What do you think?
Rate this book
Mrs. Bradley #45
A Hearse on May-Day
A Mrs. Bradley mystery in which a small English town is in need of skeletons. First published in 1972.
222 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1972
19 people are currently reading
118 people want to read
About the author
Gladys Mitchell
93 books141 followersAka Malcolm Torrie, Stephen Hockaby.
Born in Cowley, Oxford, in 1901, Gladys Maude Winifred Mitchell was the daughter of market gardener James Mitchell, and his wife, Annie.
She was educated at Rothschild School, Brentford and Green School, Isleworth, before attending Goldsmiths College and University College, London from 1919-1921.
She taught English, history and games at St Paul's School, Brentford, from 1921-26, and at St Anne's Senior Girls School, Ealing until 1939.
She earned an external diploma in European history from University College in 1926, beginning to write her novels at this point. Mitchell went on to teach at a number of other schools, including the Brentford Senior Girls School (1941-50), and the Matthew Arnold School, Staines (1953-61). She retired to Corfe Mullen, Dorset in 1961, where she lived until her death in 1983.
Although primarily remembered for her mystery novels, and for her detective creation, Mrs. Bradley, who featured in 66 of her novels, Mitchell also published ten children's books under her own name, historical fiction under the pseudonym Stephen Hockaby, and more detective fiction under the pseudonym Malcolm Torrie. She also wrote a great many short stories, all of which were first published in the Evening Standard.
She was awarded the Crime Writers' Association Silver Dagger Award in 1976.
Born in Cowley, Oxford, in 1901, Gladys Maude Winifred Mitchell was the daughter of market gardener James Mitchell, and his wife, Annie.
She was educated at Rothschild School, Brentford and Green School, Isleworth, before attending Goldsmiths College and University College, London from 1919-1921.
She taught English, history and games at St Paul's School, Brentford, from 1921-26, and at St Anne's Senior Girls School, Ealing until 1939.
She earned an external diploma in European history from University College in 1926, beginning to write her novels at this point. Mitchell went on to teach at a number of other schools, including the Brentford Senior Girls School (1941-50), and the Matthew Arnold School, Staines (1953-61). She retired to Corfe Mullen, Dorset in 1961, where she lived until her death in 1983.
Although primarily remembered for her mystery novels, and for her detective creation, Mrs. Bradley, who featured in 66 of her novels, Mitchell also published ten children's books under her own name, historical fiction under the pseudonym Stephen Hockaby, and more detective fiction under the pseudonym Malcolm Torrie. She also wrote a great many short stories, all of which were first published in the Evening Standard.
She was awarded the Crime Writers' Association Silver Dagger Award in 1976.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 1, 2021
Folk horror, May day rituals, the horror oh the horror (or maybe not)
A great plot that didn't really get going, we were promised terror and got nothing really.
A good mystery story but definitely not a great one. Mrs Bradley as always arrives, detects and solves but sadly without her usual flair.
A great plot that didn't really get going, we were promised terror and got nothing really.
A good mystery story but definitely not a great one. Mrs Bradley as always arrives, detects and solves but sadly without her usual flair.
May 3, 2023
As it was May Day, I thought this would be a good seasonal read. I have a soft spot for Gladys Mitchell, even though her work is somewhat inconsistent I enjoy how different her detective, Mrs Bradley is and the vastly different tone of the books to others from the time.
This book is full of folklore, disappearances and dodgy going’s on in a country village. Mrs Bradley’s niece (how many relatives does she have!?) is the main protagonist and despite her lack of judgement in luncheon detours and scandalously rapid marriage choices, she’s very endearing.
I love the set up, the village setting and the slightly spooky folklore, but sadly the book is a bit mystery light. Nonetheless I enjoyed it, and suspect it might grow on me with reflection. 3.5 stars!
This book is full of folklore, disappearances and dodgy going’s on in a country village. Mrs Bradley’s niece (how many relatives does she have!?) is the main protagonist and despite her lack of judgement in luncheon detours and scandalously rapid marriage choices, she’s very endearing.
I love the set up, the village setting and the slightly spooky folklore, but sadly the book is a bit mystery light. Nonetheless I enjoyed it, and suspect it might grow on me with reflection. 3.5 stars!
January 29, 2014
Four stars is slightly generous for this book but it is better than three, I think, even if it is a bit far-fetched. Actually it's very far-fetched.
Dame Beatrice is such a great character that the reader can put aside his disbelief that a village such as Seven Wells could possibly exist in the 1970's when it was written.
It is a great tribute to Gladys's skill as a writer that so many of us have given a really rather silly story such good ratings.
I enjoyed it very much but then I am a bit of a Dame Beatrice groupie.
Dame Beatrice is such a great character that the reader can put aside his disbelief that a village such as Seven Wells could possibly exist in the 1970's when it was written.
It is a great tribute to Gladys's skill as a writer that so many of us have given a really rather silly story such good ratings.
I enjoyed it very much but then I am a bit of a Dame Beatrice groupie.
June 26, 2014
This is really somewhere between a three and a four star book but I wasn't bored and it was an outlandish plot so I think my first outing with Dame Bradley was successful.
April 23, 2025
I think I'm not a fan of Gladys Mitchell's writing style - way too dialogue heavy. That kept me from enjoying the book but it wasn't the only thing - the mystery just didn't go anywhere. The first act was excellent, but I found the second act a bit disappointing and the third act a bit better, since it wraps up the loose ends a bit - but there wasn't much to it. I struggled to even get through the third act, I might add.
I'm not sure if I'll ever pick up another book by her again.
I'm not sure if I'll ever pick up another book by her again.
November 3, 2019
Another quite good Gladys Mitchell mystery. This one has an agreeable weirdness throughout and the resolution, though rather abrupt, is plausible and gratifying.
June 17, 2014
A Hearse on May Day (1972) is one of the odder stories in the Mrs. Bradley series by Gladys Mitchell. Mrs. Bradley doesn't really come into the story until about the half-way point and most of the action focuses on her great-niece Fenella. Fenella is traveling across Britain to prepare for her own wedding and by a whim decides to stop in the small village of Seven Wells for lunch. After a fairly tasty meal of chicken salad she returns to her car to continue her journey only to find that it will not start. She knows little of the inner workings of automobiles and must rely on the publican to help her see to her car. It winds up that it cannot be easily fixed and she must spend the night in Seven Wells.
She is warned by everyone she comes across that that evening is "Mayering" eve and that outsiders like her should stay put in their rooms and not even peek out till morning. Well, of course, as soon as Fenella's told not to do something she immediately does--off wandering through the village, running into the Zodiac secret society, being accosted by a young man who seems too interested in her activities to suit her, and becoming aware that the village is apparently running short of skeletons for their top-secret Mayering Eve celebration.
When she later relates her experiences to Mrs. Bradley, her aunt decides to go down to the village and see for herself. It helps that just before May Day the village squire was murdered and Mrs. Bradley is asked to investigate. She begins to suspect that the squire's death may be connected to the village's shortage of skeletons. But would someone really murder the man who had no obvious enemies just to get access to the family crypt and the ancient bones lodged therein? When the remains of five family members come up missing it appears so. Is everything really the way it seems?
A lively late entry in the series which gives a nice view of the small village atmosphere as well as a bit of folklore in connection with May Day observances, the mystery itself is not as strong as it could be. Mrs. Bradley is, as always, fun to watch in action--but there is less of it here than in some of the earlier novels. And, honestly, there isn't much to choose from in the way of suspects, so it shouldn't be too difficult to spot the culprit/s. Great writing and interesting development of the niece and her adventures balance the deficiencies to provide a solid ★★★ outing.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
She is warned by everyone she comes across that that evening is "Mayering" eve and that outsiders like her should stay put in their rooms and not even peek out till morning. Well, of course, as soon as Fenella's told not to do something she immediately does--off wandering through the village, running into the Zodiac secret society, being accosted by a young man who seems too interested in her activities to suit her, and becoming aware that the village is apparently running short of skeletons for their top-secret Mayering Eve celebration.
When she later relates her experiences to Mrs. Bradley, her aunt decides to go down to the village and see for herself. It helps that just before May Day the village squire was murdered and Mrs. Bradley is asked to investigate. She begins to suspect that the squire's death may be connected to the village's shortage of skeletons. But would someone really murder the man who had no obvious enemies just to get access to the family crypt and the ancient bones lodged therein? When the remains of five family members come up missing it appears so. Is everything really the way it seems?
A lively late entry in the series which gives a nice view of the small village atmosphere as well as a bit of folklore in connection with May Day observances, the mystery itself is not as strong as it could be. Mrs. Bradley is, as always, fun to watch in action--but there is less of it here than in some of the earlier novels. And, honestly, there isn't much to choose from in the way of suspects, so it shouldn't be too difficult to spot the culprit/s. Great writing and interesting development of the niece and her adventures balance the deficiencies to provide a solid ★★★ outing.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
May 21, 2014
Fenella - one of Mrs Bradley's many nieces and nephews - is travelling across country to her own wedding when she stumbles across the village of Seven Wells. She stops at the pub - strangely named 'More to Come' - and has lunch. When she gets in her car to continue on her journey it refuses to start.
What follows is a singularly spooky and disturbing tale and Fenella later believes she is lucky to have escaped with her life. Mrs Bradley comes into the story because the local squire has been murdered and Mrs B - after hearing of Fenella's experiences - worms her way into the murder investigation in order to look into the strange goings on at Seven Wells.
I found this a haunting mystery which almost gave me nightmares though it is an excellent and absorbing read involving ancient village customs and some particularly unpleasant characters. If you haven't read any Mrs Bradley books then this would be a good place to start. The writing is of an excellent standard and the plotting intricate and Mrs Bradley is at her perceptive best in this book. The series can be read in any order.
What follows is a singularly spooky and disturbing tale and Fenella later believes she is lucky to have escaped with her life. Mrs Bradley comes into the story because the local squire has been murdered and Mrs B - after hearing of Fenella's experiences - worms her way into the murder investigation in order to look into the strange goings on at Seven Wells.
I found this a haunting mystery which almost gave me nightmares though it is an excellent and absorbing read involving ancient village customs and some particularly unpleasant characters. If you haven't read any Mrs Bradley books then this would be a good place to start. The writing is of an excellent standard and the plotting intricate and Mrs Bradley is at her perceptive best in this book. The series can be read in any order.
January 3, 2017
Fenella is traveling across England, getting ready for her wedding in two weeks. But she decides to take a detour and lunches in the small village of Seven Wells. While she's there, her newly-serviced car oddly stops working and she's forced to spend the night in the village. But she's repeatedly reminded that it's May Day and then told it's best for her if she just stays in her room for the night. But Fenella is nobody's fool and decides that she's going out whether people want her to or not. And she experiences the strangest night first blundering into a room where everyone is masked with signs of the Zodiac. Then she finds some bodies in the cellar and encounters a mysterious man who helps get her back home.
But then when she comes back (after having dumped first fiance and then married mysterious man), someone else is running the pub and she's suspicious about what is going on. When she tells the story to her great aunt, Dr. Beatrice Lestrange Bradley is brought into the case.
I heard about this book on The Classic Mysteries podcast and am glad I got the chance to read it.
But then when she comes back (after having dumped first fiance and then married mysterious man), someone else is running the pub and she's suspicious about what is going on. When she tells the story to her great aunt, Dr. Beatrice Lestrange Bradley is brought into the case.
I heard about this book on The Classic Mysteries podcast and am glad I got the chance to read it.
May 12, 2012
Another classic Gladys Mitchell mystery with lots of red herrings and weird pagan rites muddy the waters but Dame Beatrice is at her best in finding the solution.
March 27, 2017
While the mystery itself was a bit lack lustre, the journey we went on was very enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews