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Inspector Hugh Collier #6
The Strange Case of Harriet Hall
We’ve managed to head off the Press men so far. But that won’t last. We can’t escape publicity, and the reading public enjoys murders.”
Harriet Hall, living in her isolated cottage outside the village of Larnwood, might not have been everyone’s cup of tea, but why did someone feel the need to kill her on the eve of the arrival of her young niece, Amy? Why had the likeable Deene family seemingly been so in thrall to the late Harriet? The innocent in this classic murder mystery have every reason to be grateful for Inspector Collier of Scotland Yard’s involvement, given the incompetent behavior of the local Chief Constable. But as Collier’s investigation deepens, the case gets stranger still. Finally, however, the guilty are punished – though readers will have to read through to the book’s final, quietly devastating chapter to see just how.
Harriet Hall, living in her isolated cottage outside the village of Larnwood, might not have been everyone’s cup of tea, but why did someone feel the need to kill her on the eve of the arrival of her young niece, Amy? Why had the likeable Deene family seemingly been so in thrall to the late Harriet? The innocent in this classic murder mystery have every reason to be grateful for Inspector Collier of Scotland Yard’s involvement, given the incompetent behavior of the local Chief Constable. But as Collier’s investigation deepens, the case gets stranger still. Finally, however, the guilty are punished – though readers will have to read through to the book’s final, quietly devastating chapter to see just how.
232 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1936
104 people are currently reading
143 people want to read
About the author
Moray Dalton
36 books25 followersPseudonym of Katherine Mary Deville Dalton Renoir (1881-1963)
Katherine Dalton was born in Hammersmith, London in 1881, the only child of a Canadian father and English mother. The author wrote two well-received early novels, Olive in Italy (1909), and The Sword of Love (1920). However, her career in crime fiction did not begin until 1924, after which Moray Dalton published twenty-nine mysteries, the last in 1951. The majority of these feature her recurring sleuths, Scotland Yard inspector Hugh Collier and private inquiry agent Hermann Glide. Moray Dalton married Louis Jean Renoir in 1921, and the couple had a son a year later. The author lived on the south coast of England for the majority of her life following the marriage. She died in Worthing, West Sussex, in 1963.
Katherine Dalton was born in Hammersmith, London in 1881, the only child of a Canadian father and English mother. The author wrote two well-received early novels, Olive in Italy (1909), and The Sword of Love (1920). However, her career in crime fiction did not begin until 1924, after which Moray Dalton published twenty-nine mysteries, the last in 1951. The majority of these feature her recurring sleuths, Scotland Yard inspector Hugh Collier and private inquiry agent Hermann Glide. Moray Dalton married Louis Jean Renoir in 1921, and the couple had a son a year later. The author lived on the south coast of England for the majority of her life following the marriage. She died in Worthing, West Sussex, in 1963.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
February 27, 2019
I picked up ‘The Strange Case of Harriet Hall’ because I loved the title, and because I was intrigued by the premise, and because I saw echoes of another author of the period whose books I love in the premise and in the cover art.
When I started to read I realised that those echoes were faint and I came to love this book for its own sake.
It begins with Amy Steer, who is alone in the world. She has lodgings in London, she has been doing the rounds of employment agencies and scanning newspaper advertisements with little success; and her unsympathetic landlady has noticed her situation and wants her out. She has no idea what she should do when she notices an advertisement in the personal column of the newspaper she is scanning, advising that relatives of Julius Horace Steer who responded could discover something to their advantage
That was the distinctive name of Amy’s father, who had died when she was just two years old. She quickly pens a response, and a few days later finds herself meeting Mrs Harriet Hall, the aunt she never knew that she had.
Amy’s new aunt explains she is her father’s sister, and that her advertisement had been running in the newspaper. And that she lived quietly in the country, thanks to the kindness of old friends.
She had been close to her nephew but they had become estranged, then she had remembered that her brother had left a daughter, and now she was inviting her niece to come and share her home in Larnwood.
Amy was taken aback. Harriet Hall – tall, eccentrically clad and heavily made-up – was not the sort of aunt she had expected; but of course, she reminded herself, her mother had never spoken to her about her father’s family, and she had been greeted so warmly and presented with a generous gift of £100 to suitable clothes and to cover her train fare.
A few days later Amy was sitting on a train with a trunk full of lovely new clothes. She struck up a conversation with a young man sitting nearby. He introduced himself as Tony Dene, they got on wonderfully well; but when he found that they were travelling to the same station and that she was the niece of Mrs Harriet Hall, his whole demeanour changed and he began to pull away from her.
Disembarking at Larnwood station, Amy found herself alone on the platform. Tony Dene had rushed off without a word and nobody had come to greet her. She set out to walk the five miles to her aunt’s isolated cottage, telling herself that there must have been a misunderstanding over that time or date of her arrival.
When Amy reached her destination the door was open, the kitchen stove was warm, but her aunt was nowhere to be seen. She settled down to wait, but nobody came to the cottage, and so the next morning she set out to the Dower House, where her aunt’s friends lived.
The Dene family had bought the Dower House, not very long ago, and their reaction to her news was not at all what she had expected. Mrs Dene seemed nervous and in thrall to Mrs Hall, rather than showing the concern of a friend. Tony and his younger sister Molly made no secret of their dislike, and their older sister Lavvy, who was beautiful but brittle,and her mother’s favourite, expressed similar views.
Amy had been worried already and the reactions of the Dene family worried her even more, but she didn’t have much time to think about what the truth of the whole situation might be, because Tony – sent to check the cottage – found a corpse in the well at the bottom of the garden.
The local police were called in, they investigated slowly, steadily and systematically. It seemed that there were a number of suspects and that none of them had a decent alibi.
The Lord and Lady of the Manor were not at all happy. They disapproved of the engagement of their son and heir to Lavvy Dene, the daughter of an unknown family who bought rather than inherited properly, and now her family were caught up in a murder enquiry. They called the Chief Constable and he called in Scotland Yard.
Meanwhile, Amy realised that her own situation looked rather suspicious. She also realised that she had next to no money left, because she had counted on the support of her aunt, and because the police had told her not to leave the district she had to find some way of earning her living locally.
The plot that unfolds is well constructed, it had some interesting elements that I haven’t come across in a Golden Age mystery before, and a nice mix of things that I could work out and wonderful surprises.
I liked Inspector Hugh Collier of Scotland Yard – who I believe is a series character. He was a capable professional, he was a decent and compassionate man, and he worked steadily and without any undue fuss. All of the characters and relationships were well drawn, and very effectively deployed.
There was much in the heroine’s situation and in the development of – and obstacles to – romance that made me think of Patricia Wentworth’s books; but the way the story developed was quite different and the heroine thought and acted for herself rather more effectively than most of the Patricia Wentworth heroines I have met.
I’m not sure what Miss Silver would have made of this mystery, but I think that anyone who had enjoyed following her cases would also enjoy this book.
The story is well told, the mystery is memorable, and I definitely want to read more by its author.
When I started to read I realised that those echoes were faint and I came to love this book for its own sake.
It begins with Amy Steer, who is alone in the world. She has lodgings in London, she has been doing the rounds of employment agencies and scanning newspaper advertisements with little success; and her unsympathetic landlady has noticed her situation and wants her out. She has no idea what she should do when she notices an advertisement in the personal column of the newspaper she is scanning, advising that relatives of Julius Horace Steer who responded could discover something to their advantage
That was the distinctive name of Amy’s father, who had died when she was just two years old. She quickly pens a response, and a few days later finds herself meeting Mrs Harriet Hall, the aunt she never knew that she had.
Amy’s new aunt explains she is her father’s sister, and that her advertisement had been running in the newspaper. And that she lived quietly in the country, thanks to the kindness of old friends.
She had been close to her nephew but they had become estranged, then she had remembered that her brother had left a daughter, and now she was inviting her niece to come and share her home in Larnwood.
Amy was taken aback. Harriet Hall – tall, eccentrically clad and heavily made-up – was not the sort of aunt she had expected; but of course, she reminded herself, her mother had never spoken to her about her father’s family, and she had been greeted so warmly and presented with a generous gift of £100 to suitable clothes and to cover her train fare.
A few days later Amy was sitting on a train with a trunk full of lovely new clothes. She struck up a conversation with a young man sitting nearby. He introduced himself as Tony Dene, they got on wonderfully well; but when he found that they were travelling to the same station and that she was the niece of Mrs Harriet Hall, his whole demeanour changed and he began to pull away from her.
Disembarking at Larnwood station, Amy found herself alone on the platform. Tony Dene had rushed off without a word and nobody had come to greet her. She set out to walk the five miles to her aunt’s isolated cottage, telling herself that there must have been a misunderstanding over that time or date of her arrival.
When Amy reached her destination the door was open, the kitchen stove was warm, but her aunt was nowhere to be seen. She settled down to wait, but nobody came to the cottage, and so the next morning she set out to the Dower House, where her aunt’s friends lived.
The Dene family had bought the Dower House, not very long ago, and their reaction to her news was not at all what she had expected. Mrs Dene seemed nervous and in thrall to Mrs Hall, rather than showing the concern of a friend. Tony and his younger sister Molly made no secret of their dislike, and their older sister Lavvy, who was beautiful but brittle,and her mother’s favourite, expressed similar views.
Amy had been worried already and the reactions of the Dene family worried her even more, but she didn’t have much time to think about what the truth of the whole situation might be, because Tony – sent to check the cottage – found a corpse in the well at the bottom of the garden.
The local police were called in, they investigated slowly, steadily and systematically. It seemed that there were a number of suspects and that none of them had a decent alibi.
The Lord and Lady of the Manor were not at all happy. They disapproved of the engagement of their son and heir to Lavvy Dene, the daughter of an unknown family who bought rather than inherited properly, and now her family were caught up in a murder enquiry. They called the Chief Constable and he called in Scotland Yard.
Meanwhile, Amy realised that her own situation looked rather suspicious. She also realised that she had next to no money left, because she had counted on the support of her aunt, and because the police had told her not to leave the district she had to find some way of earning her living locally.
The plot that unfolds is well constructed, it had some interesting elements that I haven’t come across in a Golden Age mystery before, and a nice mix of things that I could work out and wonderful surprises.
I liked Inspector Hugh Collier of Scotland Yard – who I believe is a series character. He was a capable professional, he was a decent and compassionate man, and he worked steadily and without any undue fuss. All of the characters and relationships were well drawn, and very effectively deployed.
There was much in the heroine’s situation and in the development of – and obstacles to – romance that made me think of Patricia Wentworth’s books; but the way the story developed was quite different and the heroine thought and acted for herself rather more effectively than most of the Patricia Wentworth heroines I have met.
I’m not sure what Miss Silver would have made of this mystery, but I think that anyone who had enjoyed following her cases would also enjoy this book.
The story is well told, the mystery is memorable, and I definitely want to read more by its author.
July 21, 2020
So... Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham and Ngaio Marsh were considered the three queens of the golden age of mysteries. Well all three have been just alright with me. To give them credit each of them created some gems but they all had their share of formula work also, IMHO . So... I have been really happy to learn about Dean Street Press who's mission seems to be to revive a host of golden age mystery writers who were popular in their day but for unknown reason seem to have been forgotten over time. Discovering these writers has renewed my former love of this era of mystery writers.
So.. enter Moray Dalton another female writer who chose to write under a male name. This was my first read by this author and I found it totally enjoyable. Although, I do have to say the denouement was a bit of a disappointment for me. But I can't go into the reasons without potentially spoiling the ending for others.
But.. don't let that discourage you, in fact, If you enjoy golden age detection fiction I would encourage you to check out Moray Dalton as well as Dean Street Press. I'm sure you will not be disappointed.
So.. enter Moray Dalton another female writer who chose to write under a male name. This was my first read by this author and I found it totally enjoyable. Although, I do have to say the denouement was a bit of a disappointment for me. But I can't go into the reasons without potentially spoiling the ending for others.
But.. don't let that discourage you, in fact, If you enjoy golden age detection fiction I would encourage you to check out Moray Dalton as well as Dean Street Press. I'm sure you will not be disappointed.
September 24, 2020
Another new mystery novelist for me and another where it appears reading in order is not required. Although Golden Age in both time and style, this strays somewhat from the usual formula. At the beginning, one would think there is a finite number of suspects, and those would be residents of a country house. But even this gullible reader thought from the beginning that not all is as the standard Golden Age mystery would have you believe. Or was it?
There is no doubt this falls a bit short of Christie and the other Golden Age greats. Still, it is surprising to me that Moray Dalton was nearly allowed to go completely out of print and her titles almost lost and forgotten. She is better than that. The plot is a good one. Young Amy Speer is out of work and very nearly out of money and consequently only a couple of days of being out of a roof over her head. And then she sees an advertisement asking for relatives of her father to reply - which she does. An aunt she did not know existed swoops in, gives her money for clothes and tells her to take a train on Monday to come live with her.
I thought the writing style as good as most of the period - maybe better than some. The characterizations were just OK, perhaps more caricatures actually. But I didn't mind. This was just what I wanted at this time. I will happily read more of this series as the opportunity arises, though it is probably no better than the middle of the 3-stars group.
There is no doubt this falls a bit short of Christie and the other Golden Age greats. Still, it is surprising to me that Moray Dalton was nearly allowed to go completely out of print and her titles almost lost and forgotten. She is better than that. The plot is a good one. Young Amy Speer is out of work and very nearly out of money and consequently only a couple of days of being out of a roof over her head. And then she sees an advertisement asking for relatives of her father to reply - which she does. An aunt she did not know existed swoops in, gives her money for clothes and tells her to take a train on Monday to come live with her.
I thought the writing style as good as most of the period - maybe better than some. The characterizations were just OK, perhaps more caricatures actually. But I didn't mind. This was just what I wanted at this time. I will happily read more of this series as the opportunity arises, though it is probably no better than the middle of the 3-stars group.
March 6, 2020
Enjoyed this story a lot. It certainly is one of the better Golden Age mysteries that I've read. Even though not all the potential suspects were introduced early on, so what? Murder is like that; I think it was more realistc that than the favored ploy of a Poirot in bringing them all together to name the guilty party. That is only in fiction. I also liked Inspector Collier, who was a step above most fictional detectives.
July 31, 2019
Two and a half stars.
Very slow and pedantic to begin with but looked interesting and promising once it got going. Not really possible to say why without spoiling. However, although the author didn't really play fair with the reader parts of the scenario were pretty obvious and the ending was most unsatisfactory. This is one of those plots that could have been made much more of.
Inspector Collier seems to be a nice, humane and likeable sort of policeman. I might try another of her books to see if it is any better.
Rather disappointing.
Very slow and pedantic to begin with but looked interesting and promising once it got going. Not really possible to say why without spoiling. However, although the author didn't really play fair with the reader parts of the scenario were pretty obvious and the ending was most unsatisfactory. This is one of those plots that could have been made much more of.
Inspector Collier seems to be a nice, humane and likeable sort of policeman. I might try another of her books to see if it is any better.
Rather disappointing.
March 10, 2019
A memorable classic mystery, unjustly lost for so long. Full review at classicmystery.blog
March 22, 2019
Intriguing and involving, and, undoubtedly, the best of the five current Dalton re-issues for which DSP and Curtis Evans are to be thanked.
The writing and plotting are sharp, and this reader was certainly as baffled as the immensely likeable Inspector Hugh Collier for most of the novel.
There are a few surprises, and any number of unlovely characters, apart from the two victims. As one expects with '30s English detective novels, there is a lot of irritating reticence and withholding of evidence from the police.There is appalling behaviour by mobs and snobs, as well as a rude and incompetent Chief Constable, and police with fixed ideas about guilt.
The ending is well-done and the guilty are punished. Well...perhaps.
4.5 stars.
The writing and plotting are sharp, and this reader was certainly as baffled as the immensely likeable Inspector Hugh Collier for most of the novel.
There are a few surprises, and any number of unlovely characters, apart from the two victims. As one expects with '30s English detective novels, there is a lot of irritating reticence and withholding of evidence from the police.There is appalling behaviour by mobs and snobs, as well as a rude and incompetent Chief Constable, and police with fixed ideas about guilt.
The ending is well-done and the guilty are punished. Well...perhaps.
4.5 stars.
May 6, 2019
THE STRANGE CASE OF HARRIET HALL, Moray Dalton, 1936
This new Kindle version features an introduction by Curtis Evans. Harriet Hall lives in a small cottage on the rural estate owned by the Dene family, a woman, her two daughters, and a son. For some reason, Mrs. Dene gives in to every demand from Mrs. Hall, allowing her to live rent free in the cottage, and giving her furnishings, food, and money. What hold does she have over Mrs. Dene? When Mrs. Hall's young niece Amy arrives and finds the cottage empty, with Mrs. Hall nowhere to be found, she is worried, because her arrival was expected. When Mrs. Hall's body is later found hidden in an unused well, suspicion quickly falls on the Dene family, especially the son, Tony. The local Chief Constable, fearing a scandal, calls in Scotland Yard. This is actually a lucky break for Tony, because the Chief Constable favors just charging Tony with murder despite the lack of evidence. He figures that with a good enough prosecution, suspicion alone will find him guilty. But for Inspector Collier of Scotland Yard, things aren't so clear cut. The evidence is totally circumstantial, and much of it doesn't make sense. He refuses to opt for easy answers, preferring instead to dig deeper.
This was a marvelous golden age traditional mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed. A woman who has suffered so much, trying hard to better her family's chances and see her beloved daughter well married (though the reader can be sympathetic to her struggles, it is hard to balance that against the woman's total disregard for her other two children). So we have well-developed, sympathetic characters, an interesting plot, and a likeable Inspector--the reader has to respond by rooting for them all. But the puzzle has a few remarkable turns to take before all is revealed, and in truth that doesn't happen until the final paragraph.
This new Kindle version features an introduction by Curtis Evans. Harriet Hall lives in a small cottage on the rural estate owned by the Dene family, a woman, her two daughters, and a son. For some reason, Mrs. Dene gives in to every demand from Mrs. Hall, allowing her to live rent free in the cottage, and giving her furnishings, food, and money. What hold does she have over Mrs. Dene? When Mrs. Hall's young niece Amy arrives and finds the cottage empty, with Mrs. Hall nowhere to be found, she is worried, because her arrival was expected. When Mrs. Hall's body is later found hidden in an unused well, suspicion quickly falls on the Dene family, especially the son, Tony. The local Chief Constable, fearing a scandal, calls in Scotland Yard. This is actually a lucky break for Tony, because the Chief Constable favors just charging Tony with murder despite the lack of evidence. He figures that with a good enough prosecution, suspicion alone will find him guilty. But for Inspector Collier of Scotland Yard, things aren't so clear cut. The evidence is totally circumstantial, and much of it doesn't make sense. He refuses to opt for easy answers, preferring instead to dig deeper.
This was a marvelous golden age traditional mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed. A woman who has suffered so much, trying hard to better her family's chances and see her beloved daughter well married (though the reader can be sympathetic to her struggles, it is hard to balance that against the woman's total disregard for her other two children). So we have well-developed, sympathetic characters, an interesting plot, and a likeable Inspector--the reader has to respond by rooting for them all. But the puzzle has a few remarkable turns to take before all is revealed, and in truth that doesn't happen until the final paragraph.
November 10, 2023
Not my cup of tea, ultimately. Without giving too much away, it was a bit sensational (in the old sense of the term), and the resolution of the case mostly unsatisfying. Secondary characters weren't particularly interesting (nor primary characters, come to think of it), and I pretty much only kept reading on the off-chance that this new-to-me author might build up to something surprisingly fantastic. She didn't.
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, I'm a bit more ruthless.
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, I'm a bit more ruthless.
December 1, 2021
Began brilliantly, though a number of large coincidences must be overlooked, and then sadly descended into melodrama with the maid / nephew story arc, while ending strangely with a punishment for the murderer which wasn't enough to fit the crime. And the most selfish person in the novel got away scot-free. So overall very frustrating.
July 31, 2022
The widowed Mary Dene has extended herself to take up lodgings for herself and her three adult children at the Dower House in order to bring her older daughter, Lavinia together with the titled son of the county's most prominent family. Not long after she is settled, a mysterious "old friend" Harriet Hall, is given the Lodge at Dower House rent free. Harriet's mysterious hold over Mary Dene is evident in the endless supply of furnishings, food and money that are given by - or extorted from - Mrs. Dene.
Amy Steer, jobless and down to her last few shillings, sees a surprising post in an "agony column", seeking any relations to a late Mr. Steer. Amy answers the ad and meets with her long-lost aunt, Harriet Hall, who provides her with money and an invitation to the Lodge.
On the train to visit her aunt, Amy meets Tony Dene, Mrs. Dene's son, who bolts when he learns that Amy is Harriet Hall's relation, and when Amy arrives at the Lodge, it is vacant. The next day Harriet's body is found, then another body is found and author Moray Dalton's series detective Inspector Collier of Scotland Yard takes up the case.
This is a very good Golden Age mystery, with a solid plot twist and strong characterizations. Unfortunately, the weak link is Collier, whose scenes bog down the pace of the book and almost seem like an intrusion. I thought that it would have worked better as an amateur sleuth mystery, with the romantic pair - Tony and Amy - doing the investigation to clear Tony's name, while Mrs. Dene struggles to fight off scandals that would prevent her daughter from marrying into a prominent family. Nothing in the revelations about Harriet, or the climax that results from it would have been lost if Inspector Collier had been eliminated, the story would have proceeded more smoothly, IMHO. Still, it is an entertaining, highly readable mystery with a powerful and ironic epilogue. Worth seeking out, just not as an Inspector Collier tale.
Amy Steer, jobless and down to her last few shillings, sees a surprising post in an "agony column", seeking any relations to a late Mr. Steer. Amy answers the ad and meets with her long-lost aunt, Harriet Hall, who provides her with money and an invitation to the Lodge.
On the train to visit her aunt, Amy meets Tony Dene, Mrs. Dene's son, who bolts when he learns that Amy is Harriet Hall's relation, and when Amy arrives at the Lodge, it is vacant. The next day Harriet's body is found, then another body is found and author Moray Dalton's series detective Inspector Collier of Scotland Yard takes up the case.
This is a very good Golden Age mystery, with a solid plot twist and strong characterizations. Unfortunately, the weak link is Collier, whose scenes bog down the pace of the book and almost seem like an intrusion. I thought that it would have worked better as an amateur sleuth mystery, with the romantic pair - Tony and Amy - doing the investigation to clear Tony's name, while Mrs. Dene struggles to fight off scandals that would prevent her daughter from marrying into a prominent family. Nothing in the revelations about Harriet, or the climax that results from it would have been lost if Inspector Collier had been eliminated, the story would have proceeded more smoothly, IMHO. Still, it is an entertaining, highly readable mystery with a powerful and ironic epilogue. Worth seeking out, just not as an Inspector Collier tale.
June 9, 2019
Amy Steer is excited to be contacted by Harriet Hall, an aunt she never knew she possessed. Although she dislikes and distrusts Aunt Harriet at their first meeting, she accepts her offer to make her come with her at her cottage on a large estate. But when Amy arrives in the cottage as planned, it's deserted. Then Aunt Harriet's body is found in a covered well. So this is a case of murder. But who and why? The police investigation uncovers more than one secret about Aunt Harriet, not the least of which is the strange hold she seemed to have over the charming Dene family on whose estate she lived rent-free. The Dene family consists of Mrs. Dene, whose main concern is with her daughter Lavinia's marriage prospects, Lavinia, a self-centered beauty, a much neglected second daughter, and Tony Dene. Tony and Amy are immediately drawn to each other and set out to help the local constabulary with the investigation.
This was a fun Golden Age mystery by an author I had never heard of. There are some unusual themes here that I won't disclose because of spoilers!
This was a fun Golden Age mystery by an author I had never heard of. There are some unusual themes here that I won't disclose because of spoilers!
January 3, 2023
Discounted | Well written but not great, and not Fair Play | Somewhat complicated Content Warning that has to go behind a tag. Not a lot of admirable or likeable characters here, mostly weak and/or selfish people. But I did like Collier enough to try more by the author.
May 18, 2020
A surprisingly well written mystery novel with great suspense and expertly done characterization.For a book written in 1936 it was crisp,pacy and quite modern in its prose style. Besides having a good central mystery ,it also boasts of an excellent suspense sequence, and totally believable characters .
The detectives are very likable as well.
The book is very modern in its construction and most realistic in many aspects.For example,after reading about 150 old british mysteries ,this was the first time I encountered mob hysteria and inter- departmental conflict described in any detail .
The book was gripping just like a Crofts or Lorac ..I never really felt disinterested .I read a chapter or two whenever I could for the first 40 % and finished the rest in a late night burst.
Highly recommended .4.4 stars.
The detectives are very likable as well.
The book is very modern in its construction and most realistic in many aspects.For example,after reading about 150 old british mysteries ,this was the first time I encountered mob hysteria and inter- departmental conflict described in any detail .
The book was gripping just like a Crofts or Lorac ..I never really felt disinterested .I read a chapter or two whenever I could for the first 40 % and finished the rest in a late night burst.
Highly recommended .4.4 stars.
July 18, 2019
Thoroughly enjoyable!
A bit long-winded in parts, but thoroughly enjoyable nonetheless. Monday's characters in this story are believable and well created, and, just like Marmite, as many are disliked/chargeable as liked/likeable.
Yet again, I missed Miss Dalton's extremely-well-hidden-in-plain-sight clues until it was too late to credit myself with correctly guessing the culpret!!
A nicely rounded off ending too!
The collection of Golden Age crime fiction collated and republished by Curtis Evans et al is a marvellous insight to times gone by, and I for one, am having a whale of a time reading books in this series.
A bit long-winded in parts, but thoroughly enjoyable nonetheless. Monday's characters in this story are believable and well created, and, just like Marmite, as many are disliked/chargeable as liked/likeable.
Yet again, I missed Miss Dalton's extremely-well-hidden-in-plain-sight clues until it was too late to credit myself with correctly guessing the culpret!!
A nicely rounded off ending too!
The collection of Golden Age crime fiction collated and republished by Curtis Evans et al is a marvellous insight to times gone by, and I for one, am having a whale of a time reading books in this series.
December 24, 2020
Plucky young orphan Amy Steer is unemployed and soon to be homeless when she finds an advertisement in a newspaper personals column looking for her. She finds she has a well-off but eccentric aunt who invites her to stay in the country, but when she arrives there, her aunt is missing...
I liked Amy a lot (despite her extreme gullibility at the end) and was sorry we didn't get to spend more time with her. I was way less interested in the other characters, who were all fairly terrible people, and thought the final twist ending wasn't well handled. Still, the book rattles along at a fair old pace and has a few genuinely surprising moments; a good holiday read.
I liked Amy a lot (despite her extreme gullibility at the end) and was sorry we didn't get to spend more time with her. I was way less interested in the other characters, who were all fairly terrible people, and thought the final twist ending wasn't well handled. Still, the book rattles along at a fair old pace and has a few genuinely surprising moments; a good holiday read.
July 4, 2023
This mystery features Inspector Collier again, Dalton's believable and likable Scotland Yard Detective, who is assigned to the case when a woman is found in a well, obviously murdered. The culprit seems obvious, but Collier, who is not as hard-boiled as others of his occupation, is not convinced.
As I have come to expect from Dalton, The Strange Case of Harriet Hall is well-written, intelligent, and entertaining. It also has an engrossing plot which, combined with a fantastic ending, makes for a totally enjoyable read.
As I have come to expect from Dalton, The Strange Case of Harriet Hall is well-written, intelligent, and entertaining. It also has an engrossing plot which, combined with a fantastic ending, makes for a totally enjoyable read.
September 29, 2019
Fascinating golden mystery
This is the way mystery books should all be written. The book was engrossing, well plotted and complex. Characters were well defined and seemingly real. The puzzle was intricate. I enjoyed the book immensely and will read the others by Ms Dalton. So glad this was reprinted.
This is the way mystery books should all be written. The book was engrossing, well plotted and complex. Characters were well defined and seemingly real. The puzzle was intricate. I enjoyed the book immensely and will read the others by Ms Dalton. So glad this was reprinted.
September 20, 2021
From the moment I started this I knew I was going to finish it in one sitting. It just pulled me in right away. Moray Dalton, actually Katherine Dalton Renoir, is a writer from the golden age of detective fiction. I’ll definitely be reading more of her work. Read this if you like police procedurals, plot twists and fast pacing.
October 11, 2023
An interesting mystery with a very surprise twist. That happens early in the book and sets up for an intriguing plot. It loses its way towards the end and comes up with a rather dull resolution. But the characters are well developed and you are invested in them as much as the mystery itself. Overall, a good read, and a distinct representation from the Golden Age of detection.
March 9, 2019
Excellent Golden Age mystery
This was the most unusual old mystery I've ever read. I loved the characters, Amy and Tony and Inspector Collier was very likeable. The Case was intriguing and well paced. I've never read a novel from the 1930's before that dealt with this subject.
This was the most unusual old mystery I've ever read. I loved the characters, Amy and Tony and Inspector Collier was very likeable. The Case was intriguing and well paced. I've never read a novel from the 1930's before that dealt with this subject.
July 29, 2019
A great golden age of detection (GAD) read! Some real surprises in this one and the ending was perfect. The customs of the characters showed the age of the book (1936), but the emotional responses of the characters are as relevant now as they were pre-WWII. A read well worth your time.
June 10, 2019
Another great book by Moray Dalton. I wish there were more I could get by inter library loan.
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September 7, 2019Competently done, but doesn’t prompt me to read more of her books.
February 23, 2020
A bit slow but a pleasant companion for my Sunday.
April 9, 2024
Twisty. One of the most chilling mysteries I have ever read and that ending, whew! Moray Dalton deserves to be more widely known.
July 7, 2019
For my full review click on the link below:
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
December 7, 2020
I really wish that the added postscript on this story hadn't been included in the ebook version on Kindle. It is definitely dated and said some things that are seriously tone deaf in today's society (although I think it was added recently?). It would have been easy enough to leave out since it wasn't included in the original story anyway; it was a psychological interpretation of the mystery's ending added later.
Harriet Hall might be a generally unpleasant person but Amy Steer is delighted that a long-lost aunt has found her. After her mother died, Amy went to London with what little money she had left and the hopes of finding a job. But those hopes, like her bank account, are fading fast. She is delighted that her aunt has asked her up to live with her in the country and given her 100 pounds to go shopping with. On the train ride up, she meets a young man who is pleasing in every way until he finds out the name of her aunt. When he does, he flees.
Amy is disappointed to not see her aunt at the railway station and even more disappointed when she carries her suitcase all the way to her aunt's house only to find the woman gone. The next day, the pleasant young man, Tony Deene, comes over to apologize. But he discovers her aunt's body in the well and that sets off a mystery that isn't particularly fairly clued but was okay to follow.
We really get to know Tony's family as they seem to be the most to gain by having Harriet Hall be dead. But then, something unexpected about Harriet is discovered that seems to turn the whole mystery on its head.
I honestly would have rounded this two and a half star book up to three stars if it hadn't been for the Afterword. I picked this up based on a review by the Classic Mysteries podcast.
Harriet Hall might be a generally unpleasant person but Amy Steer is delighted that a long-lost aunt has found her. After her mother died, Amy went to London with what little money she had left and the hopes of finding a job. But those hopes, like her bank account, are fading fast. She is delighted that her aunt has asked her up to live with her in the country and given her 100 pounds to go shopping with. On the train ride up, she meets a young man who is pleasing in every way until he finds out the name of her aunt. When he does, he flees.
Amy is disappointed to not see her aunt at the railway station and even more disappointed when she carries her suitcase all the way to her aunt's house only to find the woman gone. The next day, the pleasant young man, Tony Deene, comes over to apologize. But he discovers her aunt's body in the well and that sets off a mystery that isn't particularly fairly clued but was okay to follow.
We really get to know Tony's family as they seem to be the most to gain by having Harriet Hall be dead. But then, something unexpected about Harriet is discovered that seems to turn the whole mystery on its head.
I honestly would have rounded this two and a half star book up to three stars if it hadn't been for the Afterword. I picked this up based on a review by the Classic Mysteries podcast.
August 1, 2021
A really good read. Dalton introduces us to Harriet Hall almost immediately - tells us, in her words, what her motivation is in bringing her penniless young relative into her home but that doesn't help us understand at all the real mystery of the situation. This story is Dickensian-lite, in the workings of the plot, the strangeness of the story, and of course the mildly star-crossed young lovers.
The murder is quite horrible. That's what really begins to set Dalton apart from her contemporaries; they have murders at least as horrible, but Dalton's writing somehow makes them starker, more visual.
The murder is quite horrible. That's what really begins to set Dalton apart from her contemporaries; they have murders at least as horrible, but Dalton's writing somehow makes them starker, more visual.
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