Case Closed

Inspector Rudd #4

by June Thomson

Inspector Rudd is being followed by a stranger. This unnerves him to the point that it temporarily distracts him from the murder of a young girl, whose strangled body was found in the bushes.

Genres: Mystery

185 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

June Thomson, a former teacher, has published 24 crime novels, 18 of which feature Detective Chief Inspector Jack Finch and his sergeant, Tom Boyce. She has also written six short story collections of Sherlock Holmes pastiches. Her books have been translated into many languages. She lives in St Albans in Hertfordshire.

Reviews

[alexander burrus · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading a June Thompson book about Sherlock Holmes that I liked I decided to pick this book up. For me it was a standard book without flair. While I liked my time spent with this book it is hard to see a standout reason to recommend. C rating

[Eugene · Rating 3 out of 5]

🍷
About as good a three star mystery as you will find. June Thompson wrote 20 of these between 1971 and 2006, and as you’d expect they reflect an earlier generation of the mystery genre. That’s no knock, and those I’ve so far read have all reflected many of the same qualities: subdued, subtle and with an understated air - but the stories have all been very interesting. Yes, they reflect a former society and one not awash in material goods, so the characters are all portrayed as humble folks living humble lives and the world is quieter; in many respects it seems a better one…
Here, an unexpected development - Inspector Rudd is being followed by someone, rather than the other way round - and his cognizance of it leads to Rudd’s reopening an investigation into a four year old murder. We follow him as he puts the many disparate clues together and thus solves several crimes in one go. Very satisfying.

[Marci · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very quick read, a police procedural set in contemporary Essex, England, written in the mid-1970s. It is compared in the advertising copy with P.D. James, but it's really not even close. There are some good psychological elements, but since the point of view stays rigidly with the police, you don't get much of a picture of the bad guys. So there is actually little suspense, almost zero violence, and it's just the tiniest bit boring at the end. But I liked it because it's almost exactly what I was wanting--something light and undemanding with an ok puzzle (which I figured out).

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A Game of Cat and Mouse
"For three days a tall, enigmatic stranger has followed Inspector Rudd's every move. Hour after hour, Rudd nervously waits for the stealthy predator to pounce. Instead, a pale-faced pickpocket fresh from gaol delivers a mysterious message -- MELLY RUDD ESSEX TRANSIT -- which reopens the unsolved murder of a young girl strangled in the bleak salt marshes of the desolate North Sea coast. But can Rudd elude his own pursuer long enough to track down the killer?

"Detective Inspector Rudd, Chelmsford CID
"His detective instincts are tempered by psychological insight. A most satisfactory master of British police procedure, the Inspector welcomes the challenge of a murder investigation now and again. Just as, when winter cold invades the lonely Essex countryside, even a sober, courageous man appreciates a beer at the local pub."
~~back cover

I love this series! It's a lovely, "old-fashioned" British murder mystery, with lots of character development of both the good guys and the bad guys, lots of description of the countryside, and lots of tea, and a beer at the pub. Exactly the style of thing I like best!

This one was a bit of a stretch for me: the good Inspector seemed to be following tantalizing wispy theories, some based on the turn of a phrase, some based on evidence that was ambiguous. But a delicious read for all of that. I'm sure I'll enjoy it as much when I reread it in the future.

[Bill Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd never hear of June Thomson, but saw this book in the library, read it and thought it was good. It starts with an old murder case that Detective Inspector Rudd had not solved. A new clue comes up, which leads to another case, and that results in other detectives becoming involved. Case Closed, however, is straight forward and easy to follow. Good book if your in the mood for a British mystery. This is the fourth in the Rudd series, but it didn't seem to matter in following the story.

[TJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun quick read. Surprising and well written.