Six Were Present

Bobby Owen Mysteries #35

by E.R. Punshon

“You’re the murder man, aren’t you?” Mrs. James demanded.
“Well, that’s not exactly how I describe myself,” Bobby answered. Bobby Owen and his wife Olive are on holiday, enjoying a motor tour of England, when they visit Bobby’s old ancestral home and his cousin Myra. An eerie air hangs over the household, where Teddy Peel, a psychic medium of dubious repute, has become a fixture. Myra’s husband himself is a specialist in African folklore, the owner of a genuine witch doctor’s bag. What’s inside the bag, and how that connects to the promise of riches, whispered threats and very real murder, forms another absorbing puzzler for Bobby. Six Were Present  (1956) is the thirty-fifth and final novel in the Bobby Owen Mystery series, here presented with a new introduction and additional notes. This new edition also features the script of the rare radio play Death on the Up-Lift (1941), starring Bobby Owen, here published for the first time. “What is distinction? … in the works of Mr. E.R. Punshon we salute it every time.”--Dorothy L. Sayers

Genres: Mystery

263 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1956

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

[Andrea]

The last of the Bobby Owen stories. These were solid enough stories, with the occasional unusual, more experimental entry. Probably not read again territory.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars is possibly a bit generous for this book but I give them anyway. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I marvel at the author's ability to maintain such a high standard at the age of 84. This was his last book and he sadly died not long after it was published. The plot was interesting and unusual although I did figure out who was the culprit. However this did not detract from my enjoyment of it. The characters are really well drawn, especially Rosamund ; she has a sort of mystique about her which I really liked. As always, it was beautifully written with great dialogues.

I have read the whole series of 35 in chronological order chronicling Bobby Owen's career starting as constable on the beat and ending up as a commander at Scotland Yard. I can honestly say that there wasn't one of them that I didn't enjoy and I'm really sorry that there aren't any more. Bobby is a great character and I feel that Punshon is very unfairly neglected these days. Hat's off to Dean Street Press for digging them up and making them available.