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The Inspector Knollis Mysteries #3
The Threefold Cord
"Of course, it's rotten having a murder in the village, and especially in what was once my own house, but I'm not sorry that he's gone."
Inspector Gordon Knollis heads from Scotland Yard to the village of Bowland, investigating what initially appears a trivial mystery. Mrs. Frederick Manchester's life centres on her husband and her two pets. Entering her boudoir after breakfast on Sunday morning, she finds her budgerigar lying dead, its neck broken, a blue silken cord tied loosely round it. On the Monday, in the cactus house, she finds her cat lying amongst the plants. A blue silken cord is looped round its neck--which is broken.
But Knollis soon sees the case as far from trivial, an opinion confirmed when the partly-decapitated body of Fred Manchester is found in the Green Alley early on the Tuesday evening--with a blue silken cord crushed into his outside breast-pocket.
Knollis goes to work in his own determined way. There are many difficulties, and many setbacks, but he presses on in spite of them all, eventually solving the grim joke that lies behind the mystery of the three cords.
The Threefold Cord was originally published in 1947. This new edition features an introduction by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans.
"Francis Vivian skips all tedious preliminaries and is commendably quick off the mark; we meet his characters with lively pleasure." Observer
"Mr. Vivian neatly fits everything in its place." Times Literary Supplement
Inspector Gordon Knollis heads from Scotland Yard to the village of Bowland, investigating what initially appears a trivial mystery. Mrs. Frederick Manchester's life centres on her husband and her two pets. Entering her boudoir after breakfast on Sunday morning, she finds her budgerigar lying dead, its neck broken, a blue silken cord tied loosely round it. On the Monday, in the cactus house, she finds her cat lying amongst the plants. A blue silken cord is looped round its neck--which is broken.
But Knollis soon sees the case as far from trivial, an opinion confirmed when the partly-decapitated body of Fred Manchester is found in the Green Alley early on the Tuesday evening--with a blue silken cord crushed into his outside breast-pocket.
Knollis goes to work in his own determined way. There are many difficulties, and many setbacks, but he presses on in spite of them all, eventually solving the grim joke that lies behind the mystery of the three cords.
The Threefold Cord was originally published in 1947. This new edition features an introduction by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans.
"Francis Vivian skips all tedious preliminaries and is commendably quick off the mark; we meet his characters with lively pleasure." Observer
"Mr. Vivian neatly fits everything in its place." Times Literary Supplement
- GenresMystery
234 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 1947
51 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
Francis Vivian
19 books3 followersFrancis Vivian, pseudonym of Arthur Ernest Ashley, was an English writer of detective stories. He was a founding member of the Nottingham Writers' Club. His series detectives are Insp. John Burnell, Sgt. Ronnie Drew and in most of his novels Insp. Gordon Knollis.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 21, 2020
Full review at classicmystery.blog
October 14, 2018
Gordon Knollis and Sergeant Ellis make a great team for the investigation of the murders of a budgerigar, a cat...and a rich, somewhat pretentious businessman in an English country house.
The roster of suspects is small and vividly-portrayed in this 1947, third outing, for the Inspector with the wry sense of humour and painstaking method of investigation which uncovers another murder.
Alibis and secrets abound. The past looms large, and cupidity plays its part in the murder motive.
The ending is a little weak, but not unlikely.
Very readable and recommended to lovers of the classic English murder mystery.
The roster of suspects is small and vividly-portrayed in this 1947, third outing, for the Inspector with the wry sense of humour and painstaking method of investigation which uncovers another murder.
Alibis and secrets abound. The past looms large, and cupidity plays its part in the murder motive.
The ending is a little weak, but not unlikely.
Very readable and recommended to lovers of the classic English murder mystery.
November 2, 2022
For me this sort of just chugged along, being sort of a typical dry analytical Golden Age British murder mystery. However, while I find most endings to most mysteries, then and now, unsatisfying. This one I kind of admired ...not because it was spectacular or shocking simply because it was logical and made sense. I know, I know, strange reasoning for enjoying a mystery book.
But I did! ...well after the initial struggle ...anyway
But I did! ...well after the initial struggle ...anyway
March 16, 2025
A thoroughly enjoyable British murder mystery. An unpleasant social climbing businessman who doesn't know that money can't buy class insists that Scotland Yard is called in to investigate the killing of his wife's budgie and cat and then gets murdered himself. Inspector Knollis is a very likeable and humane policeman. Lots of good detection.
Highly recommended for lovers of classic British police procedurals.
Highly recommended for lovers of classic British police procedurals.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews