Constable Guard Thyself

Inspector Poole #4

by Henry Wade

Two threats from a newly released convict - a poacher framed on a murder charge - put Captain Scole, Chief Constable of Brodshire, on his guard. Special men are assigned to protect him.But four days later, Captain Scole is found shot through the head at his desk in Police Headquarters.A full week later, young Inspector Poole of Scotland Yard is called in to follow a cold trail in the face of open hostility from the local police. And the further he explores the murder, the more baffling it becomes.Could Scole's First World War past be catching up with him - or something much closer to home?

Genres: Mystery

314 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1934

About the author

Henry Wade was a pen-name of Sir Henry Lancelot Aubrey-Fletcher, 6th Baronet. Other authors on Goodreads are also named Henry Wade.

Reviews

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspector Poole of Scotland Yard is called in, rather late on, to investigate the murder of Captain Scole, Chief Constable of Brodshire in his own office.

This is classic Wade, although without the last minute twist readers have come to expect. It is solidly clued, strong on police procedure and full of clearly defined characters both major and minor. Again the long hand of World War One is felt.Former soldiers, both in the police force and outwith, figure largely.

The local police seem certain that the solution lies in an pre-war crime case, but Poole is not convinced and carries out thorough inquiries , during which he makes one significant mistake. What is perhaps most interesting about this 1933 novel are its admissions that detectives are fallible and that the police are not always the upholders of the letter of the law.

The denouement is quite dramatic and the murder method, while ingenious, is believable. There is a mention of Freud in connection with the murderer which I found surprising in a detective novel of this date.But that is the point. Wade writes more than just a mystery, he writes movingly again of the melancholy ramifications of World War One and of the long term consequences of injustice.Had the police acted correctly in the first place, several deaths would have been avoided.

Highly recommended. 4.5 stars.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wade's books found their strength in serious plotting, though this tale of the murder of a police chief reflected workmanlike writing.

[Harry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent mystery. Such great detail and knowledge of the setting. The clues were there plainly and it all fitted nicely but was hard to discover all the connections. Inspector Poole doesn't have much personality but that's really okay as it doesn't interfere with the story. Nothing like an annoying detective to ruin a story.

[S Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

V good

I liked this very much, good steady pace, nice twist. I enjoyed the choice of victim and the motive, a brave authorial choice at the time,I should think ! Less one star for being too obvious !

[SuedePuzzler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not meant to be too difficult to spot the culprit, but putting all the details together can probably challenge anyone.

A somewhat skeptical look at the justice system and the consequences of WW1.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four and a half stars.

This is a really brilliant police procedural with the usual Henry Wade twist.
Highly recommended.

[Gabriele Crescenzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Letto nella versione italiana dal titolo "Il custode incustodito" del 1958. Henry Wade è uno dei grandi nomi del giallo classico, uno dei primi a coniugare nella "detection" il giallo classico con il procedurale, grazie soprattutto alla sua esperienza in materia, avendo militato nei Granatieri.
In questo romanzo si nota l'esperienza nelle forze dell'ordine dell'autore: il tutto infatti si svolge all'interno della stazione di polizia del Brodshire dove l'intendente Scole, dopo aver subito delle minacce da un certo Albert Hinde, da lui incarcerato ingiustamente 20 anni prima, viene ucciso. Il tutto sembrerebbe ricollegarsi all'ex galeotto, il quale è riuscito nella sua impresa vendicativa. Ma se è stato lui, come ha fatto a passare inosservato dai molteplici agenti posti strategicamente nel comando proprio per salvaguardare la vita di Scole? L'ispettore Poole di Scotland Yard, chiamato per far luce sulla vicenda, scoprirà che c'è dietro questo omicidio, si nasconde una mente diabolica che ha macchinato il tutto con estrema perizia. Una bella "camera chiusa" (sebbene non lo sia tecnicamente, ma solo perché sorvegliata) all'interno di una trama estremamente godibile. Ottima la caratterizzazione dei personaggi. Finale triste e molto malinconico.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

When the chief constable is murdered in his office in the police station of the small country town, his temporary replacement is reluctant to call in the Yard. But eventually he must, and soon Inspector Poole is finding out some things that the locals would just as soon keep hidden. Of course, it seems clear that a recently released convict with a (justified) grudge against the chief constable is responsible, but how did he get into the office without alarming the dead man? The real culprit isn't really too obscure, but it takes Poole a while to find the proof for this improbable crime.

[Calum Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

B+: Very thorough. A procedural but still very much a puzzle, too. A great introduction to Wade.