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The Robbery at Rudwick House : A Golden Age Mystery
‘A very entertaining yarn’ New York Times‘Whitechurch’s writing was of a higher quality than that of many other detective novelists of his time’ Martin EdwardsThis 2025 Spitfire Publishers ebook and paperback edition represent the first republication of this classic of the ‘Golden Age of Crime’ in almost a centuryIncludes a complete bibliography of Victor Whitechurch’s crime novels
Brooks, the new footman at Rudwick House is not all he seems. He is attentive to Lady Middleton and a help to Hudson, the household’s rather elderly butler. He appears to fit in seamlessly with the domestic staff at Sir Henry’s country house on the South Coast of England. Meanwhile two miles away in the Cathedral city of Frattenbury, Archdeacon Cyril Lakenham is dealing with the fallout from his brother’s untimely death in America – wills, codicils and the imminent arrival on the transatlantic liner, Berengaria, of his brother’s widow and son. The collision of these apparently unrelated individuals will test the experience and resolve of both Inspector Fraser of Scotland Yard’s C.I.D. and Southshire Police’s Superintendent King.
About the Author
Victor Lorenzo Whitechurch was a Church of England clergyman and noted English crime novelist. He was born in Norham, Northumberland in 1868 and trained to be a vicar at Chichester Theological College and Durham University. Relatively late in life Victor became rather infatuated with the detective novel and between 1912 and 1932 wrote seven, many centred around the fictional South Downs cathedral and university city of Frattenbury, and often featuring members of the clergy. He was one of the founding members of the Detection Club and contributed to the Club’s collaborative novel The Floating Admiral, published in 1931, which also featured Agatha Christie Dorothy L. Sayers, and G.K. Chesterton. His most famous literary creation however, is amateur railway detective Thorpe Hazelle, a wealthy, vegetarian fitness fanatic who starred in Thrilling Stories of the Railway(recently dramatized for BBC Radio 4 and featuring Benedict Cumberbatch). Ellery Queen described Hazelle as ‘the first of the speciality detectives’. Another was the young detective clergyman, Reverend Harry Westerham, who appeared in The Crime at Diana’s Pool, described by Martin Edwards in The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books as ‘A quintessentially English country-house mystery with a touch of the exotic.’ Victor Whitechurch died in 1933, aged 65.
Praise for Victor L. Whitechurch
‘Should delight those who take pleasure in pitting their analytical abilities against those of the sleuth created by the author’ New York Times
‘A model of the detective story… the solution has the neatness of a bold mate at chess’ Glasgow Herald
‘All Whitechurch’s stories have distinct merit’ Barzun & Taylor, A Catalogue of Crime
‘Enthralling… keeps the reader keenly interested’ Boston Transcript
Brooks, the new footman at Rudwick House is not all he seems. He is attentive to Lady Middleton and a help to Hudson, the household’s rather elderly butler. He appears to fit in seamlessly with the domestic staff at Sir Henry’s country house on the South Coast of England. Meanwhile two miles away in the Cathedral city of Frattenbury, Archdeacon Cyril Lakenham is dealing with the fallout from his brother’s untimely death in America – wills, codicils and the imminent arrival on the transatlantic liner, Berengaria, of his brother’s widow and son. The collision of these apparently unrelated individuals will test the experience and resolve of both Inspector Fraser of Scotland Yard’s C.I.D. and Southshire Police’s Superintendent King.
About the Author
Victor Lorenzo Whitechurch was a Church of England clergyman and noted English crime novelist. He was born in Norham, Northumberland in 1868 and trained to be a vicar at Chichester Theological College and Durham University. Relatively late in life Victor became rather infatuated with the detective novel and between 1912 and 1932 wrote seven, many centred around the fictional South Downs cathedral and university city of Frattenbury, and often featuring members of the clergy. He was one of the founding members of the Detection Club and contributed to the Club’s collaborative novel The Floating Admiral, published in 1931, which also featured Agatha Christie Dorothy L. Sayers, and G.K. Chesterton. His most famous literary creation however, is amateur railway detective Thorpe Hazelle, a wealthy, vegetarian fitness fanatic who starred in Thrilling Stories of the Railway(recently dramatized for BBC Radio 4 and featuring Benedict Cumberbatch). Ellery Queen described Hazelle as ‘the first of the speciality detectives’. Another was the young detective clergyman, Reverend Harry Westerham, who appeared in The Crime at Diana’s Pool, described by Martin Edwards in The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books as ‘A quintessentially English country-house mystery with a touch of the exotic.’ Victor Whitechurch died in 1933, aged 65.
Praise for Victor L. Whitechurch
‘Should delight those who take pleasure in pitting their analytical abilities against those of the sleuth created by the author’ New York Times
‘A model of the detective story… the solution has the neatness of a bold mate at chess’ Glasgow Herald
‘All Whitechurch’s stories have distinct merit’ Barzun & Taylor, A Catalogue of Crime
‘Enthralling… keeps the reader keenly interested’ Boston Transcript
276 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 5, 2025
About the author
Victor L. Whitechurch
170 books17 followersVictor Lorenzo Whitechurch was born in 1868, was educated at Chichester Grammar School and Chichester Theological College and eventually became a canon of the Anglican Church, living and working for many years in the country rather than in towns and cities.
He held various positions as curate before he became vicar of St. Michael's, Blewbury in 1904. In 1913 he became Chaplain to the Bishop of Oxford, and an honorary canon of Christ Church and in 1918 he became Rural Dean of Aylesbury.
He began his writing career with religious works, as befitted his profession, and edited 'The Chronicle of St George' in 1891 before producing his own work 'The Course of Justice' in 1903. He wrote his first quasi-detective novel, also considered as a clerical romance, in 1904 when 'The Canon in Residence' was published and was later adapted for stage and radio.
He also contributed detective stories to the Strand Magazine, the Railway Magazine and Pearson's and Harmsworth's Magazines. Some of his railway stories were published as 'Thrilling Stories of the Railway' in 1912, 15 stories in all, nine of which feature his specialst in railway detection, Thorpe Hazell, a strict vegetarian.
After producing a variety of romantic novels, he returned to thrillers with 'The Templeton Case', 1924, and another collection of short stories on a railway and spy theme, 'The Adventures of Captain Ivan Koravitch' in 1925.
Two quite different books appeared from his pen in 1927, 'The Truth in Christ Jesus' and 'The Crime at Diana's Pool' before he devoted his final years almost solely to detective fiction, writing four further such novels between 1927 and 1932, the last of them 'Murder at the College' written after he had suffered a long and debilitating illness.
Although his thriller output was relatively low, 12 of his 27 books being of the genre, Jacques Barzun and Wendell Hertig Taylor in their splendid 'Catalogue of Crime' wrote of him, "He was the greatest improviser in the genre - all but one of his stories has distinct merit." Ellery Queen and Dorothy L Sayers meanwhile admired his books for their "immaculate plotting and factual accuracy" believing him to be "one of the first writers to submit his manuscripts to Scotland Yard for vetting as to police procedure."
He died in 1933.
Gerry Wolstenholme
May 2010
He held various positions as curate before he became vicar of St. Michael's, Blewbury in 1904. In 1913 he became Chaplain to the Bishop of Oxford, and an honorary canon of Christ Church and in 1918 he became Rural Dean of Aylesbury.
He began his writing career with religious works, as befitted his profession, and edited 'The Chronicle of St George' in 1891 before producing his own work 'The Course of Justice' in 1903. He wrote his first quasi-detective novel, also considered as a clerical romance, in 1904 when 'The Canon in Residence' was published and was later adapted for stage and radio.
He also contributed detective stories to the Strand Magazine, the Railway Magazine and Pearson's and Harmsworth's Magazines. Some of his railway stories were published as 'Thrilling Stories of the Railway' in 1912, 15 stories in all, nine of which feature his specialst in railway detection, Thorpe Hazell, a strict vegetarian.
After producing a variety of romantic novels, he returned to thrillers with 'The Templeton Case', 1924, and another collection of short stories on a railway and spy theme, 'The Adventures of Captain Ivan Koravitch' in 1925.
Two quite different books appeared from his pen in 1927, 'The Truth in Christ Jesus' and 'The Crime at Diana's Pool' before he devoted his final years almost solely to detective fiction, writing four further such novels between 1927 and 1932, the last of them 'Murder at the College' written after he had suffered a long and debilitating illness.
Although his thriller output was relatively low, 12 of his 27 books being of the genre, Jacques Barzun and Wendell Hertig Taylor in their splendid 'Catalogue of Crime' wrote of him, "He was the greatest improviser in the genre - all but one of his stories has distinct merit." Ellery Queen and Dorothy L Sayers meanwhile admired his books for their "immaculate plotting and factual accuracy" believing him to be "one of the first writers to submit his manuscripts to Scotland Yard for vetting as to police procedure."
He died in 1933.
Gerry Wolstenholme
May 2010
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 4, 2026
Enjoyed this 1928 mystery (77p on Amazon). It's more of a social comedy than a mystery, and I liked the hustling American sister-in-law who appals the Archdeacon, but wins him over in the end. Would have liked to read more about the future careers of her and her son. Charles Meakin, the police constable, did not come across well, and has a lot to learn.
April 6, 2026
good fun
Gentle satire of English clergy and American nouveau riche. The crime is incidental. The satire is mostly kind, if not entirely accurate.
Gentle satire of English clergy and American nouveau riche. The crime is incidental. The satire is mostly kind, if not entirely accurate.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews