by mendaciousness. Pointer slogs away quickly showing up lazy assumptions and the shadow mystery nicely confuses everyone but him in the end. A very good plot line, if a bit gothic, tied into several possible motives and motivations for the murder.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book. It didn’t really click into place for me until about 1/3 in but then it was totally gripping and full of twists and turns the rest of the way.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A number of people are staying at Norbury's farm in France. These paying guests make the difference in the household budget, and by and large they are a congenial bunch. Inskipp is a romantic who falls in love with the picture of a young woman, a friend of one of the women staying there. He corresponds with the lady in the picture, Mirielle, and falls in love with her. A brother and sister combination are not what they seem, and when Inskipp finds out, he volunteers to go back to England to help them. Enter Pointer, who is looking into the identity of a dead tramp in Dover, and finds a mystery instead.

[Gillian Kevern · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really unique mystery, with different layers. I really enjoyed this one, and didn't have an inkling as to how it would play out until right at the end. Very well done!