The Sunken Sailor

Inspector Henry Tibbett Mystery #2

by Patricia Moyes

Poor Inspector Tibbett! Once again, he is attempting to have a nice vacation. And once again, Crime has a different idea. This time, Tibbett and his cheerful wife, Emmy, are lazing on a friend’s yacht, tacking from one little English sea-town to the next, and it should all be delicious indolence…except that Henry can’t stop thinking about death. Well, one death in particular. The death of a local sailor. And he especially can’t stop thinking about it when it starts looking as though the drowned sailor is somehow connected to the robbery at a nearby manor-house. As with so many of the books in this series, much of the pleasure lies in the setting’s timelessness: It’s officially 1961 for The Sunken Sailor, but in Berrybridge Haven, and on England’s peaceful waterways, it is time out of mind.  

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, British Literature, Procedural, Mystery Thriller, Ebooks

263 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1961

About the author

Moyes was born in Dublin on 19 January 1923 and was educated at Overstone girls' school in Northampton. She joined the WAAF in 1939. In 1946 Peter Ustinov hired her as technical assistant on his film School for Secrets. She became his personal assistant for the next eight years. In 1960 she wrote the screenplay for the film School for Scoundrels starring Ian Carmichael, Terry-Thomas, and Alastair Sim. She married photographer John Moyes in 1951; they divorced in 1959. She later married James Haszard, a linguist at the International Monetary Fund in The Hague. She died at her home on the island of Virgin Gorda (British Virgin Islands) on 2 August 2000.

Her mystery novels feature C.I.D. Inspector Henry Tibbett. One of them, Who Saw Her Die (Many Deadly Returns in the US) was nominated for an Edgar Allan Poe Award in 1971. She also wrote several juveniles and short stories.

Series:
* Inspector Henry Tibbett Mystery

Reviews

[Lynnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book as it was set on the Suffolk coast and as I live in Ipswich it was lovely to read about familiar places. I think Berrybridge was inspired by Bawdsey. The mystery was good even though I did guess who the murderer was very early on. I even liked all the sailing jargon!

[John Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

The sunken sailor. Patricia Moyes

Did I enjoy it? Yes, in an old fashioned sort of way. As the first book of the series reminded me of times skiing and on skilifts, this one tried to teach me about sailing.

If Chief Superintendant Tibbett was as dumb about the hobby/sport as me and as he appeared to be at the beginning,  he learnt a lot about the detail and practice much quicker than I. This  enabled him to solve the case. I, on the other hand, could only rely on crime readers instinct, (rather like Tibbett's nose), to come up with the same answer. Both he and I had nothing to prove our suspicions.

The author manages to throw our suspicions around much as the deck of the Ariadne, or any of the other vessels, when 'the jib sheet was pulled and the boat swung broadside to the wind'. She produced loads of good misdirections.

As a gentle read, it was OK but as an exercise for the armchair detective who isn't a sailor, I thought there was too much sailing  'jargon'.
Perhaps also for my liking,  too many characters were introduced. I thought this early enough to start a character map which I found most useful in  keeping all the cast and their relationships in place.

This is the second book of a series which is very easy to enjoy without being to taxing on the grey cells.  I will have the next of the series on my shelf for when I need something like that again.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pleasant series with pleasant characters - people I would actually enjoy visiting. In the first book I 'learned' how to ski; now I know how to sail. Good plot if a bit predicable.

[Tricia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been on a Patricia Moyes kick this summer, so I requested this via inter-library loan. I didn't enjoy it as much as the others I've been reading. Especially early on, all the sailing terminology was kind of ponderous (given that I'm ignorant of sailing). But I was disappointed beyond the jargon issues. For one, the pace kind of slogged. In addition, elements of the plot seem predictable and over used - faked robbery, connected to a murder which was ruled an accident based on totally obvious overlooked evidence, etc . But then again, given the age of the book, maybe she was one of the first to use those elements and they only seem overused because of authors who have followed her these past 40 years?

[oh, and 'Harry Potter' appears on page 112. And some Riddles. Granted, JKR was probably a grade schooler when this was written and it's totally coincidental based on common British names, but it did catch my attention!]

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Henry and Emmy Tibbett take a sailing vacation with their new friends. The little harbor where the Bensons keep their boat is quaint, their friends are intelligent and amusing, and the boating is invigorating and enthralling. But Henry is a policeman, and the talk of a recent fatal accident spurs his curiosity. Did Pete, everyone's friend and a top-ranked sailor, really die in a stupid mishap? When a second man is killed, the medical examination proves it is murder, but Henry is already well on the way to finding a clever killer.

[Martha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Way too much sailing lore, and feels a little outdated (referring to 40-year-old women as girls, for example), but it improved as it went on, and the plot was engaging enough that I had to find out the solution (though I did guess the murderer fairly early).

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this eries and the main characters.

[RL · Rating 3 out of 5]

Saw it coming from the beginning. But the sailing details keep me going.

[Jay Maxfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my fifth review of a Patricia Moyes book. I will put the book taster from the book at the bottom of this review so that readers of this review can get an idea of the storyline. The first 100 pages or so of this novel are devoted to characterisation and setting the scene of Berrybridge Haven, Suffolk and the routines of sailing - which probably would be interesting for those people who enjoy sailing or would like to sail. I found this lengthy setting up of the novel rather over long and in parts somewhat boring - as the other 4 novels I have read from this author managed to do the same in a much more entertaining/interesting way and in a lot less pages. As with all the novels that I have encountered from this author - I have found that she doesn't play fair with the reader (in regards to evidence as Inspector Tibbett finds it) and by the end of the novel she could of easily have chosen many other villains instead of the one she did! This is fine if the novel is interesting (with twists and turns) and enjoyable to read, but not when the story is slow and boring like this novel was. Moyes often gets Tibbetts to do things e.g. setting up traps for villains while he is working alone or with non police people - which puts himself and others in danger which by the 1960s would have a sackable offence. The whole novel lacked the humph that I normally associate with this author and would advise cosy crime readers to steer clear of this novel and start with: Who is Simon Warwick OR Who saw her die? both of which are extremely enjoyable to read. I would give this book 5 out of 10.

The crusty seafaring folks in the English hamlet of Berrybridge Haven generally agreed: Fog had caused the unfortunate accident that drowned Pete Rawnsley. A few old salts, however, whispered over their pints of bitter in the local pub that it was no accident at all.
The incident was long considered closed when Chief Inspector Henet Tibbett and his wife Emmy visited the hamlet on holiday. But yet another mishap - death in a dinghy - reveals the malevolent presence of a cunning killer. Local suspects emerge: the resentful old harbourmaster, Herbert Hole; the eccentric aristocrat, Sir Simon Trigg-Willoughby; two boat owners named David Crowther and Colin Street; and the pretty-eyed mate, Anne Petrie. All had boats anchored at Berrybridge Haven, and all had reasons - and opportunities - to kill Pete Rawnsley. What Tibbett found most disturbing was that they all had decided to lie. Who among them was sending victims to watery graves?

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly I could feel the wind on my face and smell the salt in the air and almost feel the sway of the boat beneath me. I wanted to raise a toast at the Berry Bush pub with the rest of the rough and tumble crew of salty old sailors and fisherman. The odd mix of London weekenders in their fresh nautical stripes and too crisp jeans rub elbows with the locals for amusement, and the locals put up with it for the money that flows into town but there's plenty of disdain and distrustful side eye glances happening at the same time.
Detective Inspector Henry Tibbett really is just trying to get away for a week vacation on the water with his wife Emmy and the lovely couple they met in London, Rosemary and Alastair Benson. The Bensons are boat crazy and have a sailboat in Berrybridge Haven, difficult to get to and even more difficult to leave once you've experienced the slow pace of life and the freedom of the seas.
But from their first moments at the pub, Tibbett learns of a recent death in the community that everyone describes as a tragic accident but Tibbett can't turn off his inspector line of the thinking / internal questions and it strikes him as suspicious.
As luck would have it, the Tibbetts first day at sea isn't much of a success - they run aground with the Bensons, as the tide is going out and the shallow waters run deceptively close to a sandbar at low tide. And the spot is the exact location where the old mariner met his untimely and unexpected end just a few mere weeks/months ago. So they get out and have a good look around the sand bar and do a bit of guesswork and reconstructing the scene of the incident/accident.
For all their curiosity and willing speculation, Rosemary and Alastair plead with Henry to let the case alone lest his inquiries stir up trouble and disrupt the idyllic dynamic of the small town and group of friends. Henry doesn't make any promises but he does try to be discreet. Not that he even needs to bother, as every person he encounters seem to bring up the death at some point. It's as though Henry were an appointed hearer of confessions of some sort. Must be that a stranger in a small town provides some relief and fresh perspective to foist your troubles on, a role Henry willingly plays.
It's an interesting cast of characters. Herbert is one of the two boat repair men in town, selectively deaf when it suits his interests but never when a round of drinks is being offered up, and having the distinct advantage of being harbor master. Bill Hawke's is the newest boat repair man in town, young and efficient and one of four candidates running for mayor, against Herbert to further ramp up divisions in the town of old vs new. David's a Londoner who comes down for weekends - the brooding artsy type who likes to tinker on his boat when it's safely moored in the harbor and rarely goes out sailing in any sort of weather. Hamish is a local, the son of the drowned man, Pete Rawnsley, local ladies man and sailor expert. Hamish and his father had just come into some cash through a family inheritance and now with his father gone, Hamish has grand plans to design and build his own sailboat, a dream come true. Then there's Colin and Anne. Anne is 23, engaged to Colin practically, though she was enamored with Pete even though he was 51 and their dalliance was just another brief affair in his book. No matter, Anne seems to have every other local and visitor of the XY chromosome wrapped around her little finger and it causes no little amount of strife. Meanwhile Simon Trigg-Willoughby is the local squire with a magnanimous air about him and larger than life personality. Priscilla's his potty sister who's always going on about her stolen family jewels and a bit of a drinker to boot. But her jewels really WERE stolen and no one knows who took them. They haven't shown up on the black market yet either. So another mystery for Tibbett to ponder. So much for a quiet vacation!
I do wish there was a cast of characters cheat sheet at the beginning of the book just to keep everyone straight, but 60 or 70 pages in they all started to settle into distinct enough personalities and the mystery got robust enough to keep the reader zipping along.
This was my first mystery by Moyes and I'm only sorry it's taken me this long to discover her! Honestly she's better at setting the scene and her characters far more robust, likeable, and fully formed than the E.C.R. Lorac's I have been trying to track down as reprints by the British Library Crime Classics as of late. Will definitely be going on more adventures with Henry and Emmy Tibbett!

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, anyone who enjoys boats or sailing will very much enjoy this mystery!

Secondly, while written in 1961, this novel has aged exceedingly well. It could have quite easily been written in the 1980s. It doesn't have any references to current technology, obviously, and the vehicles are both British and from an earlier day, but these things have little to no bearing on the storyline. After all, when one is at sea, why would you need a cell phone?

The storyline is fairly straightforward: Chief Inspector Henry Tibbet and his wife Emmy are invited aboard the sailing yacht of their friend, Alastair and Rosemary, for a week of sailing trips in and around Berrybridge Haven. As they come to know the area, Henry and Emmy learn of Pete Rawnsley, who died in what everyone assumed was a sailing accident about a year prior. But the more Henry heard about it, the more his "nose," as he tells his wife, realizes all the things he has heard don't make sense. It was murder and he has to sort it out.

This story drags a bit in the beginning, as the technical sailing and nautical terms are explained to Henry and Emmy. I'm not sure all of that was necessary, although personally, it brought back memories of earlier summers for me. It all seemed too much right off the bat. Otherwise, it's a good story, and I like this series very much.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND

[Deepa Nirmal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am working my way through the Henry Tibbett books, didn’t care for this one so much. Tibbett, is, as usual, on vacation but every vacation turns into a busman’s holiday for him, with murder and mayhem. The first book had some technical stuff about skiing, this one was pretty over the top with jargon about sailing. If you sail, I suppose you’ll like the cut of this jib (I finally understand that expression) but it was really too much for us muggles. Speaking of which, there is a mention of a person named Harry Potter and there are three characters named Riddle… quite amusing but likely just a coincidence.

The mystery is mediocre and very guessable. But I do like the exploration of human nature that Moyes always does, and the “vintage” setting of 1961. Considering that Tibbett is a bona fide policeman, it’s odd what risks he takes and what unorthodox approaches he employs. Still, his record probably makes his Scotland Yard bosses turn a blind eye.

2.5 stars rounded up. On to #3!

[Caridad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started out very slow…

I almost gave up on this story due to all the boating descriptions. Unless you are a boating enthusiast, there are pages of unnecessary instructions and dialogue that are confusing. The story did not pick up until half the way through the book.
Henry’s situation with Anne is so infuriating that I wanted Emmy to hit him over the head. Henry can act so stupid sometimes. It appears that this will be a ploy the writer uses to lull the readers into make believe. You realize at the reveal that it’s just a ploy. Also, some of the Fleet characters were annoying and did not garner any sympathy.
I will continue to read this series but I hope the author becomes more adept at building Henry’s character and not giving stupid reasons for some of the others to commit a crime. I own most of the series so only time will tell.

[Eugene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second in the wonderful Patricia Moyes series, which I’ve started to re-read. Memory told me that this was a good entry, and so it has proved to be.
Henry and Emmy Tibbett are accompanying their avid sailing friends the Bensons down to Berrybridge Haven on the Sussex coast for a two week boating holiday. No sooner do they reach the charming little waterfront village than the Chief Inspector begins to feel a tickle in his vaunted nose, and cannot keep himself from poking into things.
Tibbett is famous for his nose, and his style of laid-back investigatory conversation, that so puts folks at ease that they say more than they realize. Soon enough, there’s a game afoot, and Henry is having a “working” vacation. Lots of local color, the great assortment of oddball locals, and plenty of sailing lore intersperse, making for a terrific read.

[Louise Culmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspector Henry Tibbett and his wife Emmy are invited on a sailing holiday by their friends Alistair and Rosemary Benson, who keep their boat at a Berrybridge Haven, a small village on the Essex coast. Henry and Emmy enjoy learning to sail, and get to know the other people who keep their boats at Berrybridge, and some of the local characters. Hanging over the community is the death of another yachtsman, Peter Rawlinson, who died in an apparent accident while sailing. Henry begins to wonder if Peter’s death was really an accident, and uncovers various possible motives for people who might have wanted Rawlinson out of the way.
This is an entertaining mystery, it contains quite a lot of technical detail about sailing, but if you don’t mind that it is quite a good story. Henry Tibbett is not the most exciting detective, but he and Emmy are pleasant people to go sailing with.

[Deborah Gunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sailing and Murder

Another interesting murder mystery with likable Henry Tibbet and his wife, Emmy. Henry is, blissfully, a decent human being without the tedious alcoholism, sexual issues, obsessions, or other angst which so drags down the current crop of fictional detectives. He doesn't even have a long hidden family secret! Just a capable, smart inspector. The characters are interesting and fleshed out adequately. The mystery is well plotted and realistic. The sailing aspect of the story was well explained without being overwhelming. Overall, a very pleasant and entertaining read.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Embarking on a re-read of the Moyes books after many years. This second book started quite slowly as Moyes got rather bogged down in instructing the reader on the techniques of sailing. She was also being a bit leisurely in setting the stage and introducing a big cast of characters so the result is a bit slow. Keeping on has a lot of rewards though as once the story gets going it makes for an intriguing puzzle.

As always the characters are nicely developed and their stories and interactions with each other and with Henry add to the richness of the story.

[Jeff Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspector Henry Tibbett and his wife Emmy are on a yachting holiday in Berrybridge Haven when one of their mention the mysterious death of yachts man Paul Rawsley. Despite a verdict of suicide the feeling among their fellow holiday makers is that he may have been murdered. More of an adventure thriller than a whodunit as Patricia Moyes tends to drip feed clues that peak the interest of Inspector Tibbett. The pool of suspects is quite small so the mystery is in the details rather large brush strokes. "The Sunken Sailor" would almost certainly be of interest of fans of cosy mysteries fans.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Where the who in the first book in this series had me totally baffled I figured out the initial who and why that set the ball rolling in this one pretty easily. However, there were a lot of character relationships to muddy the waters and make it more interesting and confusing along the way. My favorite parts were the sailing references as I used to crew for my brother on his sailboat many years ago. The sexist and ageist descriptions of the female characters (by a female author?) date this a bit, but not so much that I don’t want to continue on reading books in the series.

[Teri Am · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this series. They remind me of the cozy mystery series set in the 1920s and 1930s , yet they are set in the 1960s/1970s. Inspector Henry Tibbet is a marvelous character and I enjoy how the author shows some, but not all of his deduction process. Henry and Emmy are vacationing with friends and learning to sail when a murder occurs. The reveal was a total surprise to me, which makes reading the story more enjoyable. Will be reading all of the books in this series.

[David C Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

An little sailing village, with a mixture of locals and visitors, looks idyllic but fairly seethes with hidden agendas, rivalries, and sexual tension. Plus there was a recent jewel theft at the local great house and the death (accidental? Of course not!) of a charismatic local sailor. The Tibbetts are ostensibly taking a vacation but. . . One difference with the Tibbett novels is that Henry is not always omniscient and here shows a fair amount of weakness. The ending is a bit melodramatic.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Usually I race through Henry Tibbett mysteries but this one was easy to put down so it lasted a couple weeks. A reader who wants to learn more sailing might enjoy the long descriptions that made my eyes glaze over. A complicated love situation presented lots of red herrings but the who of who-done-it was obvious early on.

[Sarah "Kat" · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. It went into way more detail on all the aspects of sailing which didn't interest me and I rather skimmed over the details rather than trying to understand all. It did pick up about 1/2 through. Emmy the wife wasn't as active in on the mystery as she has been in other books in the series.

[Laurie Heupel · Rating 5 out of 5]

British whodunits are so fun. I have discovered Inspector Tibbett and have become a fan . . The characters are relatable. This story is a quick easy read.

Ms. Moyes spends a lot of time setting the scene and describing sailing skills which will help
with later parts of the story.

I recommend this book to those who enjoy British whodunits.

[Calum Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

B+:

Despite having very little interest in skiing or sailing, I've enjoyed Moyes' comprehensive account of both in the first two books of this series. Her mysteries have strong educational value. The whodunit here is also a small step above #1, in that the solution is not signposted as clearly. Will definitely see out this series to its end.

[Caryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

British whodunits are so fun. I enjoyed following Inspector Tibbett along as he solved the case. The characters are relatable. This story is a quick easy read.

I recommend this book to those who enjoy British whodunits.

I won a copy. All views expressed are my honest opinion.

[Sharla · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the first Inspector Tibbett book much better. This one seemed slow and all the nautical terminology was daunting to a person who knows nothing about sailing. I will probably read another in the series since I did enjoy the first one.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspector Tibbett is on vacation with his friends who own a boat. When it turns out an experienced fisherman died recently, events start happening and he is pulled into a mystery.

Fairly good writing and interesting.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

i do enjoy this series.

I knew the guilty party immediately…perhaps because I’m not British. Anyway it seemed forever to get there. And I was disgusted with Henry and Anne.
But allIs well that ends well.

[Suzanne Stauffer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book begins well, but quickly gets bogged down in sailing terms. I would need a map to understand all of the geographic points of reference. There are also too many characters to keep straight, as they speak with the same voice.