Too Much of Water

by Bruce Hamilton

Genres: Mystery

271 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1958

About the author

Bruce Hamilton (1900 - 1974) was a brother of the novelist and playwright Patrick Hamilton, about whom he wrote a memoir. He was himself also a novelist, mainly writing detective fiction. He moved to Barbados in 1927.

Reviews

[Karl]

This hardcover edition of “Too Much of Water” is volume 18 in the Garland Publishing, Inc. series of books printed as “50 Classics of Crime Fiction 1950 – 1975” chosen by Jacques Barzun & Wendell Hertig Taylor and is a re-print, originally published as an English hardcover by 1958 by Cresset.

Small print run. No dust wrapper.

The list of 50 Classics of Crime Fiction 1950–1975 can be found here although I just noticed that this list is not correct:

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/8...

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Too Much of Water" is described in Barzun and Taylor's "Catalogue of Crime" (the mystery bible) as a "superb sea mystery." A small passenger ship (the S.S. Goyaz") carries two dozen largely English (and predictably odd) characters to Barbados. Dire things happen along the way (several murders). It's hard to beat murders at sea.

[José Van Rosmalen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In het Nederlands moord op maat, amusante thriller die speelt op een luxe cruiseboot. Met mooie karakterschetsen en een ingenieuze ontknoping.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too Much of Water by Bruce Hamilton (1958) takes place aboard a small cabin ship--with single class accommodations for no more than twenty-five passengers--bound from Liverpool on a journey to the West Indies. On the journey a number of rather fatal "accidents" occur. The list of accidents include a tumble overboard, the drowning of young boy, and a death in the bath of a YMCA secretary. It's obvious that someone is steadily reducing the passenger list, but is s/he a madman or is there a method in the madness? The only thing all the victims seem to have in common is an irritation factor--they were all pests of one sort or another. The amateur detective of the piece is Edgar Cantrell, a middle-aged conductor who is on his way to Barbados for a rest cure. When one last victim is found before the ship reaches Barbados, Cantrell must work fast to find the real culprit before the ship's officers turn his friend, a talented countertenor, over to the police. The circumstantial evidence is strong against Maurice Marcus, but Cantrell knows he must be innocent. But who among the remaining passengers could it be? The alcoholic major? The planter from Barbados? Marcus's rival in love? One of the strong and athletic cricket players? Or perhaps one of the intellectual young men bound for teaching posts? The ladies would seem to be out of it--but who know what strength might come if a scorned woman's fury backs it....

Hamilton gives us a near-four-star story. The characters are interesting and somewhat comic at times. Cantrell makes for a nice, male version of the middle-aged busybody getting himself drawn into a bit of amateur detective work. There are plenty of red herrings and a twist or two--and I could fully believe in the identity of the murderer when revealed. The only quibble I have is in the wrap-up. Cantrell confronts the murderer much earlier than expected and so I was all ready for a final twist that would reveal a different culprit entirely--especially when it is shown that there is no real evidence to give to the authorities. The final surprise is a bit contrived--we don't get a signed confession--but the denouement puts quite a strain on the reader's suspension of disbelief. Some real clues and real detective work that would truly convict would be more satisfying than what we're given. Sorry to be so vague--but I don't want to give anything away.

Don't get me wrong--this is a very entertaining mystery by an author I had never heard of and definitely worth a look if you can find a copy. Three and 3/4 stars.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Conductor Edgar Cantrell foresees a peaceful, recuperative trans-Atlantic cruise on the Goyaz, until he finds his friend, singer Maurice Marcus is also on board. In fact, except for a few bores and pests, most of the passengers are interesting enough. But then one of the bores disappears, lost at sea in a freak accident. All well and good, until there's an accidental fatality. Suspicion finally falls on Marcus, and evidence is found--planted, Cantrell is sure--in his stateroom. Really a delightful and uncliched plot.

[Jim Hager · Rating 2 out of 5]

It appears to me that the author tried to emulate an Agatha Christie novel. In this case murder on a small cruise ship being similar to murder on a moving train. Unfortunately there is far too much day to day detail about activities on the boat.

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: accidents start to occur aboard a small passenger cruiser bound for the Caribbean from the UK. Amateur Edgar Cantrell helps a friend.