He Dies and Makes no Sign: A Golden Age Mystery

Dr Constantine #3

by Molly Thynne

"He had his enemies, I suppose?"

"Disputes, you mean? Over the merits of Puccini and Wagner, Strauss and Verdi! But people do not entice an old man from his home many years afterwards to avenge Wagner or Puccini!"

It was a shock to the Duchess of Steynes when her son announced his engagement to the grand-daughter of an obscure violinist, Julius Anthony; but still more of a shock was the discovery of Anthony's murdered body in the cinema at which he played.

Dr. Constantine and Detective-Inspector Arkwright join forces in their third (and final) case together. Their only clue at the outset is the dead man's mysterious assignation at the Trastevere restaurant, one of London's most fashionable eateries, and located, as it happens, on the property of the Steyneses. The biggest challenge at first appears to find any kind of motive for the old man's slaying - until their investigations lead in a fiendishly unexpected direction.

He Dies and Makes no Sign was first published in 1933. This new edition, the first in many decades, includes an introduction by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Classics

222 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1933

About the author

Mary ‘Molly’ Thynne was born in 1881, a member of the aristocracy, and related, on her mother’s side, to the painter James McNeil Whistler. She grew up in Kensington and at a young age met literary figures like Rudyard Kipling and Henry James.

Her first novel, An Uncertain Glory, was published in 1914, but she did not turn to crime fiction until The Draycott Murder Mystery, the first of six golden age mysteries she wrote and published in as many years, between 1928 and 1933. The last three of these featured Dr. Constantine, chess master and amateur sleuth par excellence.

Molly Thynne never married. She enjoyed travelling abroad, but spent most of her life in the village of Bovey Tracey, Devon, where she was finally laid to rest in 1950.

Reviews

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

This last entry in the Dr. Constantine series has a lot more action towards the end than I expected! Too bad that Thynne stopped writing mysteries with this one - I would have enjoyed reading more.

[Vivienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars My (almost) New Favourite

Alas, this is the final Molly Thynne murder-mystery. She didn't write many, but the books she did write are all of a very high quality, extremely well-written and edited, although this book has a few problems that I have put down to digitisation. This book, like most of the "Golden Age" murder-mystery/crime books is a pleasure to read if you want a a good "clean" story, well-written, with good plots/puzzles, have good characterisation and are slower-paced than modern books in this genre.

Dr Constantine and Detective Inspector Arkwright are the sleuthing stars in this book with Constantine in the lead. The basic outline is given on the book page, so I won't go into any detail about that. There are some great characters in the cast of this story, starting with the Duchess of Steynes, who sets herself totally against the young woman, Betty Anthony, her son is engaged to (without having met the girl) and she is convinced that Constantine can "do" something about it. When the grandfather, Julius Anthony is found dead, the Duchess goes to the Anthonys' lodgings and takes Betty back home with her, and then, to my amusement, berates Constantine for not telling her how very nice and suitable Betty is for her son!

Manners (Constantine's butler/valet/general factotum) plays a part in this story, as he did in "Death in the Dentist's Chair". The Trastevere Restaurant, it's proprietor and the people who eat there; two Japanese ju-jitsu experts; various members of the Police; and other minor characters all play their roles in this complex story. One of the great complexities is the timeline around Anthony's disappearance and his death. This has Arkwright and Constantine baffled for quite a long time and I have lots of highlighting trying to keep track of the different sightings and times. Constantine finally manages to sort it out with the help of Arkwright, the police pathologist, and quite a few constables and this changes the whole investigation; but I can't say any more about that.......spoilers, Sweetie.

The Japanese ju-jitsu experts are a hoot and I was a bit sorry not to see more of them in the story. There is also a dark sub-plot that comes to light during the investigation which, in turn, needs investigating too.

The conclusion is superb - poetic justice at its best! (although there is also a rather tragic side to it as well).
I thoroughly recommend this book, as I do all of Molly Thynne's.

[Jessica-sim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a lot of classic mysteries but this was my first book by Molly Thynne, it didn't hinder me that is was the third in a series well-trained as I am by now to accept whatever amateur detective dominates the scene. I liked the book, but it was not fair play. Dr Constatine, our amateur detective here and retired chess player by trade, has access to a lot more information than he shares with the police or the reader for that matter. Despite that, and despite the suspect being fairly obvious from early on, it is still an exciting chase and a good read.

The critic in me could whine about the weird side story with two martial arts experts offering an escape in full Deus ex Machina style, but why would I? This was a fun adventure indeed.

Bonus points for the setting: a theatre and cinema orchestra.

[Robert Robertson]

Not a good read . A convoluted plot , plodding policemen and the would be Poirot Constantine .
It makes you appreciate how good Agatha Christie is .

[Squeak2017 · Rating 3 out of 5]

The aristocratic milieu at the beginning is beautifully realised with an imperious Duchess and a headstrong heir but the melodramatic ending is overplayed. The criminal is not hard to recognise but his ingenuity helps him evade the police and it takes some painstaking work as well as one devastating mistake before he is caught. The amateur sleuth always has the edge on the police with the benefit of a great number of improbable circumstances and unlikely supporting characters. Still, an enjoyable romp nonetheless with appealing characters and the best butler in crime fiction!

[P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Scotland Yard cozy. Series hero Dr. Constantine solves this case for the Yard by his clever thinking. Unfortunately, despite being a chess master, he doesn't foresee the end game. Really a marginal read with good writing and mediocre plotting.

[Naomi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dull. I started skimming.

[Paperbackreader · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the last of the three Dr. Constantine mysteries Molly Thynne had written and also her last published work. I honestly do not know what to make of Thynne's work. I cannot say I do not like them. I have read all three of her Dr. Constantine books, which I would not have done had I disliked them. I find that Thynne's books start off great. The murders are quite ingenious, the characters are fairly well-written, and her writing never less than enjoyable. However, it all peters out towards the end. In this book, for example, a character is used in its final pages, who had previously only been mentioned in passing. That character ends up being a part of the finale in a most haphazard way. The final denouncement in itself is unnecessarily convoluted. I suppose it is meant to thrill us, but I found it inordinately stretched things out and it tried my patience. After finishing the Dr. Constantine series, I think I understand why Molly Thynne's books were forgotten. While somewhat enjoyable to a long-standing Golden Age mystery fan, these are not books to be remembered in the long run.

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kindle Unlimited | The last of the Thynne mysteries, and it's too bad. Really, the half-dozen she wrote are better than some authors' entire oeuvre. This one, like the other Dr Constantine books, didn't have enough suspects to be a proper riddle, but it was interesting and enjoyable, and ended with more action than was usual for cozies of the time.

[Kelvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the last of Molly Thynne's six detective mysteries and one of three to feature chess player Dr. Constantine. The story is very well written, move at a relatively fast pace and come with quite a few twists and turns. The end also comes with quite a bit of action by the Constantine / Arkwright duo.

[Jenn Estepp · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last, and I think best, of Molly Thynne's books. The pacing was much better here and on the whole it felt slight less than conventional. The detective & his policeman friend figure things out with a good bit of the book left, so then there's some cat-and-mouse action. I probably wouldn't rate these books high on a list of favorites, but I'm glad that I read them.

[ShanDizzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing

Though I wish there were more, this was a great ending to the Constantine/Arkwright duo! A thrilling puzzler! And a little darker than the previous ones. However, a thoroughly enjoyable read.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two and a half stars.

Not bad but nothing special. Quite predictable.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent - I love Molly Thynne and am disappointed that I've finished her entire series! If you love British Golden Age Mysteries as I do, you'll enjoy Molly Thynne's works!

[bex · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 star read

Greatly enjoyed this classic mystery and will definitely be looking for the few others from this author. Very good reading.

[Susan Molloy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting mystery, although not a favorite authoress of mine.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good book.

I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good mystery. It isn't my favorite of the Dr. Constantine books, but it is a really good read.

[Verity W · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clever and twisty golden age mystery with some high drama and high society. I liked it.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of three mysteries written by Molly Thynne that includes amateur detective, chess-playing aristocrat and friend of Scotland Yard, Dr. Constantine. He is called in to intervene in her son's choice for a marriage partner by his friend, the Duchess of Steynes. Constantine has just returned from a chess tournament on the Continent and was feeling dismal, exhausted and not particularly anxious to get mixed up in this family problem. Valet Manners reported to him, "If I may say so, sir," he vouchsafed, "Her Grace seemed greatly annoyed to hear you were abroad. She desired to be informed immediately on your return." I include this quote to give you a taste of the tone of the book.
Once reunited with the Duchess and her family, Constantine finds himself recruited to investigate a complex web of lies with murder on the menu working alongside Detective Inspector Arkwright of Scotland Yard -- the nucleus of the investigation involves the disappearance of the father of the prospective bride.
Considering the period this book was published (her mysteries between 1928-1933) there are a few prejudicial notions expressed, but just bare brushstrokes and not enough to keep from reading (e.g. "little Japs")
I'm just old enough to have been pleasantly reminded while reading this book that people used to enjoy social conversation. I will try to figure out the third book that includes Constantine but will download the "Death in the Dentist's Chair" since I know he figures in that one.
OK- third one that includes Constantine is The Crime at the Noah's Ark (all these available through Kindle Unlimited at present time)

[Iain Vickers · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining read for two reasons. First the plot is well-organised enough to be "old school" gripping; secondly that Thynne is completely unaware and uninterested in the tensions of the society she describes. For us it is a treasure trove of sexism, xenophobia, social injustice and substance abuse.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good, Old-Fashioned murder mystery that reminds me of something Dame Christie might have written. Complicated with fully comprised characters and a very surprising murder in the middle.