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The Riverside Villas Murder
A classic armchair mystery, THE RIVERSIDE VILLAS MURDER has for its hero a 14-year-old boy, Peter Furneaux.
Like all 14 year olds he is hovering hopefully on the brink between sexual inexperience and initiation, and in this book, under our very eyes, Peter suddenly becomes an adult!
A crime, truly murderous, is committed by an unknown and almost unidentifiable assailant. Only Peter begins to guess at the truth--a dangerous truth--which leads him to the river bank by moonlight. A delightful book, and as with all works by Kingsley Amis, guaranteed to please.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1973
4 people are currently reading
245 people want to read
About the author
Kingsley Amis
211 books554 followersBest known novels of British writer Sir Kingsley William Amis include
Lucky Jim
(1954) and
The Old Devils
(1986).
This English poet, critic, and teacher composed more than twenty-three collections, short stories, radio and television scripts, and books of social and literary criticism. He fathered Martin Amis.
William Robert Amis, a clerk of a mustard manufacturer, fathered him. He began his education at the city of London school, and went up to college of Saint John, Oxford, in April 1941 to read English; he met Philip Larkin and formed the most important friendship of his life. After only a year, the Army called him for service in July 1942. After serving as a lieutenant in the royal corps of signals in the Second World War, Amis returned to Oxford in October 1945 to complete his degree. He worked hard and got a first in English in 1947, and then decided to devote much of his time.
Pen names: [authorRobert Markham|553548] and William Bill Tanner
This English poet, critic, and teacher composed more than twenty-three collections, short stories, radio and television scripts, and books of social and literary criticism. He fathered Martin Amis.
William Robert Amis, a clerk of a mustard manufacturer, fathered him. He began his education at the city of London school, and went up to college of Saint John, Oxford, in April 1941 to read English; he met Philip Larkin and formed the most important friendship of his life. After only a year, the Army called him for service in July 1942. After serving as a lieutenant in the royal corps of signals in the Second World War, Amis returned to Oxford in October 1945 to complete his degree. He worked hard and got a first in English in 1947, and then decided to devote much of his time.
Pen names: [authorRobert Markham|553548] and William Bill Tanner
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
May 29, 2009
You know those tiresome books where there's a murder, the police are baffled, and some intrepid 14 year old boy solves the case? The problem, of course, is the psychology. 14 year old boys are mostly interested in sex. They spend their time dreaming of girls. Since they can't usually get any, they make do with masturbation, either on their own or with each other. Young teen detective novels never, ever acknowledge these elementary facts, and hence come across as completely out of touch with reality.
Well... there are some rare exceptions. Like The Riverside Villas Murder, for instance. I'm not completely sure I recommend it, but there's no doubt that it's different!
Well... there are some rare exceptions. Like The Riverside Villas Murder, for instance. I'm not completely sure I recommend it, but there's no doubt that it's different!
April 9, 2024
Written in the 70s but set in the golden age of British crime fiction, the stretch of time between world wars. Amis pays homage to the greats of the era but even though he quotes John Dickson Carr, I prefer this to most things I've read by Carr. There's less exposed wiring in the middle -- none at all actually -- although the vintage rules of fair play are observed. At least three people could count as focus characters although obviously the main one is 14 year old Peter Furneaux, chronic masturbator and budding dance-band fan. The other two are a youngish police officer, a bit smarter than the usual, and an older war veteran and senior police officer. Everyone is both interesting and realistic. People change and even grow in these elegant 220 pages. This is a kind of slice of bildungsroman in addition to being a whodunnit, and also includes some shrewd social, musical, and literary criticism. I really don't know if they write them like this anymore.
August 5, 2018
What a lovely little murder, set in the suburbs of Surrey, England in the 1930s. Literary in style and its lack of research into police procedure, it outdoes Agatha Christie in every way, including its salacious content. If only Agatha had referred frequently but obliquely to homosexuality, mutual masturbation, and rampant adultery with such finesse, and if only fourteen-year-old boys in those days had known about them. Jolly good!
November 5, 2014
This was a bad mystery story that wasn't interesting. It was also unclear to me when this books was even supposed to be set - did it take place in the 1940's, or was everyone just preoccupied with and stuck in 1930's and 40's cultural trends? The worst thing about this book, though, was the heavy focus on sex and especially the sexually precocious protagonist, 14-year-old Peter. The fact that he's only 14, and in the course of the story it is stressed that he does not look old for his age (he can't pass for 16 to buy cigarettes) he loses his virginity to a full grown married woman; it was gross. All the wink-wink-nudge stuff about homosexuality, and the boys having sex together was prurient and gratuitous as well.
October 17, 2023
When Martin Amis died I read an article that made me want to read something by his father. This was my first one, and I presume I will be going back for more. An odd crime novel that isn't really a crime novel, although it has all the ingredients of one. It is, as I was hoping, funny, terribly un-pc (although very much written in a pre-pc era), offensive even, but ultimately redeems itself to a certain extent towards the end. The only things I knew about Kingsley Amis before I read this were things that made me think I wouldn't enjoy his writing. I was wrong about that!
July 31, 2025
The Riverside Villas Murder by Magister Ludi Kingsley Amis – author of the iconic Lucky Jim, one of The All-TIME 100 Novels http://entertainment.time.com/2005/10... and more than ten other masterpieces
10 out of 10
This reader has been enthused by the art of glorious Kingsley Amis, and this is the twelfth novel that he is enjoying, one that proves that this is a Master of the Glasperlenspiel aka The Glass Bead Game, able to write romantic comedies, satires and, as this case proves, a detective book – in the short introduction there is an excellent quote 'like any of his books, guaranteed to please' – and notwithstanding the serious theme, for we are dealing with a murder, as the title makes plain, there are exhilarating, mirthful passages.
The protagonist is fourteen years old Peter Furneaux, who is like any other teenager preoccupied with sex and there are some very interesting, changing references to the subject, suggesting that he might be exploring some homosexual intimacies with at least one of his pals, though it is somewhat uncertain what the interactions involve, the young boy is not gay – though we have learned from great books like Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/06/g... that gender is fluid and maybe the idea of gender is itself a fraud – he does not like his friends in that sense, it is just that so far, they had not had access to the other sex to copulate, they resort to masturbation and meet each other for sexual satisfaction of some indeterminate kind…
Things will change when his neighbor, attractive Mrs. Ada Trevelyan, a married woman ‘in her late twenties or thereabouts’, approaches the teenager and offers very valuable advice for his attempt to get closer to Daphne Hodgson (who is one year older than Peter), Mrs. Trevelyan explains the thinking, the hesitations, confusion that are specific and how the boy needs to cut through all that jungle and be patient, show determination and know his own will – words to that effect, I think and hope
The married woman goes further, showing a special interest in the fourteen years old neighbor, inviting him to dance at this festivity – where colonel Manton would draw the conclusions based on his decades old experience and probably using the Thin Slicing Effect explained in the quintessential Blink – the Power of Thinking Without Thinking by one of the most famous and essential thinkers of the present, Malcolm Gladwell http://realini.blogspot.com/2013/05/b... - and a little later, she wants him at her house for tea, which is in fact a disguise for a little sex party…
Therefore, the investigation into the crime has this very special ‘aside’, which could be for many the main attraction, adding to the sometimes austere plot of an ‘ordinary crime story’, and this ingredient, together with the marvelous way that Kingsley Amis has with words, the unequaled sense of humor, the turn of the phrase, splendid insight into human nature – even when that nature is just fourteen years old –make the reading a great joy…
Early on, a skeleton is stolen from the local museum – we are about a dozen miles away from London, and this little place has just one room in the local library for the museum – together with some coins…some are left, and among them a more valuable item, which prompts the question of what was all this about, the under signed has only guessed the most simple of facts, that the coins have been absconded just to distract the attention and send the detectives on the wrong path, Boris Karloff was the objective
Colonel Manton enters the stage and he is the equivalent of Hercules Poirot here, a rather outré personage, with decades of experience, showed valor in the war, when severely wounded, near collapse, he still lead his men into battle with courage and resilience, now he is assisted by a woman servant he does not like, but who had managed to learn the…Morse code, which the master uses to transmit various commands, saving time and energy apparently, in one hilarious moment, he offers Constable Barrett, the one that would help in the incoming investigation…champagne, something the latter had never tasted, and for which was ‘quite as prepared as for being asked to have a gold brick or a trip on a submarine’
At the dance party where Mrs. Trevelyan makes her move on Peter, there is a distinct, annoying episode that involves Chris Inman, a man who has Peter’s size and allure, Inman comes to Captain Furneaux, the teenager’s father, and implies that he knows very disturbing, embarrassing or worse things from the past and then he moves on, insults more at the festivity and eventually gets punched and knocked down by Mr. Hodgson, only to be killed a short time later, thus making those who had been verbally assaulted in public suspects, since they clearly had had some reason to pay back the aggressive fellow.
Before departing for other realms, Chris Inman comes into the home of Peter, who is the one to see the man expire and would be involved in solving the crime, indeed, he will play a crucial role, often unaware that he is used in the narrative and the colonel has the intention to use him as a pawn on his chess table – using the standards and norms of today, the investigator would be unable to demand so much from the boy, he would be sentenced for abuse, since he puts Peter to the task of plunging into the water, to play the corpse for him, acting as a flesh model for the late Inman, on the other hand though, there is a clear admission that rules had been broken by the limits extant then, in order to get to the killer and make him/her/they get to extremes that are again inadmissible for our liberal views…
‘Peter worried about going to Mrs. Trevelyan with inoperative leg pointing at the ceiling (aka erection), if, if, if (it is here six times in all) occasion arrived at all...what he had imagined and what happened resembled each other as much as a fox- terrier and a rhinoceros...imagined drifting down river in a small boat, in reality it was like leading a cavalry charge under artillery barrage...nor quite equally like, for the horse would be underneath you…Point Counterpoint and Nine Tailors are mentioned and to being with Mrs. Trevelyan, he could face arctic weather’…this reader has just finished Take A Girl Like You http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/06/t... and will continue to read Kingsley Amis for it makes you want to do this:
http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/02/u...
Posted 29th August 2022 by realini
10 out of 10
This reader has been enthused by the art of glorious Kingsley Amis, and this is the twelfth novel that he is enjoying, one that proves that this is a Master of the Glasperlenspiel aka The Glass Bead Game, able to write romantic comedies, satires and, as this case proves, a detective book – in the short introduction there is an excellent quote 'like any of his books, guaranteed to please' – and notwithstanding the serious theme, for we are dealing with a murder, as the title makes plain, there are exhilarating, mirthful passages.
The protagonist is fourteen years old Peter Furneaux, who is like any other teenager preoccupied with sex and there are some very interesting, changing references to the subject, suggesting that he might be exploring some homosexual intimacies with at least one of his pals, though it is somewhat uncertain what the interactions involve, the young boy is not gay – though we have learned from great books like Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/06/g... that gender is fluid and maybe the idea of gender is itself a fraud – he does not like his friends in that sense, it is just that so far, they had not had access to the other sex to copulate, they resort to masturbation and meet each other for sexual satisfaction of some indeterminate kind…
Things will change when his neighbor, attractive Mrs. Ada Trevelyan, a married woman ‘in her late twenties or thereabouts’, approaches the teenager and offers very valuable advice for his attempt to get closer to Daphne Hodgson (who is one year older than Peter), Mrs. Trevelyan explains the thinking, the hesitations, confusion that are specific and how the boy needs to cut through all that jungle and be patient, show determination and know his own will – words to that effect, I think and hope
The married woman goes further, showing a special interest in the fourteen years old neighbor, inviting him to dance at this festivity – where colonel Manton would draw the conclusions based on his decades old experience and probably using the Thin Slicing Effect explained in the quintessential Blink – the Power of Thinking Without Thinking by one of the most famous and essential thinkers of the present, Malcolm Gladwell http://realini.blogspot.com/2013/05/b... - and a little later, she wants him at her house for tea, which is in fact a disguise for a little sex party…
Therefore, the investigation into the crime has this very special ‘aside’, which could be for many the main attraction, adding to the sometimes austere plot of an ‘ordinary crime story’, and this ingredient, together with the marvelous way that Kingsley Amis has with words, the unequaled sense of humor, the turn of the phrase, splendid insight into human nature – even when that nature is just fourteen years old –make the reading a great joy…
Early on, a skeleton is stolen from the local museum – we are about a dozen miles away from London, and this little place has just one room in the local library for the museum – together with some coins…some are left, and among them a more valuable item, which prompts the question of what was all this about, the under signed has only guessed the most simple of facts, that the coins have been absconded just to distract the attention and send the detectives on the wrong path, Boris Karloff was the objective
Colonel Manton enters the stage and he is the equivalent of Hercules Poirot here, a rather outré personage, with decades of experience, showed valor in the war, when severely wounded, near collapse, he still lead his men into battle with courage and resilience, now he is assisted by a woman servant he does not like, but who had managed to learn the…Morse code, which the master uses to transmit various commands, saving time and energy apparently, in one hilarious moment, he offers Constable Barrett, the one that would help in the incoming investigation…champagne, something the latter had never tasted, and for which was ‘quite as prepared as for being asked to have a gold brick or a trip on a submarine’
At the dance party where Mrs. Trevelyan makes her move on Peter, there is a distinct, annoying episode that involves Chris Inman, a man who has Peter’s size and allure, Inman comes to Captain Furneaux, the teenager’s father, and implies that he knows very disturbing, embarrassing or worse things from the past and then he moves on, insults more at the festivity and eventually gets punched and knocked down by Mr. Hodgson, only to be killed a short time later, thus making those who had been verbally assaulted in public suspects, since they clearly had had some reason to pay back the aggressive fellow.
Before departing for other realms, Chris Inman comes into the home of Peter, who is the one to see the man expire and would be involved in solving the crime, indeed, he will play a crucial role, often unaware that he is used in the narrative and the colonel has the intention to use him as a pawn on his chess table – using the standards and norms of today, the investigator would be unable to demand so much from the boy, he would be sentenced for abuse, since he puts Peter to the task of plunging into the water, to play the corpse for him, acting as a flesh model for the late Inman, on the other hand though, there is a clear admission that rules had been broken by the limits extant then, in order to get to the killer and make him/her/they get to extremes that are again inadmissible for our liberal views…
‘Peter worried about going to Mrs. Trevelyan with inoperative leg pointing at the ceiling (aka erection), if, if, if (it is here six times in all) occasion arrived at all...what he had imagined and what happened resembled each other as much as a fox- terrier and a rhinoceros...imagined drifting down river in a small boat, in reality it was like leading a cavalry charge under artillery barrage...nor quite equally like, for the horse would be underneath you…Point Counterpoint and Nine Tailors are mentioned and to being with Mrs. Trevelyan, he could face arctic weather’…this reader has just finished Take A Girl Like You http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/06/t... and will continue to read Kingsley Amis for it makes you want to do this:
http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/02/u...
Posted 29th August 2022 by realini
March 2, 2022
4.5 stars. A most unusual Kingsley Amis novel, found by chance in a charity shop and unlike anything else I've ever read by him. It is a highly-professional and competent murder mystery, only let down (hence half a star deducted) by the unlikely MO of the murderer and the improbable maverick genius detective.
The events are seen through the eyes of a 14-year-old boy, Peter Furneaux, just becoming interested in the opposite sex. He lives in boring suburbia in Surrey in Riverside Villas, inhabited by the slightly financially-strained lower middle classes like his father, invalided out of the Royal Flying Corps after a crash. The date (June/July 1936) is cleverly established, and a sense of foreboding created, by reference to several real-life English murders of the period. Then, just as he is getting nowhere with his neighbour's haughty daughter Daphne, a man collapses and dies from a head wound in front of him, his father becomes a prime suspect, and he is seduced by the femme fatale wife of another neighbour. Exciting times ! Revelations about adult duplicity and wrongdoing follow, and Peter comes of age tout de suite.
The one thing that is familiar from other Amis novels is the wit:
".......he told the story, not always to people who had never heard it before......."
The life of a 30s schoolboy: "everything you did or did not do was required or forbidden at the point of one gun or another."
A writer supplies "odd paragraphs on almost everything of unimportance" for the local paper.
"She kept off the actual subject {murder} as if it had been sex."
"In books, all your friends had sisters........only his actual friends' sisters were all fat, adenoidal, going steady, too tall, silent, out whenever he called, spotty, giggly, smelly or twenty."
"It was characteristic of adults to ask you what you felt or thought as nothing more than an announcement that they were going to start very soon on what they felt or thought."
The detective's clothes described as "a combination that suggested a bookie thinly described as Sherlock Holmes".
A very good novel.
One nit-pick. The murder victim is described (extremely convincingly) as dying of an injury to the middle meningeal artery - but this produces an extradural haematoma, not (as in the book) a subdural haematoma. I'll get back in me box now :)
The events are seen through the eyes of a 14-year-old boy, Peter Furneaux, just becoming interested in the opposite sex. He lives in boring suburbia in Surrey in Riverside Villas, inhabited by the slightly financially-strained lower middle classes like his father, invalided out of the Royal Flying Corps after a crash. The date (June/July 1936) is cleverly established, and a sense of foreboding created, by reference to several real-life English murders of the period. Then, just as he is getting nowhere with his neighbour's haughty daughter Daphne, a man collapses and dies from a head wound in front of him, his father becomes a prime suspect, and he is seduced by the femme fatale wife of another neighbour. Exciting times ! Revelations about adult duplicity and wrongdoing follow, and Peter comes of age tout de suite.
The one thing that is familiar from other Amis novels is the wit:
".......he told the story, not always to people who had never heard it before......."
The life of a 30s schoolboy: "everything you did or did not do was required or forbidden at the point of one gun or another."
A writer supplies "odd paragraphs on almost everything of unimportance" for the local paper.
"She kept off the actual subject {murder} as if it had been sex."
"In books, all your friends had sisters........only his actual friends' sisters were all fat, adenoidal, going steady, too tall, silent, out whenever he called, spotty, giggly, smelly or twenty."
"It was characteristic of adults to ask you what you felt or thought as nothing more than an announcement that they were going to start very soon on what they felt or thought."
The detective's clothes described as "a combination that suggested a bookie thinly described as Sherlock Holmes".
A very good novel.
One nit-pick. The murder victim is described (extremely convincingly) as dying of an injury to the middle meningeal artery - but this produces an extradural haematoma, not (as in the book) a subdural haematoma. I'll get back in me box now :)
July 9, 2018
This is the only Kingsley Amis book I have read - I read it because I like to vary my hobby of reading Golden Age Classical Crimes (1919-1939) with novels of a later date that incorporate the classical crime ethos. The story essentially can be divided into two parts - that of the whodunnit crime that mostly falls in line with classical crime writing of the 1930s (the book was published in 1973 but the setting is around mid 1930s) - and the story of Peter Furneaux a 14 year old caught up in the crime right from the beginning & his subsequent interest investigating the crime - however Peter's story incorporates how adolescents were treated in the 1930s and his sexual awakenings and is as much a part of the story as the crime. Although the story is adventurous in terms of it's dealing with adolescent sex which I should imagine in 1973 was a topic not much discussed and very much hidden under the carpet - the combination of subjects in this novel didn't or weren't made to sit comfortably together making the novel very disjointed and uncomfortable to read.
Amis can obviously write well - the novel flows and is easy to read and he knows how to use humour which is always a plus for me. However this experiment using a boy's sexual exploration (in many guises) and a classic crime novel simply didn't work because as Amis oscillates between the two themes he very easily confuses & loses the reader - and making one think - what is this novel really about?
I would give this book 5 out of 10.
Amis can obviously write well - the novel flows and is easy to read and he knows how to use humour which is always a plus for me. However this experiment using a boy's sexual exploration (in many guises) and a classic crime novel simply didn't work because as Amis oscillates between the two themes he very easily confuses & loses the reader - and making one think - what is this novel really about?
I would give this book 5 out of 10.
March 30, 2025
I enjoyed much of this novel, but overall I found it disappointing compared to Kingsley Amis’s other books (Ending Up, The Old Devils, Difficulties with Girls, etc.). I thought the author’s choosing to ‘get inside the head’ of the fourteen year old hero, Peter Furneaux, was very effective. The discussion of masturbation and his relationship with a school chum display the difference between English culture and sexual mores compared to those that were upheld in the America of the 1960s when I reached adolescence. I found the comely next door neighbor, Mrs Trevelyan, a delight I wish had lived near me when I was growing up. Were this book produced today, I’m sure the book would be banned in America as women have faced prosecution for seducing young boys. Peter’s reaction to her is one of gratitude, contrary to the frustration he feels with young Daphne Hodgson whose response to his attention is cold and wooden. My complaint about the novel, qua murder mystery, is that I found the modus operandi totally preposterous.
September 27, 2020
The mystery concept behind this short novel is decent enough: a man crashes through fourteen year-old Peter’s front door, soaking wet with a big gash on his head, and promptly dies. And before that, a skeleton in the local museum goes missing. As you might expect, the two mysteries are inter-twined, and the murderer’s ingenious methods provide a good twist at the end.
The problem is the way the story unfolds - through the perspective of characters who hold very limited appeal. Peter himself is a cross between a snobbish and sanctimonious member of the Famous Five, and a lewd masturbating sex pest.
Detective Colonel Manton (with a whiff of paedophilia about him) is equally supercilious, while the rest of the adult characters are dull, patronising and emotionally repressed - though presumably not sexually repressed given the number of suburban extramarital affairs that are referenced.
An old-fashioned and uncomfortable read that is not likely to appeal to many readers in 2020.
The problem is the way the story unfolds - through the perspective of characters who hold very limited appeal. Peter himself is a cross between a snobbish and sanctimonious member of the Famous Five, and a lewd masturbating sex pest.
Detective Colonel Manton (with a whiff of paedophilia about him) is equally supercilious, while the rest of the adult characters are dull, patronising and emotionally repressed - though presumably not sexually repressed given the number of suburban extramarital affairs that are referenced.
An old-fashioned and uncomfortable read that is not likely to appeal to many readers in 2020.
April 21, 2019
Supposedly set in the 1930s, the classic period for mysteries, it feels more like the 1940s at times--perhaps Amis was aiming for 1936, when he was 14. The popular culture references are lovingly recreated. The narrator is an unbelievably level-headed 14 year old who is obsessed with sex--this is Amis, so no surprise. The conversations between father and son over language and music sound accurate and the clipped accents of a certain class are well captured. Alas, though, it is not as good as The Green Man.
August 29, 2021
Okay, I knew nothing about this book going into it or anything about Kingsley Amis, so in other words I had no expectations for this book and I was pleasantly surprised.
This was a different take on a murder mystery and I in a weird way liked it. I don’t think it was part of the best murder mysteries I’ve read, but not bad and the last third of the book kept me turning the pages.
I don’t know if I will recommend it to all, but maybe to some who like something a little different and not a straight up murder mystery as we know from the classics… Well it kept me guessing for some time.
This was a different take on a murder mystery and I in a weird way liked it. I don’t think it was part of the best murder mysteries I’ve read, but not bad and the last third of the book kept me turning the pages.
I don’t know if I will recommend it to all, but maybe to some who like something a little different and not a straight up murder mystery as we know from the classics… Well it kept me guessing for some time.
June 28, 2025
This is mostly told from the perspective of a 14-year-old boy (Peter) who is exploring his sexuality as well as the murder of a busybody (Mr Inman) who was threatening several members of the Riverside Villas neighborhood. Peter's dad is a suspect and actually arrested, making it all that more personal to Peter. In chasing Daphne, stealing smokes with Reg, and fraternizing with Acting Chief Constable Colonel Manton, Peter is central to solving the case.
January 16, 2021
Interesting murder mystery taking a slightly different format as the coming of age storyline seems to take the main stage. Nice writing style, but the sentences were on the long side so harder to track what he was saying. Strange to have the 'n' word used so matter of factly, only in the dialogue and always in a complimentary manner with regards to jazz bands.
May 25, 2023
In "The Riverside Villas Murder," Kingsley Amis skillfully blends the realms of detective fiction and coming-of-age narrative, creating a book that is as suspenseful as it is insightful. I can confidently award it 5 stars for its fascinating character development, masterful plotting, and engaging prose that captures both the thriller and the bildungsroman elements in equal measure.
The story revolves around the adolescent Peter Furneaux, who finds himself at the heart of a murder mystery in the quiet, respectable neighborhood of Riverside Villas. The novel is a deft exploration of the passage from innocence to experience, but the twist here is the initiation into the adult world is not through the usual experiences of love or loss, but through the convoluted path of crime and detection.
Amis impressively constructs a convincing world of 1930s suburbia, perfectly capturing the essence of the period with his meticulous attention to detail. From the quiet, leafy streets of the neighborhood to the peculiar characters inhabiting them, Amis transports readers into the heart of a bygone era. The depiction of the adolescent protagonist, Peter, is particularly noteworthy. His confusion, curiosity, and eventual maturation are depicted with both humor and sensitivity.
"The Riverside Villas Murder" also excels as a detective novel. The mystery is intelligently plotted, and the whodunit aspect keeps readers engaged till the end. Amis's wit and humor add an extra layer to the traditional detective story, making it an even more enjoyable read.
Yet, what I admire most about this book is Amis's ability to combine the two genres seamlessly. The murder mystery propels the narrative forward, while the coming-of-age story adds depth and emotional resonance. The result is a unique, compelling novel that entertains, engages, and gives us plenty to ponder upon.
For its ingenious blending of genres, insightful characterization, and flawless depiction of the period, "The Riverside Villas Murder" is undeniably a 5-star read. It showcases Amis's versatility as a writer, and I highly recommend it to both fans of detective fiction and readers who appreciate well-crafted coming-of-age stories.
The story revolves around the adolescent Peter Furneaux, who finds himself at the heart of a murder mystery in the quiet, respectable neighborhood of Riverside Villas. The novel is a deft exploration of the passage from innocence to experience, but the twist here is the initiation into the adult world is not through the usual experiences of love or loss, but through the convoluted path of crime and detection.
Amis impressively constructs a convincing world of 1930s suburbia, perfectly capturing the essence of the period with his meticulous attention to detail. From the quiet, leafy streets of the neighborhood to the peculiar characters inhabiting them, Amis transports readers into the heart of a bygone era. The depiction of the adolescent protagonist, Peter, is particularly noteworthy. His confusion, curiosity, and eventual maturation are depicted with both humor and sensitivity.
"The Riverside Villas Murder" also excels as a detective novel. The mystery is intelligently plotted, and the whodunit aspect keeps readers engaged till the end. Amis's wit and humor add an extra layer to the traditional detective story, making it an even more enjoyable read.
Yet, what I admire most about this book is Amis's ability to combine the two genres seamlessly. The murder mystery propels the narrative forward, while the coming-of-age story adds depth and emotional resonance. The result is a unique, compelling novel that entertains, engages, and gives us plenty to ponder upon.
For its ingenious blending of genres, insightful characterization, and flawless depiction of the period, "The Riverside Villas Murder" is undeniably a 5-star read. It showcases Amis's versatility as a writer, and I highly recommend it to both fans of detective fiction and readers who appreciate well-crafted coming-of-age stories.
August 1, 2023
A bit more adolescent sexcapades then mystery than I was hoping for, although I guess I can't be entirely surprised. I enjoy Amis, but he definitely has a wheelhouse ... I wish the mystery element had been a bit more compelling and satisfying as well. Still, glad I read it and this edition is so pretty.
February 15, 2025
Written in 1973, the same year that Martin Amis wrote his first novel, the Rachel Papers, I could not help wondering how strange it must have been, especially how badly they both wrote about adolescent love, or more specifically, sex. This book has its moments, especially when Amis does what he is best at, humorously summing up awkward social situations, but the plot is pure Midsomer Murders.
March 7, 2022
This book is an incredibly uncomfortable read and very predictable. It is a clear demonstration of how our language, attitudes and inter-family/personal relationships have evolved since 1960s/70s for the better. Nothing more to say about that. Next!
February 25, 2023
Really wanted a 3.5* rating. Bit too much emphasis on the teenage boy's adolescence for me, but a good read. Dedicated, I think, to Amis's then wife Elizabeth Jane Howard whose Cazalet novels I’ve just slogged through.
May 29, 2025
[Jonathan Cape] (1973). HB/DJ. 1/1. 224 Pages. Purchased from Zardoz Books.
Mystery. Masturbation. Mirth. Molestation. Murder. Somewhat entertaining. Absurd in a few respects.
Inept wrapper art.
Mystery. Masturbation. Mirth. Molestation. Murder. Somewhat entertaining. Absurd in a few respects.
Inept wrapper art.
Read
August 11, 2025DNF - Had trouble getting into the flow of Amis’s writing - was rereading sections & plodding through trying to get my brain to pay attention. Also wasn’t keen to read about a 14 yr olds sexual awakening. Less innuendo & more skeletons please.
August 12, 2017
I enjoyed the very British-ness of this murder mystery, but hard to believe it was published in early '70's; very dated attitudes and words. Must have been written long before publication.
November 18, 2019
A cute little entertainment.
January 17, 2020
A light weight literary mystery infused with Amis’ trademark snobbery and misogyny. A book so annoying I felt like throwing it across the room.
May 12, 2021
Well crafted and written. But...didn't come alive for me. Of its time.
March 19, 2024
Well it's better than Night Train...
April 6, 2024
Predictable murder "mystery".
August 8, 2024
Too many nonces in one book.
February 5, 2025
Clever and cruel
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