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1930s Murder Mystery #1
The Corpse in the Cellar
It's the summer of 1933, and Oxford don Clive Staples Lewis, better known to his friends as Jack, is on a walking holiday with his brother Warnie and young friend Tom Morris. When Jack's wallet is accidentally destroyed, they visit a bank to replenish their funds - and walk straight into the scene of an impossible murder.The victim is in the vault of the bank alone, cut off by brick and steel from the rest of the world. Yet he has been stabbed from behind and the murder weapon has vanished. A 'locked room' mystery - which would have baffled the cleverest sleuths of the Golden Age of detective stories - is tackled by the brilliant mind and larger-than-life personality of 'Jack' Lewis, beloved creator of Narnia and formidable defender of the Christian faith.
242 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 21, 2015
About the author
Kel Richards
67 books21 followersKevin Barry "Kel" Richards (born 8 February 1946) is an Australian author, journalist and radio personality.
Richards has written a series of crime novels and thrillers for adult readers which includes The Case of the Vanishing Corpse, Death in Egypt and An Outbreak of Darkness.
Richards currently presents ABC NewsRadio's weekend afternoons, which includes regular Wordwatch segments. Wordwatch is a feature introduced by Richards. Initially developed as a "filler" program for the radio programs to allow time for changes of people or locations, it tapped into an interest by the listening public and several books have been produced based on the show's research. In November 2003 the thousandth episode of the show was produced.
Richards can also be heard on ABC Local Radio programs including Nightlife (national) and Evenings in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.
Richards has written a series of crime novels and thrillers for adult readers which includes The Case of the Vanishing Corpse, Death in Egypt and An Outbreak of Darkness.
Richards currently presents ABC NewsRadio's weekend afternoons, which includes regular Wordwatch segments. Wordwatch is a feature introduced by Richards. Initially developed as a "filler" program for the radio programs to allow time for changes of people or locations, it tapped into an interest by the listening public and several books have been produced based on the show's research. In November 2003 the thousandth episode of the show was produced.
Richards can also be heard on ABC Local Radio programs including Nightlife (national) and Evenings in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 20, 2018
Enjoyed the book. A nice mystery. Easy to read. Good characters.
April 28, 2018
An awfully bad book. Really. I managed to read it fully because, well, I usually do finish the books that I start and this one was passed on to me by a friend whom I appreciate (I have to clarify that she did not recommend this; just gave me a pile of mysteries).
As a detective story, it did have some 1930s English countryside atmosphere and some good characters. The resolution to the original mystery, however, was so simple-minded that it was entirely a letdown. Furthermore, it was hard to take the plot seriously because of the flippant style of the author, which makes you think of those many farcical sitcoms playing on BBC. This Australian writer clearly admires the British detective story authors from the era -- but he certainly is no Agatha Christie.
The worst aspect of the book, however, is the ongoing theological discussion running on the side of the plot throughout the book. This takes place between the protagonist, young Morris, and his mentor from the university, the famous real-life character C.S. Lewis, who was an OxBridge don and an author of novels and commentary, turned a Christian apologist. During the length of the book, Lewis attempts to (with some clear success) convert the atheist Morris into thinking that there is only one truth to the world, that of Jesus. This the supposedly brilliant man does, while solving the mystery at hand, through "clever" circular arguments in the style that, if you respect Jesus and he called himself the son of god, then you have to believe him, because doing otherwise would be calling Jesus a liar.
Truly a ludicrously bad book.
As a detective story, it did have some 1930s English countryside atmosphere and some good characters. The resolution to the original mystery, however, was so simple-minded that it was entirely a letdown. Furthermore, it was hard to take the plot seriously because of the flippant style of the author, which makes you think of those many farcical sitcoms playing on BBC. This Australian writer clearly admires the British detective story authors from the era -- but he certainly is no Agatha Christie.
The worst aspect of the book, however, is the ongoing theological discussion running on the side of the plot throughout the book. This takes place between the protagonist, young Morris, and his mentor from the university, the famous real-life character C.S. Lewis, who was an OxBridge don and an author of novels and commentary, turned a Christian apologist. During the length of the book, Lewis attempts to (with some clear success) convert the atheist Morris into thinking that there is only one truth to the world, that of Jesus. This the supposedly brilliant man does, while solving the mystery at hand, through "clever" circular arguments in the style that, if you respect Jesus and he called himself the son of god, then you have to believe him, because doing otherwise would be calling Jesus a liar.
Truly a ludicrously bad book.
June 6, 2017
The worst first.
The theological "discussions" are... an eyesore. An intelligent man, an Oxford don and author, trying to prove the "reality" and "truth" of his belief of choice, Christianity - is it naive? Pathetic? Intellectually painful? Take your pick. Religion is a leap of faith (or complete and utter hogwash, depending on your point of view). When you start needing proof you're already way off course.
And the unnatural fashion in which the author keeps cramming these preaching tidbits in, no matter how laughable they are, and in the end highly annoying, 'cause they sure have no connection with the rest of the story - what is that all about? Is Richards out to save our souls in the midst of a murder mystery? Or is it a way to make us appreciate the academic prowess of C.S. Lewis? If so he ought to have gone about it in some other fashion. This gleeful self appreciating well oiled mouthpiece and "solver" of THE BIG PROBLEM is not easy to warm to.
Which is a pity really. Because the rest of it is kind of okay. A good old fashioned murder mystery thirties style. Not glimmering writing perhaps, but the atmosphere is there. Slow. Cozy. With a closed room crime and a wholesome rambling male friendship (one brainy one, one grumbling, bumbling but steadfast one and a young wide eyed narrator).
Could have been a weak 3 star product if it had decided what it wanted to be. Now it narrowly escapes a single one. Well... The series might grow up, mature and find a more focused and less religiously abrasive personality.
God willing.
The theological "discussions" are... an eyesore. An intelligent man, an Oxford don and author, trying to prove the "reality" and "truth" of his belief of choice, Christianity - is it naive? Pathetic? Intellectually painful? Take your pick. Religion is a leap of faith (or complete and utter hogwash, depending on your point of view). When you start needing proof you're already way off course.
And the unnatural fashion in which the author keeps cramming these preaching tidbits in, no matter how laughable they are, and in the end highly annoying, 'cause they sure have no connection with the rest of the story - what is that all about? Is Richards out to save our souls in the midst of a murder mystery? Or is it a way to make us appreciate the academic prowess of C.S. Lewis? If so he ought to have gone about it in some other fashion. This gleeful self appreciating well oiled mouthpiece and "solver" of THE BIG PROBLEM is not easy to warm to.
Which is a pity really. Because the rest of it is kind of okay. A good old fashioned murder mystery thirties style. Not glimmering writing perhaps, but the atmosphere is there. Slow. Cozy. With a closed room crime and a wholesome rambling male friendship (one brainy one, one grumbling, bumbling but steadfast one and a young wide eyed narrator).
Could have been a weak 3 star product if it had decided what it wanted to be. Now it narrowly escapes a single one. Well... The series might grow up, mature and find a more focused and less religiously abrasive personality.
God willing.
December 20, 2015
Really good story line and characters, but (spoiler alert) I do think that the manager called from head office to open the safe would have known it could be opened from the inside.
April 10, 2023
C.S. Lewis, his brother and a friend on a walking holiday in 1930s England run into trouble when they run out of money and a bank visit turns into murder and a locked-room mystery. Can Lewis turn his brilliant mind to solving the crime?
This is an interesting combination of golden age style locked room mystery featuring real historical characters and theological debate. I found the mystery side a good read but was less impressed by the theological debates - Kel Richards definitely does not have the mind of the C.S. Lewis who loved allegory and serious play. Would definitely read another in the series though.
This is an interesting combination of golden age style locked room mystery featuring real historical characters and theological debate. I found the mystery side a good read but was less impressed by the theological debates - Kel Richards definitely does not have the mind of the C.S. Lewis who loved allegory and serious play. Would definitely read another in the series though.
November 2, 2017
Absolutely awful. So bad I got to page 63 and gave up.
The idea itself is mildly intriguing....dropping CS Lewis in to a real life murder situation.
What a shame then that this is a theological lecture masquerading as a story. The main characters regularly launch in to jarring discussions about Christianity that are written with as much natural flow as a rock.
Avoid at all costs
The idea itself is mildly intriguing....dropping CS Lewis in to a real life murder situation.
What a shame then that this is a theological lecture masquerading as a story. The main characters regularly launch in to jarring discussions about Christianity that are written with as much natural flow as a rock.
Avoid at all costs
June 20, 2021
Two big problems with this. From the moment the first body is discovered there can be absolutely no doubt who the killer is. Which leads to the second issue: the plot is thus so thin that the book is padded out with dreary theological discussions between Lewis & Morris.
August 2, 2017
great read
July 24, 2018
Kinda strange, this one...
Read
September 21, 2016A simple mystery story. The difference being the characters who are the brothers Lewis. One is the writer of the The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe,the other his brother a army officer. Complementing the brothers is a post graduate student. On a walking holiday they find they need to visit a bank where a murder happens. A simple story but is fun to read.The solution was easy.The fun of the novel were the philosophical talks between C S Lewis and his postgraduate friend. A first novel in a hoped for series. A book for those who like 1930's mysteries.
August 11, 2015
Oh look it's pretty good but I'm not sure it's good enough to pass off as genius such phrases as, "As I may have mentioned before, I have the ability to report conversations verbatim[.]"
It's very enjoyable and readable though there are several descriptions that are conspicuously purple.
It's very enjoyable and readable though there are several descriptions that are conspicuously purple.
September 4, 2015
For my full review click on the link below:
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
January 3, 2016
Finished in a few hours. A fun whodunit with philosophy thrown in. :-)
Read
February 25, 2018Far too much God waffling.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews