The Executor

Keith Calder #10

by Gerald Hammond

Gerald Hammond’s latest novel delivers a brisk new adventure for Keith Calder, the rakish ex-poacher and gunsmith, and introduces an attractive new sleuth, Calder’s daughter Deborah. Keith’s friend and customer Robin Winterton has been murdered, and—almost as shocking to Keith—his not-so grieving widow has sold Winterton’s superb antique gun collection to a knocker for a fraction of its worth. As executor of Winterton’s estate, Calder tries to track down the guns. He soon comes across some facts at variance with the prevailing theory that Winterton was killed by a casual thief. Further investigation uncovers blackmail, violence, and more than one skeleton in the Winterton family closet. As Hammond fans have come to expect, The Executor is a fast-moving, intricate, and satisfying thriller. Gerald Hammond lives and works in Scotland, the setting for his Keith Calder novels. He also writes as Arthur Douglas.

Genres: Mystery

155 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 1987

About the author

Gerald Hammond, (Gerald Arthur Douglas Hammond) son of Frederick Arthur Lucas (a physician) and Maria Birnie (a nursing sister) Hammond; married Gilda Isobel Watt (a nurse), August 20, 1952; children: Peter, David, Steven. Education: Aberdeen School of Architecture, Dip. Arch., 1952. He served in the British Army, 1944-45. Although born in Bournemouth, Hampshire, England, he worked in and retired to the country he most loved, Scotland.

He also writes under the names of Arthur Douglas and Dalby Holden. He was an architect for thirty years before retiring to write novels full-time in 1982. He has written over 50 novels since the late 1960s.

His novels center around guns, shooting, hunting, fishing, and dog training.

Reviews

[Viva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spoilers ahead. An elderly customer of Calder's, Robin Winterton has been killed in a home break in. Calder is his executor because most of his assets is in his £500k antique gun collection which includes 2 priceless Scottish snaphaunce muskets. Unfortunately it seems that a couple of days after his death, his widow unknowingly sold them to a door to door knocker for only £200. As the widow did not have permission to dispose of items from the estate, it's now Calder's self appointed duty to get the collection back before they vanish into unscrupulous collectors' hands.

The first clue is the identity of the knocker, and he's quickly identified but he's murdered before anyone can get to him. Further muddling up the situation is the appearance of Danny Bruce a well known fence who is involved in this somehow. Calder has to fend off Bruce's tough as well as members of Winterton's extended family, all of whom want to get their hands on the money, including the widow.

This is a super short book, only about 12-13 chapters and I finished it in a day.

[Evonne Hutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gerald Hammond's mysteries never fail to intrigue and enthrall! This one is no different.
Keith is named as executor to a friends estate. Before he could start his duty a valuable part of the inheritance disappears.
And the fun begins!
A tightly woven story with exceptional characters.