Helen Passes By

Bobby Owen Mysteries #23

by E.R. Punshon

“I don’t like it, Olive. No good, plain evidence, not so much as the smell of a fingerprint. Nothing but psychology and an atmosphere of doubt, menace, and suspicion.”

Bobby Owen’s latest case begins with him warily lending five shillings to an old reprobate. But this is driven from his mind when he hears of the murder of one Itter Bain, found shot in the woods. Bobby is called into the case, one already made controversial by the alleged shielding of an aristocratic suspect. The evidence certainly ought to make the aristocrat a figure of particular interest to the police. But Bobby needs to tread lightly to prevent a national scandal.

Other suspects include the irresistibly beautiful Helen, Wing Commander Winstanley (a rival for Helen’s affections), and a suspiciously well-informed reporter on a local newspaper. All the while the killer is biding time before striking again – unless Bobby can unmask the fiend first.

This edition features a new introduction by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, 20th Century

231 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1947

About the author

Aka 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.

Reviews

[Elizabeth (Alaska) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I apologize to my friends who liked this. For me, the entire premise was pure hogwash. The eponymous Helen is a beautiful woman. She is so beautiful that men fall in love with her with just a glimpse, even the glimpse when she passes by. I'm not stupid enough to think some men wouldn't do just that. In this, Helen understands how beautiful she is, that she has such an effect on all men, and that consequently her life is restricted to being beautiful. She has even taken to walking in moonlight because she knows that light enhances her beauty. This, I cannot buy.

Before the novel opens there has been a murder. Bobby is called to the Home Office and offered a Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Scotland Yard and sent to investigate the 2-week old Bain murder. Immediately Bobby is told of the beautiful Helen. He begins to investigate. Bobby is told of the beautiful Helen. He meets some of the people in the community where the murder took place. Bobby is told of the beautiful Helen. Over and over and over Helen is so beautiful she can't live a normal life.

Ugh. I didn't care about Bobby solving the murder which appeared to be a side issue to Helen's beauty. OK, so maybe her beauty wasn't really a side issue, but I got tired pretty quickly of being beaten over the head with it. If I weren't reading this on a schedule with others, I might decide not to read more of the series, but I know I will. Still, I'm disinclined to find even a third star.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bizarre murder mystery with a touch of psychological tension. Bobby Owen is led to understand a promotion and return to Scotland Yard may be on the cards, but first he has to solve the Bain case - the murder of inventor Itter Bain in a spinney with the local landowner’s gun. The investigation is complicated by the mysterious presence of Lord Adour’s daughter Helen, who is reportedly so beautiful that every man falls in love with her.

I have to commend Punshon for the variety of his plots, his willingness to move Bobby to different settings, and the invariably thrilling chases that provide the climax to many of his mysteries (here we are treated to pursuits on both foot and motorcycle). However, I found this plot quite unsatisfactory and didn’t enjoy the ridiculous babbling about Helen - with more irony it could have been amusing but sadly Punshon’s dry wit seems to have dried up in his last few books.

Still quite enjoyable but this series has dipped a bit and I’m hoping it picks up again soon.

[Andrea]

The Helen of the title is named with obvious reference to the 'cause' of the Trojan War - and this story meditates on the question of whether beauty can be the 'cause' of a crime. It doesn't give a clear answer, but it's a fairly unusual story for this series.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. Quite difficult to say much without spoiling the plot but the author creates a fantastic "mystique" about the unbelievably beautiful Helen. Bobby has now moved another rung up the ladder and is now a Deputy Chief Constable with promise of even more promotion if he can handle the investigation of a murder "tactfully" as one of the suspects is a peer of the realm with powerful government connections.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've rounded this up to a 4 star rating but really it may just fall short of that. I did like it but there were so many times when Bobby was hampered by wanting to do well for Scotland Yard, and so was unable to to pursue his personal method of investigating. Quite a few times he had to hold his tongue, for fear of upsetting what we would then have called the upper class. I did like the fact that he was writing to Olive, his wife, pointing out these problems, and letting him say exactly how he felt about it. Promotion obviously means a lot to him, whereas it didn't seem to before. I found his accepting the way the home for the elderly was being used and their time was being cut short, and the fact that young women were also going there to obviously have abortions, which were against the law at that time, was treated lightly. I think the old Bobby would have taken up these breaches in the law.

[Jean Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I enjoyed the story and trying to figure out who the criminal was, I got a little annoyed that Bobby never gets to see or talk to Helen and give his opinion. Rather surprised that a policeman at that time would not investigate further about the old folks home where most of the old people die soon after arriving. Then there are the young girls who come briefly, which leads one to presume that they come for abortion. But then again, he was sent to solve a murder so that would take precedence. It did seem that "Lord Adour" was repeated a great many times throughout the story, even being referred to by name when he and Bobby are the only ones in the room, so that kind of grated on me. But I liked it enough to be curious how other stories in the series are.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite Bobby Owen entry mostly because the (missing) Helen is not in the least believable and she takes up way too much print. I also missed Olive's insight and imagine Bobby did as well. On the plus side, Wayling is an interesting character, though unbelievable in his own way. Bobby's temporary boss, Seers, and Bobby's handling of him, added a humane touch.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

For my full review click on the link below:
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...