Richardson Scores Again

Inspector Richardson #2

by Basil Thomson

In the hall he found the body of his maidservant, Helen Dunn, aged about fifty, lying on the floor near the telephone. She had bled profusely from a wound in the head and her body was cold.Richardson's second case begins with a murder and robbery at a quiet house in Laburnum Road, and goes on to include an escaped parrot and a seemingly perfect crime which threatened a scandal to shock all England.Follow with Detective-Sergeant Richardson the fantastic story of an antiquarian's nephew, a pseudo policeman, and a stolen car…search with him for a man wanted for murder…another who fainted at a political meeting…the Treasury note which, because of the name written on it, was a warrant of death. Packed with clues, excitement and humour, this mystery will be certain to thrill and satisfy even the most ardent devotee of detective fiction.Richardson Scores Again was first published in 1934. This new edition, the first in many decades, includes a new introduction by crime novelist Martin Edwards, author of acclaimed genre history The Golden Age of Murder."Sir Basil Thomson's tales are always good reading, and he has the knack of being accurate about Scotland Yard. His book is full of agreeable people, and his case is neatly put together." Dorothy L. Sayers, Sunday Times"Few authors can claim such an intimate knowledge of Scotland Yard and criminals as Sir Basil Thomson, one-time Assistant Commissioner at the Yard. He provides subtle intrigue, clever deduction, and bright dialogue, and the whole combines to make easily the best mystery yarn that has come my way in recent weeks. No words are wasted in the fast-moving plot…This book must not be missed." Referee

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Classics, British Literature, Mystery Thriller, Procedural, Crime

269 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1934

About the author

Sir Basil Home Thomson, KCB (21 April 1861 – 26 March 1939) was a British intelligence officer, police officer, prison governor, colonial administrator, and writer.

abridged from Wikipedia

Reviews

[Zain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Already Promoted?

Detective-Sergeant Richardson’s dreams are being fulfilled. He has been promoted to DS, already. And just in time, because he is surrounded by murder.

With an escaped parrot, politics and stolen money, Richardson has more than murder to keep him busy.

Will the pressure of his new position be more than he can handle? 🤔

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three and a half stars.

Richardson, now promoted to sergeant is a very engaging character and the author's own experience at Scotland Yard adds authenticity to the procedural element of the story. I would have rated this higher if the plot didn't include some fairly hefty coincidences and the ending was a bit sudden and quite predictable. Nevertheless, it is a good page-turner and romps along nicely. I did enjoy it and have now purchased the full set of 8 from Kindle for the bargain price of £0.99 each. Although each book stands alone perfectly well, I think they are better read in chronological order as the reader gets a better insight into Richardson's character.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has quite a complicated plot, with a murder at the center of it, but also involves a lot of other crimes along the way. A police procedural, but does have it's lighter moments. Richardson has been promoted to Detective-Sergeant, and is the "blue-eyed boy" of his department chief, and proves to be worth his rank.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to see that fast-tracking went on in the 1930's as Richardson, who was barely a Detective Constable in Book 1, is now a Sergeant.

The plot is rather far-fetched, relying on a lot of coincidences, and featuring robbery, murder and blackmail, with a minor love-interest and a missing parrot.

However the writing is clear and less dated than in many from this era. The emphasis on teamwork is a prominent feature. As the barrister, Dick Meredith says:-

"The point about our people is that they go on quietly working as a team, and don’t let go until they’ve got their man.”

Richardson does eventually get his man in a rather rushed ending.

3.5 stars.

[Pamela Mclaren · Rating 4 out of 5]

While reading this story, I kept imagining it as a 50s film. It was hard not to: one of the secondary characters is a young lawyer, Dick Meredith, who flirts with the young lady living on the floor above his apartment. During the story, he offers to babysit the parrot she is taking care of for her boss. Only thing is, he loses the bird.

Meanwhile, Scotland Yard receives the call of the death of a maidservant and robbery at a house in Laburnum, and soon, Detective-Sergeant Richardson was on the case. Meredith become the solicitor for a young naval officer, nephew of the man whose home was robbed and who is a possible suspect in the case — a case that involves a stolen car, a pseudo policeman, a rising politician, a gang of thieves, etc.

And Richardson again shines as he follows the sometimes obscure trail of clues to get his man. And Meredith? He gets the girl!

I must agree with Dorothy Sayers when she wrote for the Sunday Times, "Sir Basil Thomson's tales are always good reading, and he has the knack of being accurate about Scotland Yard. His book is full of agreeable people and his case is neatly put together." This is a winning tale and a great example of a police procedural.

[Catherine Pinkett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this police procedural mystery. Richardson is a good character and I am looking forward to his character developing.

[Bicky · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was first published in 1934. I thought Basil Thomson was writing a police procedural. The first book in the series “P.C. Richardson's First Case” was. However, in this book Richardson, who is already a Detective Sergeant, is taking help of amateurs and there are coincidences aplenty. In its plot, it is similar to Edgar Wallace though better written and more readable.
I was surprised by a reference to a ‘one horse town’. I always thought that was an Americanism.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating 3.5

This second volume did not flow as well as the first for me.
The details of the investigation, the way that the evidence is laid out to senior officers during the investigation was all well described and easy to follow.
I feel that the number of characters that had ‘speaking roles’ compared to ‘walk on roles’ did make the plot and story less cohesive. He is a good writer but perhaps should have made the books more complicated over time rather than going from relatively simple to organisation related so quickly.
The couple of trips to France were unexpected and interesting for a view of how French police were viewed by Scotland Yard at the time, as well as brief descriptions of hotels and cafes.
Overall worth a read and I will try and continue with the series to see how the writer and characters progress.

[Cybercrone · Rating 3 out of 5]

No e-book entry again!
I don't think I'm being particularly paranoid when I get to thinking that it's awfully strange that this only started happening right after Amazon bought the site.

I am enjoying this series. Richardson starts out as a newly graduated officer in the first book, but very quickly gets promoted to detective due to his thoroughness and attention to detail.
And the author has so much background with Scotland Yard and other interesting government placements that his stories don't have a lot of the problems some do with inappropriate procedure, sketchy legal practices (unless they're part of the plot), and improbable plot lines.
Good reading, especially if you're a fan of "The Golden Age" of mystery writing.

[Verity W · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. It has some issues, and it's not quite at the same level as some of my favourites, but if you're looking for a nice, realxing read of a Golden Age crime novel that you probably haven't come across before, this will do the job for you. I enjoyed it enough that I bought the next in the series from the link in the back of the book and went straight on to it as soon as I finished this. I suspect it won't be a series that lingers long in my memory after I've finished them, but while I'm reading them, I'm enjoying them a lot.

[Martina · Rating 4 out of 5]

#2 in Basil Thomson's series of Golden Age mysteries featuring Inspector Richardson. Originally published in the 1930s, the current series includes an introduction by Martin Edwards. Despite no access to modern bells and whistles that speed the work of today's police, these are somehow thoroughly satisfying stories detailing the methods and ingenuity of the earlier police. This outing involves a far more twisty case topped off with a missing parrot which is constantly saying 'absolutely'! Blackmail, murder, mayhem and a missing parrot! What more could one ask for in a crime novel?

[Zain · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Good Series

Inspector Richardson is young, smart and ambitious. These traits help him in his quest to track and pursue criminals. For him, this is easy. And being a great detective with the skills of a young Endeavor Morse makes you wish there are more than just eight books in this series.

[Georgia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story line. The writing style reminds me of "The 39 Steps" and "Saboteur."

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this police procedural and plan on reading more of them. This is a quick easy read.

[Mark Higginbottom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting read.It reminded me very much of the Z- Cars novels I have...very factual and all police procedures etc.The plot was a tiny bit complex but not so that I couldn't follow it.So,if you enjoyed watching Z-Cars or Scotland Yard on television then you'll really enjoy this book,I did!

[Leila Mota · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a number of books originally written in the so called Golden Age of British detective novels that have been reissued, giving us the chance and the pleasure of discovering them decades later. I imagine that some books can't stand the passage of time while others are what we (I) call classics. Ever since I've found out the British Library collection I've been navigating through varied authors. I only knew Agatha Christie and I decided to follow the BL suggestions and started to read. Some I liked very much, others not so much. I liked Bobby Owen's adventures, and now I'm enjoying Malcolm Richardson path through Scotland Yard. This character was created by a real Yard man. Not any man but a director. And the man knows his writing. I plan to read all Richardson's stories and then I'll see if I'll try out other stories by the same author. Still a nice reading.

[Estott · Rating 2 out of 5]

Entertaining but ridiculous- the actual crime is a hodgepodge of incidents all depending strongly on coincidence. At several times a key suspect will lie when simply telling the truth would clear up matters in an instant. Richardson remains a character with brains but little personality, much of the action is concerned with two silly young people and a missing parrot.

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A somewhat absurd plot and plenty of attention to procedural detail - memos and approvals, worries about legitimate travel claims and descriptions of finger-printing techniques. The narrative flows smoothly, the development of the young detective is interesting as is the creation of 1930's London and the science of investigation. Engaging enough to keep on with the series.

[Lexie Conyngham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, a good plot with a sound setting but characterisation much more vague and often rather cliched. I do enjoy the period feel, where a detective sergeant has to ask his superior's permission to use a telephone! I shall be happy to read another one.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another agreeable entry in the Richardson series

Perhaps not as heavy an emphasis on procedure and Scotland Yard dynamics as the first novel in the series, but a most agreeable diversion nevertheless.

[Vikas Datta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, with a range of memorable characters and situations..

[Melissainau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another delightful golden age mystery novel, the second Richardson novel introduces some delightful secondary characters who we must hope to see again.

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic and nearly timeless.