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Hide and go seek,
Alan Hunt is ambitious and unpleasant - a caravan salesman with good looks, youth and charm. He is engaged to be married to Susan, a plain girl with a beautiful fortune.
Just two weeks before the wedding, Gwenda Nicholls turns up, a pretty redhead he seduced on holiday in Norway: lovely, trusting - and pregnant. She threatens Hunt's new way of life, insisting on marriage, so he forms a plan to get rid of her - permanently - and knows the perfect site to hide the body.
"A master of suspense at the top of his form." Evening News
"Guaranteed to bring gasps at his ingenuity." Sun
"Distinctly gripping study of a coldly narcissistic salesman-seducer . . ." Observer
Just two weeks before the wedding, Gwenda Nicholls turns up, a pretty redhead he seduced on holiday in Norway: lovely, trusting - and pregnant. She threatens Hunt's new way of life, insisting on marriage, so he forms a plan to get rid of her - permanently - and knows the perfect site to hide the body.
"A master of suspense at the top of his form." Evening News
"Guaranteed to bring gasps at his ingenuity." Sun
"Distinctly gripping study of a coldly narcissistic salesman-seducer . . ." Observer
- GenresMystery
182 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1966
18 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Garve
135 books11 followersAKA: Paul Somers, Roger Bax
Andrew Garve was the pen name of Paul Winterton (1908-2001). He was born in Leicester and educated at the Hulme Grammar School, Manchester and Purley County School, Surrey, after which he took a degree in Economics at London University. He was on the staff of The Economist for four years, and then worked for fourteen years for the London News Chronicle as reporter, leader writer and foreign correspondent. He was assigned to Moscow from 1942 to 1945, where he was also the correspondent of the BBC’s Overseas Service.
After the war he turned to full-time writing of detective and adventure novels and produced more than forty-five books. His work was serialized, televised, broadcast, filmed and translated into some twenty languages. He was noted for his varied and unusual backgrounds – including Russia, newspaper offices, the West Indies, ocean sailing, the Australian outback, politics, mountaineering and forestry – and for never repeating a plot.
Andrew Garve was a founding member and first joint secretary of the Crime Writers’ Association.
Andrew Garve was the pen name of Paul Winterton (1908-2001). He was born in Leicester and educated at the Hulme Grammar School, Manchester and Purley County School, Surrey, after which he took a degree in Economics at London University. He was on the staff of The Economist for four years, and then worked for fourteen years for the London News Chronicle as reporter, leader writer and foreign correspondent. He was assigned to Moscow from 1942 to 1945, where he was also the correspondent of the BBC’s Overseas Service.
After the war he turned to full-time writing of detective and adventure novels and produced more than forty-five books. His work was serialized, televised, broadcast, filmed and translated into some twenty languages. He was noted for his varied and unusual backgrounds – including Russia, newspaper offices, the West Indies, ocean sailing, the Australian outback, politics, mountaineering and forestry – and for never repeating a plot.
Andrew Garve was a founding member and first joint secretary of the Crime Writers’ Association.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 24, 2024
Andrew Garve was a pen name of Paul Winterton (1908-2011), a British journalist and crime novelist. Since I enjoyed my first Garve novel (The Megstone Plot), I decided to try another. I liked this one from 1966 even better.
First, understand that Garve was a truly great wordsmith. I don't know of any writer who is easier to read. If only the Popular Library folks hadn't chosen a microscopic font for his works. My eyes have to work doubly hard to read these books, but it's worth it.
"Hide and Go Seek" is a "perfect murder" story. The villain, Alan Hunt, is one of the most reprehensible characters I've ever encountered, a handsome, virile, smooth-talking pathological liar who is working on his biggest con. Without revealing too much, I'll just say that Mr. Hunt ends up engaged to two women. How this happens and why makes for some terrific reading. Since one of the women is filthy rich, he naturally decides to kill the other one. But he must do it in such a way that he will never be suspected.
What makes this novel so fun is that you, the reader, know who the killer is all the way. The suspense is in the way he meticulously puts every piece in place to fool the suspicious detectives, who are also quite clever. It's the classic cat-and-mouse game with great intellects on both sides, sparring, maneuvering, circling. I'll not spoil the ending, but it was fitting and smartly done.
If you like vintage suspense fiction and haven't yet discovered Andrew Garve, you owe it to yourself to give his books a try.
First, understand that Garve was a truly great wordsmith. I don't know of any writer who is easier to read. If only the Popular Library folks hadn't chosen a microscopic font for his works. My eyes have to work doubly hard to read these books, but it's worth it.
"Hide and Go Seek" is a "perfect murder" story. The villain, Alan Hunt, is one of the most reprehensible characters I've ever encountered, a handsome, virile, smooth-talking pathological liar who is working on his biggest con. Without revealing too much, I'll just say that Mr. Hunt ends up engaged to two women. How this happens and why makes for some terrific reading. Since one of the women is filthy rich, he naturally decides to kill the other one. But he must do it in such a way that he will never be suspected.
What makes this novel so fun is that you, the reader, know who the killer is all the way. The suspense is in the way he meticulously puts every piece in place to fool the suspicious detectives, who are also quite clever. It's the classic cat-and-mouse game with great intellects on both sides, sparring, maneuvering, circling. I'll not spoil the ending, but it was fitting and smartly done.
If you like vintage suspense fiction and haven't yet discovered Andrew Garve, you owe it to yourself to give his books a try.
December 10, 2023
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Murderer's Fen is a puzzler from writer Andrew Garve, where all is not what it seems. This includes Garve himself, who is in fact English journalist and crime novelist Paul Winterton (successfully writing as Garve, Paul Somers, and Roger Bax), a founding member of the Crime Writers Association in 1953.
Garve loves a twist ending, and none more so than in Murderer's Fen. Young Alan Hunt has planned an assured future - never mind he is currently caretaker of a caravan park bordering a swampy peatland outside of Cambridgeshire. He is engaged to Susan, a 22 year old with nondescript hair, a very plain face, and almost no figure. Her main attraction for Alan are her parents, wealthy on both sides. He has worked hard to feign devotion and commitment, and this short cut to easy wealth is paying off. He can hardly contain his excitement.
We have no delusions about Alan - totally unscrupulous with an inability to feel concern for anyone - he is living disproof that there is some good in everyone. Hunt is bad right through.
While on a quick trip to a Swiss resort, he can't help but seduce an innocent young girl away from her parents for a night of passion. Chestnut-haired Gwenda is strikingly beautiful. Giving her a false address, he claims they will meet back in England. He never thought he would after returning to his his fiancé Susan, but here is Gwenda shortly after at the door of his camper with shocking news - she has tracked him down, she has left her parents, and she is pregnant. Quickly, a plan is formed - the swampy fen is a perfect place to hide a body.
We would suspect nothing less from Alan.
Shortly thereafter, Chief Inspector Nield and Sergeant Dyson begin an investigation into the disappearance of a woman, her parents are frantic. An anonymous witness states they saw Alan walk into the fen with a woman, but he came out alone. A search proves nothing. Alan asserts she was there, but he convinced her to return to her parents - his car milage backs that up, and a witness places him near their house. Despite best efforts, all evidence shows Alan innocent of wrongdoing, so he therefore must be exonerated.
You may think I have said too much, but this is the tip of a clever mystery. If Alan killed her, how could he prove a strong alibi? If she simply ran away - where is she?
The answer is ingenious, and despite the vague similarities to A Place In The Sun or The Talented Mr. Ripley, Garve has created a twisted and captivating novel. I certainly didn't see the finale coming. Another fun read from Andrew Garve, with my Pan paperback (pictured) featuring great artwork by Pat Owen.
Murderer's Fen is a puzzler from writer Andrew Garve, where all is not what it seems. This includes Garve himself, who is in fact English journalist and crime novelist Paul Winterton (successfully writing as Garve, Paul Somers, and Roger Bax), a founding member of the Crime Writers Association in 1953.
Garve loves a twist ending, and none more so than in Murderer's Fen. Young Alan Hunt has planned an assured future - never mind he is currently caretaker of a caravan park bordering a swampy peatland outside of Cambridgeshire. He is engaged to Susan, a 22 year old with nondescript hair, a very plain face, and almost no figure. Her main attraction for Alan are her parents, wealthy on both sides. He has worked hard to feign devotion and commitment, and this short cut to easy wealth is paying off. He can hardly contain his excitement.
We have no delusions about Alan - totally unscrupulous with an inability to feel concern for anyone - he is living disproof that there is some good in everyone. Hunt is bad right through.
While on a quick trip to a Swiss resort, he can't help but seduce an innocent young girl away from her parents for a night of passion. Chestnut-haired Gwenda is strikingly beautiful. Giving her a false address, he claims they will meet back in England. He never thought he would after returning to his his fiancé Susan, but here is Gwenda shortly after at the door of his camper with shocking news - she has tracked him down, she has left her parents, and she is pregnant. Quickly, a plan is formed - the swampy fen is a perfect place to hide a body.
We would suspect nothing less from Alan.
Shortly thereafter, Chief Inspector Nield and Sergeant Dyson begin an investigation into the disappearance of a woman, her parents are frantic. An anonymous witness states they saw Alan walk into the fen with a woman, but he came out alone. A search proves nothing. Alan asserts she was there, but he convinced her to return to her parents - his car milage backs that up, and a witness places him near their house. Despite best efforts, all evidence shows Alan innocent of wrongdoing, so he therefore must be exonerated.
You may think I have said too much, but this is the tip of a clever mystery. If Alan killed her, how could he prove a strong alibi? If she simply ran away - where is she?
The answer is ingenious, and despite the vague similarities to A Place In The Sun or The Talented Mr. Ripley, Garve has created a twisted and captivating novel. I certainly didn't see the finale coming. Another fun read from Andrew Garve, with my Pan paperback (pictured) featuring great artwork by Pat Owen.
July 28, 2023
An easy, enjoyable read, plus this passage to speak to my prejudices:
The tragedy had left him desolate in his personal life and almost pathological on the subject of cars. It couldn't be helped that so many people in the world were stupid, unimaginative, selfish and reckless, but he saw no reason why such people should be allowed to arm themselves with the legal weapon of the car. In his black and bitter moods he would ask to derisively why the government didn't ban all private motoring and save countless lives by the issue to every adult citizen of a comparatively harmless alternative toy, like a hand grenade. Taking, as he did, this extreme view about a thing that caused a mere eight thousand deaths and a few hundred thousand injuries each year, he was naturally regarded as an eccentric, warped by his own misfortune. (p. 48-49)
The tragedy had left him desolate in his personal life and almost pathological on the subject of cars. It couldn't be helped that so many people in the world were stupid, unimaginative, selfish and reckless, but he saw no reason why such people should be allowed to arm themselves with the legal weapon of the car. In his black and bitter moods he would ask to derisively why the government didn't ban all private motoring and save countless lives by the issue to every adult citizen of a comparatively harmless alternative toy, like a hand grenade. Taking, as he did, this extreme view about a thing that caused a mere eight thousand deaths and a few hundred thousand injuries each year, he was naturally regarded as an eccentric, warped by his own misfortune. (p. 48-49)
August 22, 2023
This book has sat on a shelf in the cabin for as long as I have visited the cabin. It was published in 1966; I don't know who owned or read it before me. Hide and Go Seek is a mystery and has great plot twists. It is set in England in the 60s, and is a great period piece. Fun to read!
February 28, 2018
This is the US title for Murderer's Fen. Ingenious.
February 14, 2023
An engaging read with a clever little plot twist.
August 17, 2023
A new author for me following a list of “Forgotten Thriller Authors” mentioned in a Twitter post. And how clever of me that I noted Andrew Garve’s name and found this copy at the excellent Ystwyth Books second-hand bookshop in Aberystwyth. Now I need to find some more of these excellent 1950s and 60s stories.
The story, set in 1966, concerns a charming (aren’t they all?) psychopath whose plan of marriage into a small fortune is potentially derailed by a recent conquest’s pesky pregnancy. No matter. A devious plan is rapidly hatched to commit murder and remove the obstacle to untold wealth. This reader felt distinctly uncomfortable and it was therefore with relief that we switch to the local police in the form of experienced DI Nield and the talented but sadly disillusioned DS Dyson and their dispassionate procedural methods.
The rather desolate fenland with its drains and adjacent caravan park are a perfect setting for this gripping tale.
The story, set in 1966, concerns a charming (aren’t they all?) psychopath whose plan of marriage into a small fortune is potentially derailed by a recent conquest’s pesky pregnancy. No matter. A devious plan is rapidly hatched to commit murder and remove the obstacle to untold wealth. This reader felt distinctly uncomfortable and it was therefore with relief that we switch to the local police in the form of experienced DI Nield and the talented but sadly disillusioned DS Dyson and their dispassionate procedural methods.
The rather desolate fenland with its drains and adjacent caravan park are a perfect setting for this gripping tale.
January 6, 2013
What a great story from the ever-reliable Andrew Garve; Murderer's Fen is the tale of a murder planned by Alan Hunt - smooth talking salesman and all round con man. It's not a whodunit, but a 'how's he going to get away with it', told in Garve's trademark laconic style. I love the easy to read approach and his hallmark light touch.
Unusually for the bulk of crime fiction (even good crime fiction), the plot hinges on the police not being stupid, with them actually doing some detecting and synthesising of clues and other information. So often these days the detective is at the mercy of the events which unfold around them, and the story peters out, rather than being solved by the police. Garve avoids this, and his plotting skills are clearly on display here.
Although this isn't a long novel, Garve displays a great grasp of the psychology of the crime and its impact on those touched by it. Hunt is a true antihero, similar to those created by authors such as Patricia Highsmith and Ruth Rendell, where despite the heinous nature of their crimes and misdeeds, there's a part of you that can sympathise with them, and almost root for them to avoid their inevitable downfall and comeuppance. Garve's ability to create this desire to identify with 'bad' people is a much more interesting way of thinking about good and evil, than that which is displayed by many modern crime fiction authors.
It's a real shame that most of Andrew Garve's novels are now out of print. If you enjoy good crime fiction, make the effort to track down some of his books...they'll certainly repay the effort.
© Koplowitz 2013
Unusually for the bulk of crime fiction (even good crime fiction), the plot hinges on the police not being stupid, with them actually doing some detecting and synthesising of clues and other information. So often these days the detective is at the mercy of the events which unfold around them, and the story peters out, rather than being solved by the police. Garve avoids this, and his plotting skills are clearly on display here.
Although this isn't a long novel, Garve displays a great grasp of the psychology of the crime and its impact on those touched by it. Hunt is a true antihero, similar to those created by authors such as Patricia Highsmith and Ruth Rendell, where despite the heinous nature of their crimes and misdeeds, there's a part of you that can sympathise with them, and almost root for them to avoid their inevitable downfall and comeuppance. Garve's ability to create this desire to identify with 'bad' people is a much more interesting way of thinking about good and evil, than that which is displayed by many modern crime fiction authors.
It's a real shame that most of Andrew Garve's novels are now out of print. If you enjoy good crime fiction, make the effort to track down some of his books...they'll certainly repay the effort.
© Koplowitz 2013
December 19, 2016
The plot brought Agatha Christie to mind.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews