In at the Death

Mordecai Tremaine #6

by Francis Duncan

When murder is afoot, nothing is as it seems Mordecai Tremaine and Chief Inspector Jonathan Boyce rarely allow a promising game of chess to be interrupted ― though when murder is the disrupting force, they are persuaded to make an exception. After a quick stop at Scotland Yard to collect any detective's most trusted piece of equipment ― the murder bag ― the pair are spirited away to Bridgton. No sooner have they arrived than it becomes clear that the city harbors more than its fair share of passions and motives…and one question echoes loudly throughout the cobbled why did Dr. Hardene, the local GP of impeccable reputation, bring a revolver with him on a routine visit to a patient? Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and Margery Allingham's classic mysteries, Mordecai Tremaine's latest excursion into crime detection convinces him that, when it comes to murder, nothing can be assumed…

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, British Literature, Audiobook, Fiction, Historical Mystery, Cozy Mystery

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1952

About the author

Francis Duncan is the pseudonym for William Walter Frank Underhill, who was born in 1914. He lived virtually all his life in Bristol and was a 'scholarship boy' boarder at Queen Elizabeth's Hospital school. Due to family circumstances he was unable to go to university and started work in the Housing Department of Bristol City Council. Writing was always important to him and very early on he published articles in newspapers and magazines. His first detective story was published in 1936. In 1938 he married Sylvia Henly. Although a conscientious objector, he served in the Royal Army Medical Corps in World War II, landing in France shortly after D-Day. After the war he trained as a teacher and spent the rest of his life in education, first as a primary school teacher and then as a lecturer in a college of further education. In the 1950s he studied for an external economics degree from London University. No mean feat with a family to support; his daughter, Kathryn, was born in 1943 and his son, Derek, in 1949. Throughout much of this time he continued to write detective fiction from 'sheer inner necessity', but also to supplement a modest income. He enjoyed foreign travel, particularly to France, and took up golf on retirement. He died of a heart attack shortly after celebrating his fiftieth wedding anniversary in 1988.

List of published short stories:

* Enter Trigger Gallante [Trigger Gallante], (na) Detective Weekly Oct 23 1937
* Getting On in the World: Back-Yard Floriculturists, (ar) The Saturday Evening Post Apr 5 1930
* The Girl with the Million Pound Secret [Trigger Gallante], (na) Detective Weekly Jan 15 1938
* The House of the Lost Men, (na) Detective Weekly Jan 9 1937
* Househunting for Luck, (ss) Gloucester Journal Feb 8 1936
* The Man Who Shrugged [Trigger Gallante], (ss) Detective Weekly Feb 19 1938
* The Mystery of the House Nobody Owned [Trigger Gallante], (ss) Detective Weekly Jan 29 1938
* The Riddle of the Cheshire Cheese [Trigger Gallante], (ss) Detective Weekly Feb 26 1938
* The Secret of the Tramp Ship [Trigger Gallante], (ss) Detective Weekly Feb 12 1938

Reviews

[Yun · Rating 2 out of 5]

In at the Death brings back amateur detective Mordecai Tremaine, this time investigating the murder of a doctor at a small English village. It has all the makings of a cozy murder mystery, with everyone hiding secrets and red herrings everywhere. The more that Tremaine finds out, the more questions seem to turn up.

And yet, even though the premise is interesting, this book just didn't grab my attention for some reason. The plot felt slow, with too much rehashing and pondering of the same points. All the possible suspects came across as rather bland and uninteresting, and no one really stood out in my mind. I felt like I plodded through this book, even though it all came together in the end and I was surprised by the reveal.

While I've been enjoying the series, this one turned out to be a bit of a dud. If you're interested in checking out the series, I recommend starting with one of the other books instead of this one.

[Dawn Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good one, had no idea who the killer was which is always awesome. The only reason it wasn't 5 stars was because the end was very flat and abrupt and it felt off. Otherwise, excellent read.

[Barb in Maryland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great entry in this series. I do love our amateur sleuth, Mordecai Tremain!

Mordecai gets a wish fulfilled. He has been granted permission to accompany Chief Inspector Boyce as an official team member on Boyce's next murder investigation. As the book opens, the two are playing chess, waiting for a phone call that will send them on their way. Mordecai is of two minds--thrilled to be able to see an investigation from the inside and simultaneously worried that he will screw up somehow and disgrace his friend Boyce.
Our intrepid duo need to solve the murder of Dr. Hardene of Bridgton. His body was found, head bashed in, inside a long empty house. Why was he there? Dr Hardene told his housekeeper he had been called out to tend a patient--off he went into the night, never to be seen alive again.
Everyone Boyce and Mordecai talk to is hiding something. No one, including the local police, gives a straight answer to even the simplest of questions. (Well, of course not! Else we wouldn't have a puzzle, now, would we?) The list of suspects grows longer as the investigation continues. Could it be the late doctor's pretty young receptionist, or her newspaper reporter boyfriend? Maybe the doctor's dour housekeeper or his curmudgeonly patient? Perhaps his political opponent? Or the unknown seaman who had been seeking the doctor?
There is a whole school of red herrings to keep the reader guessing, along with a twist or two that I didn't see coming. But the author plays fair--every clue that Mordecai and Boyce use to discover the murderer was right there on the page. The reader just has to recognize it as a clue! I was happy with the solution to the murder and with the resolutions of all the other, smaller mysteries. Well done, Francis Duncan.
I quite enjoy spending time with Mordecai and Boyce. I am also quite sad that there is only one more book in the series.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very traditional, and in that way satisfying, detective story. Amateur detective Mordecai Tremaine is invited to shadow a Scotland Yard detective as he investigates the murder of a prominent doctor in the small city of Bridgton. We are introduced to a cast of potential suspects, there are a lot of interrogations, some surprising details are revealed, and we learn who the killer is. If you like this kind of thing, you will probably find this book reasonably enjoyable, though not mind-blowing.

[Damaskcat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mordecai Tremaine and Chief Inspector Jonathan Boyce are interrupted in their chess game by a call from Scotland Yard. There has been a murder at Bridgton - a popular doctor has been shot in a deserted house while apparently visiting a patient.

When the pair arrive on the scene they are puzzled by the personal interest the Chief Constable is taking in the case. At first there seems no reason at all for the victim's death but a little but of digging soon reveals some surprising facts. Mordecai's particular skills prove invaluable in this case.

Mordecai Tremaine is a charming character. A retired tobacconist with an encyclopaedic knowledge of criminology and an ability to pass unnoticed in any situation is a gift to the professional detectives as he can find out facts which might remain hidden from the professionals. He has an excellent knowledge of human nature and a sentimental streak which means he enjoys reading romantic stories and wants to see all young people in love.

Even though this book was written more than half a century ago it is still worth reading today. It shows how different crime investigation was before the advent of sophisticated forensic techniques and DNA analysis. If you like classic detective stories give Mordecai Tremaine a try.

[Olivia-Amy Turton · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good introduction to Francis Duncan. The plot and the reveal didn’t blow my mind but do like his style of writing. Excited to explore more of his work in future.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scotland Yard has finally agreed to let amateur sleuth Mordecai Tremaine go along with his friend Inspector Boyce when he is called out of London to solve a murder. As luck would have it, they are called to the little city of Bridgton, where a local doctor has been found dead in a vacant house. The chief constable gives them free rein, the local police are efficient and friendly, and there are a lot of suspects, even an attractive young couple for Tremaine to protect. And Tremaine has a few surprises up his sleeve--both for the police and for the murderer. But somehow for me this dragged a bit more than others in the series, though I am grateful for these reissues of long-forgotten and enjoyable novels.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

As always with these amateur sleuth stories the reader has to suspend disbelief that the police will allow the amateur to be involved at all. Having said that, this is not a bad story but fairly easy to work out who did what and why as the author provides plenty of clues. Jonathan Boyce, the Scotland Yard man is, to my mind, a more engaging character than Mordecai Tremaine.

This my first book by this author and as I quite enjoyed it I will try some more of his offerings later.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the body of a doctor is discovered in the town of Bridgton, the local police call in Scotland Yard and Chief Inspector Jonathan Boyce. Amateur detective and friend Mordecai Tremaine has permission to travel with Boyce and become involved in the inquiry.
I enjoyed this well-written mystery and liked the style of writing. The author did provide clues so that it was possibly to find the guilty party. The two main characters are interesting ones, and I may prefer Boyce to Tremaine.
Originally written in 1952 before all the modern forensics were available to the police force.
A NetGalley Book

[Yibbie · Rating 1 out of 5]

A decidedly plodding mystery. I just couldn’t make myself really care what was going on. There seemed to be too many mysteries, to many suspects, too many secrets, and to many references to romantic stories. It was just too long with to simple a solution.
It was relatively clean. There is an affair mentioned discreetly, and only a could curse words.

[Carol Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been reading a lot of vintage mysteries lately. Mordecai Tremaine is one of the lesser-known detectives of the era, at least now, I'm not sure about when the stories were originally published. I like him though; I'm glad the books are being reissued. Mordecai is a retired tobacconist, a bachelor, and a bit of a romantic. He's an amateur detective who solves mysteries by observing, by understanding people. He also blends in well, he's unobtrusive and people tend not to notice him or not be threatened by him, which allows him to sometimes learn things quicker and easier than the police.

In In at the Death, Mordecai is actually invited by his friend Chief Inspector Jonathan Boyce to tag along on an investigation, beginning to end. Mordecai can be rather introspective too. "It was when you came up against the thing in its actuality that its atmosphere changed; from being a a fascinating problem to intrigue the brain, it turned into a dreadful darkness in which your mind was squeezed in a dry, numbing horror."

The dead man was a fairly successful doctor who is found dead at an empty house. Boyce and Mordecai work together well to solve the mystery. Mordecai does not consider the detective stupid and the detective for the most part respects Mordecai's contributions, which makes it a little different from so many of the amateur detective series.

The plot is good, with several suspects and enough clues that you can see how the detectives came to the right conclusion. It wasn't my favorite of the series, but still a fun read.

[John Frankham · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rather plodding whodunnit from 1952. Mordacai Tremaine, the amateur detective taken along by Scotland Yard, is an ex-tobacconist, lover of romantic fiction. A decent enough invention, but rather lame in fact. Too much speculation, too little action. Worry of 3*.

The GR blurb:

‘ Mordecai Tremaine and Chief Inspector Jonathan Boyce are never pleased to have a promising game of chess interrupted – though when murder is the disrupting force, they are persuaded to make an exception.
A quick stop at Scotland Yard to collect any detective’s most trusted piece of equipment – the murder bag – the pair are spirited away to Bridgton.
No sooner have they arrived than it becomes clear that the city harbours more than its fair share of passions and motives…and one question echoes loudly throughout the cobbled streets: why did Dr Hardene, the local GP of impeccable reputation, bring a revolver with him on a routine visit to a patient?
Mordecai Tremaine’s latest excursion into crime detection leaves him in doubt that, when it comes to murder, nothing can be assumed… ‘

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"In at the Death" is a mystery set in England that was originally published in 1952. It is the fourth book in a series, but you don't need to read the previous books to understand this one. The amateur sleuth of the series, Mordecai Tremaine, has permission to follow Chief Inspector Jonathan Boyce around as he investigates.

The mystery was a clue-based puzzle. Whodunit can be correctly guessed before the big reveal, though the author tried to create uncertainty about who Mordecai's main suspect was near the end. Both the detective and Mordecai asked good questions and observed important clues. Since Mordecai wasn't official, he was able to see things that the detective didn't. He passed on useful information and solved the mystery.

There was no sex. There were only a few uses of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable puzzle mystery.

I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley.

[Peggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. This is a pretty good cozy in the tradition of Agatha Christie. Mordecai Tremaine is a retired tobacconist, 60 years old, and an amateur sleuth. I haven’t read the previous books in this series, but apparently he has solved some high profile cases and is relatively well known. He is friends with a Scotland Yard inspector. In this book Chief Inspector Boyce asks permission for Tremaine to help unofficially on a case. A doctor is found murdered in an abandoned house. Tremaine’s talent is his ability to observe and make astute deductions. Boyce interviews the secretary, the house keeper, a patient, and a seafarer who came looking for the doctor, and a powerful politician who is a rival of the doctor. Tremaine watches keenly as clues are revealed. He is quiet and tries to remain in the background. Boyce values his observations. In the end it is Tremaine who puts together the solution to the puzzle. Enjoyable quick read.

[Louise d'Abadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for my free copy of this book. I don't give 5 stars to a book to often, but Francis Duncan does it again. Mordecai Tremaine's fourth book is just as well-written, with an unpredictable plot and fun as the previous installments in the series. Mr. Tremaine has every quality of the Golden Age's amateur sleuths, but manages to be unique in his own manner, making him distinguishable from other lovable detectives. What makes "In at the Death"unique though, is the collaborative work between Mordecai and Chief Inspector Boyce, a plot device that is not common in other murder mysteries, but works marvelously for this story. I can't wait to keep reading other Francis Duncan books, a underrated crime author who deserves way more recognition for his books.

[Diane Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amateur detective Mordecai Tremaine is back is the fine mystery In at the Death.

Dr. Hardene is found bludgeoned to death inside a vacant house. When Chief Inspector Boyce of Scotland Yard is called to investigate, he brings his buddy Mordecai Tremaine. Numerous questions emerge. Why was the Doctor carrying a gun in his bag? Why was his car parked down the street? Why does everyone in the small town seem to be hiding something?

Written in 1952, In at the Death showcases the puzzle making skills of the author. He seems to be hitting his stride in the fourth Mordecai Tremaine mystery. I was totally blindsided by the conclusion. If you want to play armchair detective too, I highly recommend reading this book. Hopefully, you will have better luck guessing the murderer. 4 stars!

Thanks to the publisher, Sourcebooks Landmark, and NetGalley for an advance copy.

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve loved the series by author Francis Duncan I’ve been devouring; however, I think that In at the Death, the sixth entry, is probably the best so far.

A standoffish general practitioner is gunned down in an empty house in the middle of the night. Why was Dr. Graham Hardene, practitioner in a small town, even there? And why would anyone want to kill him?

I loved the camaraderie between the mild-appearing Mordecai Tremaine and Scotland Yard Inspector Jonathan Boyce. In each ensuing book, they become a better and better team. Here’s hoping that all of Duncan’s cozies are rereleased!

My heartfelt thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and Recorded Books for bringing these unappreciated gems back into print!

[joyce w. laudon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This title is part of a series that features Mordecai Tremaine and his police counterpart and friend, Chief Inspector Jonathan Boyce. The two are off to Brighton to investigate a case in which a doctor may not be an upstanding citizen. After all, why would he take a gun to a home visit? And, what will happen to him? After all, there will be a murder.

Overall, this is a more quiet and puzzle based story that is representative of the mysteries that were written at the time of its initial publication in 1952. Those who enjoy classic style novels in the genre may well enjoy this title and the others in the series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this title. All opinions are my own.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

In my quest for Christmas or wintry mysteries this book made it onto my list and I’m not totally sure why or what to make of this author. Upon further research after finishing the book, I learned that while this book was relatively recently published it was actually written in the 1930’s which I probably knew when I added it to my list but had forgotten and that eases some of my confusion. I couldn’t tell if the author was being coy about the sexuality of the main characters which in a modern novel is annoying at best but in a contemporary novel I suppose is just descriptive of slightly eccentric old(er) men.

[Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

the story is told through Mordecai's observations, so it does read like a lot of telling with little showing. Mordecai's character is also fairly simple; he's a seemingly harmless older man who is sentimental but (within the story) ruthlessly observant in the pursuit of justice. it makes sense to have him accompanying his police officer friend rather than having friends and acquaintances dropping dead around him all the time. we're repeatedly told that he speaks gently or anticipated some piece of information. the story does give plenty of clues, fairly, so the reader can sleuth along. I enjoy these for the sense of old-timeyness.

[Annie (is so far behind 😬) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Number 4 in the Mordecai Tremaine series and the first I've read. This is a re-release, having been written in the post-war years.

A gentle mystery with a good puzzle, if not particularly exciting. It moves along quite slowly with even the climax being not particularly dramatic. Enjoyable and well-done, however, with good characters. It did take me a long time to read simply because it moves so slowly - there's nothing to grab you and rush you along.

Definitely worth the read, though, and I would read another in the series quite easily.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review it. All opinions are my own.

[Adele · Rating 2 out of 5]

Day1 gift in my Classic Crime Advent Calendar from Etsy shop CoffeeAndCrime.
As a prolific reader this was such a lovely way to be discover new books and authors in the genre with alternate gift books and chocolate surprises for the 24 days of December - what's not to love?
The book, originally produced in 1952, introduced me to Chief Inspector Jonathan Boyce and his civilian sidekick Mordecai Tremaine. Both are less charismatic than a Holmes and Watson or a Poirot and Hastings partnership and the investigation is quite pedestrian but neverthless a creditable fair-play whodunit.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was pretty good, but not a fast reader. At least, not for me. It rambles along, going through Mordecai's thought process. That's ok, but it makes for a long book. I knew who-dunnit, but not for the reasons I thought, so that was kind of different. All in all, a pretty good book. One to read at bedtime, when you have plenty of time to finish it. Because, while it it pretty good, it's not un-put-down-able! I recommend this book.

[Mary Corso · Rating 4 out of 5]

well done

This story has all of the necessary surprises and plot twists to make it an enjoyable read. Morse AI is an interesting character - kind if a consultant like Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot.

[Jlnpeacock Peacock · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mordecai Tremaine presents a sweet amateur detective. I've enjoyed some of his adventures in other books and looked forward to this one. It was a nice read but not quite as good as some of the others I'd read.

[Lisa]

I like a cozy murder mystery from the golden age of mystery writing (between the world wars). But these are hard for me. I want to like the detective, and they are very much intended to be puzzles. But I guessed the murderer too soon and I found myself a bit bored.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A relaxing enjoyable read.

[Kerrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

enjoyable, easy mystery

[AGMaynard · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you've run out of Georgette Heyer detective stories (though those are wittier), Agatha Christie (though her plotting is more intricate), etc. this might fit the bill.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0