The Life Sentence: A Reggie Fortune Novel

by H.C. Bailey

A Reggie Fortune novel.

250 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1946

About the author

Henry Christopher Bailey (1878 – 1961) was an English author of detective fiction. Bailey wrote mainly short stories featuring a medically-qualified detective called Reggie Fortune. Fortune's mannerisms and speech put him into the same class as Lord Peter Wimsey but the stories are much darker, and often involve murderous obsession, police corruption, financial skulduggery, child abuse and miscarriages of justice. Although Mr Fortune is seen at his best in short stories, he also appears in several novels.

A second series character, Josiah Clunk, is a sanctimonious lawyer who exposes corruption and blackmail in local politics, and who manages to profit from the crimes. He appears in eleven novels published between 1930 and 1950, including The Sullen Sky Mystery (1935), widely regarded as Bailey's magnum opus.

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rosalind's doctor is concerned about her health, and so is Dr. Cope's brother, who meets the girl while out hiking. Fortunately, Dr. Cope knows Reggie Fortune, and asks for him to consult with her. Reggie is suspicious of the girl's seemingly-devoted adopted mother, but is called away to investigate a death with deep roots in the past. As he works with one local police official and an assistant from Scotland Yard, he posits the existence of a sinister force behind two murders--and two attempts on Rosalind's life. I think it's a weakness in this book that the arch-villain doesn't really appear in the story at all.

[Mentatreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not much of a mystery. I was expecting a big twist at the end but only got a small one. This is more a cat versus mouse or spy versus spy as Mr. Fortune acts to frustrate the villain’s plans. Still another sadly neglected mystery novel.