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Bobby Owen Mysteries #13
Murder Abroad
Perhaps the victim had not been unconscious but had known her fate, had sent upwards from the black pit a cry that none but murderers had heard.
Bobby takes the rare opportunity for a holiday - albeit a working one. Prompted by his fiancée Olive, he sets off to France, charged with finding out what happened to Miss Polthwaite’s diamonds - and why her dead body was discovered at the bottom of a well. The local police have a ready-made suspect, it appears, but Bobby soon forms theories of his own regarding what happened to the unfortunate spinster.
Bobby takes the rare opportunity for a holiday - albeit a working one. Prompted by his fiancée Olive, he sets off to France, charged with finding out what happened to Miss Polthwaite’s diamonds - and why her dead body was discovered at the bottom of a well. The local police have a ready-made suspect, it appears, but Bobby soon forms theories of his own regarding what happened to the unfortunate spinster.
251 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1939
21 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
About the author
E.R. Punshon
73 books17 followersAka Robertson Halket.
E.R. Punshon (Ernest Robertson Punshon) (1872-1956) was an English novelist and literary critic of the early 20th century. He also wrote under the pseudonym Robertson Halket. Primarily writing on crime and deduction, he enjoyed some literary success in the 1930s and 1940s. Today, he is remembered, in the main, as the creator of Police Constable Bobby Owen, the protagonist of many of Punshon's novels. He reviewed many of Agatha Christie's novels for The Guardian on their first publication.
E.R. Punshon (Ernest Robertson Punshon) (1872-1956) was an English novelist and literary critic of the early 20th century. He also wrote under the pseudonym Robertson Halket. Primarily writing on crime and deduction, he enjoyed some literary success in the 1930s and 1940s. Today, he is remembered, in the main, as the creator of Police Constable Bobby Owen, the protagonist of many of Punshon's novels. He reviewed many of Agatha Christie's novels for The Guardian on their first publication.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 8, 2022
This is an interesting diversion where Punshon based his novel on a real crime.
Punshon's case is very similar, in that an Englishwoman was found dead in a well. She was an aspiring artist living in the French countryside near a small town. The case was determined to be a suicide, but unlike the real case, no further determination as to murder was pursued. Olive, Bobby's fiance, is friendly with the victim's family and so Bobby is prevailed upon and given permission to take a leave. Of course Bobby cannot go as an official officer of Scotland Yard and no one in Auvergne knows he is employed in that capacity.
The mystery was good enough. I prefer Bobby Owen in England, preferably in London, and acting in his official capacity. I hope to find him there in future installments, because I most certainly will be reading them. This, however, was 3-stars.
On 4 May 1929, Edith May Olive Branson (1884-1929), an artist and cousin of English High Court judge Sir George Arthur Harwin Branson (future grandfather of English businessman Richard Branson), was discovered dead in a cistern on the grounds of her villa.That crime (which took place in Les Baux-des-Provence) was initially determined to be a suicide, but a few days later was classified as murder. The woman had considerable valuables at the villa and it was presumed she was having an affair with a young man half her age. At the time, the press made it into a sensation.
Punshon's case is very similar, in that an Englishwoman was found dead in a well. She was an aspiring artist living in the French countryside near a small town. The case was determined to be a suicide, but unlike the real case, no further determination as to murder was pursued. Olive, Bobby's fiance, is friendly with the victim's family and so Bobby is prevailed upon and given permission to take a leave. Of course Bobby cannot go as an official officer of Scotland Yard and no one in Auvergne knows he is employed in that capacity.
The mystery was good enough. I prefer Bobby Owen in England, preferably in London, and acting in his official capacity. I hope to find him there in future installments, because I most certainly will be reading them. This, however, was 3-stars.
May 31, 2022
Another Bobby Owen story, which is yet again, different from the rest. In this Bobby is working as a private detective, having had strings pulled by one of Olive's acquaintances. This is to find out if their aunt has been murdered, due to her loss of very valuable diamonds and other jewellery, whilst living in France. Her body had been found in a well at her property, but the French police had concluded she had taken her own life. Bobby has been given a month to find out what had actually happened. Once there Bobby, who is masquerading as an artist, finds that there had been a young man who had made friends with the murdered women, whilst being her model for her paintings. The village however feel that he was her gigolo, so he has been their suspected murderer. Bobby meets this young man but he also finds that there a several people who knew of her wealth and had the opportunity of ending the woman's life. These people are a mixture of people, from priests to beggars, rich to poor, artists to revolutionists.
I do enjoy these stories, and I like the way we are told what Bobby is thinking as he works through the mysteries. He even finds himself missing a superior officer to put him on the right track. I did feel that a lot of the incidents in this book were highly implausible, but it was fun following them through.
I do enjoy these stories, and I like the way we are told what Bobby is thinking as he works through the mysteries. He even finds himself missing a superior officer to put him on the right track. I did feel that a lot of the incidents in this book were highly implausible, but it was fun following them through.
September 9, 2022
When a series has been running for 13 books, it can get stale, but not Bobby Owen. In this instalment Bobby is sent to France on behalf of a rich, influential family to investigate the death of an aunt. The police in France concluded that she had committed suicide by falling into a well, but the family is not so sure and her stash of diamonds is also missing. A very clever plot.
May 12, 2017
This could only have been improved for me if Olive had figured more!
Classic Punshon. Beautifully-written depiction of life in rural France on the eve of WW2 with some cute asides on French political life but nothing on the international situation.
Bobby is working solo in a private capacity and exhibits the character traits and detective abilities which will lead to greater things in the future.
There is a fair play summary about 60% through in the form of a letter to Olive which certainly began to point me in the right directions.
Cast of interesting characters nicely sketched.
Read and enjoy!
Classic Punshon. Beautifully-written depiction of life in rural France on the eve of WW2 with some cute asides on French political life but nothing on the international situation.
Bobby is working solo in a private capacity and exhibits the character traits and detective abilities which will lead to greater things in the future.
There is a fair play summary about 60% through in the form of a letter to Olive which certainly began to point me in the right directions.
Cast of interesting characters nicely sketched.
Read and enjoy!
June 29, 2022
Bobby Owen goes to France on a private investigation instigated by Lady Markham. An English expat, Miss Polthwaite, was found dead in the well at her mill and the death has been deemed a likely suicide by the French police - the lady had been suspected of an affair with a younger man. However, her family are not convinced, especially as it appears that Miss Polthwaite had a significant amount of cash, jewellery and diamonds in her possession. Bobby sets up as an artist sketching the mill and its surroundings and begins to get to know the local suspects…
This was an interesting mystery - I found the conclusion very ingenious and satisfying, but the investigation seemed to move very slowly and cover the same ground multiple times. The French characters were varied and there were some neat twists, although the number of disappearances that happened were rather unconvincing and should certainly have rung alarm bells more quickly with the police.
I would have liked more of Bobby’s dry wit - he seems to feel very uncomfortable on foreign soil and commented more than once on the difficulties of not having superiors around to pass responsibility on to. Nevertheless I enjoyed another episode in a series which offers original and varied crimes for Bobby to investigate.
This was an interesting mystery - I found the conclusion very ingenious and satisfying, but the investigation seemed to move very slowly and cover the same ground multiple times. The French characters were varied and there were some neat twists, although the number of disappearances that happened were rather unconvincing and should certainly have rung alarm bells more quickly with the police.
I would have liked more of Bobby’s dry wit - he seems to feel very uncomfortable on foreign soil and commented more than once on the difficulties of not having superiors around to pass responsibility on to. Nevertheless I enjoyed another episode in a series which offers original and varied crimes for Bobby to investigate.
June 9, 2022
Bobby is on his own, in France, without any authority, and learns the value of upper management.
November 14, 2017
This my least favourite Bobby Owen novel so far. Bobby being away in France just didn't seem to me to work so well although there was nothing particularly wrong with it.
July 2, 2019
Now he and Olive can finally set a date for their wedding.
January 27, 2026
Rating 3.5
Different setting for the series being in France, whilst also being essentially a private investigation separate from Scotland Yard.
Story was an okay one, the place was well drawn and the small French town came to life. The actual mystery element was for me only average, nothing particularly special or that interesting tbh.
Overall though still an enjoyable read and a different entry into the series. Definite not read as a first meeting for Bobby Owen though.
Different setting for the series being in France, whilst also being essentially a private investigation separate from Scotland Yard.
Story was an okay one, the place was well drawn and the small French town came to life. The actual mystery element was for me only average, nothing particularly special or that interesting tbh.
Overall though still an enjoyable read and a different entry into the series. Definite not read as a first meeting for Bobby Owen though.
July 17, 2025
The interesting part of this book is its depiction of France on the eve of WW2. Its plot is not good however.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews