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Superintendent William Meredith #3
The Cheltenham Square Murder
In the seeming tranquility of Regency Square in Cheltenham live the diverse inhabitants of its ten houses. One summer’s evening, the square’s rivalries and allegiances are disrupted by a sudden and unusual death – an arrow to the head, shot through an open window at no. 6.
Unfortunately for the murderer, an invitation to visit had just been sent by the crime writer Aldous Barnet, staying with his sister at no. 8, to his friend Superintendent Meredith. Three days after his arrival, Meredith finds himself investigating the shocking murder two doors down. Six of the square’s inhabitants are keen members of the Wellington Archery Club, but if Meredith thought that the case was going to be easy to solve, he was wrong…
The Cheltenham Square Murder is a classic example of how John Bude builds a drama within a very specific location. Here the Regency splendour of Cheltenham provides the perfect setting for a story in which appearances are certainly deceiving.
Unfortunately for the murderer, an invitation to visit had just been sent by the crime writer Aldous Barnet, staying with his sister at no. 8, to his friend Superintendent Meredith. Three days after his arrival, Meredith finds himself investigating the shocking murder two doors down. Six of the square’s inhabitants are keen members of the Wellington Archery Club, but if Meredith thought that the case was going to be easy to solve, he was wrong…
The Cheltenham Square Murder is a classic example of how John Bude builds a drama within a very specific location. Here the Regency splendour of Cheltenham provides the perfect setting for a story in which appearances are certainly deceiving.
257 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1937
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525 people want to read
About the author
John Bude
56 books79 followersJohn Bude was a pseudonym used by Ernest Carpenter Elmore who was a British born writer.
He was born in 1901 and, as a boarder, he attended Mill Hill School, leaving in 1919 and moving on to Cheltenham where he attended a secretarial college and where he learned to type. After that he spent several years as games master at St Christopher School in Letchworth where he also led the school's dramatic activities.
This keen interest in the theatre led him to join the Lena Ashwell Players as stage manager and he took their productions around the country. He also acted in plays produced at the Everyman Theatre in Hampstead, where he lived for a time. He honed his writing skills, whenever he had a moment to spare, in the various dressing rooms that he found himself in.
He eventually returned to Maidstone, the town of his birth, and during the Second World War he ran his local Home Guard unit as he had been deemed unfit to serve in the forces.
He later lived in Loose, Kent, and after that near Rye, East Sussex, and enjoyed golf and painting but never learned to drive although that did not stop him apparently offering advice to his wife when she was driving! He had met his wife, Betty, when producing plays back in Maidstone and they married in 1933.
After becoming a full-time writer, he wrote some 30 crime fiction novels, many featuring his two main series characters Superintendent Meredith and Inspector Sherwood. He began with 'The Cornish Coast Murder' in 1935 and his final two crime novels, 'A Twist of the Rope' and 'The Night the Fog Came Down' were published posthumously in 1958.
He was a founder member of the Norfolk-based Crime Writers Association (CWA) in 1953 and was a co-organiser of the Crime Book Exhibition that was one of the CWA's early publicity initiatives. He was a popular and hard-working member of the CWA's committee from its inception through to May 1957.
Under his own name he also wrote a number of fantasy novels, the most well-known of which is 'The Lumpton Gobbelings' (1954). In addition he wrote a children's book, 'The Snuffly Snorty Dog' (1946).
He was admitted to hospital in Hastings on 6 November 1957, having just delivered his what turned out to be his final manuscript to his publisher, for a routine operation but he died two days later.
Fellow British crime writer Martin Edwards comments, "Bude writes both readably and entertainingly. His work may not have been stunning enough to belong with the greats, but there is a smoothness and accomplishment about even his first mystery, 'The Cornish Coast Murder', which you don't find in many début mysteries."
Interestingly he was the dedicatee of 'The Case of the Running Mouse' (1944) by his friend Christopher Bush. The dedication stated, 'May his stature, and his circulation, increase.'
NB: He was not born on 1 January but the system does not allow a date of birth without a month and date so it defaults to 1 January.
He was born in 1901 and, as a boarder, he attended Mill Hill School, leaving in 1919 and moving on to Cheltenham where he attended a secretarial college and where he learned to type. After that he spent several years as games master at St Christopher School in Letchworth where he also led the school's dramatic activities.
This keen interest in the theatre led him to join the Lena Ashwell Players as stage manager and he took their productions around the country. He also acted in plays produced at the Everyman Theatre in Hampstead, where he lived for a time. He honed his writing skills, whenever he had a moment to spare, in the various dressing rooms that he found himself in.
He eventually returned to Maidstone, the town of his birth, and during the Second World War he ran his local Home Guard unit as he had been deemed unfit to serve in the forces.
He later lived in Loose, Kent, and after that near Rye, East Sussex, and enjoyed golf and painting but never learned to drive although that did not stop him apparently offering advice to his wife when she was driving! He had met his wife, Betty, when producing plays back in Maidstone and they married in 1933.
After becoming a full-time writer, he wrote some 30 crime fiction novels, many featuring his two main series characters Superintendent Meredith and Inspector Sherwood. He began with 'The Cornish Coast Murder' in 1935 and his final two crime novels, 'A Twist of the Rope' and 'The Night the Fog Came Down' were published posthumously in 1958.
He was a founder member of the Norfolk-based Crime Writers Association (CWA) in 1953 and was a co-organiser of the Crime Book Exhibition that was one of the CWA's early publicity initiatives. He was a popular and hard-working member of the CWA's committee from its inception through to May 1957.
Under his own name he also wrote a number of fantasy novels, the most well-known of which is 'The Lumpton Gobbelings' (1954). In addition he wrote a children's book, 'The Snuffly Snorty Dog' (1946).
He was admitted to hospital in Hastings on 6 November 1957, having just delivered his what turned out to be his final manuscript to his publisher, for a routine operation but he died two days later.
Fellow British crime writer Martin Edwards comments, "Bude writes both readably and entertainingly. His work may not have been stunning enough to belong with the greats, but there is a smoothness and accomplishment about even his first mystery, 'The Cornish Coast Murder', which you don't find in many début mysteries."
Interestingly he was the dedicatee of 'The Case of the Running Mouse' (1944) by his friend Christopher Bush. The dedication stated, 'May his stature, and his circulation, increase.'
NB: He was not born on 1 January but the system does not allow a date of birth without a month and date so it defaults to 1 January.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 170 reviews
December 16, 2016
Poor Superintendent William Meredith can’t get any rest even when on holiday. In The Cheltenham Square Murder, Meredith is visiting crime writer Aldous Barnet. (They first met in The Sussex Downs Murder, the second book in the Meredith series; this book is the third). However, when the a resident of Regency Square is shot through a window with an arrow in a place rife with archery aficionados, Inspector Long welcomes the renowned Meredith’s help with alacrity, and the pair proceed to investigate, with the more experienced (and cleverer) Meredith taking the lead.
Meredith isn’t an intuitive genius like Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot; what he is, is a plod — in the best sense of the word. He works tirelessly and explores all avenues — sometimes following false trails, sometimes bumping into a dead end and having to double-back — until he brings down the culprit. I thoroughly enjoyed following Meredit through his peregrinations, and I can’t wait to join him in his next book!
In the spirit of full disclosure, I received this book free from NetGalley, Poison Pen Press, and British Library Publishing in return for an honest review. And I especially thank them for bringing John Bude’s creation back into the public eye with this reissue.
Meredith isn’t an intuitive genius like Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot; what he is, is a plod — in the best sense of the word. He works tirelessly and explores all avenues — sometimes following false trails, sometimes bumping into a dead end and having to double-back — until he brings down the culprit. I thoroughly enjoyed following Meredit through his peregrinations, and I can’t wait to join him in his next book!
In the spirit of full disclosure, I received this book free from NetGalley, Poison Pen Press, and British Library Publishing in return for an honest review. And I especially thank them for bringing John Bude’s creation back into the public eye with this reissue.
January 29, 2021
Having struggled with the first two books in this series, I was pleased that I enjoyed this more. It centres around a Regency Square, with houses that surround a green space. Like other such neighbourhoods, there are a range of minor disagreements among the residents. A tree that some want cut down and others prefer left standing, a man showing too much interest in another man's wife, some business advice that ended in financial loss...
Many of the residents share a love of archery, so when one of their number is killed by an arrow, there is no lack of suspects or motives. By coincidence, Meredith is staying with a friend and is called in to help investigate. Oddly, although his friend, Aldous Barnet, is a writer of detective stories, he seems disinterested in the police investigation.
As with all of the Bude mysteries, this is a fairly slow journey. There are lots of discussions about how long it would take a suspect to drive a certain distance, or cross questioning of witnesses. Although realistic, it does not always make for exciting reading. Still, I liked this more than the previous books in the series and thought the setting an interesting one.
Many of the residents share a love of archery, so when one of their number is killed by an arrow, there is no lack of suspects or motives. By coincidence, Meredith is staying with a friend and is called in to help investigate. Oddly, although his friend, Aldous Barnet, is a writer of detective stories, he seems disinterested in the police investigation.
As with all of the Bude mysteries, this is a fairly slow journey. There are lots of discussions about how long it would take a suspect to drive a certain distance, or cross questioning of witnesses. Although realistic, it does not always make for exciting reading. Still, I liked this more than the previous books in the series and thought the setting an interesting one.
February 4, 2021
Ordinarily if a murder is committed with a bow and arrow the field of suspects would be narrowed considerably, but not in this classic case. The people of Cheltenham Square are mad for archery, and all the suspects belong to the local archery club. The local police Inspector is a bit of a bungler, so it's a good thing that police superintendent Meredith is visiting the neighborhood. Although inspector long doesn't have much of an imagination, he is humble enough to except help so the two of them set out to solve this puzzling double murder case.
April 21, 2020
Another excellent topographical mystery from John Bude, this one revolves around a fictional square in Cheltenham and the author uses his local knowledge (he once lived in Cheltenham) to enhance the air of mystery.
Regency Square has a strange lot of residents with all manner of tensions affecting their relationships and the author emphasises that these are exacerbated by 'the very fact that they live in an enclosed intimacy not to be found in an ordinary road'. And when one of the residents is killed, unusually, shot by an arrow, it may seem that the number of suspects could be narrowed down. But this is not so for all the residents in the right wing of the square are members of the local Archery Club. And all are very well practised with the bow and arrow.
The local police are called in, with Inspector Long leading the investigation, and fortunately for them they are able to call on the expertise of Superintendent Meredith of the Sussex County Constabulary for he is spending part of his holiday in the Square with his friend Aldous Barnet, a crime writer who is planning a book about the police and who wants to use Meredith's knowledge.
The author has introduced all the residents of the Square prior to the murder so when the investigation begins the reader is aware of who is who but it does become obvious that any number of the Square's residents have something to hide. The investigation, therefore, is not a straightforward one to begin with and initially there are no obvious suspects.
But Meredith uses all his cunning to uncover, bit by bit, the backgrounds to each resident in turn but this is no easy task as stories change from one minute to the next. However, his dogged persistence eventually pays off and, with the assistance of the patient Long and his colleagues, he is able to narrow down the possibilities.
All this is not helped by a second murder and there appears no connection between the two except that they are carried out in the same manner. Puzzled, he revisits those he has down as the main suspects and finally he works out which alibis are true and which are false and, not surprisingly, he uncovers the perpetrator of the crimes.
It is murder with a difference but as Martin Edwards points out in another splendid introduction, it is not the only so called 'Golden Age' detective novel to feature archery, for George Goodchild and Carl Bechhofer Roberts' 'We Shot An Arrow' also did so. 'The Cheltenham Square Murder' is another excellent addition to the British Library Crime Classics series.
Regency Square has a strange lot of residents with all manner of tensions affecting their relationships and the author emphasises that these are exacerbated by 'the very fact that they live in an enclosed intimacy not to be found in an ordinary road'. And when one of the residents is killed, unusually, shot by an arrow, it may seem that the number of suspects could be narrowed down. But this is not so for all the residents in the right wing of the square are members of the local Archery Club. And all are very well practised with the bow and arrow.
The local police are called in, with Inspector Long leading the investigation, and fortunately for them they are able to call on the expertise of Superintendent Meredith of the Sussex County Constabulary for he is spending part of his holiday in the Square with his friend Aldous Barnet, a crime writer who is planning a book about the police and who wants to use Meredith's knowledge.
The author has introduced all the residents of the Square prior to the murder so when the investigation begins the reader is aware of who is who but it does become obvious that any number of the Square's residents have something to hide. The investigation, therefore, is not a straightforward one to begin with and initially there are no obvious suspects.
But Meredith uses all his cunning to uncover, bit by bit, the backgrounds to each resident in turn but this is no easy task as stories change from one minute to the next. However, his dogged persistence eventually pays off and, with the assistance of the patient Long and his colleagues, he is able to narrow down the possibilities.
All this is not helped by a second murder and there appears no connection between the two except that they are carried out in the same manner. Puzzled, he revisits those he has down as the main suspects and finally he works out which alibis are true and which are false and, not surprisingly, he uncovers the perpetrator of the crimes.
It is murder with a difference but as Martin Edwards points out in another splendid introduction, it is not the only so called 'Golden Age' detective novel to feature archery, for George Goodchild and Carl Bechhofer Roberts' 'We Shot An Arrow' also did so. 'The Cheltenham Square Murder' is another excellent addition to the British Library Crime Classics series.
February 25, 2018
It's funny. With all the exploration of how murder was committed in this book, how an arrow can cause death by "entering the fleshy part of the skull" (?) and all that good stuff – still, what grossed me out the most with this book was the fact that the victim, once the arrow was removed from his head, was carried away from the scene of death to be laid out in his own room, on his own bed. And all I could envision was what a horrific mess that bed is going to be. And who's going to have to clean that up?
In a way, this is an inverse locked-room mystery.
It's been a long time since I pulled a bow, and I was never an expert of any sort, but there were a few things that just didn't sit right with the handling of archery and how it was considered in the investigation of the mystery. Like the fact that it came as a great surprise that there were no fingerprints on the arrow. "What the devil do you mean—there must have been. A chap couldn’t pull an arrow without handling it, could he?" Well … sure. Gloves. Thin leather gloves, to provide a grip while still allowing the ability to feel the string, would be no impediment in using a bow, as best I can remember.
Now and then there's a confluence of names in a book which is just fun. A recent cozy had a character with my first name as his last and my last name as his first; a historical mystery had a character named Betty Draper, which brought back happy memories of Mad Men. (Not of the character, but the show.) Here there were two detectives who as partners came together to make me snort softly: "Long and Shanks then got into the police-car" made it sound like Aragorn had come on the scene.
So … according to this book, it's impossible to crack a safe in the classic movie tradition of listening for the fall of the tumblers? *Paging Mythbusters*
Cheltenham Square is very much a product of its time. "Will there be anybody in next door? I had an idea that Captain Cotton lived alone." "He does—except for his man, Albert." My eyebrows popped up at the failure to count Albert as a person living in the house, added as little more than an afterthought. Of course he's not, in this period – he's staff. The problem with that is that, of course, that afterthought could have as easily been the murderer as anyone else in the book.
An other thing that especially dated this book to its moment was the attitude toward Miss Boon's dogs. She's a spinster of a certain age who has pack of dogs (she's not a crazy cat lady, she's an eccentric dog lady). She has a moment in the sun as a strong suspect in the murders which occur, but after all, her only motive for killing one of them is that he killed one of her dogs. The police pooh-pooh it – come, now, that's no reason to murder a man. It's not a real motive. Perhaps "an eccentric woman with an overwhelming, single-minded passion for dogs" might … nah. Not likely. And there I beg to differ. I'm fairly pacifistic – but anyone who ever laid a finger on any of my dogs would have paid. In blood. In my world it's a more than sufficient motive.
I had some guesses about how the murder (that is, ) happened, and also about the motive. I was on the right track with the why (, but what seemed absolutely obvious to me was that what everyone thought was the method – an archer's shot from across the square – was, in point of fact, not. ()
Some of the procedural moments seemed a little off, which I imagine is due to the age of the book. Or maybe I was just totally wrong when I was surprised that the police didn't retain the key to the building from which they thought the arrow was shot?
The writing was entertaining, and the characters got the job done. I'm still not enamored of the plot, but it did keep me guessing (even if I grumpily muttered that at least one of my ideas was more fun). But … seriously? Someone kills your dog and you won't at least wish that person a little dead? Really? Huh.
The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.
In a way, this is an inverse locked-room mystery.
It's been a long time since I pulled a bow, and I was never an expert of any sort, but there were a few things that just didn't sit right with the handling of archery and how it was considered in the investigation of the mystery. Like the fact that it came as a great surprise that there were no fingerprints on the arrow. "What the devil do you mean—there must have been. A chap couldn’t pull an arrow without handling it, could he?" Well … sure. Gloves. Thin leather gloves, to provide a grip while still allowing the ability to feel the string, would be no impediment in using a bow, as best I can remember.
Now and then there's a confluence of names in a book which is just fun. A recent cozy had a character with my first name as his last and my last name as his first; a historical mystery had a character named Betty Draper, which brought back happy memories of Mad Men. (Not of the character, but the show.) Here there were two detectives who as partners came together to make me snort softly: "Long and Shanks then got into the police-car" made it sound like Aragorn had come on the scene.
So … according to this book, it's impossible to crack a safe in the classic movie tradition of listening for the fall of the tumblers? *Paging Mythbusters*
Cheltenham Square is very much a product of its time. "Will there be anybody in next door? I had an idea that Captain Cotton lived alone." "He does—except for his man, Albert." My eyebrows popped up at the failure to count Albert as a person living in the house, added as little more than an afterthought. Of course he's not, in this period – he's staff. The problem with that is that, of course, that afterthought could have as easily been the murderer as anyone else in the book.
An other thing that especially dated this book to its moment was the attitude toward Miss Boon's dogs. She's a spinster of a certain age who has pack of dogs (she's not a crazy cat lady, she's an eccentric dog lady). She has a moment in the sun as a strong suspect in the murders which occur, but after all, her only motive for killing one of them is that he killed one of her dogs. The police pooh-pooh it – come, now, that's no reason to murder a man. It's not a real motive. Perhaps "an eccentric woman with an overwhelming, single-minded passion for dogs" might … nah. Not likely. And there I beg to differ. I'm fairly pacifistic – but anyone who ever laid a finger on any of my dogs would have paid. In blood. In my world it's a more than sufficient motive.
I had some guesses about how the murder (that is, ) happened, and also about the motive. I was on the right track with the why (, but what seemed absolutely obvious to me was that what everyone thought was the method – an archer's shot from across the square – was, in point of fact, not. ()
Some of the procedural moments seemed a little off, which I imagine is due to the age of the book. Or maybe I was just totally wrong when I was surprised that the police didn't retain the key to the building from which they thought the arrow was shot?
The writing was entertaining, and the characters got the job done. I'm still not enamored of the plot, but it did keep me guessing (even if I grumpily muttered that at least one of my ideas was more fun). But … seriously? Someone kills your dog and you won't at least wish that person a little dead? Really? Huh.
The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.
February 16, 2021
The residents of Regency Square in Cheltenham have alliances and disagreements, gossip about each other, and try to hide their secrets. One warm night, one of the residents is killed by an arrow in the back of the head. Superintendent Meredith is staying with a friend in the Square, and joins forces with local Inspector Long to investigate the murder.
I really enjoyed the setting of this novel - I know Cheltenham fairly well so much of the setting was familiar to me - and the characters were varied and well developed. Their secrets were gradually revealed in a way that upended everything the reader thought they knew about events. The relationship between Meredith and Long is amusing, with some witty dialogue.
The plot did get bogged down a few times, with the investigating officers taking an unnecessarily long time to follow up certain clues, but it all hung together well. This is the third mystery by John Bude that I’ve read, and he does like his plots to hinge upon some very detailed plans, but these are classic Golden Age mysteries and very readable examples.
I really enjoyed the setting of this novel - I know Cheltenham fairly well so much of the setting was familiar to me - and the characters were varied and well developed. Their secrets were gradually revealed in a way that upended everything the reader thought they knew about events. The relationship between Meredith and Long is amusing, with some witty dialogue.
The plot did get bogged down a few times, with the investigating officers taking an unnecessarily long time to follow up certain clues, but it all hung together well. This is the third mystery by John Bude that I’ve read, and he does like his plots to hinge upon some very detailed plans, but these are classic Golden Age mysteries and very readable examples.
April 23, 2024
Third in the series of mysteries featuring Inspector Meredith by English author Ernest Carpenter Elmore, who wrote as John Bude, The Cheltenham Square Murder is in some ways the typical golden age murder with a closed circuit of suspects in a small tight-knit neighbourhood, but it still has its novelty in terms of the murder weapon (a bow and arrow) and in that a large section of that small neighbourhood just happen to be members of the local archery club, many of them fairly good shots.
We are introduced to the small u-shaped Regency Square in Cheltenham, with 11 homes set around it, and to each of their inhabitants—from a patrician and his wife to a vicar, a stockbroker and a doctor, the stereotypical spinster with her menage of dogs, two spinster sisters sharing a home, and a bank manager among them. This is a tranquil neighbourhood but not one without its small and not-so-small troubles. There is an ongoing battle over an old elm which half the neighbours want chopped down while the rest vehemently oppose; more seriously there is also an open flirtation between the wife of one resident Mr West and another, the disreputable Captain Cotton—causing the former his fair share of marital troubles, though not its only cause. But things take a more serious turn when one of the residents is killed while visiting another—shot with an arrow in the back of their skull.
Inspector Long of the local police is sent to investigate; but luckily for them, at number 8 visiting mystery-writer Aldous Barnet is none other than Inspector Meredith. Long and his superior Chief Constable Hanson not only don’t opposite his presence but positively welcome it, his reputation having preceded him and soon sort out permission issues so that he can work with them on the case.
It isn’t a secret that the victim was not well liked but whether and which person’s dislike was enough to lead to murder remains a puzzle. Then there is the method of murder, a bow and arrow—easy enough to work that out but where was it shot from, that too in the dark? And then the numbers of residents of Regency Square who are adept at archery add further layers of complication. Long and Meredith slowly work on each lead, in the process uncovering several secrets. But the murderer isn’t quite so easy to track and more than once Meredith and Long find themselves at a dead end. Do they manage to solve it?
Even though fairly straightforward (not many twists and turns), this was an enjoyable mystery to read, for its setting and characters as well as the mystery. I enjoyed ‘meeting’ the different characters, all distinct and well-drawn out, whether Sir Wilfrid and Lady Eleanor Whitcomb at the White House who think the other residents hoi polloi and only wish to get away from the unpleasantness of the murder to the unscrupulous broker Mr Buller, the young couple, bank manager Mr Fitzgerald and his wife, Miss Nancy and Emmeline Watt who enjoy a simple life with morning jaunts to the pump room and other gentle pursuits to the formidable Miss Boon and her dogs (at the receiving end of some unflattering and not too PC observations from Inspector Long).
The mystery unfolds more like a police procedural with Meredith working on each line of investigation interviewing all involved, following up on alibis, tracking down physical clues and even working out how the arrow might have been shot (for which he turns to a professional archer as well). But this also does have elements of the whodunit; there were two clues that were easy to pick up on which pointed to the murderer (and one rather obvious point in the murder itself) but this didn’t mean I didn’t suspect others or wonder whether another line of thought pointed at was the actual answer. Alongside there are other developments and revelations too which complicate things for Meredith and Long but add elements of interest for us readers.
In Meredith, to whom this was my introduction, we see an intelligent enough but certainly not beyond the ordinary detective. His method is simple painstaking work, his answers coming not only from tracking down leads and clues but (at least in this case) also chance occurrences or a good bit of luck. I did like though that when faced with the murder, the novelty of it made him keen to be ‘in’ on the investigation.
For those bothered by these things as I am, there are two incidents of animal harm—not dwelt upon much, but I felt I should mention them anyway.
Slightly slow moving and not exceptional in terms of its mystery, but still a nice enough GA mystery.
3.75 stars rounded off
We are introduced to the small u-shaped Regency Square in Cheltenham, with 11 homes set around it, and to each of their inhabitants—from a patrician and his wife to a vicar, a stockbroker and a doctor, the stereotypical spinster with her menage of dogs, two spinster sisters sharing a home, and a bank manager among them. This is a tranquil neighbourhood but not one without its small and not-so-small troubles. There is an ongoing battle over an old elm which half the neighbours want chopped down while the rest vehemently oppose; more seriously there is also an open flirtation between the wife of one resident Mr West and another, the disreputable Captain Cotton—causing the former his fair share of marital troubles, though not its only cause. But things take a more serious turn when one of the residents is killed while visiting another—shot with an arrow in the back of their skull.
Inspector Long of the local police is sent to investigate; but luckily for them, at number 8 visiting mystery-writer Aldous Barnet is none other than Inspector Meredith. Long and his superior Chief Constable Hanson not only don’t opposite his presence but positively welcome it, his reputation having preceded him and soon sort out permission issues so that he can work with them on the case.
It isn’t a secret that the victim was not well liked but whether and which person’s dislike was enough to lead to murder remains a puzzle. Then there is the method of murder, a bow and arrow—easy enough to work that out but where was it shot from, that too in the dark? And then the numbers of residents of Regency Square who are adept at archery add further layers of complication. Long and Meredith slowly work on each lead, in the process uncovering several secrets. But the murderer isn’t quite so easy to track and more than once Meredith and Long find themselves at a dead end. Do they manage to solve it?
Even though fairly straightforward (not many twists and turns), this was an enjoyable mystery to read, for its setting and characters as well as the mystery. I enjoyed ‘meeting’ the different characters, all distinct and well-drawn out, whether Sir Wilfrid and Lady Eleanor Whitcomb at the White House who think the other residents hoi polloi and only wish to get away from the unpleasantness of the murder to the unscrupulous broker Mr Buller, the young couple, bank manager Mr Fitzgerald and his wife, Miss Nancy and Emmeline Watt who enjoy a simple life with morning jaunts to the pump room and other gentle pursuits to the formidable Miss Boon and her dogs (at the receiving end of some unflattering and not too PC observations from Inspector Long).
The mystery unfolds more like a police procedural with Meredith working on each line of investigation interviewing all involved, following up on alibis, tracking down physical clues and even working out how the arrow might have been shot (for which he turns to a professional archer as well). But this also does have elements of the whodunit; there were two clues that were easy to pick up on which pointed to the murderer (and one rather obvious point in the murder itself) but this didn’t mean I didn’t suspect others or wonder whether another line of thought pointed at was the actual answer. Alongside there are other developments and revelations too which complicate things for Meredith and Long but add elements of interest for us readers.
In Meredith, to whom this was my introduction, we see an intelligent enough but certainly not beyond the ordinary detective. His method is simple painstaking work, his answers coming not only from tracking down leads and clues but (at least in this case) also chance occurrences or a good bit of luck. I did like though that when faced with the murder, the novelty of it made him keen to be ‘in’ on the investigation.
For those bothered by these things as I am, there are two incidents of animal harm—not dwelt upon much, but I felt I should mention them anyway.
Slightly slow moving and not exceptional in terms of its mystery, but still a nice enough GA mystery.
3.75 stars rounded off
September 11, 2020
This is the first story I've read with Inspector Meredith and I'm completely out of order in his series. This is book three but I've come to it as part of The British Library Crime Classics (which I'm working my way through & recommend). It's written in such a way that reading the first two books don't seem necessary.
The insane odds of having a murder by arrow shot, in a residential square overflowing with archery enthusiasts (six in all!), was a bit much but it did play out well. Which home is facing the right way? Who was at home or out and about? What was the motive? So many suspects and red herrings and the story still kept a steady pace. It's no tense page-turner as the procedural aspect comes into play but I would say it was more than a serviceable case. The killer carries out two murders before all is said and done and it made for a bit more tension as Meredith and his accompanying officers puzzle over the whole over several weeks.
This reminded me a bit of the short story, A Bit of Wire Pulling by E.C.R. Lorac (featured in The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories by Martin Edwards) in tone and Meredith reminded me of Inspector Lang. I don't know if there are any other Inspector Meredith books in TBLCC but I wouldn't mind coming across him again. Recommended.
Favourite quotes:
and
The insane odds of having a murder by arrow shot, in a residential square overflowing with archery enthusiasts (six in all!), was a bit much but it did play out well. Which home is facing the right way? Who was at home or out and about? What was the motive? So many suspects and red herrings and the story still kept a steady pace. It's no tense page-turner as the procedural aspect comes into play but I would say it was more than a serviceable case. The killer carries out two murders before all is said and done and it made for a bit more tension as Meredith and his accompanying officers puzzle over the whole over several weeks.
This reminded me a bit of the short story, A Bit of Wire Pulling by E.C.R. Lorac (featured in The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories by Martin Edwards) in tone and Meredith reminded me of Inspector Lang. I don't know if there are any other Inspector Meredith books in TBLCC but I wouldn't mind coming across him again. Recommended.
Favourite quotes:
“Now then, lads, I want you to think carefully. Don’t answer unless you’re quite sure of your facts. I don’t want any second-hand rumours, see? The point is this—the police have an idea that a member of the club may have slipped off the course during a round of golf and used that as his alibi. Know what an alibi is, eh?” “O’ course,” said a lean, hatchet-faced man.
“It’s when a bloke swears ’e’s in a place when ’e isn’t.” Meredith grinned.
and
Which only goes to show,” said Long in his slow, lugubrious voice, “that things more often than not are not what they appear to be, and what they appear to be, more often than not, they’re not!”
June 24, 2018
Continuing with my readings of the British Library Crime Classics with The Cheltenham Square Murder by John Bude. I like to read stories from the 1920s - 1940s....it's a time period so different from today. This one I didn't enjoy as much. This story dragged for me. lt could have been 50 pages shorter as the detectives discussed and discussed the clues regarding the people who lived in the ten houses that border Cheltenham Square. Lots of red herrings to chase down...too many. By the time I got two-thirds of the way into the book, I was thinking "enough already"... they have narrowed it down to two or three people, then two. How much more proof do you need? I hoped it might all be resolved then, but oh no, five more chapters to go! Push on, finally, the last chapter clears it all up.
April 8, 2017
I, said the sparrow...
The people who live in Regency Square in Cheltenham form a little community set somewhat apart from the rest of the town. They all socialise with each other, and there are all the rivalries and grievances that grow up in any group over time. So when someone shoots Captain Cotton with an arrow to the head through the open window of a neighbour's house, there are plenty of suspects, since many of the residents are members of the local archery club, and Captain Cotton had annoyed several of his neighbours in one way or another. Unfortunately for the murderer, Superintendent Meredith is visiting a friend in the square at the time, and the local police quickly enlist his help...
...which is a wonder really, since on the basis of this he's not terribly good at his job! Mind you, he's better than the local chap, who seems almost entirely clueless. Things were different back then, of course, as can be seen when the police pick up the body, carry it across the square, and leave it unattended on the captain's own bed till the inquest. The thing is that there's a major plot point which is so blindingly obvious that the biggest mystery in the book is that it doesn't even occur to the police till the book is nearly over – I won't specify for fear of spoilers, even though I defy anyone not to spot it. And it's not the only easy to spot clue – easy for the reader, that is, but seemingly impenetrable to our dogged but hopeless detectives. On the other hand, Meredith seems amazingly, almost supernaturally, perceptive when it comes to less important clues, making astounding leaps of intuition to arrive at the truth. The powers-that-be keep threatening to hand the whole thing over to the Yard, and I really felt they should do this pronto – intriguingly Meredith's own superiors seemed willing to leave him seconded to the Cheltenham force for as long aspossible necessary. One could see why...
However, there's still a lot to like in the book. The characterisations of the various residents of the square are well done, even if they tend to be a little stereotyped. This is a typically upper middle class square, full of bankers and retired army officers and elderly spinsters. Some of the people are just what they seem, but some have secrets hidden behind their respectable façades which are gradually revealed as the book progresses. Bude creates the setting well and some of the secrets give it a slightly darker tone than it feels as if it's going to have at first. And there's lots of humour in it too, sometimes a bit clunky like when the local Inspector uses his young subordinate as the butt of his stupidity jokes (ironic, given the profundity of his own intellectual lapses!), but at other times light and fun, like the two elderly sisters and their dismay at not really knowing the correct etiquette for dealing with a murder investigation. The detectives get there in the end, of course, but more by luck than anything else.
Not one of the better of these British Library Crime Classics, in truth. I found it dragged quite a bit, mainly because it took the police so long to realise things that had been obvious for chapters. The quality of the writing and characterisation lifted it, but the whole detection aspect lacked any feeling of authenticity for me, and the murder method, while quite fun, struck me as overly contrived. I didn't enjoy it as much as the other John Bude I've read, Death on the Riviera, but it was still a reasonably enjoyable read overall. So a fairly half-hearted recommendation for this one, I'm afraid. 3½ stars for me, so rounded up.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press.
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The people who live in Regency Square in Cheltenham form a little community set somewhat apart from the rest of the town. They all socialise with each other, and there are all the rivalries and grievances that grow up in any group over time. So when someone shoots Captain Cotton with an arrow to the head through the open window of a neighbour's house, there are plenty of suspects, since many of the residents are members of the local archery club, and Captain Cotton had annoyed several of his neighbours in one way or another. Unfortunately for the murderer, Superintendent Meredith is visiting a friend in the square at the time, and the local police quickly enlist his help...
...which is a wonder really, since on the basis of this he's not terribly good at his job! Mind you, he's better than the local chap, who seems almost entirely clueless. Things were different back then, of course, as can be seen when the police pick up the body, carry it across the square, and leave it unattended on the captain's own bed till the inquest. The thing is that there's a major plot point which is so blindingly obvious that the biggest mystery in the book is that it doesn't even occur to the police till the book is nearly over – I won't specify for fear of spoilers, even though I defy anyone not to spot it. And it's not the only easy to spot clue – easy for the reader, that is, but seemingly impenetrable to our dogged but hopeless detectives. On the other hand, Meredith seems amazingly, almost supernaturally, perceptive when it comes to less important clues, making astounding leaps of intuition to arrive at the truth. The powers-that-be keep threatening to hand the whole thing over to the Yard, and I really felt they should do this pronto – intriguingly Meredith's own superiors seemed willing to leave him seconded to the Cheltenham force for as long as
However, there's still a lot to like in the book. The characterisations of the various residents of the square are well done, even if they tend to be a little stereotyped. This is a typically upper middle class square, full of bankers and retired army officers and elderly spinsters. Some of the people are just what they seem, but some have secrets hidden behind their respectable façades which are gradually revealed as the book progresses. Bude creates the setting well and some of the secrets give it a slightly darker tone than it feels as if it's going to have at first. And there's lots of humour in it too, sometimes a bit clunky like when the local Inspector uses his young subordinate as the butt of his stupidity jokes (ironic, given the profundity of his own intellectual lapses!), but at other times light and fun, like the two elderly sisters and their dismay at not really knowing the correct etiquette for dealing with a murder investigation. The detectives get there in the end, of course, but more by luck than anything else.
Not one of the better of these British Library Crime Classics, in truth. I found it dragged quite a bit, mainly because it took the police so long to realise things that had been obvious for chapters. The quality of the writing and characterisation lifted it, but the whole detection aspect lacked any feeling of authenticity for me, and the murder method, while quite fun, struck me as overly contrived. I didn't enjoy it as much as the other John Bude I've read, Death on the Riviera, but it was still a reasonably enjoyable read overall. So a fairly half-hearted recommendation for this one, I'm afraid. 3½ stars for me, so rounded up.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
March 26, 2023
There is an introduction in this edition by Michael Edwards. I read only the first paragraph and then the last part which was a short biography. I was afraid for more and spoilers. What Edwards does express is that this is a complicated plot. I'm not sure about the complications of the plot, but there were certainly a lot of characters.
While I had not an iota of an idea as to motive, I did pretty much think the police were off base about the who. I kept reading to find out if I was right. And, for a decided change, I *was* right. As the light began to dawn on the police I wanted to ask them why they didn't pursue that course in the first place. Ha!
The writing style is fine. I always want a bit more from characterizations. This is probably unfair of me as that is not why these Golden Age mysteries were published. People want a puzzle and a puzzle they get. Or usually, anyway. I'm not up to giving this one more than 3-stars, but I have others by Bude on my shelf which I probably won't put off, although maybe not as soon as Mr. Bude might have wanted.
While I had not an iota of an idea as to motive, I did pretty much think the police were off base about the who. I kept reading to find out if I was right. And, for a decided change, I *was* right. As the light began to dawn on the police I wanted to ask them why they didn't pursue that course in the first place. Ha!
The writing style is fine. I always want a bit more from characterizations. This is probably unfair of me as that is not why these Golden Age mysteries were published. People want a puzzle and a puzzle they get. Or usually, anyway. I'm not up to giving this one more than 3-stars, but I have others by Bude on my shelf which I probably won't put off, although maybe not as soon as Mr. Bude might have wanted.
February 8, 2021
Guessed a lot, but good nonetheless. Liked the archery theme.
January 27, 2021
This is my first John Bude novel and I’m hoping it’s not considered one of his better ones because for me it was pretty average. It’s set in a tight-knit (on the surface) community, a square in the spa town of Cheltenham, so there’s a limited list of suspects after one of their number, a bit of a cad, is murdered. He was killed by an arrow to the back of the head, and conveniently, some residents of the square are members of an archery club, which narrows the field even further. Bude’s regular police detective, Meredith, is visiting a friend who lives on the square, so he’s called in to help investigate.
The setup is briskly laid out, though the author has a regrettable tendency to explain how the reader should interpret passages of dialogue. I tend to prefer authors like Dorothy Sayers and Margery Allingham who keep me on the stretch to follow the conversation. (He also needs to work on chapter endings.) Meredith himself didn’t seem to have too much personality; I preferred his local counterpart, Long, who was written in a more colorful style. The details of the crime and the clues they followed kept me entertained, but I guessed the perpetrator early, along with the methods in more than one instance, and guessed correctly. At times I wanted to shout the obvious at the two detectives.
I hear this author can do better and will read on to see whether that’s the case.
The setup is briskly laid out, though the author has a regrettable tendency to explain how the reader should interpret passages of dialogue. I tend to prefer authors like Dorothy Sayers and Margery Allingham who keep me on the stretch to follow the conversation. (He also needs to work on chapter endings.) Meredith himself didn’t seem to have too much personality; I preferred his local counterpart, Long, who was written in a more colorful style. The details of the crime and the clues they followed kept me entertained, but I guessed the perpetrator early, along with the methods in more than one instance, and guessed correctly. At times I wanted to shout the obvious at the two detectives.
I hear this author can do better and will read on to see whether that’s the case.
January 10, 2021
A fun, light read but books like this really highlight just how good Christie was in comparison to so many of her peers. Published in 1937, this has a sort of unfinished feel and, boy, the police are slow! Clues that are right in front of their eyes are ignored until the book is almost over and the murderer was obvious from very early on .
The mystery might not be up to much but there's some entertaining writing and characterization, even if the people are pretty much the standard middle-class coterie: the vicar, the bank manager, the 'masculine' woman, the timid unmarried sisters. And the local police inspector is all phonetic speech and dropped aitches, flagging his working class status.
Some of the police procedure is jaw-dropping - forgetting to test for fingerprints, wrapping up the murdered body in a sheet and the police carrying it off to a spare bedroom where it's just left. My my, Poirot would have been driven demented by the lack of logic and the conspicuous absence of ze leetle grey cells!
The mystery might not be up to much but there's some entertaining writing and characterization, even if the people are pretty much the standard middle-class coterie: the vicar, the bank manager, the 'masculine' woman, the timid unmarried sisters. And the local police inspector is all phonetic speech and dropped aitches, flagging his working class status.
Some of the police procedure is jaw-dropping - forgetting to test for fingerprints, wrapping up the murdered body in a sheet and the police carrying it off to a spare bedroom where it's just left. My my, Poirot would have been driven demented by the lack of logic and the conspicuous absence of ze leetle grey cells!
February 24, 2017
I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press. Thank you.
This is one of those classic historical mysteries I would not have been aware of if it weren't for Poisoned Pen Press being willing to work with books being re-released by the British Library. I had read one John Bude novel and was pleased to see this one is set in Cheltenham, a city in Britain I'm not familiar with. The opening of this novel can be a little confusing because a murder happens in a section of Cheltenham called Regent Square which has ten residences in a U shape positioned around a park-like area. Thus you will be introduced to all the residents of the ten houses to begin the story. Don't worry, though, because the most important characters quickly come to the forefront and the book concentrates on them. Originally published in 1937, this novel is a great example of the quality mystery novels being written during this period. This is also one of those novels where it appears that an unknown narrator is often speaking directly to the reader. I enjoy that type of novel so this one had the potential to be a special reading experience for me.
Superintendent Meredith of the Sussex County Constabulary, Lewes, Sussex is the major investigator in this story. He is taking a few days to visit his friend, Aldous Barnet, a writer of mystery stories. Barnet and Meredith are going to collaborate on a story which accounts for the policeman being on the scene in Regency Square. One very unusual detail in this type of novel is that many of the residents of this square are also members of an archery club. Guess what the murder weapon is! Meredith is given permission by his extremely generous boss in Lewes to remain on the scene to help the Cheltenham police detective work out the who, why, and definitely the how.
This was a very interesting novel from many standpoints, two of which are how the murders were committed and what the motive was. There is no way I would or could have figured out the method for the murders but that's okay, I was having so much fun it didn't matter that I couldn't guess how. Hmm, I didn't guess who either now that I think about it.
This is one of those classic historical mysteries I would not have been aware of if it weren't for Poisoned Pen Press being willing to work with books being re-released by the British Library. I had read one John Bude novel and was pleased to see this one is set in Cheltenham, a city in Britain I'm not familiar with. The opening of this novel can be a little confusing because a murder happens in a section of Cheltenham called Regent Square which has ten residences in a U shape positioned around a park-like area. Thus you will be introduced to all the residents of the ten houses to begin the story. Don't worry, though, because the most important characters quickly come to the forefront and the book concentrates on them. Originally published in 1937, this novel is a great example of the quality mystery novels being written during this period. This is also one of those novels where it appears that an unknown narrator is often speaking directly to the reader. I enjoy that type of novel so this one had the potential to be a special reading experience for me.
Superintendent Meredith of the Sussex County Constabulary, Lewes, Sussex is the major investigator in this story. He is taking a few days to visit his friend, Aldous Barnet, a writer of mystery stories. Barnet and Meredith are going to collaborate on a story which accounts for the policeman being on the scene in Regency Square. One very unusual detail in this type of novel is that many of the residents of this square are also members of an archery club. Guess what the murder weapon is! Meredith is given permission by his extremely generous boss in Lewes to remain on the scene to help the Cheltenham police detective work out the who, why, and definitely the how.
This was a very interesting novel from many standpoints, two of which are how the murders were committed and what the motive was. There is no way I would or could have figured out the method for the murders but that's okay, I was having so much fun it didn't matter that I couldn't guess how. Hmm, I didn't guess who either now that I think about it.
February 21, 2017
It’s a straight forward who-done- it without too many surprises. Not that I could figure out the solution, I was wrong right up to almost the last page. Strong motives, false clues, red herrings, multiple crimes, and conspiracies kept me completely mystified.
I like how it was put together. The crime was committed, the police called in, and they work to a solution. Bude gave his readers just a bit more info than he gave his detective, or did he? Could that bit of info you’re so sure is vitally important really be just another red herring, or is it the key to the whole mystery? And what a cast of characters! Was it the militant Miss Boon, the delightfully horrified Misses Watt, the inconvenienced Dr. Pratt, how about the wronged Mr. West, or one of the others?
It was a puzzle. Trying to untangle it was fun even if I didn’t actually get the right solution.
Only… I wish he hadn’t been so free with the curse words. They were fairly liberally spread throughout the book either fully written out or in their dialect appropriate abbreviations.
I received this book as a free ARC from NetGalley and Poison Pen Press. No review was required.
I like how it was put together. The crime was committed, the police called in, and they work to a solution. Bude gave his readers just a bit more info than he gave his detective, or did he? Could that bit of info you’re so sure is vitally important really be just another red herring, or is it the key to the whole mystery? And what a cast of characters! Was it the militant Miss Boon, the delightfully horrified Misses Watt, the inconvenienced Dr. Pratt, how about the wronged Mr. West, or one of the others?
It was a puzzle. Trying to untangle it was fun even if I didn’t actually get the right solution.
Only… I wish he hadn’t been so free with the curse words. They were fairly liberally spread throughout the book either fully written out or in their dialect appropriate abbreviations.
I received this book as a free ARC from NetGalley and Poison Pen Press. No review was required.
May 2, 2022
Captain Cotton was having a drink with his friend Mr. Buller when he was killed by an arrow. That was certainly unexpected in a quiet residential square in a pleasant spa town. Fortunately, Inspector Meredith was visiting his friend in another house in the square, and the local police were delighted to have him investigate with them. Then the police procedures start on their way, at least as they were organized in the earlier parts of the last century. Any fan of current procedurals will be shocked at the way the body was handled--bundled next door by three policemen, wrapped in a sheet!
July 24, 2017
This is a perfectly competent, well-written, classic detective story. It is hard to say anything negative about it, and unfortunately equally hard to say anything very positive about it. It is a deft puzzle with a a complicated murder plot, red herrings by the cartload, sketchy characters, and traditional elaboration of time and place. But it doesn't grow beyond that. It is occasionally funny -- but generally unmemorable.
November 22, 2017
Two and a half stars.
Having enjoyed the other books by John Bude that have been re-published by The British Library, I was rather disappointed with this one. While the murder method was novel, the rest of the plot seemed to me to be rather pedestrian. Not a bad book by any means though. I found it easy to figure out whodunit but it was impossible to know how it was done. Unsatisfactory and sudden ending.
Having enjoyed the other books by John Bude that have been re-published by The British Library, I was rather disappointed with this one. While the murder method was novel, the rest of the plot seemed to me to be rather pedestrian. Not a bad book by any means though. I found it easy to figure out whodunit but it was impossible to know how it was done. Unsatisfactory and sudden ending.
July 22, 2017
A very frustrating read. The pace was dreadfully slow and I seemed to have worked out the clues long before the detectives which may be gratifying but I got bored waiting for them to catch up.
February 9, 2020
A classic golden age mystery. I'm noticing that I prefer the women writers from that era more than the men because the men never have a romantic subplot and I dearly love a romantic subplot.
August 9, 2020
Beautifully done. Probably my favourite Mystery plot from this author, so far, when it comes to intricacy of underpinnings versus “okay, now explain it to me...all of it! and don’t just make it make sense, shock me with your Clever cap!”. Bude does. He brings a terrific Mystery idea, includes the shock-inducing batteries so the whole thing lights up, and even adds great characters...with perhaps the detectives overshadowed by the people they peeve with those questions (follow up questions too, sir, ma’am, if it’s looking bad for you...).
There’s a little Mad Hatter Mystery here (perhaps on two fronts), a little of the author’s other book The Cornish Coast Murder (but that’s okay), a little Mystery of the Sinister Scarecrow, and some nasty archery. The murder occurs at a locale known as Regency Square, in Cheltenham - that’s a set of nice homes, some nicer than others (take that any way you want) - set in a “U” shape, and populated by a higher percentage of archery enthusiasts than one would expect. The murder occurs after we learn about in-Square feuds, grudges, infidelities, and archery proficiency rankings, as well as bow sizes used, among the neighbours (wait, I think those last two come to light later on, along with trajectory notes, arrow flight paths, etc.).
I got tricked badly, as regards something that has NOT tricked me in other books: at least the egg all over my face covers the redness (a hot enough blush does not, alas, fry up breakfast). I also “figured out”, or at least maintained quiet suspicion about, a chunk of the solution as confirmed later...but I do love when Mysteries allow me to feel slightly clever, while they are also dumptrucking in gigantic sections of the solution that did not hit me like a ton of bricks earlier. I latched onto the tip of the iceberg, but Titanic-ed out on the really clever reveals.
Bude then, has slowly taken hold as a favourite of mine. I met him via The Sussex Downs Murder, and felt that was rather average. Took a Bude break, but gave in not long ago and tried out The Cornish Coast Murder, and was thrilled with it. The Bude experience I would most recommend is the recent publication of Death in White Pyjamas/Death Knows No Calendar (two novels in one), because even though I said The Cheltenham Square Murder was my fave whodunit plot (plus execution) - his cleverest- I think Death in White Pyjamas and Death Knows No Calendar, with their quiet satisfying puzzles, are ultimately even more entertaining because of the humour. I laughed out loud like crazy; especially adored Death in White Pyjamas, and that novel’s amateur detective is one long scream...took me back to Wodehouse.
But...getting back to The Cheltenham Square Murder, if you can read only one Bude that’s not a two-in-one, this book is a blast.
There’s a little Mad Hatter Mystery here (perhaps on two fronts), a little of the author’s other book The Cornish Coast Murder (but that’s okay), a little Mystery of the Sinister Scarecrow, and some nasty archery. The murder occurs at a locale known as Regency Square, in Cheltenham - that’s a set of nice homes, some nicer than others (take that any way you want) - set in a “U” shape, and populated by a higher percentage of archery enthusiasts than one would expect. The murder occurs after we learn about in-Square feuds, grudges, infidelities, and archery proficiency rankings, as well as bow sizes used, among the neighbours (wait, I think those last two come to light later on, along with trajectory notes, arrow flight paths, etc.).
I got tricked badly, as regards something that has NOT tricked me in other books: at least the egg all over my face covers the redness (a hot enough blush does not, alas, fry up breakfast). I also “figured out”, or at least maintained quiet suspicion about, a chunk of the solution as confirmed later...but I do love when Mysteries allow me to feel slightly clever, while they are also dumptrucking in gigantic sections of the solution that did not hit me like a ton of bricks earlier. I latched onto the tip of the iceberg, but Titanic-ed out on the really clever reveals.
Bude then, has slowly taken hold as a favourite of mine. I met him via The Sussex Downs Murder, and felt that was rather average. Took a Bude break, but gave in not long ago and tried out The Cornish Coast Murder, and was thrilled with it. The Bude experience I would most recommend is the recent publication of Death in White Pyjamas/Death Knows No Calendar (two novels in one), because even though I said The Cheltenham Square Murder was my fave whodunit plot (plus execution) - his cleverest- I think Death in White Pyjamas and Death Knows No Calendar, with their quiet satisfying puzzles, are ultimately even more entertaining because of the humour. I laughed out loud like crazy; especially adored Death in White Pyjamas, and that novel’s amateur detective is one long scream...took me back to Wodehouse.
But...getting back to The Cheltenham Square Murder, if you can read only one Bude that’s not a two-in-one, this book is a blast.
January 20, 2021
This is my second book with John Bude’s Inspector Meredith, and I like him very much. I’m glad the Reading the Detectives group chose this as our February group read, and another of his books for March. He’s getting to be up there with another favorite discovery, ECR Lorac’s Inspector MacDonald, for the same dry humor, sharp mind, and dogged determination.
In this case, Meredith is visiting a crime writer friend who lives at Regency Square in Cheltenham. At first it appears a prosperous, comfortable place to live, but Meredith gleans gossip from his host - infidelity, financial woes, neighborly squabbles percolate just beneath the surface. As with any group of people living cheek by jowl in a small enclave, neighbors observe each other’s behavior, speculate about each other’s lives, get on each other’s nerves! A wife leaves her husband, apparently for a rather flashy unmarried resident of the square, and the husband is forced to leave his home in the bucolic square- soon, the flashy Captain Cotton turns up dead! He is visiting a neighbor in the square, Mr. Bullard, a wealthy retired stockbroker, when he is shot through the head with an arrow, loosed apparently from the square.
Meredith, although a visitor, is called in immediately to consult with the local constabulary - Inspector Long, rather than the usual local copper resenting this invasion of his patch, welcomes Meredith’s experience, and the two men make an entertaining team. Long was a great character, I really enjoyed his homespun humor - he was funny, but sharp.
The bizarre murder method would seem to offer a clue, but archery is a hobby among the square’s residents, so it could be several people. Before the detectives can make much headway, Bullard is killed in the same way.
I liked how Bude respected the grind of police work, the repeated questioning of often testy suspects, the endless discussions of the facts, motives, opportunities, and the reality that sometimes, chance plays a role in creating a break in a seemingly hopeless case. Here, among other things, Bude gives us a dead sheep shot through the head with an arrow on a farm outside of town, a nearby golf course with a tricky twelfth hole, a seemingly unrelated raid on a gambling establishment, and a bombastic dog lover who lives in the square and walks her pack of dogs every night like clockwork, same time, same route...(I love how Long fears this witness, but Meredith deals effectively with her!)
A wonderful Golden Age mystery, with a knotty but very satisfying puzzle- even when we know “whodunnit”, Bude respects the fact that the police have to have proof as to the how!
In this case, Meredith is visiting a crime writer friend who lives at Regency Square in Cheltenham. At first it appears a prosperous, comfortable place to live, but Meredith gleans gossip from his host - infidelity, financial woes, neighborly squabbles percolate just beneath the surface. As with any group of people living cheek by jowl in a small enclave, neighbors observe each other’s behavior, speculate about each other’s lives, get on each other’s nerves! A wife leaves her husband, apparently for a rather flashy unmarried resident of the square, and the husband is forced to leave his home in the bucolic square- soon, the flashy Captain Cotton turns up dead! He is visiting a neighbor in the square, Mr. Bullard, a wealthy retired stockbroker, when he is shot through the head with an arrow, loosed apparently from the square.
Meredith, although a visitor, is called in immediately to consult with the local constabulary - Inspector Long, rather than the usual local copper resenting this invasion of his patch, welcomes Meredith’s experience, and the two men make an entertaining team. Long was a great character, I really enjoyed his homespun humor - he was funny, but sharp.
The bizarre murder method would seem to offer a clue, but archery is a hobby among the square’s residents, so it could be several people. Before the detectives can make much headway, Bullard is killed in the same way.
I liked how Bude respected the grind of police work, the repeated questioning of often testy suspects, the endless discussions of the facts, motives, opportunities, and the reality that sometimes, chance plays a role in creating a break in a seemingly hopeless case. Here, among other things, Bude gives us a dead sheep shot through the head with an arrow on a farm outside of town, a nearby golf course with a tricky twelfth hole, a seemingly unrelated raid on a gambling establishment, and a bombastic dog lover who lives in the square and walks her pack of dogs every night like clockwork, same time, same route...(I love how Long fears this witness, but Meredith deals effectively with her!)
A wonderful Golden Age mystery, with a knotty but very satisfying puzzle- even when we know “whodunnit”, Bude respects the fact that the police have to have proof as to the how!
July 29, 2019
It's always exciting to discover a new author. Of course, I always find books exciting, but coming across this book was an unexpected pleasure.
Josh and I were in Austin haunting all the independent bookstores there. I came across the Cheltenham Square Murder in a bin for a dollar. I did not know the author, but the British Library Crime Classic edition was appealing, and also, the author died in 1957, which meant his books were written during the Golden Era of mystery writing. Besides, if the book stunk, I was only out a dollar.
John Bude is now an author whose books I am going to hunt until I have them all. There's about 37 of them so I'm going to have fun for a while.
Summary, no spoilers: Meredith has come to Cheltenham to visit a friend who is a mystery writer. While there an accident occurs where a stray arrow seems to have shot through a window and unfortunately hit a man in the back of his head and killed him.
As events develop and clues emerge, it becomes apparent that perhaps it was not an accident but a murder. But who and why?
What did I like about this story? It was very well developed. Unlike many mysteries that deliver a punch at the end, Bude's characters are thinking through every new clue, every unexpected event and, even though there were quite a few turns...previous "facts" turned false because of newly uncovered evidence, which cause the suspect list to change like the colors on a chameleon.
Consequently the story really pulls you along as you keep "solving" and "re-solving" the mystery as new facts and events emerge.
Also, everybody and every action was believable. There was never a sarcastic "Right. Like that would happen" moment.
At first I was afraid the characters were going to be one-dimensional, and while the supporting cast was less developed, the main characters were immensely likable.
Which brings us to the final and probably most important reason I liked this book. The main characters, Inspector Long and Superintendent Meredith are interesting, smart, and insightful. They respect the other characters and have a good sense of humor at their own expense as much as anybody's.
I'm happy to find that Meredith will be the detective in all the other mystery stories Bude wrote. Interestingly enough, he also wrote science fiction and fantasy as well. Those aren't my favorite genres, but I'm encouraged to give Bude's work a try.
Josh and I were in Austin haunting all the independent bookstores there. I came across the Cheltenham Square Murder in a bin for a dollar. I did not know the author, but the British Library Crime Classic edition was appealing, and also, the author died in 1957, which meant his books were written during the Golden Era of mystery writing. Besides, if the book stunk, I was only out a dollar.
John Bude is now an author whose books I am going to hunt until I have them all. There's about 37 of them so I'm going to have fun for a while.
Summary, no spoilers: Meredith has come to Cheltenham to visit a friend who is a mystery writer. While there an accident occurs where a stray arrow seems to have shot through a window and unfortunately hit a man in the back of his head and killed him.
As events develop and clues emerge, it becomes apparent that perhaps it was not an accident but a murder. But who and why?
What did I like about this story? It was very well developed. Unlike many mysteries that deliver a punch at the end, Bude's characters are thinking through every new clue, every unexpected event and, even though there were quite a few turns...previous "facts" turned false because of newly uncovered evidence, which cause the suspect list to change like the colors on a chameleon.
Consequently the story really pulls you along as you keep "solving" and "re-solving" the mystery as new facts and events emerge.
Also, everybody and every action was believable. There was never a sarcastic "Right. Like that would happen" moment.
At first I was afraid the characters were going to be one-dimensional, and while the supporting cast was less developed, the main characters were immensely likable.
Which brings us to the final and probably most important reason I liked this book. The main characters, Inspector Long and Superintendent Meredith are interesting, smart, and insightful. They respect the other characters and have a good sense of humor at their own expense as much as anybody's.
I'm happy to find that Meredith will be the detective in all the other mystery stories Bude wrote. Interestingly enough, he also wrote science fiction and fantasy as well. Those aren't my favorite genres, but I'm encouraged to give Bude's work a try.
November 19, 2018
What the hell? This book was so dull I skipped from 26% to 90% to see if anything of note would actually happen at any point, and it became obvious that literally nothing had been decided on in between apart from someone asking a landlady for an alibi. Then out of nowhere in the chapter “a shocking conclusion” an entirely new piece of information got dropped out of nowhere.
“oh by the way he did X thing all the time, which should have been something naturally mentioned right at the first chapter, which gave him all the opportunity” “oh but of course! This completely solves the case!”
Fuck this noise.
Bude is like painting by numbers suitable for age 8-10 years old, if you want cosy, interesting, and predictably safe then just go for wentworth and save your time.
“oh by the way he did X thing all the time, which should have been something naturally mentioned right at the first chapter, which gave him all the opportunity” “oh but of course! This completely solves the case!”
Fuck this noise.
Bude is like painting by numbers suitable for age 8-10 years old, if you want cosy, interesting, and predictably safe then just go for wentworth and save your time.
July 21, 2022
Another enjoyable mystery by Bude, again with Insp. Meredith. In this case he is visiting a mystery writer to talk over old cases and ideas when - murder of the most unusual kind happens. Meredith (who the locals know is visiting close by is brought over) his keen eye is appreciated by Long (the local policeman.) Together the two are a great team, and full of humor. Also the writer who Meredith is staying with also lends a hand! Overall I had some ideas of what was going on before Meredith and some he had before I did. So it was fun detecting along.
It's one of those stories (probably like life) where looking at every detail matters and you must be determined to keep going through everything again and again- to get the murderer.
It's one of those stories (probably like life) where looking at every detail matters and you must be determined to keep going through everything again and again- to get the murderer.
September 7, 2020
DAME AGATHA AND HER PEERS
1937
CAST - 2: Meridith and Long, investigators, aren't very interesting here, to me. Long's "I can't stomach dealing with the female element. Particularly when it comes to an old dragon like that Miss Boon," doesn't much add to his being interesting and it seems to me people investigating murders for a living should have a strong constitution anyway. I liked Miss Boon and her numerous dogs. Mr. West makes a huge deal out of an old tree as it is a nuisance, he says. And he gets his way: the tree is taken down early in the story, thus making way for many views into private rooms! Misses Nancy and Emmeline Watt seem to be here just to fill a few pages...maybe. Captain Cotton is sort of a failure in life, the opposite of Buller who is obsessed with money. The problem for me is that too much focus is given to to few characters, none very interesting, and we learn nothing about most of the cast.
ATMOSPHERE -2: The author tells us that Cheltenham Square is U-shaped with 10 domiciles: to the left are 4 houses, to the right is the big White house and a smaller house, and in the rear there are 5 houses. Isn't that 11? So I'm sorta irritated by page 2. A large portion of this mystery is who lives where, but the 10/11 issue is never resolved. As I was reading this, I realized Bude had no intention of telling us about that 11th house: I figured that maybe it was for a gardener of the White house, even maybe a hide-out of a mistress. Such a missed opportunity. A red herring maybe, but such a strong possibility is simply skipped.
CRIME - 2: A character is shot in the back of the head with an arrow. Much too early in the book THE CLUE is made clear, so I had 90% of it all thought out...and correctly! And, on top of that, since I didn't know or care about the cast, the last half of the book was a slog.
INVESTIGATION -2: I coulda figured this one out in about an hour, and did, but Meredith and Long struggled with the obvious.
RESOLUTION - 3: As I stated, I'd put together 90% of the solution early. But there is one final, good twist. Makes no difference, but points out the author's potential. I've read one other Bude that was much better.
SUMMARY - 2.2 stars. Yea, I was irritated from the start with the math issue that wasn't a red herring. And the author gives most of the resolution too early, but with a final and classic twist that could have been used to better effect, imo.
1937
CAST - 2: Meridith and Long, investigators, aren't very interesting here, to me. Long's "I can't stomach dealing with the female element. Particularly when it comes to an old dragon like that Miss Boon," doesn't much add to his being interesting and it seems to me people investigating murders for a living should have a strong constitution anyway. I liked Miss Boon and her numerous dogs. Mr. West makes a huge deal out of an old tree as it is a nuisance, he says. And he gets his way: the tree is taken down early in the story, thus making way for many views into private rooms! Misses Nancy and Emmeline Watt seem to be here just to fill a few pages...maybe. Captain Cotton is sort of a failure in life, the opposite of Buller who is obsessed with money. The problem for me is that too much focus is given to to few characters, none very interesting, and we learn nothing about most of the cast.
ATMOSPHERE -2: The author tells us that Cheltenham Square is U-shaped with 10 domiciles: to the left are 4 houses, to the right is the big White house and a smaller house, and in the rear there are 5 houses. Isn't that 11? So I'm sorta irritated by page 2. A large portion of this mystery is who lives where, but the 10/11 issue is never resolved. As I was reading this, I realized Bude had no intention of telling us about that 11th house: I figured that maybe it was for a gardener of the White house, even maybe a hide-out of a mistress. Such a missed opportunity. A red herring maybe, but such a strong possibility is simply skipped.
CRIME - 2: A character is shot in the back of the head with an arrow. Much too early in the book THE CLUE is made clear, so I had 90% of it all thought out...and correctly! And, on top of that, since I didn't know or care about the cast, the last half of the book was a slog.
INVESTIGATION -2: I coulda figured this one out in about an hour, and did, but Meredith and Long struggled with the obvious.
RESOLUTION - 3: As I stated, I'd put together 90% of the solution early. But there is one final, good twist. Makes no difference, but points out the author's potential. I've read one other Bude that was much better.
SUMMARY - 2.2 stars. Yea, I was irritated from the start with the math issue that wasn't a red herring. And the author gives most of the resolution too early, but with a final and classic twist that could have been used to better effect, imo.
September 18, 2023
The residents of a small square in Cheltenham are all under suspicion when a much-disliked neighbor is murdered - by a bow and arrow, no less. Of course, there are no end of archery enthusiasts and experts in this small community.
I like Bude's writing and think that, of all the authors republished in the British Library Crime Classics series, he is the most similar (in a good way) to Agatha Christie. In this case, the setting and the characters might remind readers of Miss Marple's St. Mary Mead. We follow Superintendent Meredith (who happens to be visiting his crime writer friend Aldous Barnet when the murder takes place, practically on his doorstep) as he is seconded to the team headed by a local policeman, Inspector Long, who is very smart and determined, although perhaps not as bright as Meredith himself. I like how Bude always takes you down the path with the investigators, following along with them as you discover that they are heading the wrong way and have to backtrack and come up with another theory or suspect (or both). This seems to me to adhere to the way a real-life investigation would take place, and I appreciate that about his writing. Everything doesn't unravel in the end with a Poirot-style revelation to the assembled group; instead, we gather clues and change our minds as the Superintendent does. The next book is long out of print and hard to locate, but I'll definitely read further in the series; the next book currently in print is Death Knows No Calendar, combined in a British Library Crime Classics edition from Poisoned Pen Press with Death in White Pyjamas.
I like Bude's writing and think that, of all the authors republished in the British Library Crime Classics series, he is the most similar (in a good way) to Agatha Christie. In this case, the setting and the characters might remind readers of Miss Marple's St. Mary Mead. We follow Superintendent Meredith (who happens to be visiting his crime writer friend Aldous Barnet when the murder takes place, practically on his doorstep) as he is seconded to the team headed by a local policeman, Inspector Long, who is very smart and determined, although perhaps not as bright as Meredith himself. I like how Bude always takes you down the path with the investigators, following along with them as you discover that they are heading the wrong way and have to backtrack and come up with another theory or suspect (or both). This seems to me to adhere to the way a real-life investigation would take place, and I appreciate that about his writing. Everything doesn't unravel in the end with a Poirot-style revelation to the assembled group; instead, we gather clues and change our minds as the Superintendent does. The next book is long out of print and hard to locate, but I'll definitely read further in the series; the next book currently in print is Death Knows No Calendar, combined in a British Library Crime Classics edition from Poisoned Pen Press with Death in White Pyjamas.
February 21, 2017
Previously I’ve read John Bude’s second book- The Lake District Murder, a police procedural, showing in intricate detail how detectives investigated a crime, particularly in rural areas in the mid 1930s, in which I found his calculations of the times and distribution of petrol deliveries a bit difficult to follow.
But by the time he wrote The Cheltenham Square Murder Bude’s style had become more refined and I found it much easier to follow, whilst still writing in detail about the suspects and how the crime could have been and was committed. It is quite complicated, a real puzzle to solve, first of all just how the murder was carried out and secondly who out of the several suspects was the murderer.
There is a plan of the fictional Regency Square showing the layout of the ten houses and their occupants. Bude describes the residents giving a good idea of their personalities and relationships. As in all communities, they don’t all get on, ‘outwardly harmonious yet privately at loggerheads’. Those who belong to the Wellington Archery Club are keen, even fanatically keen archers, so immediately they are suspects.
It is fortunate for the local police that Superintendent Meredith from the Sussex County Constabulary is staying in the Square and helps Inspector Long unravel the mystery, but not before another there is a second victim, again murdered with an arrow in the head.
It’s a slow-paced mystery, both Meredith and Long spend much time working out how the murder was committed and Bude drops in several red herrings to confuse matters as first one then another of the residents comes under suspicion. I enjoyed trying to work it out, but although I had an idea about the guilty person I couldn’t see how the murders had been achieved until the method was revealed.
Martin Edward’s introduction gives a brief biography of John Bude, whose real name was Ernest Carpenter Elmore (1901 – 1957). For a time he was a games master at St Christopher School in Letchworth where archery was one of the pupils’ activities.
My thanks to the publishers, Poisoned Pen Press in association with the British Library, and NetGalley for my copy of this book which has an introduction by Martin Edwards.
But by the time he wrote The Cheltenham Square Murder Bude’s style had become more refined and I found it much easier to follow, whilst still writing in detail about the suspects and how the crime could have been and was committed. It is quite complicated, a real puzzle to solve, first of all just how the murder was carried out and secondly who out of the several suspects was the murderer.
There is a plan of the fictional Regency Square showing the layout of the ten houses and their occupants. Bude describes the residents giving a good idea of their personalities and relationships. As in all communities, they don’t all get on, ‘outwardly harmonious yet privately at loggerheads’. Those who belong to the Wellington Archery Club are keen, even fanatically keen archers, so immediately they are suspects.
It is fortunate for the local police that Superintendent Meredith from the Sussex County Constabulary is staying in the Square and helps Inspector Long unravel the mystery, but not before another there is a second victim, again murdered with an arrow in the head.
It’s a slow-paced mystery, both Meredith and Long spend much time working out how the murder was committed and Bude drops in several red herrings to confuse matters as first one then another of the residents comes under suspicion. I enjoyed trying to work it out, but although I had an idea about the guilty person I couldn’t see how the murders had been achieved until the method was revealed.
Martin Edward’s introduction gives a brief biography of John Bude, whose real name was Ernest Carpenter Elmore (1901 – 1957). For a time he was a games master at St Christopher School in Letchworth where archery was one of the pupils’ activities.
My thanks to the publishers, Poisoned Pen Press in association with the British Library, and NetGalley for my copy of this book which has an introduction by Martin Edwards.
October 9, 2016
Regency Square in Cheltenham is a quiet refined neighbourhood but like any group of people it has its tensions. There are arguments over a tree which is felt by some to be dangerous and by others to be perfectly safe. One resident is paying too much attention to another resident's young wife. Many of the residents belong to an archery club so when one of the residents is murdered with an arrow it seems somehow appropriate and provides the police with plenty of suspects.
I enjoyed the way the author introduces the various characters and sketches in their personalities and backgrounds. There aren't pages and pages of description but somehow the various personalities come to life and it is easy to imagine all these people going about their daily concerns. The plot is cleverly done and though I did work out who had committed the first murder I didn't work out why or exactly how.
I have read most of these British Library Crime Classics and enjoyed them all. It is good to see these classic crime novels back in print and many of them have stood the test of time and read well nearly a hundred years after they were first published.
I enjoyed the way the author introduces the various characters and sketches in their personalities and backgrounds. There aren't pages and pages of description but somehow the various personalities come to life and it is easy to imagine all these people going about their daily concerns. The plot is cleverly done and though I did work out who had committed the first murder I didn't work out why or exactly how.
I have read most of these British Library Crime Classics and enjoyed them all. It is good to see these classic crime novels back in print and many of them have stood the test of time and read well nearly a hundred years after they were first published.
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