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Jack Haldean Murder Mystery #9
The Chessman
The wickedly entertaining new Jack Haldean mystery.
The message consisted of one neatly typewritten line: I am killing you slowly. You are going to die. The Chessman.
Isabelle Stanton and Sue Castradon always arranged the flowers in the village church on Fridays. But Sue was glad to escape the church that morning. She had rowed over breakfast with her husband Ned, who bitterly resented her association – however fleeting – with the handsome Simon Vardon. Sue didn’t think things could get worse – until she opened the cupboard…
When a mutilated corpse is discovered in the sleepy village of Croxton Ferriers, Jack Haldean finds an odd clue at the scene of the crime: a black marble chess knight with crystal eyes. Is murder just a game? It could be – to a killer who calls himself The Chessman.
The message consisted of one neatly typewritten line: I am killing you slowly. You are going to die. The Chessman.
Isabelle Stanton and Sue Castradon always arranged the flowers in the village church on Fridays. But Sue was glad to escape the church that morning. She had rowed over breakfast with her husband Ned, who bitterly resented her association – however fleeting – with the handsome Simon Vardon. Sue didn’t think things could get worse – until she opened the cupboard…
When a mutilated corpse is discovered in the sleepy village of Croxton Ferriers, Jack Haldean finds an odd clue at the scene of the crime: a black marble chess knight with crystal eyes. Is murder just a game? It could be – to a killer who calls himself The Chessman.
239 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2015
9 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
About the author
Dolores Gordon-Smith
20 books56 followersDolores Gordon-Smith is the author of A Fete Worse than Death, the first in the Jack Haldean series. She graduated from the University of Surrey in 1981. She lives in Cheshire, United Kingdom.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
May 4, 2017
I really enjoyed The Chessman by Dolores Gordon-Smith and am excited to see that it is #9 in a series. How have I missed this series, this author?
Gordon-Smith writes with obvious enjoyment which shines through her work. This is a well crafted plot with delightful characters. There are multiple murders- an alarming number for such a small village- plenty of suspects, gossip to muddy the waters, and although I occasionally had a suspicion as to the identity of the killer I was equally as often diverted by a well placed red herring.
I will be going back to read this series from the beginning, and this is a book I am definitely going to recommend. A good example of detective fiction set in post war Britain written with empathy and humor.
Thank you to Severn House via Netgalley for providing a digital copy of The Chessman by Dolores Gordon-Smith for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Gordon-Smith writes with obvious enjoyment which shines through her work. This is a well crafted plot with delightful characters. There are multiple murders- an alarming number for such a small village- plenty of suspects, gossip to muddy the waters, and although I occasionally had a suspicion as to the identity of the killer I was equally as often diverted by a well placed red herring.
I will be going back to read this series from the beginning, and this is a book I am definitely going to recommend. A good example of detective fiction set in post war Britain written with empathy and humor.
Thank you to Severn House via Netgalley for providing a digital copy of The Chessman by Dolores Gordon-Smith for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
November 18, 2017
Not much of a mystery...
But the bits in which she is describing and chronicling village life, DGS really is channeling Miss Marple.
This is the 3rd story in which the spark is gone from the story and characters, but the different plights of the 6 war veterans are compelling enough to finish the book.
But the bits in which she is describing and chronicling village life, DGS really is channeling Miss Marple.
This is the 3rd story in which the spark is gone from the story and characters, but the different plights of the 6 war veterans are compelling enough to finish the book.
April 12, 2017
My first ever encounter with this very talented writer. Love the 1920's era and the small town goings on.
This is a murder mystery with some very interesting turns and twists throughout the entire book. It starts with Matthew Vardon pressuring Alan Leigh to sell him his shares of a gold mine that was bought by three partners who formed a company. After selling the shares Alan Leigh is given a high dose of morphine. Along the way we see several interesting red herrings throughout the book. We are led to be leave there is a serial killer working known as the Chessman.
This is a murder mystery with some very interesting turns and twists throughout the entire book. It starts with Matthew Vardon pressuring Alan Leigh to sell him his shares of a gold mine that was bought by three partners who formed a company. After selling the shares Alan Leigh is given a high dose of morphine. Along the way we see several interesting red herrings throughout the book. We are led to be leave there is a serial killer working known as the Chessman.
September 5, 2015
This book, scheduled for release in December 2015, is the ninth in the series of Jack Haldean murder mysteries. They are period pieces, set in 1920s England. The hero is a mystery writer who sometimes consults with local police or Scotland yard to solve real-life murders. He has a game leg resulting from his service in World War I, or rather as it was known then, the Great War. And in this book, at least, he is revealed to have a cousin who lives in the quaint village of Croxton Ferriers, where a man's body is found gruesomely murdered, wrapped in a carpet with a bouquet of lilies and stuffed into a cupboard in the vestry of the local church.
The circumstances of the murder suggest two things about the killer: first, that he is a dangerous lunatic; and second, that he is a local bloke who knows his way around the village, and particularly, his way into the normally locked church. Called in by his cousin to aid Inspector Ashley, Jack sniffs out a pool of suspects that narrows rapidly from everyone in town to three or four men - really only two, when it comes to brass tacks - but as bodies continue to drop and suspicion on the likeliest suspects continues to be thwarted by iron-clad alibis, a solution remains elusive.
The killer definitely shows signs of being deranged, sending taunting letters to his victims before their deaths identifying himself as the Chessman and leaving pieces from an expensive chess set at the scene of each crime. Hanging the murders around the neck of the right man is difficult when the identity of a couple of the victims is in question and when the prime suspect's whereabouts at the time of each murder may or may not prove whether he could have done it. Connected with the murders is a set of mining shares that have suddenly become worth a lot of money, the heart of a beautiful but unhappily married woman, the uncontrolled rage of a man maimed in the war, another man's desperation to hide his disgraceful war record, the death of a blackmailer who conspired to steal his own wife's diamonds, the criminal affairs of a chauffeur who happens to be his boss's illegitimate son, and lots of problems with drug addiction.
I thought this was a brilliantly structured whodunit, featuring a series of murders that took on entirely different aspects as the apparent motives changed, and a sleuth who puts himself in terrible danger more than once to solve the crime. Maybe I'm brilliant too, because I actually guessed how it was all going to work out long before it occurred to the sleuths, but my guess wouldn't have been worth anything without the evidence they uncovered. I could definitely see myself going back to the beginning and reading this whole series straight through from book 1, which is A Fete Worse Than Death.
The circumstances of the murder suggest two things about the killer: first, that he is a dangerous lunatic; and second, that he is a local bloke who knows his way around the village, and particularly, his way into the normally locked church. Called in by his cousin to aid Inspector Ashley, Jack sniffs out a pool of suspects that narrows rapidly from everyone in town to three or four men - really only two, when it comes to brass tacks - but as bodies continue to drop and suspicion on the likeliest suspects continues to be thwarted by iron-clad alibis, a solution remains elusive.
The killer definitely shows signs of being deranged, sending taunting letters to his victims before their deaths identifying himself as the Chessman and leaving pieces from an expensive chess set at the scene of each crime. Hanging the murders around the neck of the right man is difficult when the identity of a couple of the victims is in question and when the prime suspect's whereabouts at the time of each murder may or may not prove whether he could have done it. Connected with the murders is a set of mining shares that have suddenly become worth a lot of money, the heart of a beautiful but unhappily married woman, the uncontrolled rage of a man maimed in the war, another man's desperation to hide his disgraceful war record, the death of a blackmailer who conspired to steal his own wife's diamonds, the criminal affairs of a chauffeur who happens to be his boss's illegitimate son, and lots of problems with drug addiction.
I thought this was a brilliantly structured whodunit, featuring a series of murders that took on entirely different aspects as the apparent motives changed, and a sleuth who puts himself in terrible danger more than once to solve the crime. Maybe I'm brilliant too, because I actually guessed how it was all going to work out long before it occurred to the sleuths, but my guess wouldn't have been worth anything without the evidence they uncovered. I could definitely see myself going back to the beginning and reading this whole series straight through from book 1, which is A Fete Worse Than Death.
August 25, 2015
The Chessman is the ninth book in the Jack Haldean Mystery series. Set in the 1920s, Jack, a detective novelist, is called in to help solve a murder case involving a body, a church, and a ton of lilies. When one murder spawns into many more, each marked with a chess piece, Jack must track down the serial killer before all his pieces are wiped off the board.
I was turned on to The Chessman by a post on Hogwarts Professor by John Granger. He recommended the book and announced that review copies were available. Trusting Granger's taste in books implicitly, I jumped at the opportunity. When I received the book, I didn't even bother reading the back cover or anything in the title past, "The Chessman," so it took me a few pages to realize I was in the 1920s. And, I didn't discover The Chessman is book nine until after I had finished reading. I say this because, if you are wondering if this is a series where you have to start at book one in order to not be lost, you don't.
The characters and world of the story were richly portrayed. And the plot kept me engaged throughout the story. I never reached a point where, other than having to put the book down for basic necessities of life, I felt like I could step away from the story with ease. Most of the time I cooked breakfast with one hand, and held my Kindle up with the other. My husband and I were grocery shopping, and he had to ask me to put the book down while we walked through the parking lot so, you know, I didn't get hit by a car or anything.
If you are looking for a good mystery with an unpredictable, at least in my case, ending, I strongly recommend The Chessman. Not only is the mystery engaging, but the world is inviting (other than the whole serial-killer-on-the-loose thing) and the characters are lovable.
Small disclaimer to my cozy-mystery friends. While the murders themselves are gruesome, most are portrayed "off camera." I didn't find the descriptions to be overly bloody in detail, but know your own sensitivity going in. The Chessman is by no means a "thriller" in the blood and guts sense. It is mostly a detective novel with the characters trying to get to the bottom of the case.
A great read!
Thank you to Seven House for providing a free review copy.
I was turned on to The Chessman by a post on Hogwarts Professor by John Granger. He recommended the book and announced that review copies were available. Trusting Granger's taste in books implicitly, I jumped at the opportunity. When I received the book, I didn't even bother reading the back cover or anything in the title past, "The Chessman," so it took me a few pages to realize I was in the 1920s. And, I didn't discover The Chessman is book nine until after I had finished reading. I say this because, if you are wondering if this is a series where you have to start at book one in order to not be lost, you don't.
The characters and world of the story were richly portrayed. And the plot kept me engaged throughout the story. I never reached a point where, other than having to put the book down for basic necessities of life, I felt like I could step away from the story with ease. Most of the time I cooked breakfast with one hand, and held my Kindle up with the other. My husband and I were grocery shopping, and he had to ask me to put the book down while we walked through the parking lot so, you know, I didn't get hit by a car or anything.
If you are looking for a good mystery with an unpredictable, at least in my case, ending, I strongly recommend The Chessman. Not only is the mystery engaging, but the world is inviting (other than the whole serial-killer-on-the-loose thing) and the characters are lovable.
Small disclaimer to my cozy-mystery friends. While the murders themselves are gruesome, most are portrayed "off camera." I didn't find the descriptions to be overly bloody in detail, but know your own sensitivity going in. The Chessman is by no means a "thriller" in the blood and guts sense. It is mostly a detective novel with the characters trying to get to the bottom of the case.
A great read!
Thank you to Seven House for providing a free review copy.
August 28, 2015
I have really become a fan of these Jack Haldean mystery novels written by Dolores Gordon-Smith. She has a wonderful talent with plotting a mystery that will keep you puzzled right up until she reveals all. This one had a twist followed by a swerve. These novels are set in the 1920s following the ending of World War I and that conflict always plays a large part in the attitudes and psychological balance (or not) of various characters. This one is set in the small village of Croxton Ferriers in Sussex and our amateur sleuth, Jack Haldean, is allowed to help the police in their investigations. In fact, they rather insist on it.
When two ladies go into the church to prepare the flowers for the coming Sunday services they make a grisly discovery. But who is the person they found murdered and how did anyone get into the locked church to hide his body in the first place? This story features anonymous threatening letters and tokens left at each crime scene as communications from the murderer. In a village this small, how has this obvious lunatic remained hidden?
I like the comfy, old-fashioned feeling of this series of novels which still seem to give the mystery lovers among us enough dead bodies to satisfy our chance to show off our own solving skills. I’m not positive, but I think this is probably book #9 in the series. If you want to begin reading them right here, go ahead. You will find all the backstory for the repeat characters you need to feel right at home immediately. Highly recommended for readers of the older style of mysteries.
I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.
When two ladies go into the church to prepare the flowers for the coming Sunday services they make a grisly discovery. But who is the person they found murdered and how did anyone get into the locked church to hide his body in the first place? This story features anonymous threatening letters and tokens left at each crime scene as communications from the murderer. In a village this small, how has this obvious lunatic remained hidden?
I like the comfy, old-fashioned feeling of this series of novels which still seem to give the mystery lovers among us enough dead bodies to satisfy our chance to show off our own solving skills. I’m not positive, but I think this is probably book #9 in the series. If you want to begin reading them right here, go ahead. You will find all the backstory for the repeat characters you need to feel right at home immediately. Highly recommended for readers of the older style of mysteries.
I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.
August 28, 2015
This is the latest book in the Jack Haldean 1920s mystery series. It is every bit as good as its predecessors and I read it in less than twenty four hours. A mutilated body is found in a cupboard in a village church – close to the home of Jack’s cousin Isabella. The face is disfigured and the hands have been cut off to prevent easy identification.
At first everyone thinks there is only one person it can be and there are certainly plenty of people who might have wished that person dead. A local landowner has recently died and there have been rumours that his death was not a natural one and fingers have been pointed at the local doctor. Various people have been receiving sinister letters signed by ‘The Chessman’ and the investigating officer Inspector Ashley calls in Jack Haldean who has no objection to staying with his cousin and getting involved it what promises to be an interesting case.
I found this engrossing and entertaining reading with a well-constructed plot with plenty of twists and turns to it which kept me guessing almost to the last page. I liked the characters and thought they were believable and interesting and Jack himself is, as always, good value.
If you like crime stories with an historical setting without too much on the page violence then this may be one for you though the body count in this one is on the high side. The book can be read as a standalone mystery or as part of the series. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review.
At first everyone thinks there is only one person it can be and there are certainly plenty of people who might have wished that person dead. A local landowner has recently died and there have been rumours that his death was not a natural one and fingers have been pointed at the local doctor. Various people have been receiving sinister letters signed by ‘The Chessman’ and the investigating officer Inspector Ashley calls in Jack Haldean who has no objection to staying with his cousin and getting involved it what promises to be an interesting case.
I found this engrossing and entertaining reading with a well-constructed plot with plenty of twists and turns to it which kept me guessing almost to the last page. I liked the characters and thought they were believable and interesting and Jack himself is, as always, good value.
If you like crime stories with an historical setting without too much on the page violence then this may be one for you though the body count in this one is on the high side. The book can be read as a standalone mystery or as part of the series. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review.
December 30, 2015
Jack Haldean's cousin Isabelle and her beautiful friend Sue are doing the church flowers in their quiet Sussex village when they discover a mutilated body. The policeman in charge is glad of help from Jack, who comes to help his cousin. Sue's husband is the leading suspect--he has a terrible temper, and is feuding with a local family, the Vardons, who seem to be involved in the case. But Jack isn't so sure, and as the bodies start to pile up and the Vardons get mysterious threatening letters from someone signing himself the Chessman, the puzzle becomes even more complex.
August 27, 2016
Super satisfying mystery with lots of twists and turns (perhaps one too many?) spoiled only by a married couple that I honestly wanted to get divorced but the author seems to want to portray as a romance for the ages - there's a lot of female sacrifice for love here - they are both insufferable.
January 20, 2016
Shades of Dame Agatha!! What a fun read!! Not as genteel as Christie, but really good. I hope I remember to read the other books in this series.
September 18, 2016
It's an interesting suspense thriller. Lots of twists and turns with so many characters. But it's worth a read and the ending is pretty interesting.
October 6, 2019
This convoluted mystery is set in the English Golden Age between the wars. When Jack's cousin Isabelle Stanton and her neighbor Sue Castradon discover a body in a cupboard of the local church, naturally Jack becomes involved in the investigation. The body is unidentifiable since the head was bashed in and the hand and feet hacked off. The only clue: a chessman. Since another neighboring family, the Vardons, have been receiving anonymous letters signed "The Chessman" is the dead man a member of their family? And why are they being killed off? A very imaginative plot along with interesting characters makes this book hard to put down. Recommended.
February 18, 2023
An interesting look into 1920s England, Jack is a mystery writer who is great at solving real murders for the police. A horribly disfigured corpse is found in a small village's church cupboard, Jack is called to help the local policeman solve the crime. Red herrings and misdirection ensue to showcase his stellar mental abilities.
November 26, 2018
Jack Haldean, World War One vet, mystery author and amateur sleuth, is back for a puzzling mystery. Several gruesome murders occur within the same family, and the murderer taunts police with cryptic notes.
Somewhat elaborately plotted with lots of twists and turns.
Somewhat elaborately plotted with lots of twists and turns.
September 27, 2023
Another good story in this mystery series. Free ebook from the library. Think there are two more books but am not finding them at my libraries in ebook for so will have to check for physical copies.
May 10, 2024
I like Dolores Gordon-Smith but her books are proving more and more difficult to find. This one provided a neat conundrum and I didn't identify the culprit until close to the denuement. Just how I love my crime novels.
May 13, 2019
The series seems to get more twisty as it progresses.
Lots of red herrings in this book. The ending is so contrived you'll never guess it.
The author gives you no clues. Jack is just too smart.
Lots of red herrings in this book. The ending is so contrived you'll never guess it.
The author gives you no clues. Jack is just too smart.
December 15, 2023
I have enjoyed all the books in this series, but this is the best one yet-kept me guessing right until the surprising (for me) end I did consider giving it a 5 star rating!
January 8, 2024
I'm really enjoying this series. The plots are always convoluted and practically impossible but such fun figuring out.
December 21, 2015
Although I struggled a bit to sort out all the names thrown at me during the first few chapters, the story became more manageable and settled into a very traditional, Christie-like, mystery. A fun read.
February 6, 2016
Good plot. Many red herrings.
April 25, 2017
In a small English village in the 1920s, several bodies are found. It's pretty clear they weren't the result of natural deaths, especially since one is found cut up and stashed in a church cupboard. But who is behind it and why?
In the spirit of Agatha Christie, amateur detective Jack Haldean is called in. However, this is quite a bit more gruesome than Christie would write it.
Although the story was clever, this story didn't have the pizazz to make a better read.
In the spirit of Agatha Christie, amateur detective Jack Haldean is called in. However, this is quite a bit more gruesome than Christie would write it.
Although the story was clever, this story didn't have the pizazz to make a better read.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews