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Ludovic Travers #30
The Case of the Missing Men: A Ludovic Travers Mystery
““This is something desperately secret,” she said. “Something I want you to do for me . . . But I can’t tell you now. It’s something I’m frightened about.”
Ludovic Travers, consulting specialist for Scotland Yard, receives two invitations at once to visit Beechingford. One comes from Cuthbert Daine, his literary agent. Daine is an important and busy man, and it seems strange that he would want to see Travers personally about a matter that might have been handled by mail. The other invitation comes from Austin Chaice, the successful mystery writer. He is, he says, preparing a manual for detective story writers, and needs advice on certain points.
The puzzlement aroused in Travers’s mind by these two letters is crystallized by a half-hysterical telephone call from Chaice’s attractive wife.
Travers is prepared to find a delicate and involved situation at Beechingford—but not prepared for the murder of his host!
The Case of the Missing Men was originally published in 1946. This new edition features an introduction by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans.
Ludovic Travers, consulting specialist for Scotland Yard, receives two invitations at once to visit Beechingford. One comes from Cuthbert Daine, his literary agent. Daine is an important and busy man, and it seems strange that he would want to see Travers personally about a matter that might have been handled by mail. The other invitation comes from Austin Chaice, the successful mystery writer. He is, he says, preparing a manual for detective story writers, and needs advice on certain points.
The puzzlement aroused in Travers’s mind by these two letters is crystallized by a half-hysterical telephone call from Chaice’s attractive wife.
Travers is prepared to find a delicate and involved situation at Beechingford—but not prepared for the murder of his host!
The Case of the Missing Men was originally published in 1946. This new edition features an introduction by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans.
216 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1946
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14 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Bush
98 books14 followersChristopher Bush was educated in the local school. He then won a scholarship to Thetford Grammar, and went on to study modern languages at King's College London, after which he worked as a school teacher.
He participated in both world wars.
He was a prolific writer of detective novels, wrote three autobiographical novels and nine books about Breckland life using the nom-de-plume Michael Home.
He lived in Great Hockham.
He participated in both world wars.
He was a prolific writer of detective novels, wrote three autobiographical novels and nine books about Breckland life using the nom-de-plume Michael Home.
He lived in Great Hockham.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 13, 2026
Rating 3.5
Enjoyed this novel from this long series.
Unlike others I have read in it the primary police character of Wharton doesn’t appear until quite some time into the story. Maybe that’s why I enjoyed it more than usual. At times he presents a caricatured version of detective story police and even an exaggerated version of himself, which sometimes I don’t mind and other times irritates me tbh.
The plot was a fairly convoluted one that anyone who has read a fair amount of GAD era novels could probably guess the solution of relatively easily.
Overall it was an entertaining few hours of reading, the plot kept me reading and the characters were all well drawn and clearly defined.
Also unusually for the period it actually mentions the war, not in detail obviously but in passing when talking about staff problems and what Travers has been doing since leaving the army.
This then was more interesting and held my attention more than I was expecting based on my reading of other books in the series.
Enjoyed this novel from this long series.
Unlike others I have read in it the primary police character of Wharton doesn’t appear until quite some time into the story. Maybe that’s why I enjoyed it more than usual. At times he presents a caricatured version of detective story police and even an exaggerated version of himself, which sometimes I don’t mind and other times irritates me tbh.
The plot was a fairly convoluted one that anyone who has read a fair amount of GAD era novels could probably guess the solution of relatively easily.
Overall it was an entertaining few hours of reading, the plot kept me reading and the characters were all well drawn and clearly defined.
Also unusually for the period it actually mentions the war, not in detail obviously but in passing when talking about staff problems and what Travers has been doing since leaving the army.
This then was more interesting and held my attention more than I was expecting based on my reading of other books in the series.
November 30, 2020
Fairly enjoyable outing for Ludo Travers, with some crisp detection from George Wharton and not too much overthinking and deception by the detectives.
Parts of the plot were fairly obvious, and the perpetrator and motives were not difficult to spot. The second murder method was one of those over-contrived affairs beloved of GAD writers. However there were lots of interesting characters and the story moved along at a good pace.
A quick and easy read but not over-taxing for the little grey cells. Although Ludo does feel overtaxed in other ways!
3.5 stars.
Parts of the plot were fairly obvious, and the perpetrator and motives were not difficult to spot. The second murder method was one of those over-contrived affairs beloved of GAD writers. However there were lots of interesting characters and the story moved along at a good pace.
A quick and easy read but not over-taxing for the little grey cells. Although Ludo does feel overtaxed in other ways!
3.5 stars.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews