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Miles Bredon #3
The Body in the Silo
When private investigator Miles Bredon and his wife, Angela, arrive for a weekend at the Hallifords' country house, they find themselves part of a singularly ill-assorted house party. Waking one morning to the news that one among their number has been found dead by the silo, Miles has no shortage of suspects.
The entire party had spent the previous night haring around the country side in an 'eloping' game instigated by their hostess, and no one can fully account for their whereabouts. The arrival of Inspector Leyland from Scotland Yard, investigating a spate of apparent suicides of important people, adds another dimension to the mystery, and Miles finds himself wondering 'whether the improbable ought to be told'.
The entire party had spent the previous night haring around the country side in an 'eloping' game instigated by their hostess, and no one can fully account for their whereabouts. The arrival of Inspector Leyland from Scotland Yard, investigating a spate of apparent suicides of important people, adds another dimension to the mystery, and Miles finds himself wondering 'whether the improbable ought to be told'.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1933
About the author
Ronald Knox
241 books118 followersMonsignor Ronald Arbuthnott Knox was a Roman Catholic priest, theologian, author of detective stories, as well as a writer and a regular broadcaster for BBC Radio.
Knox had attended Eton College and won several scholarships at Balliol College, Oxford. He was ordained an Anglican priest in 1912 and was appointed chaplain of Trinity College, Oxford, but he left in 1917 upon his conversion to Catholicism. In 1918 he was ordained a Catholic priest. Knox wrote many books of essays and novels. Directed by his religious superiors, he re-translated the Latin Vulgate Bible into English, using Hebrew and Greek sources, beginning in 1936.
He died on 24 August 1957 and his body was brought to Westminster Cathedral. Bishop Craven celebrated the requiem mass, at which Father Martin D'Arcy, a Jesuit, preached the panegyric. Knox was buried in the churchyard of St Andrew's Church, Mells.
Knox had attended Eton College and won several scholarships at Balliol College, Oxford. He was ordained an Anglican priest in 1912 and was appointed chaplain of Trinity College, Oxford, but he left in 1917 upon his conversion to Catholicism. In 1918 he was ordained a Catholic priest. Knox wrote many books of essays and novels. Directed by his religious superiors, he re-translated the Latin Vulgate Bible into English, using Hebrew and Greek sources, beginning in 1936.
He died on 24 August 1957 and his body was brought to Westminster Cathedral. Bishop Craven celebrated the requiem mass, at which Father Martin D'Arcy, a Jesuit, preached the panegyric. Knox was buried in the churchyard of St Andrew's Church, Mells.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 9, 2023
Accident, suicide or murder?
When Miles and Angela Bredon are invited to be guests of the Hallifords at their Herefordshire home, Miles is less than enthusiastic. They are little more than acquaintances and Miles wonders why they’ve been invited. Angela is keen to go, though, primarily because their maid has gone off to look after a sick mother and obviously one cannot live in a house without a maid. There are several other guests, some couples, some single people, and they decide to play a game – someone will be chosen by the drawing of lots, and that person will choose a partner with whom they will “elope”, the game being that the other people will chase after them with a view to catching them before they arrive at the agreed destination. Mr Cecil Worsley won’t be playing since he doesn’t drive. All goes more or less according to plan, except that one chaser is stopped by the police for speeding and the car of another breaks down. Next morning Mr Worsley is found dead, in the silo that is the host’s pride and joy. Accident, suicide or murder? Miles, as an investigator with a big insurance company, begins to investigate…
There’s a real mix of strengths and weaknesses in this one, leaving me a bit ambivalent about how I feel about it. The characterisation of Miles and Angela is fun – they are one of those couples who show their affection through constant sparring which provides a lot of humour. There’s a police officer, too, who is well developed – an old friend of Miles who is working alongside him, but undercover. But the rest of the characters – the victim and suspects – never really become fully-fledged individuals with personalities. They are more like chess pieces, important because of where they are at any given moment of time. The investigation mainly relies on the howdunit aspects, specifically on timings and alibis, which is never my favourite kind. There is a distinct lack of motive until all is revealed at the end, and even then I found it all rather unconvincing. And as too often happens in howdunits, the how turns out to be based on something ridiculously unlikely, and in this case, simply ridiculous.
Knox was the man who came up with the “Ten Commandments” of detective fiction, loosely adhered to by members of the Detection Club (sometimes very loosely!). These were meant to make mysteries “fair play” – the reader should be given all the clues necessary to compete with the detective to solve the mystery first. In this book, as Miles gives his lengthy explanation at the end, each clue is footnoted and referenced back to where it first appears. On this basis, I grant that it is indeed fair play and some aspects of it are definitely solvable. However, one would have to have a strange kind of mind to work it all out, I feel! But then I always feel that about these kind of puzzle mysteries. I know plenty of people love them, however, so I’m sure this will appeal to them more than it did to me. On the whole, I found it somewhat overlong and too full of intricate detail, and with only the detectives themselves providing any level of human interest. It’s my first Knox novel, and my reaction is middling – I won’t actively seek out more, but nor will I actively avoid them. 3½ stars for me, so rounded up.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
When Miles and Angela Bredon are invited to be guests of the Hallifords at their Herefordshire home, Miles is less than enthusiastic. They are little more than acquaintances and Miles wonders why they’ve been invited. Angela is keen to go, though, primarily because their maid has gone off to look after a sick mother and obviously one cannot live in a house without a maid. There are several other guests, some couples, some single people, and they decide to play a game – someone will be chosen by the drawing of lots, and that person will choose a partner with whom they will “elope”, the game being that the other people will chase after them with a view to catching them before they arrive at the agreed destination. Mr Cecil Worsley won’t be playing since he doesn’t drive. All goes more or less according to plan, except that one chaser is stopped by the police for speeding and the car of another breaks down. Next morning Mr Worsley is found dead, in the silo that is the host’s pride and joy. Accident, suicide or murder? Miles, as an investigator with a big insurance company, begins to investigate…
There’s a real mix of strengths and weaknesses in this one, leaving me a bit ambivalent about how I feel about it. The characterisation of Miles and Angela is fun – they are one of those couples who show their affection through constant sparring which provides a lot of humour. There’s a police officer, too, who is well developed – an old friend of Miles who is working alongside him, but undercover. But the rest of the characters – the victim and suspects – never really become fully-fledged individuals with personalities. They are more like chess pieces, important because of where they are at any given moment of time. The investigation mainly relies on the howdunit aspects, specifically on timings and alibis, which is never my favourite kind. There is a distinct lack of motive until all is revealed at the end, and even then I found it all rather unconvincing. And as too often happens in howdunits, the how turns out to be based on something ridiculously unlikely, and in this case, simply ridiculous.
Knox was the man who came up with the “Ten Commandments” of detective fiction, loosely adhered to by members of the Detection Club (sometimes very loosely!). These were meant to make mysteries “fair play” – the reader should be given all the clues necessary to compete with the detective to solve the mystery first. In this book, as Miles gives his lengthy explanation at the end, each clue is footnoted and referenced back to where it first appears. On this basis, I grant that it is indeed fair play and some aspects of it are definitely solvable. However, one would have to have a strange kind of mind to work it all out, I feel! But then I always feel that about these kind of puzzle mysteries. I know plenty of people love them, however, so I’m sure this will appeal to them more than it did to me. On the whole, I found it somewhat overlong and too full of intricate detail, and with only the detectives themselves providing any level of human interest. It’s my first Knox novel, and my reaction is middling – I won’t actively seek out more, but nor will I actively avoid them. 3½ stars for me, so rounded up.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
May 24, 2026
I enjoyed this book more than the author’s more famous The Three Taps.
One of the later chapters in this book is a clue-finder, where the readers are given specific earlier pages where clues were presented to them. I had heard about such clue-finders, but this is the first time I actually saw one. That was a nice surprise (‘cool!’), and I was quite impressed with the cunning ingenuity.
One of the later chapters in this book is a clue-finder, where the readers are given specific earlier pages where clues were presented to them. I had heard about such clue-finders, but this is the first time I actually saw one. That was a nice surprise (‘cool!’), and I was quite impressed with the cunning ingenuity.
Want to Read
May 11, 2025Synopsis: private investigator Miles Bredon finds he has too many suspects, and none with an alibi, when he finds a body at Hallifords' estate.
August 23, 2021
I have now completed my reading of all six of Ronald Knox' detective novels.
Like the others this has a seemingly complex plot in which Miles and Angela Bredon find themselves rather oddly invited to a country-house party of ill-assorted guests. Inspector Leyland just happens to be camping nearby.
A death occurs which may be politically motivated (nasty foreigners and unpatriotic socialists alert), and Bredon is duly summoned to a briefing about this. However, his nose, ever sensitive to oddities, begins to twitch.
The convolutions are rather dull but, since Bredon is in essence an insurance investigator it is to that aspect that the plot inevitably turns, the reader's attention having been firmly steered away from it in an enormous series of misdirections.
Motor cars figure largely, for a good reason, but, despite the appearance of "fair play", I really do not think that this one is solvable by the reader. Maybe I was just too distracted, or perhaps bored into inattention by the many byways...
3.5 stars.
My favourite of the six is The Three Taps which was the first I read.
Like the others this has a seemingly complex plot in which Miles and Angela Bredon find themselves rather oddly invited to a country-house party of ill-assorted guests. Inspector Leyland just happens to be camping nearby.
A death occurs which may be politically motivated (nasty foreigners and unpatriotic socialists alert), and Bredon is duly summoned to a briefing about this. However, his nose, ever sensitive to oddities, begins to twitch.
The convolutions are rather dull but, since Bredon is in essence an insurance investigator it is to that aspect that the plot inevitably turns, the reader's attention having been firmly steered away from it in an enormous series of misdirections.
Motor cars figure largely, for a good reason, but, despite the appearance of "fair play", I really do not think that this one is solvable by the reader. Maybe I was just too distracted, or perhaps bored into inattention by the many byways...
3.5 stars.
My favourite of the six is The Three Taps which was the first I read.
November 18, 2021
Insurance investigator Miles Bredon and wife Angela are invited to an eloping game, where teams attempt to guess who the couple are. Needless there is a murder but like other Ronald Knox books this a complex plot which only the author knows. It's very clever and mildly enjoyable but I would recommend the audio version if like me your mind wanders.
June 24, 2020
I have never read a book by Ronald Knox before only knowing he wrote 10 commandments for detective fiction and was a catholic priest. I found this novel to have kept to his rules but both characters and a over complicated script was not as good as I'd hoped they would be.
December 12, 2017
A complicated mystery neatly solved.
July 26, 2015
This book from 1934 falls in the genre of "country house mystery". Miles Bredon, a private investigator for a prestigious insurance company, and his wife Angela are invited to spend the weekend at the country house of a casual acquaintance. As a matter of fact, Miles doesn't understand why they were invited and is less than enthusiastic. This feeling of discomfort only increases when he meets the singularly ill-assorted houseparty. Besides the nouveau riche host and his insufferable wife, there is a writer with a scandalous past, a modern young woman who runs a garage, a couple of sour-faced neighbors, some business acquaintances from their host's past in South Africa and Worsley, who seems to be one of those political movers-and-shakers intimate to those in power but unknown to the public.
Miles and Angela get away from the house whenever they can, but they can't very well refuse an invitation to participate in an "elopement game", an entertainment where one "eloping" couple must be chased around the countryside by the other guests in powerful motor cars. This is 1934, and more than one car develops motor trouble, making it hard to figure out who was where when. This becomes very relevant the next morning, when Worsley is found dead in the grain silo. Accident? Suicide? Miles can't shake the conviction that it was murder, but he also can't figure out who amongst the guests might have a motive to do away with the universally liked Worsley. The dead man's behavior on his last night is painstakingly reconstructed and adds up to a confusing, even contradictory picture. Miles is thoroughly stumped when clues start appearing and disappearing in the most remarkable ways. When his old friend, police officer Leyland, appears in the neighborhood in the incognito form of a tourist, the two join forces to figure out what exactly happened in the silo.
This is a very cleverly constructed puzzle for lovers of British mysteries of the Golden Age. It does require some attention to follow, for instance, how a body can end up inside an agricultural silo, or to understand how cars were constructed in the 1930s. But it's a very satisfying read, and well written.
Miles and Angela get away from the house whenever they can, but they can't very well refuse an invitation to participate in an "elopement game", an entertainment where one "eloping" couple must be chased around the countryside by the other guests in powerful motor cars. This is 1934, and more than one car develops motor trouble, making it hard to figure out who was where when. This becomes very relevant the next morning, when Worsley is found dead in the grain silo. Accident? Suicide? Miles can't shake the conviction that it was murder, but he also can't figure out who amongst the guests might have a motive to do away with the universally liked Worsley. The dead man's behavior on his last night is painstakingly reconstructed and adds up to a confusing, even contradictory picture. Miles is thoroughly stumped when clues start appearing and disappearing in the most remarkable ways. When his old friend, police officer Leyland, appears in the neighborhood in the incognito form of a tourist, the two join forces to figure out what exactly happened in the silo.
This is a very cleverly constructed puzzle for lovers of British mysteries of the Golden Age. It does require some attention to follow, for instance, how a body can end up inside an agricultural silo, or to understand how cars were constructed in the 1930s. But it's a very satisfying read, and well written.
April 17, 2016
Miles and Angela Bredon are invited to stay with the Hallifords, although they've just met them, for an ill-assorted house party. Someone suggests that they play "the eloping game," which is essentially just a road race held at night. The next morning, one of the guests is found dead in a silo that Halliford has his farm workers filling for winter use. It seems like a peculiar accident to Miles, who is an insurance investigator by profession, and an even more peculiar suicide for what seemed to be a happy, well-adjusted man. But the lack of a motive argues against murder.
This is also known as Murder Out of Court (in the edition I read), although that doesn't seem like a very apt name, considering the plot.
This is also known as Murder Out of Court (in the edition I read), although that doesn't seem like a very apt name, considering the plot.
November 24, 2014
Far too long and far too complicated. Very tedious with a silly plot and an unbelievable and most unsatisfactory ending. I very nearly abandoned it several times.
Two stars is really too generous. If it wasn't for the quality of the writing, which is marvelous, I would have only given it one.
Two stars is really too generous. If it wasn't for the quality of the writing, which is marvelous, I would have only given it one.
September 29, 2025
For my full review click on the link below:
https://crossexaminingcrime.com/2025/...
https://crossexaminingcrime.com/2025/...
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews