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Idwal Meredith #1
Unruly Son
First published in 1979, Unruly Son received an Edgar Award nomination for "Best Novel" of the year.Sir Oliver Fairleigh-Stubbs, overweight and overbearing, collapses and dies at his birthday party while indulging his taste for rare liquors. He had promised his daughter he would be polite and charitable for the entire day, but the strain of such exemplary behaviour was obviously too great. He leaves a family relieved to be rid of him, and he also leaves a fortune, earned as a bestselling mystery author.To everyone's surprise, Sir Oliver's elder son, who openly hated his father, inherits most of the estate. His wife, his daughter, and his younger son are each to receive the royalties from one carefully chosen book. But the manuscript of the unpublished volume left to Sir Oliver's wife-a posthumous "last case" that might be worth millions-has disappeared. And Sir Oliver's death is beginning to look less than natural.Into this bitter household comes Inspector Meredith, a spirited Welshman who in some ways resembles Sir Oliver's fictional hero. In Robert Barnard's skilful hands, Inspector Meredith's investigation becomes not only a classic example of detection but an elegant and humorous slice of crime.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
About the author
Robert Barnard
202 books88 followersAka Bernard Bastable.
Robert Barnard (born 23 November 1936) was an English crime writer, critic and lecturer.
Born in Essex, Barnard was educated at the Royal Grammar School in Colchester and at Balliol College in Oxford. His first crime novel, A Little Local Murder, was published in 1976. The novel was written while he was a lecturer at University of Tromsø in Norway. He has gone on to write more than 40 other books and numerous short stories.
Barnard has said that his favourite crime writer is Agatha Christie. In 1980 he published a critique of her work titled A Talent to Deceive: An Appreciation of Agatha Christie.
Barnard was awarded the Cartier Diamond Dagger in 2003 by the Crime Writers Association for a lifetime of achievement.
Under the pseudonym Bernard Bastable, Robert Barnard has published one standalone novel and three alternate history books starring Wolfgang Mozart as a detective, he having survived to old age.
Barnard lived with his wife Louise in Yorkshire.
Series:
* Perry Trethowan
* Charlie Peace
Robert Barnard (born 23 November 1936) was an English crime writer, critic and lecturer.
Born in Essex, Barnard was educated at the Royal Grammar School in Colchester and at Balliol College in Oxford. His first crime novel, A Little Local Murder, was published in 1976. The novel was written while he was a lecturer at University of Tromsø in Norway. He has gone on to write more than 40 other books and numerous short stories.
Barnard has said that his favourite crime writer is Agatha Christie. In 1980 he published a critique of her work titled A Talent to Deceive: An Appreciation of Agatha Christie.
Barnard was awarded the Cartier Diamond Dagger in 2003 by the Crime Writers Association for a lifetime of achievement.
Under the pseudonym Bernard Bastable, Robert Barnard has published one standalone novel and three alternate history books starring Wolfgang Mozart as a detective, he having survived to old age.
Barnard lived with his wife Louise in Yorkshire.
Series:
* Perry Trethowan
* Charlie Peace
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
May 29, 2009
Here's enormous fun. Sir Oliver Fairleigh-Stubbs is Britain's most successful thriller writer, even though it's generally agreed his books are bloody awful. And so is he: he's vile to his family (except his gold-digging, ghastly daughter) and everyone else around him. So it's not much of a surprise when someone spikes his favorite after-dinner liqueur with nicotinic acid, bumping the old bastard off. Enter sleuth Inspector Meredith, not an especially literary man, who must trawl among the bitchy inhabitants of an English village out of Miss Marple's nightmares as well as the London offices of Sir Oliver's publishers, deep though they are in mourning for the loss of revenue the author's death implies. Could the answer to the mystery lie in the book Sir Oliver wrote years ago but never published, the manuscript that supposedly none but the writer and an ancient ex-secretary have ever seen? It could indeed . . .
The sideswipes at the pretensions of the publishing world are obviously a part of what I found so entertaining about this romp, but the real glory is in its wry evisceration, through understated parody, of the conventions of the "cozy" murder mystery — and yet Barnard's triumph is that the novel functions extremely well as a "cozy" murder mystery itself.
The sideswipes at the pretensions of the publishing world are obviously a part of what I found so entertaining about this romp, but the real glory is in its wry evisceration, through understated parody, of the conventions of the "cozy" murder mystery — and yet Barnard's triumph is that the novel functions extremely well as a "cozy" murder mystery itself.
October 11, 2016
3.5 STARS | From the first sentence, I knew I was being slowly led down the garden path by a master mystery writer. I gladly went. Barnard has always been one of my favorites, and I am revisiting some of his early mysteries that I've long forgotten. There were only two novels in this particular series involving Inspector Meredith and that's a shame. I always enjoy the humor and the portraits drawn of his various characters, in this case especially, Sir Oliver Fairleigh-Stubbs, the overbearing best-selling mystery writer in the title. The means of murder and the puzzle would please Christie, of whom Barnard was an admirer. The solution came as a surprise of misdirection.
February 27, 2017
Robert Barnard (1936-2013) was an English crime writer, critic and lecturer, whose first crime novel, Death of an Old Goat (1974), was written while he was teaching in Australia, followed shortly after by A Little Local Murder (1976) penned while he was a lecturer at University of Tromsø in Norway. He went on to write more than 40 other books and numerous short stories and was awarded the Cartier Diamond Dagger in 2003 by the Crime Writers Association and the Malice Domestic Award for a lifetime of achievement.
He had several series protagonists including policemen Perry Trethowan, Idwal Meredith, and Charlie Peace, even Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, either under his given name or the pen name Bernard Bastable. He once said that favorite crime writer was Agatha Christie and published a critique of her work titled A Talent to Deceive: An Appreciation of Agatha Christie in 1980. This is likely why his stories are primarily of the traditional British detective story school, with the author himself once referring to his style as "deliberately old-fashioned."
Death of a Mystery Writer, published in 1978 (and received an Edgar Award nomination for Best Novel), follows that "old fashioned" theme, centering around Sir Oliver Fairleigh-Stubbs, an overweight and overbearing man who revels in stirring up trouble, after he collapses and dies at his birthday party. He left behind a family who was relieved to be rid of him, especially since he'd amassed quite a fortune as the author or best-selling detective novels.
To the family's surprise, Sir Oliver left most of his estate to his eldest son who openly hated his father, while the long-suffering wife, calculating daughter, and unpleasant younger son are each to receive the income from one carefully chosen book. But the manuscript of the unpublished volume left to Sir Oliver's wife—a posthumous "last case" that might be worth millions—has disappeared, and the author's death is beginning to look less and less like an accident.
The spirited Welsh Inspector Meredith, who in some respects resembles Sir Oliver's fiction hero, steps into the picture to look into the proceedings. It doesn't take long to discover the old man had been poisoned, his favorite after-dinner liqueur spiked with nicotinic acid, and that there are plenty of suspects. Meredith also begins to suspect that the clever murderer is taking his scheme from the plot of Sir Oliver's missing novel.
Barnard's trademark charm and wit are evident here, as in the passage:
"Oliver Farleigh sank into a mood of intense depression: he gazed at the cutlet as if it were a drowned friend whose remains he was trying to identify at a police morgue. He picked up a forkful of mashed potato, inspected it, smelled it, and finally, with ludicrously overdone reluctance, let it drop into his mouth, where he chewed it for fully three minutes before swallowing. Conversation flagged."
Kirkus Reviews added, "Sir Oliver is so robustly, vitally hateful that the story sags ever so slightly after his removal from the scene; but the denouement is neat, the pace brisk, and the satisfaction almost total—proof positive, once again, that the Olde English Detective Story can still, in the right hands, be an un-dusty delight."
He had several series protagonists including policemen Perry Trethowan, Idwal Meredith, and Charlie Peace, even Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, either under his given name or the pen name Bernard Bastable. He once said that favorite crime writer was Agatha Christie and published a critique of her work titled A Talent to Deceive: An Appreciation of Agatha Christie in 1980. This is likely why his stories are primarily of the traditional British detective story school, with the author himself once referring to his style as "deliberately old-fashioned."
Death of a Mystery Writer, published in 1978 (and received an Edgar Award nomination for Best Novel), follows that "old fashioned" theme, centering around Sir Oliver Fairleigh-Stubbs, an overweight and overbearing man who revels in stirring up trouble, after he collapses and dies at his birthday party. He left behind a family who was relieved to be rid of him, especially since he'd amassed quite a fortune as the author or best-selling detective novels.
To the family's surprise, Sir Oliver left most of his estate to his eldest son who openly hated his father, while the long-suffering wife, calculating daughter, and unpleasant younger son are each to receive the income from one carefully chosen book. But the manuscript of the unpublished volume left to Sir Oliver's wife—a posthumous "last case" that might be worth millions—has disappeared, and the author's death is beginning to look less and less like an accident.
The spirited Welsh Inspector Meredith, who in some respects resembles Sir Oliver's fiction hero, steps into the picture to look into the proceedings. It doesn't take long to discover the old man had been poisoned, his favorite after-dinner liqueur spiked with nicotinic acid, and that there are plenty of suspects. Meredith also begins to suspect that the clever murderer is taking his scheme from the plot of Sir Oliver's missing novel.
Barnard's trademark charm and wit are evident here, as in the passage:
"Oliver Farleigh sank into a mood of intense depression: he gazed at the cutlet as if it were a drowned friend whose remains he was trying to identify at a police morgue. He picked up a forkful of mashed potato, inspected it, smelled it, and finally, with ludicrously overdone reluctance, let it drop into his mouth, where he chewed it for fully three minutes before swallowing. Conversation flagged."
Kirkus Reviews added, "Sir Oliver is so robustly, vitally hateful that the story sags ever so slightly after his removal from the scene; but the denouement is neat, the pace brisk, and the satisfaction almost total—proof positive, once again, that the Olde English Detective Story can still, in the right hands, be an un-dusty delight."
June 29, 2022
I've been finding myself enjoying the mysteries/police procedurals, etc. from past decades, many of which are from authors of which I had been unaware until recently.
There are a lot of very good storytellers from earlier eras. I find myself drawn to them, in part, because much of the violence is implied rather than provided in detail. It doesn't make the murders any less realistic, but it does not shock the senses, either. Robert Barnard is a good storyteller.
There are a lot of very good storytellers from earlier eras. I find myself drawn to them, in part, because much of the violence is implied rather than provided in detail. It doesn't make the murders any less realistic, but it does not shock the senses, either. Robert Barnard is a good storyteller.
June 18, 2019
This British book is almost a satire of an Agatha Christie novel. When Sir Oliver Fairleigh-Stubbs, an obese, overbearing bully, is poisoned during his 65th birthday party, there is no end of suspects. As Inspector Meredith, the investigating detective comments, "his enemies number in the triple digits." An amusing drawing-room romp.
August 3, 2020
Sir Oliver Farleigh-Stubbs is a best-selling mystery writer. He is also an obnoxious, bullying, egocentric, obese, snob who is loved by his readers and despised by his family and friends. His publishers and editor tolerate him because his books bring in money.
During his intimate sixty-fifth birthday party he drops dead while sipping on an expensive and special liqueur in his fine library in his elegant country home in front of his family and guests. The family is shocked at this unexpected event, but not surprised. The man never did follow doctors’ orders, even if he said he did.
There is no love lost between Sir Oliver and his oldest son, who seems to be wasting his life in go-nowhere jobs and heavy drinking. When Sir Oliver’s will is read, all are shocked. The oldest gets not just the title, but also the bulk of the estate! Needless to say his brother and sister are furious.
Chief Inspector Meredith is given the case. Originally thought to be a death from a heart attack, it turns out to be a case of poisoning. The question is who. It looks as if there is a fair number of suspects; from family to friends to work related people to all be checked out.
The pace is good and the plot is very enjoyable.
During his intimate sixty-fifth birthday party he drops dead while sipping on an expensive and special liqueur in his fine library in his elegant country home in front of his family and guests. The family is shocked at this unexpected event, but not surprised. The man never did follow doctors’ orders, even if he said he did.
There is no love lost between Sir Oliver and his oldest son, who seems to be wasting his life in go-nowhere jobs and heavy drinking. When Sir Oliver’s will is read, all are shocked. The oldest gets not just the title, but also the bulk of the estate! Needless to say his brother and sister are furious.
Chief Inspector Meredith is given the case. Originally thought to be a death from a heart attack, it turns out to be a case of poisoning. The question is who. It looks as if there is a fair number of suspects; from family to friends to work related people to all be checked out.
The pace is good and the plot is very enjoyable.
September 5, 2021
Robert Barnard had a great talent of picking up a subject and writing a murder mystery while gently having a dig at the subject. In 'Death of a Mystery Writer' he has gentle dig at the hand that fed him and at fellow writers who make no attempt to see whether there method of murder is even possible but are too lazy to double check. The Mystery novelist here is Sir Oliver Fairleigh-Stubbs who lives off a baronetcy, bought by his father under Lloyd George, and runs a successful estate subsidised by his successful career writer. His three children, except the oldest Mark who has taken to drink, don't like him but hang out hoping that they will inherit when he dies. During his birthday and with everybody on their best behaviour Oliver has a heart attack and dies. The postmortem shows the Oliver had been poisoned by nicotine so Inspector Meredith arrives to sort through the large number of suspects and apparently missing novel called "The Black Widow". A joy to read with a suitable ending.
April 2, 2026
I don’t read a lot of “Whodunnit” style murder-mysteries, but I picked this up on a whim. Not terribly stylish, it had the feeling of a book that was written by someone who writes two of these per year. It kept up a breezy pace and held steady to a satisfying ending. Definitely written in the British tradition of the small-town murder mystery.
My main complaint about the book is the Inspector. The book is full of personalities, the large cast of characters were all pretty distinct and well motivated. But Inspector Meredith, who comes in to investigate the murder, didn’t have a lot going on. I don’t know what’s supposed to set him apart from any other Inspector.
A fun enough read, though. I’ll probably read more by Robert Barnard in the future.
My main complaint about the book is the Inspector. The book is full of personalities, the large cast of characters were all pretty distinct and well motivated. But Inspector Meredith, who comes in to investigate the murder, didn’t have a lot going on. I don’t know what’s supposed to set him apart from any other Inspector.
A fun enough read, though. I’ll probably read more by Robert Barnard in the future.
December 21, 2023
I enjoyed this surprisingly well-plotted book in the GAD style although it was written in 1978. Clearly, Barnard is a Christie fan—there are a couple of references to her and a sly dissing of Dorothy L Slayers' "pretensions to literary merit".
Great characters and a solid plot. The victim is certainly nasty but nowhere as bad as the reviews (and other characters in the book) make him out to be. The one thing I found distasteful was the multiple references to the victim's obesity along with his less likeable characteristics as though somehow this belongs with that set. A great many skinny people are absolute assholes and a great many fat ones are very nice.
Great characters and a solid plot. The victim is certainly nasty but nowhere as bad as the reviews (and other characters in the book) make him out to be. The one thing I found distasteful was the multiple references to the victim's obesity along with his less likeable characteristics as though somehow this belongs with that set. A great many skinny people are absolute assholes and a great many fat ones are very nice.
July 17, 2020
I have no idea how I came to have this book --maybe a bundled book on a paperbackswap.com order? In any event, a lovely conceit in which the author of (not terribly good) murder mysteries is, himself, murdered. He was a pretty awful man, with a long-suffering wife, a vain son, a selfish daughter, and an heir who flat-out didn't care for him. I confess that I had no idea who had done the murder, even as all the clues were there from the beginning. A fun discovery, and a delightful beach read.
October 11, 2020
When an extremely rude mystery writer dies suddenly under suspect circumstances, there are no shortage of suspects, since no one liked him, including his own children. As Inspector Meredith investigates, he must unravel family secrets and uncover hidden agendas to get to the truth. Good pace, good writing, interesting characters, unexpected plot developments, all elements of a good read.
November 21, 2020
Very much in the Agatha Christie mode. Sir Oliver Fairleigh is a best selling mystery writer with a vast array of fans but not well liked by his family and friends. At his 65th birthday party he sips a special liqueur in his library and falls dead. The son who hates him most inherits his father's estate. His final manuscript that he left for his wife is missing.
June 2, 2024
Nicely written. not quite Golden Age mystery -- written and set in 1970's -- but with that feeling. Intelligent detective tackles the death of someone who sounds like it was a deserved ending. Nothing special, but an entertaining way to spend a few hours.The Inspector seems to have a superior knowledge of human nature which he uses to evaluate each of the suspects.
July 31, 2018
I read this book several decades ago, and liked it enough to keep it for later reread. I've just done that, and unfortunately found it very dated, both in plotting and in writing. There is certainly some decent characterization and unexpected twists, but I guess the genre has moved on since then.
May 31, 2024
a mystery to the very end.
I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery, especially as I appreciated the look into the world of writers and publishing. The characters were all interesting and the ending a surprise.
I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery, especially as I appreciated the look into the world of writers and publishing. The characters were all interesting and the ending a surprise.
May 11, 2017
Classic Robert Bernard. Quirky and funny with a surprise ending. Very good.
August 27, 2018
A nice well written old mystery
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 7, 2021
It was slow, but I liked the humor.
Did Not Finish
April 6, 2022My copy is falling apart and I keep avoiding reading it. I'm DNFing this.
May 14, 2022
It got better the first few pages were cringy.
April 4, 2024
nice mystery from Barnard's earlier years. Very enjoyable. Great characters and I certainly didn't see the ending coming.
May 27, 2024
Reads like a Golden Age mystery.
April 29, 2025
A really fun and well-written mystery. The writing is a few steps above Agatha Christie, with a funny, unpretentious style and delightful 'mystery-novel' characters.
September 26, 2016
This title was more reminiscent of Agatha Christie that I remember noticing in other Barnard books.
July 4, 2014
After finishing the outstanding "A Scandal in Belgravia" (see review) I had an appetite for some more Robert Barnard. "Death of a Mystery Writer", although - typically for this author - an interesting, funny, and fast read, is not on the level of the other novel. It is just a solid, very traditional whodunit, set in England in mid-1970s.
Sir Oliver Fairleigh-Stubbs is a popular writer, author of bestselling but not particularly good mystery novels. He is quite a character; while being a "formidable upholder of Victorian attitudes", he is also an utterly obnoxious and unbearable person. The family and a couple of neighbors convene for his birthday party, which unfortunately for Sir Oliver ends in an event of the contrary kind. Inspector Meredith, quite a clever chap, commences the investigation.
The characterizations in the novel, both physical and psychological, are excellent. The writing is delightful, but I wish there were more of those eminently quotable passages like, for instance, "He had heaved himself into his club at St James's, where old men who had sodomized each other at school shook their heads over the younger generation." I find the mystery component adequate, fortunately there are no spurious plot twists, and the denouement is somewhat unexpected. Nice, pleasant read, but like Sir Oliver's novels, not a great literary achievement.
Two and a half stars.
Sir Oliver Fairleigh-Stubbs is a popular writer, author of bestselling but not particularly good mystery novels. He is quite a character; while being a "formidable upholder of Victorian attitudes", he is also an utterly obnoxious and unbearable person. The family and a couple of neighbors convene for his birthday party, which unfortunately for Sir Oliver ends in an event of the contrary kind. Inspector Meredith, quite a clever chap, commences the investigation.
The characterizations in the novel, both physical and psychological, are excellent. The writing is delightful, but I wish there were more of those eminently quotable passages like, for instance, "He had heaved himself into his club at St James's, where old men who had sodomized each other at school shook their heads over the younger generation." I find the mystery component adequate, fortunately there are no spurious plot twists, and the denouement is somewhat unexpected. Nice, pleasant read, but like Sir Oliver's novels, not a great literary achievement.
Two and a half stars.
May 20, 2024
Not one of his best, but one of his earliest. Introduces Inspector Idwal Meredith, who seemingly didn't take off as one of the most popular detectives of all time. As in several other books, the murder victim is someone who hadn't endeared himself to anyone, so there are lots of suspects. Highlights that very British custom of leaving everything to the eldest son, even if he has been a huge disappointment and hates his father.
5/20/24: read this again, and was once again struck by the hidebound attitudes of certain British segments of society. So many expectations and assumptions. Meredith is meticulous in his investigation, following the smallest of clues and even interviewing a woman on her deathbed. Unfortunately, he does not bring the murderer to justice: perhaps on purpose?
5/20/24: read this again, and was once again struck by the hidebound attitudes of certain British segments of society. So many expectations and assumptions. Meredith is meticulous in his investigation, following the smallest of clues and even interviewing a woman on her deathbed. Unfortunately, he does not bring the murderer to justice: perhaps on purpose?
April 12, 2013
Obnoxious mystery write, Sir Oliver Fairleigh-Stubbs, dies of poisoning at his birthday party with a neighboring couple and all family members present. His oldest son, Mark, who inherited the title and most of the estate, was recently heard saying his father should be shot. However, there were several witnesses who saw that he was far to drunk to have done it, and everyone disliked Fairleigh-Stubbs. Meredith surmises that the killer may have utilized a method from the missing book which was written to be published posthumously. Inspector Meredith has his work cut out for him. However, he doggedly pursues several different angles.
March 29, 2007
Most of Robert Barnard's mysteries are witty and entertaining. I know it's supposedly pointless to re-read mysteries, but I re-read his. They're in the classic Agatha Cristie style, with more wit (but a little less novelty in the plots).
June 6, 2010
The story itself is rather bland, as are the characters. It may be a take-off of other “Death of…” books, so I might be missing some cleverness. But, without that possible connection, the book is mediocre on its own.
Read
May 30, 2012Remember the plot, but not when I read it. He's a good writer.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews