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Inspector Hazlerigg #4
Smallbone Deceased: A London Mystery
Horniman, Birley, and Craine is a highly respected legal firm with clients reaching to the highest in the land. When a deed box in the office is opened to reveal a corpse, the threat of scandal promises to wreak havoc on the firm's reputation – especially as the murder looks like an inside job. The partners and staff of the firm keep a watchful and suspicious eye on their colleagues, as Inspector Hazlerigg sets out to solve the mystery of who Mr Smallbone was – and why he had to die. Written with style, pace and wit, this is a masterpiece by one of the finest writers of traditional British crime novels since the Second World War.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1950
864 people are currently reading
1721 people want to read
About the author
Michael Gilbert
143 books91 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Born in Lincolnshire in 1912, Michael Francis Gilbert was educated in Sussex before entering the University of London where he gained an LLB with honours in 1937. Gilbert was a founding member of the British Crime Writers Association, and in 1988 he was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America - an achievement many thought long overdue. He won the Life Achievement Anthony Award at the 1990 Boucheron in London, and in 1980 he was knighted as a Commander in the Order of the British Empire. Gilbert made his debut in 1947 with Close Quarters, and since then has become recognized as one of our most versatile British mystery writers.
He was the father of Harriett Gilbert.
Born in Lincolnshire in 1912, Michael Francis Gilbert was educated in Sussex before entering the University of London where he gained an LLB with honours in 1937. Gilbert was a founding member of the British Crime Writers Association, and in 1988 he was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America - an achievement many thought long overdue. He won the Life Achievement Anthony Award at the 1990 Boucheron in London, and in 1980 he was knighted as a Commander in the Order of the British Empire. Gilbert made his debut in 1947 with Close Quarters, and since then has become recognized as one of our most versatile British mystery writers.
He was the father of Harriett Gilbert.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 278 reviews
May 1, 2021
In which, a partner in the firm of Horniman, Birley & Crane is found dead in a locked deed box in the solicitors' office. Grisly.
There's a lot of inter-office shenanigans and one-up-manship, the secretaries withstood a ridiculous amount of sexism, bullying and inappropriate overture from various men in the firm. It made for interesting reading but definitely is not part of the mystery-solving by the police and their in-house man, Bohun is mostly observing and not very actively trying to get to the bottom of the initial murder. I had expected him to be more focused on and in helping the investigation because he was drawn as an interesting character. I simply wanted him to do more or have more to do.
Things sort of dawdle until a second murder takes place at the firm (around the 72% mark) and then the urgency sets in. I thought that a bit lame but I had been interested in all the goings-on so, I didn't hold that against it. The closing 10% of the story was a tense page-turner as things have come together with Bohun and Inspector Hazlerigg have sussed the killer and there's worry they may strike once more. Very well done and exciting. Overall, the story is peopled with well-done characters and made for a good mystery while trying to work out who could have been guilty and have motive, access and expertise. So many pieces to try to fit into slots and realizing often a person fits in one instance but doesn't in another. Throw in the fact that many had secrets they're trying to conceal for other reasons and this was just terribly enjoyable to read.
I learnt two new crossword words: Snuggery: a cozy or comfortable place, especially someone's private room or den (how have I never come across this perfection before?!) and Pettifogging: placing undue emphasis on petty details (how has so useful a term fallen out of general use?)
As ever, I will continue reading the British Library Crime Classics reissues. I'd definitely read another by Michael Gilbert.
Favourite quotes:
"“It’s quite a good idea. Only for heaven’s sake don’t be like that mug in the detective story who confides all his best ideas to a friendly sort of character who turns out to be the murderer in Chapter Sixteen.”"
"It irritated Mr. Birley to see a stranger behind one of his partners’ desks: it irritated him to have to sit himself in the client’s chair: it irritated him unspeakably to have to answer questions instead of asking them."
"Sometimes, indeed, he went so far as to visualise himself as an archangel, a rotund St. Michael, armed with the sword of Dymond and defended by the shield of Green, protecting the helpless from the assault of the massed powers of Darkness, those arch-fiends, the Commissioners of Inland Revenue."
“Every figure has a meaning. To the discerning eye there is all the difference in the world between a seductive little multiplicand and a sinister prime.”
Most harrowing office chats:
“I’m sure,” said Anne, consulting a small diary, “that I came in on February 27th, because that was the day after my admiral took me out to the Criterion and tried to get me tight on gin.”“Who’s your admiral?” said Miss Bellbas. “A friend of father’s,” said Anne. “He’s over ninety. He commanded a gunboat in the Crimea. He’s been trying to rape me ever since I left school.”
“I don’t expect you’d forget a long morning spent alone with Tubby,” said Anne. “It’s a thing that lingers in a girl’s memory. Did he make you sit very close on his left-hand side so that every time he opened his desk drawer he practically undressed you?”“Good gracious, no,” said Miss Bellbas. “Is that what he does to you?”“Of course,” said Miss Cornel. “It’s all right, though, isn’t it—he went to Marlborough.”“Well,” said Anne. “What about that time he took you to the station in a taxi after the staff dinner?”
“I expect you’ve been put out by all these unpleasant goings-on in the office. You mustn’t let it get you down, you know.”“No, Mr. Craine.”“Anyhow. It’s obviously nothing to do with you. We shan’t begin to suspect a little girl like you of running round committing murders. Ha, ha.”“I feel like it sometimes,” said Miss Mildmay, moving her chair two foot further to the left. “Dear me, I expect we all do sometimes. But, seriously, my dear, the thing is not to worry.”“I’m not worrying, Mr. Craine.”“That’s right, then.”“And, Mr. Craine.”“Yes.”“I only mention it in case it has escaped your attention, but that’s my hand you’ve got hold of.”
There's a lot of inter-office shenanigans and one-up-manship, the secretaries withstood a ridiculous amount of sexism, bullying and inappropriate overture from various men in the firm. It made for interesting reading but definitely is not part of the mystery-solving by the police and their in-house man, Bohun is mostly observing and not very actively trying to get to the bottom of the initial murder. I had expected him to be more focused on and in helping the investigation because he was drawn as an interesting character. I simply wanted him to do more or have more to do.
Things sort of dawdle until a second murder takes place at the firm (around the 72% mark) and then the urgency sets in. I thought that a bit lame but I had been interested in all the goings-on so, I didn't hold that against it. The closing 10% of the story was a tense page-turner as things have come together with Bohun and Inspector Hazlerigg have sussed the killer and there's worry they may strike once more. Very well done and exciting. Overall, the story is peopled with well-done characters and made for a good mystery while trying to work out who could have been guilty and have motive, access and expertise. So many pieces to try to fit into slots and realizing often a person fits in one instance but doesn't in another. Throw in the fact that many had secrets they're trying to conceal for other reasons and this was just terribly enjoyable to read.
I learnt two new crossword words: Snuggery: a cozy or comfortable place, especially someone's private room or den (how have I never come across this perfection before?!) and Pettifogging: placing undue emphasis on petty details (how has so useful a term fallen out of general use?)
As ever, I will continue reading the British Library Crime Classics reissues. I'd definitely read another by Michael Gilbert.
Favourite quotes:
"“It’s quite a good idea. Only for heaven’s sake don’t be like that mug in the detective story who confides all his best ideas to a friendly sort of character who turns out to be the murderer in Chapter Sixteen.”"
"It irritated Mr. Birley to see a stranger behind one of his partners’ desks: it irritated him to have to sit himself in the client’s chair: it irritated him unspeakably to have to answer questions instead of asking them."
"Sometimes, indeed, he went so far as to visualise himself as an archangel, a rotund St. Michael, armed with the sword of Dymond and defended by the shield of Green, protecting the helpless from the assault of the massed powers of Darkness, those arch-fiends, the Commissioners of Inland Revenue."
“Every figure has a meaning. To the discerning eye there is all the difference in the world between a seductive little multiplicand and a sinister prime.”
Most harrowing office chats:
“I’m sure,” said Anne, consulting a small diary, “that I came in on February 27th, because that was the day after my admiral took me out to the Criterion and tried to get me tight on gin.”“Who’s your admiral?” said Miss Bellbas. “A friend of father’s,” said Anne. “He’s over ninety. He commanded a gunboat in the Crimea. He’s been trying to rape me ever since I left school.”
“I don’t expect you’d forget a long morning spent alone with Tubby,” said Anne. “It’s a thing that lingers in a girl’s memory. Did he make you sit very close on his left-hand side so that every time he opened his desk drawer he practically undressed you?”“Good gracious, no,” said Miss Bellbas. “Is that what he does to you?”“Of course,” said Miss Cornel. “It’s all right, though, isn’t it—he went to Marlborough.”“Well,” said Anne. “What about that time he took you to the station in a taxi after the staff dinner?”
“I expect you’ve been put out by all these unpleasant goings-on in the office. You mustn’t let it get you down, you know.”“No, Mr. Craine.”“Anyhow. It’s obviously nothing to do with you. We shan’t begin to suspect a little girl like you of running round committing murders. Ha, ha.”“I feel like it sometimes,” said Miss Mildmay, moving her chair two foot further to the left. “Dear me, I expect we all do sometimes. But, seriously, my dear, the thing is not to worry.”“I’m not worrying, Mr. Craine.”“That’s right, then.”“And, Mr. Craine.”“Yes.”“I only mention it in case it has escaped your attention, but that’s my hand you’ve got hold of.”
Read
December 8, 2021Rather good crime novel set in a law office. Set and written in the 1950s though it feels rather more 1930s in spirit, with a delightfully unpleasant initial murder and a breezy feel throughout.
December 29, 2016
I've read a couple of other books by Michael Gilbert and have enjoyed them all so far. Smallbone Deceased ranks up there with Petrella at Q as my favorites of his. Smallbone is a perfect little mystery. It's billed as an Inspector Hazelrigg mystery and, indeed, the good Inspector does play a prominent role.
But the supporting cast also adds very much to the story, especially poor Sgt Plumptree who has to wander around London interviewing possible witnesses. He is an inexhaustible man, a credit to the London Police Force. As well, there is Henry Bohun, the newest member of the offices of Horniman, Birley and Craine, who finds himself helping Inspector Hazelrigg with his investigation to a great extent.
The basic story is that a body, that of Mr. Smallbone, a client of the firm, is found in one of the firm's deed boxes, having resided there for a few weeks. This starts up the investigation, which I enjoyed following very much. There was an interesting steadiness to the investigation; I've mentioned Sgt Plumbtree already, but the rest of the team of investigators are all excellent. I'll highlight Mr. Hoffman who works through the paperwork, checking the firm's finances to try and find reasons for the murder.
The investigation moves at a nice, steady pace, allowing all of the characters time to inculcate themselves into your memory. They all are enjoyable; there is a nice humour at times that keeps the story light. All in all, the book was so very enjoyable, even the ending was satisfying. I will definitely continue to find more books by Gilbert to enjoy. (5 stars)
But the supporting cast also adds very much to the story, especially poor Sgt Plumptree who has to wander around London interviewing possible witnesses. He is an inexhaustible man, a credit to the London Police Force. As well, there is Henry Bohun, the newest member of the offices of Horniman, Birley and Craine, who finds himself helping Inspector Hazelrigg with his investigation to a great extent.
The basic story is that a body, that of Mr. Smallbone, a client of the firm, is found in one of the firm's deed boxes, having resided there for a few weeks. This starts up the investigation, which I enjoyed following very much. There was an interesting steadiness to the investigation; I've mentioned Sgt Plumbtree already, but the rest of the team of investigators are all excellent. I'll highlight Mr. Hoffman who works through the paperwork, checking the firm's finances to try and find reasons for the murder.
The investigation moves at a nice, steady pace, allowing all of the characters time to inculcate themselves into your memory. They all are enjoyable; there is a nice humour at times that keeps the story light. All in all, the book was so very enjoyable, even the ending was satisfying. I will definitely continue to find more books by Gilbert to enjoy. (5 stars)
June 18, 2020
"Getcher programs! Can't tell da players widdout a program!"
Oh how I wished for a good old stadium program seller while reading this book. There were so many suspects and peripheral characters in " Smallbone Deceased" I had trouble keeping track. At one point I even got confused and thought one of the suspects was the police detective and the detective was a suspect.
I would have quit, but the story itself was good enough that I really did want to know who done it and HOW they done it. Sort of like "Knives Out."
Oh how I wished for a good old stadium program seller while reading this book. There were so many suspects and peripheral characters in " Smallbone Deceased" I had trouble keeping track. At one point I even got confused and thought one of the suspects was the police detective and the detective was a suspect.
I would have quit, but the story itself was good enough that I really did want to know who done it and HOW they done it. Sort of like "Knives Out."
January 13, 2022
Technically part of the Inspector Hazlerigg series, but stands alone very well; the criminal investigation is clearly secondary to the relationships among the firm employees. Rounding it up for the overall writing quality, but felt the end of the story a bit rushed (unclear) - very good audio narration.
October 2, 2022
The noble London legal firm of Horniman, Birley and Craine is in mourning in the wake of the death of their venerable founder, Abel Horniman. In addition to grieving his loss, the firm must go through his work to assess its status and reassign it to the other members. Fortunately, Horniman has made this task easy, thanks to the almost fanatical system he created for the firm for classifying, filing, and storing records. But when the members open the deed box for the Ichabod Stokes Trust they find to their surprise not the orderly records they were expecting but the body of Marcus Smallbone, the other trustee for the account. As the investigation begins the members of the firm are wondering: who put him in the box, and what happened to the files that were in there?
Michael Gilbert was one of the underappreciated greats of the classic era of British crime fiction. With an oeuvre that ranged from police procedurals to political thrillers, he demonstrated a remarkable versatility that reflected his considerable range of interests. These are on full display in this novel, which reflects his experiences as a solicitor. It’s filled with distinctly realized characters, whose secrets and hidden lives are exposed gradually over the course of the case. Though this is led by Inspector Hazlitt, Gilbert’s earliest recurring investigator, his is ably assisted in his inquiries by Henry Bohun, the firm’s newest member. Bohun is the true protagonist of the novel, and in his background and abilities carries more than a whiff of Gary Stu-ishness about him. Such a charming and clever character adds to rather than detracts from the novel, however, which is well worth reading twice: first for the worthy mystery, then for the appreciation of Gilbert’s elegant construction of it.
Michael Gilbert was one of the underappreciated greats of the classic era of British crime fiction. With an oeuvre that ranged from police procedurals to political thrillers, he demonstrated a remarkable versatility that reflected his considerable range of interests. These are on full display in this novel, which reflects his experiences as a solicitor. It’s filled with distinctly realized characters, whose secrets and hidden lives are exposed gradually over the course of the case. Though this is led by Inspector Hazlitt, Gilbert’s earliest recurring investigator, his is ably assisted in his inquiries by Henry Bohun, the firm’s newest member. Bohun is the true protagonist of the novel, and in his background and abilities carries more than a whiff of Gary Stu-ishness about him. Such a charming and clever character adds to rather than detracts from the novel, however, which is well worth reading twice: first for the worthy mystery, then for the appreciation of Gilbert’s elegant construction of it.
December 16, 2019
This is my first reading of this author. Previously published in 1950, this edition is enhanced by informative introduction from Martin Edwards allowing us learn a bit about Michael Gilbert's writing career. This book was included in the CWA's "hundred best list" of crime fiction. Apparently Gilbert had first-hand knowledge of law firms, and that is essential to this story.
The book opens with a eulogy being delivered at a restaurant for the founder by one of the partners of the firm Horniman, Birley and Craine. Lesser employees were sitting out of view, allowing them to pass the time in a game of blow football with rolled up menus and a grape.
Main characters in this well constructed plot include Henry Bohun, a man who does not sleep and is new to the firm and Detective Inspector Hazlerigg of Scotland Yard who appears in four (or more?) murder mysteries written by Gilbert.
There is a good deal of wit throughout, quite a parcel of characters to track and some interesting dithering of accounts.
Hazlerigg appears on the scene early on when there is a chopped up body found in a file box, that of a missing partner. As Scotland Yard thoroughly investigates every employee and every financial account under the firm's management, the murderer strikes again.
Library Loan
The book opens with a eulogy being delivered at a restaurant for the founder by one of the partners of the firm Horniman, Birley and Craine. Lesser employees were sitting out of view, allowing them to pass the time in a game of blow football with rolled up menus and a grape.
Main characters in this well constructed plot include Henry Bohun, a man who does not sleep and is new to the firm and Detective Inspector Hazlerigg of Scotland Yard who appears in four (or more?) murder mysteries written by Gilbert.
There is a good deal of wit throughout, quite a parcel of characters to track and some interesting dithering of accounts.
Hazlerigg appears on the scene early on when there is a chopped up body found in a file box, that of a missing partner. As Scotland Yard thoroughly investigates every employee and every financial account under the firm's management, the murderer strikes again.
Library Loan
January 19, 2022
Wry & enjoyable 1950s classic detective story. The four stars are for the writing, rather than the plot which was neat right up to the end when--huh? Not convinced by the murderer's motivation. Still, 98% of this was pretty damn good.
June 9, 2020
This is the fourth in the Inspector Hazlerigg series, published in 1950, although it works very well as a stand-alone novel.
Henry Bohun is a young man who has a medical condition, which means he sleeps very little. This is very helpful in allowing him to read, and study, long hours and, when we meet him, he has just joined the firm of Horniman, Birley and Craine, as a newly qualified solicitor. I enjoy novels set in the workplace and this is full of office gossip and lecherous solicitors, whose hands have to be firmly removed before dictation begins; as well as some typical bullying behaviour and time wasting, to be found in offices everywhere.
Bohun’s time at the firm begins with an office dinner and, very soon, involves a murder investigation. Senior partner, Abel Honiman, having died, his interest in the firm is left to his son, Bob, who – it is soon apparent – has little interest, or ability, as a lawyer. However, when he unlocks a deed box and finds a body inside, it leads to a murder investigation. As Bohun is the ‘friend of a friend,’ of Hazelrigg, he is soon involved in discovering ‘whodunnit,’ as well as why.
This is a really interesting mystery, with an excellent setting and a good cast of characters and suspects. I look forward to reading more by Michael Gilbert, as I have enjoyed both novels I have read by him so far.
Henry Bohun is a young man who has a medical condition, which means he sleeps very little. This is very helpful in allowing him to read, and study, long hours and, when we meet him, he has just joined the firm of Horniman, Birley and Craine, as a newly qualified solicitor. I enjoy novels set in the workplace and this is full of office gossip and lecherous solicitors, whose hands have to be firmly removed before dictation begins; as well as some typical bullying behaviour and time wasting, to be found in offices everywhere.
Bohun’s time at the firm begins with an office dinner and, very soon, involves a murder investigation. Senior partner, Abel Honiman, having died, his interest in the firm is left to his son, Bob, who – it is soon apparent – has little interest, or ability, as a lawyer. However, when he unlocks a deed box and finds a body inside, it leads to a murder investigation. As Bohun is the ‘friend of a friend,’ of Hazelrigg, he is soon involved in discovering ‘whodunnit,’ as well as why.
This is a really interesting mystery, with an excellent setting and a good cast of characters and suspects. I look forward to reading more by Michael Gilbert, as I have enjoyed both novels I have read by him so far.
April 10, 2019
A unique filing system...
Young Bob Horniman has taken over as partner in the law firm of Horniman, Birley and Craine, following the very recent death of his father, the senior partner, Abel Horniman. Abel was an organisational fanatic, so there’s a place for everything in the office, and everything is in its place. That’s the theory anyway, until one day Bob and his secretary are looking for papers relating to an estate of which his father was a trustee. On opening the relevant deed box, they find the papers are missing, and in their place is the rather decayed body of Marcus Smallbone, the other trustee. Enter Inspector Hazlerigg and his team...
Gilbert was a lawyer in real life, and he has a lot of fun here with the portrayal of a mid-rank law firm – successful enough, with a solid clientele of the rich and respectable, but not dealing in glamorous criminal law. Rather, these lawyers make a living out of wills, estates, trusts and property conveyancing. When it becomes clear that Smallbone has been deceased for several weeks, Hazlerigg’s first task is to determine who was working in the firm over the likely period. He spots a name he knows – Henry Bohun, a newly qualified lawyer who joined the firm on the day the body was discovered, meaning that he is almost certainly innocent. Hazlerigg knows something of the man, that’s he’s intelligent and resourceful with a good war record, so asks him to become a kind of “inside” man for the investigation. And, while we see a fair amount of Hazlerigg and his men, Bohun quickly becomes the main protagonist of the story.
The plot is interesting and reasonably fair-play, though I got nowhere near the solution. The format is rather different from the usual mystery novel, in that, while everyone who was working in the firm is a suspect, none of them are really given known motives. The hunt for the motive is played out alongside a lot of checking of alibis and so on to work out who would have had the opportunity to kill Smallbone. There’s also far less emphasis than usual on the detective interviewing the suspects – we often learn what suspects have said second-hand, through conversations between various policemen or Hazlerigg and Bohun. I must admit I found this all kept me at more of a distance from most of the characters than I prefer, though the young lawyers all come vividly and enjoyably to life.
But the book has other delights which more than make up for this minor lack. As a new boy, Bohun is more involved with the lowly employees than the exalted partners, and the portrayal of the young, exclusively male, lawyers and the female secretaries is great. Sexism is of course rampant, as it was in offices back in those days, but here it’s treated as fun, with the young men flirting and the women either responding favourably or rejecting them brutally. We get to overhear the women’s view of the men amongst themselves, and also the men’s opinions of the women. It’s all done for humour, so there’s no meanness or nastiness about it, and it keeps the tone delightfully light-hearted for the most part. However, we also see power at play, and how easily employees can be bullied by their bosses with no real means of fighting back.
Meantime, Hazlerigg’s team are checking out other aspects of the case. We follow Sergeant Plumptree as he tries to sift through all the various alibis of the staff, and Mr Hoffman, an accountant, who is examining the trust of which Smallbone was a trustee, and also the wider financial affairs of the firm. Surprisingly, Gilbert manages to make these rather dry subjects highly entertaining. Poor Plumptree has a tough job pinning down the whereabouts of his suspects and we’re shown the plodding, painstaking and often frustrating nature of the work, but all done with an edge of humour. Hoffman is helped in his task by Bohun, that man of many talents, and between them they show how tiny discrepancies can give the clue that leads to the unravelling of the most tightly woven plot.
This is my first Michael Gilbert, so I don’t know how usual it is for Hazlerigg to take a rather muted role in the investigation, but I really didn’t feel as if I got to know him much at all. However I enjoyed Bohun as a kind of amateur sidekick to the police, and found the office flirtations and rivalries highly entertaining. The whole thing is very well written, with that lightness of tone despite dark deeds that I find so characteristic and appealing about Golden Age crime – this was published in 1950, so a little later than true Golden Age, but it feels as if it fits square in that category nonetheless. The British Library has republished three of Gilbert’s books this year, and I’m very much looking forward to reading the other two. Highly recommended.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, the British Library.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
Young Bob Horniman has taken over as partner in the law firm of Horniman, Birley and Craine, following the very recent death of his father, the senior partner, Abel Horniman. Abel was an organisational fanatic, so there’s a place for everything in the office, and everything is in its place. That’s the theory anyway, until one day Bob and his secretary are looking for papers relating to an estate of which his father was a trustee. On opening the relevant deed box, they find the papers are missing, and in their place is the rather decayed body of Marcus Smallbone, the other trustee. Enter Inspector Hazlerigg and his team...
Gilbert was a lawyer in real life, and he has a lot of fun here with the portrayal of a mid-rank law firm – successful enough, with a solid clientele of the rich and respectable, but not dealing in glamorous criminal law. Rather, these lawyers make a living out of wills, estates, trusts and property conveyancing. When it becomes clear that Smallbone has been deceased for several weeks, Hazlerigg’s first task is to determine who was working in the firm over the likely period. He spots a name he knows – Henry Bohun, a newly qualified lawyer who joined the firm on the day the body was discovered, meaning that he is almost certainly innocent. Hazlerigg knows something of the man, that’s he’s intelligent and resourceful with a good war record, so asks him to become a kind of “inside” man for the investigation. And, while we see a fair amount of Hazlerigg and his men, Bohun quickly becomes the main protagonist of the story.
The plot is interesting and reasonably fair-play, though I got nowhere near the solution. The format is rather different from the usual mystery novel, in that, while everyone who was working in the firm is a suspect, none of them are really given known motives. The hunt for the motive is played out alongside a lot of checking of alibis and so on to work out who would have had the opportunity to kill Smallbone. There’s also far less emphasis than usual on the detective interviewing the suspects – we often learn what suspects have said second-hand, through conversations between various policemen or Hazlerigg and Bohun. I must admit I found this all kept me at more of a distance from most of the characters than I prefer, though the young lawyers all come vividly and enjoyably to life.
But the book has other delights which more than make up for this minor lack. As a new boy, Bohun is more involved with the lowly employees than the exalted partners, and the portrayal of the young, exclusively male, lawyers and the female secretaries is great. Sexism is of course rampant, as it was in offices back in those days, but here it’s treated as fun, with the young men flirting and the women either responding favourably or rejecting them brutally. We get to overhear the women’s view of the men amongst themselves, and also the men’s opinions of the women. It’s all done for humour, so there’s no meanness or nastiness about it, and it keeps the tone delightfully light-hearted for the most part. However, we also see power at play, and how easily employees can be bullied by their bosses with no real means of fighting back.
Meantime, Hazlerigg’s team are checking out other aspects of the case. We follow Sergeant Plumptree as he tries to sift through all the various alibis of the staff, and Mr Hoffman, an accountant, who is examining the trust of which Smallbone was a trustee, and also the wider financial affairs of the firm. Surprisingly, Gilbert manages to make these rather dry subjects highly entertaining. Poor Plumptree has a tough job pinning down the whereabouts of his suspects and we’re shown the plodding, painstaking and often frustrating nature of the work, but all done with an edge of humour. Hoffman is helped in his task by Bohun, that man of many talents, and between them they show how tiny discrepancies can give the clue that leads to the unravelling of the most tightly woven plot.
This is my first Michael Gilbert, so I don’t know how usual it is for Hazlerigg to take a rather muted role in the investigation, but I really didn’t feel as if I got to know him much at all. However I enjoyed Bohun as a kind of amateur sidekick to the police, and found the office flirtations and rivalries highly entertaining. The whole thing is very well written, with that lightness of tone despite dark deeds that I find so characteristic and appealing about Golden Age crime – this was published in 1950, so a little later than true Golden Age, but it feels as if it fits square in that category nonetheless. The British Library has republished three of Gilbert’s books this year, and I’m very much looking forward to reading the other two. Highly recommended.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, the British Library.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
August 9, 2015
I first read this book many years ago and had forgotten how good it is and it is very good indeed.
Gilbert writes beautifully with that lovely trace of wit that I find so enjoyable. Set in the rarified and fusty legal atmosphere of Lincolns Inn this story has a really interesting plot with many twists and turns, red herrings and excellent characterizations. The epitome of British Golden Age Detective writing. A "must read" for any lover of this genre.
Superb!! Couldn't put it down.
Gilbert writes beautifully with that lovely trace of wit that I find so enjoyable. Set in the rarified and fusty legal atmosphere of Lincolns Inn this story has a really interesting plot with many twists and turns, red herrings and excellent characterizations. The epitome of British Golden Age Detective writing. A "must read" for any lover of this genre.
Superb!! Couldn't put it down.
January 2, 2023
Really fun mystery set in a London law office -- the observational office humor reminded me very much of Murder Must Advertise. If Hazelrigg were as compelling as Peter Wimsey, this book would rival the best of Sayers! Sadly, he's...not. Still a fast-paced and highly enjoyable read.
Warning for: one use of the n-word in dialogue that came out of nowhere and alarmed me, as much as anything, by its casualness.
Warning for: one use of the n-word in dialogue that came out of nowhere and alarmed me, as much as anything, by its casualness.
February 15, 2022
In his introduction, Michael Edwards writes that this is one of the top 100 crime novels of all time, those lists having been compiled by Julian Symons, H.R.F. Keating and also the CWA and MWA. I was prepared to like it. I was not prepared for the trivializing of women in the first 40 pages. I freely admit that had I been reading this early in our quarterly challenge rather than toward the end of it, I might have set it aside and found a different book for the task. Instead, I persevered, gritting my teeth that a book that included the following could make it to *any* top 100, let along four of them. "The only thing I can remember him saying about Mrs. Anthrax-Plumper was that she was a woman who would mortage her own virginity, if could persuade anyone she still possessed it ..." Normally I like British humor, but that stepped way over any line, as far as I was concerned.
Ok, now that I've gotten that off my chest, I'll just say that had I set this aside, I would have missed out on a terrific Golden Age Mystery. Despite the foregoing, it probably deserves to be on such top 100 lists. Shortly after the scenes with the conclave of catty women, a corpse is discovered in a deed box at a respected law firm. Though Mr. Smallbone was not a member of the firm, it is beyond belief that this wasn't an inside job.
I liked Gilbert's writing style and his characterizations were good enough for the genre. I am glad this has become more readily available. In fact, I found my copy sitting quietly on the shelf at one of my Friends of the Library book sales. I keep wondering who in my small town likes the same kind of books I do, from these old mysteries to Anthony Trollope. Maybe it isn't the same person, but I'll be these people know each other! Anyway, that is "off topic". I'm happy to give this a strong 4-stars and I have no defense as to why it isn't worth 5 of those pointy things.
Ok, now that I've gotten that off my chest, I'll just say that had I set this aside, I would have missed out on a terrific Golden Age Mystery. Despite the foregoing, it probably deserves to be on such top 100 lists. Shortly after the scenes with the conclave of catty women, a corpse is discovered in a deed box at a respected law firm. Though Mr. Smallbone was not a member of the firm, it is beyond belief that this wasn't an inside job.
I liked Gilbert's writing style and his characterizations were good enough for the genre. I am glad this has become more readily available. In fact, I found my copy sitting quietly on the shelf at one of my Friends of the Library book sales. I keep wondering who in my small town likes the same kind of books I do, from these old mysteries to Anthony Trollope. Maybe it isn't the same person, but I'll be these people know each other! Anyway, that is "off topic". I'm happy to give this a strong 4-stars and I have no defense as to why it isn't worth 5 of those pointy things.
April 2, 2021
Very enjoyable golden age mystery set at a London solicitor’s office.
A very well-respected partner in the firm has died, and his son has taken his place in the firm. The young man is freshly qualified and understandably anxious about filling his legendary father’s shoes; luckily, the secretary who served as his father’s right hand is still on hand to help. He’s struggling to find out information about a certain trust his father was handling, and can’t track down his fellow trustee - until he opens a storage box and finds the strangled remains of Smallbone, the trustee, jammed inside...
Inspector Hazelrigg of Scotland Yard investigates- with the inside help of young solicitor Henry Bohun, a very intriguing character in his own right. Gilbert’s dry humor and expertise as a solicitor shine through in the pacing and plot - I really enjoyed the puzzle and the characters and humorous dialogue. Readers also get a great perspective on the drudgery and diligence that went into police work before computers, as we shadow Sergeant Plumptree making visits and innumerable phone calls! Very well done and entertaining.
A very well-respected partner in the firm has died, and his son has taken his place in the firm. The young man is freshly qualified and understandably anxious about filling his legendary father’s shoes; luckily, the secretary who served as his father’s right hand is still on hand to help. He’s struggling to find out information about a certain trust his father was handling, and can’t track down his fellow trustee - until he opens a storage box and finds the strangled remains of Smallbone, the trustee, jammed inside...
Inspector Hazelrigg of Scotland Yard investigates- with the inside help of young solicitor Henry Bohun, a very intriguing character in his own right. Gilbert’s dry humor and expertise as a solicitor shine through in the pacing and plot - I really enjoyed the puzzle and the characters and humorous dialogue. Readers also get a great perspective on the drudgery and diligence that went into police work before computers, as we shadow Sergeant Plumptree making visits and innumerable phone calls! Very well done and entertaining.
January 9, 2022
Very witty, very clever, thoroughly enjoyable. The notable firm of solicitors, Horniman, Birley and Crane, have just found a dead man in one of their deed boxes. This is a firm that already had a significant cast of eccentrics, a singing sergeant, a parasomniac statistician, the Horniman patented filing system and a cat called Chancery, so the addition of the murder is only a little perturbing. Inspector Hazlerigg, for all he's allegedly Gilbert's recurring detective, is merely one voice in a chorus. I am a little biased in that i spent some time in practice in a firm very like Horniman's - that was in 2011; I'm pleased to learn that that sort of firm hasn't changed a whit in more than sixty years - but honestly, I really liked this.
July 26, 2020
Too many legal terms to well understand it. Women not well portraited and treated.
September 20, 2024
Smallbone Deceased is a witty look at life in a mid-sized law firm in late 1940s London. The firm - Horley, Birney and Craine - specializes in real estate and has a meticulous filing system for deeds and other documents as established by the senior partner. That includes hermetically sealed deed boxes set aside for busy clients. As it turns out, those deeds boxes are also a pretty good place to hide a corpse.
The corpse belongs to Mr. Smallbone, a client of the firm. How did he end up in a deed box? The wire wrapped around his neck gives Inspector Hazlerigg a pretty big clue as to how he got in there. He enlists the help of Henry Bohun, a new solicitor in the firm, to work from the inside and ferret out clues.
This novel offers a decent mystery that is greatly enhanced by rich characters and the author's sparkling wit. Michael Gilbert probably based some of the characters - and their extracurricular activities - on persons or types of persons he knew. That adds so much to this tale. The most interesting character is Henry Bohun, whom I believe appears in other books by Michael Gilbert. We see a bit of his life outside of the mystery and I found his situation most fascinating, made all the better by Gilbert's description of London by night. I would relish additional tales featuring Bohun. The resolution to the mystery is a bit of a letdown - the motive is a bit nebulous - but nevertheless is an entertaining experience. I hope more of Gilbert's work makes it back into print.
The corpse belongs to Mr. Smallbone, a client of the firm. How did he end up in a deed box? The wire wrapped around his neck gives Inspector Hazlerigg a pretty big clue as to how he got in there. He enlists the help of Henry Bohun, a new solicitor in the firm, to work from the inside and ferret out clues.
This novel offers a decent mystery that is greatly enhanced by rich characters and the author's sparkling wit. Michael Gilbert probably based some of the characters - and their extracurricular activities - on persons or types of persons he knew. That adds so much to this tale. The most interesting character is Henry Bohun, whom I believe appears in other books by Michael Gilbert. We see a bit of his life outside of the mystery and I found his situation most fascinating, made all the better by Gilbert's description of London by night. I would relish additional tales featuring Bohun. The resolution to the mystery is a bit of a letdown - the motive is a bit nebulous - but nevertheless is an entertaining experience. I hope more of Gilbert's work makes it back into print.
April 11, 2019
This entertaining mystery is set in a London lawyers' office and has strong parallels with Sayers' Murder Must Advertise in its depiction of the cut and thrust of office politics. Michael Gilbert had genuinely worked in a law firm and I must admit I prefer his book to Sayers', which rather smacks you around the head with its authenticity.
As with MMA, the fact that one of the employees at the firm is new allows him to act as an introduction. Henry Bohun is an intriguing figure who apparently appeared in several Gilbert short stories. But there is also a strong police presence from the unspectacular but efficient Inspector Hazelrigg.
The office characters are well-delineated and entertaining and Gilbert is expert at handling the various reveals and stretching out the mystery. The only frustration for me was the philosophical attitude of the female characters, the nicer men and the author himself towards the relentless harassment of women in offices by their superiors. It's just passed off with a wry shrug. But in that respect, it's only of its time, to be fair. Overall, this is an excellent and entertaining puzzle.
As with MMA, the fact that one of the employees at the firm is new allows him to act as an introduction. Henry Bohun is an intriguing figure who apparently appeared in several Gilbert short stories. But there is also a strong police presence from the unspectacular but efficient Inspector Hazelrigg.
The office characters are well-delineated and entertaining and Gilbert is expert at handling the various reveals and stretching out the mystery. The only frustration for me was the philosophical attitude of the female characters, the nicer men and the author himself towards the relentless harassment of women in offices by their superiors. It's just passed off with a wry shrug. But in that respect, it's only of its time, to be fair. Overall, this is an excellent and entertaining puzzle.
January 22, 2020
An excellent book which ticks all the boxes for a classic Golden Age Detective novel - even though strictly speaking it's a bit late being set in 1950. It would equally suit a reader who enjoys good characterization and the minutiae of everyday life in a solicitor's office with all the gossip and hierarchy, and also the reader who enjoys an intricate plot which needs to be followed closely to pick up all the clues, with the detective working methodically through the evidence to establish times and alibis.
I listened to this book through on Audible and the narrator, David Thorpe, was brilliant. He caught the personality of each character and brought them to life as individuals - a good narrator really does make all the difference.
I listened to this book through on Audible and the narrator, David Thorpe, was brilliant. He caught the personality of each character and brought them to life as individuals - a good narrator really does make all the difference.
December 11, 2019
I would have enjoyed this even more if I had any sort of understanding of the British legal system or mortgages... particularly as they worked in the 1950's.
December 2, 2024
by
Michael GilbertFinish date: 02.12.2024
Genre: mystery
Rating: A+++
#Classic British Crime
Reading time: 8,5 hrs.
Good News: I devoured The Name of the Rose, a murder mystery that takes place in a remote medieval abbey in Italy during the fourteenth century. Now, you know how long it has been since I really enjoyed a mystery!
Bad News: Since I'm not a avid reader of CF, I've had no where to look for a good solid 'whodunit'. I just followed the most popular books on the market and have gotten stung once or twice. The popular scandinavian noir books often have blood dripping of every page I am hesitant to pick it up because just when you think it can’t possibly get worse, it does. That put me off this genre.
Good News: Michael Gilbert:...hidden gem for me all these years...has convincded me there is more to CF than meets my unexperienced eye. Smallbone Deceased is a nice legal mystery ...a some what cozy Golden age territory. But I've read M. Gilbert also wrote thrillers that are a bit darker, noirish crimes. I'm looking forward to these books.
Personal: Some die hard mystery/CF aficionados thought this book was overrated..I thought it was terrific. After reading 2 classic British murder mysteries this month which I find more satisfying than a lot of the drivel that is frankly a waste of my time...I've finally found my CF 'niche'. This book had interesting characters,...the pacing was very good and the ending was satisfying. I did not know who the murder wasuntil the last pages, missed ALL the clues in the text!
#ILikeCosyCrimeFiction
June 3, 2017
Henry Bohun has just started work as a newly qualified solicitor with the reputable firm of Horniman, Birley and Craine when a body is found in a deed box. The dead Mr Smallbone's presence threatens to destroy the firm's reputation especially as the police - in the person of Inspector Hazlerigg - start thinking that the death has to have been an inside job.
Hazlerigg decides to trust the delightful Henry Bohun as he started with the firm after the murder and Henry finds himself involved in the investigation and thoroughly enjoying it and providing some well timed information to Hazelrigg. This is a well written and fast paced novel with a brilliant picture of life in a solicitor's office. I loved the writing and the humour and I thought the book was well plotted and I certainly didn't work out who the murderer was though the clues are there.
If you want to read a conventional Golden Age crime story then this fits the bill even though it wasn't published until after World War II. The book is part of the Hazlerigg series but the series can be read in any order.
Hazlerigg decides to trust the delightful Henry Bohun as he started with the firm after the murder and Henry finds himself involved in the investigation and thoroughly enjoying it and providing some well timed information to Hazelrigg. This is a well written and fast paced novel with a brilliant picture of life in a solicitor's office. I loved the writing and the humour and I thought the book was well plotted and I certainly didn't work out who the murderer was though the clues are there.
If you want to read a conventional Golden Age crime story then this fits the bill even though it wasn't published until after World War II. The book is part of the Hazlerigg series but the series can be read in any order.
August 24, 2017
Talmente British che alla fine viene da esclamare "The cat is on the table!", se vi esce "The cat is under the table" non fa per voi, la vostra visione malinconica dell'esistenza vi obbliga a un Chandler, se invece dite soddisfatti "The cat is under the car" mentre mettete in moto la macchina è meglio non frequentarvi.
January 9, 2021
I really enjoyed this mystery set in England in the Inspector Hazlerigg series. I have never read this series before, but that didn't detract from the story. I love this type of mystery, where the inspector has to sort through a myriad of clues to find the identity of the killer and the means, motive and opportunity for the crime.
July 21, 2024
An enjoyable and humorous romp of a legal mystery. Can be mentioned in the same breath with the glorious Sarah Caudwell, though Gilbert is more accessible than Caudwell whose attorneys engage in highly mannered and abstruse (though endlessly comedic) conversations. This was my first by Gilbert and I will be seeking more; he was apparently both prolific and varied.
December 5, 2019
I was so wrong about who done and it was great!
"Now look here Inspector, Mr. Birley said in his most intimidating voice, "I can understand that you have to ask questions about this-er-death and about Smallbone and his affairs and so on. But questions about private workings of my firm, I cannot and will not tolerate. If you persist in wasting my time and my staff's time in investigating matters which have no possible connection with this er-death then I will have no alternative but to speak to the Commissioner-close personal friend of mine."
"I am here," said Inspector Hazelrigg without heat and without much rancour, "to investigate a murder. I shall question whom I like when I like and about what I like. If you inconvenience me in any way I shall apply for an order to close this building, and no business will be able to be transacted until I have finished my investigation. And if you would like a word with the Commissioner, ring Whitehall 1212 and ask for extension 9. I will see that you get put through."
"Now look here Inspector, Mr. Birley said in his most intimidating voice, "I can understand that you have to ask questions about this-er-death and about Smallbone and his affairs and so on. But questions about private workings of my firm, I cannot and will not tolerate. If you persist in wasting my time and my staff's time in investigating matters which have no possible connection with this er-death then I will have no alternative but to speak to the Commissioner-close personal friend of mine."
"I am here," said Inspector Hazelrigg without heat and without much rancour, "to investigate a murder. I shall question whom I like when I like and about what I like. If you inconvenience me in any way I shall apply for an order to close this building, and no business will be able to be transacted until I have finished my investigation. And if you would like a word with the Commissioner, ring Whitehall 1212 and ask for extension 9. I will see that you get put through."
August 30, 2016
4.5⭐️
An excellent mystery revolving around a law firm.
An excellent mystery revolving around a law firm.
December 18, 2019
Really good offering from the BLCC. Recommend.
June 16, 2025
Smallbone Deceased (Inspector Hazlerigg #4) by Michael Gilbert
A British Library Crime Classics republication in 2019 by Poison Pen Press. Origiinally published in 1950.
This is a clever mystery that primarily takes place in and involves the staff of a London Law firm around 1950 (with all the 1940s and 50s sexism and class distinctions. Although the firm mostly has catered to the posh set, it appears that the most lucrative times have passed by and their is tarnish where there was once polished brass. This one kept my attention and I admit I remained misdirected in my attempts to solve the two murders that are involved right up to the final pages.
I think this one would most appeal to those who have some background in British law although I did not feel like I was floundering and I was not familiar with some of the Britishisms. Overall, a satisfying mystery and recommended. Easily garners four stars.
A British Library Crime Classics republication in 2019 by Poison Pen Press. Origiinally published in 1950.
This is a clever mystery that primarily takes place in and involves the staff of a London Law firm around 1950 (with all the 1940s and 50s sexism and class distinctions. Although the firm mostly has catered to the posh set, it appears that the most lucrative times have passed by and their is tarnish where there was once polished brass. This one kept my attention and I admit I remained misdirected in my attempts to solve the two murders that are involved right up to the final pages.
I think this one would most appeal to those who have some background in British law although I did not feel like I was floundering and I was not familiar with some of the Britishisms. Overall, a satisfying mystery and recommended. Easily garners four stars.
April 25, 2025
I’m reading from the British Mystery Classics collection and this is on Kindle Unlimited right now. It’s brilliant! I was completely immersed in the lives of this small group of very interesting people. The murder (s) is almost beside the point. Henry Bohun is such a great character. It’s post war London. Just reading about how they lived ten years after the war, still on rationing, everyone walks everywhere, women in the workplace. Fascinating! Throw in an impossible murder and you’ve got a great book. The language is wonderful. So different from modern English. So many words I’d never seen before. I love an author who’s smarter than I am and makes me work. It’s also really funny. This is a murder mystery that I will want a hard copy of so I can mark it up and reread it. It’s that good.
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