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Sir John Appleby #13
A Private View
Sir John and Lady Appleby attend a memorial exhibition of the oils, gouaches, collages and trouvailles of artist Gavin Limbert, who was recently found shot, under very suspicious circumstances. As Assistant Commissioner of Police, Sir John is already interested, but he becomes even more intrigued when Limbert's last masterpiece is stolen from the gallery under his very eyes.
198 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1952
79 people are currently reading
145 people want to read
About the author
Michael Innes
125 books89 followersMichael Innes was the pseudonym of John Innes MacKintosh (J.I.M.) Stewart (J.I.M. Stewart).
He was born in Edinburgh, and educated at Edinburgh Academy and Oriel College, Oxford. He was Lecturer in English at the University of Leeds from 1930 - 1935, and spent the succeeding ten years as Jury Professor of English at the University of Adelaide, South Australia.
He returned to the United Kingdom in 1949, to become a Lecturer at the Queen's University of Belfast. In 1949 he became a Student (Fellow) of Christ Church, Oxford, becoming a Professor by the time of his retirement in 1973.
As J.I.M. Stewart he published a number of works of non-fiction, mainly critical studies of authors, including Joseph Conrad and Rudyard Kipling, as well as about twenty works of fiction and a memoir, 'Myself and Michael Innes'.
As Michael Innes, he published numerous mystery novels and short story collections, most featuring the Scotland Yard detective John Appleby.
He was born in Edinburgh, and educated at Edinburgh Academy and Oriel College, Oxford. He was Lecturer in English at the University of Leeds from 1930 - 1935, and spent the succeeding ten years as Jury Professor of English at the University of Adelaide, South Australia.
He returned to the United Kingdom in 1949, to become a Lecturer at the Queen's University of Belfast. In 1949 he became a Student (Fellow) of Christ Church, Oxford, becoming a Professor by the time of his retirement in 1973.
As J.I.M. Stewart he published a number of works of non-fiction, mainly critical studies of authors, including Joseph Conrad and Rudyard Kipling, as well as about twenty works of fiction and a memoir, 'Myself and Michael Innes'.
As Michael Innes, he published numerous mystery novels and short story collections, most featuring the Scotland Yard detective John Appleby.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
July 12, 2024
This is not one of the masterpieces of detective fiction, but it is a thoroughly enjoyable, fast-paced mystery packed with action.
Fast-paced is not the first term that ordinarily springs to mind in connection with Michael Innes novels; he has a deliberate, rather scholarly style (in his real life he was J. I. M. Stewart, an Oxford don). But in fact, a lot happens here and the action takes place over a single afternoon and night. Along the way, there are plenty of eccentric characters and a tangle of baffling events.
The action opens with Innes’s usual hero, Sir John Appleby—now a high muckety-muck at the C.I.D.—reluctantly attending a posthumous show of paintings by a minor artist at his wife’s insistence. (Appleby’s wife Judith is an artist herself, and we get to see a lot of her over the course of this book.) During the show, under Appleby’s very nose, the artist’s last painting is stolen. Appleby’s dander is up, partly because he knows his colleagues will mock him for presiding over a crime and partly because he scents a mystery after a recently murdered artist’s artwork is stolen. So he sets out to learn more about the artist’s death, first in company with his second in command and then, disastrously, on his own.
Appleby gets into fights and then is sort of voluntarily kidnapped, and meanwhile, Judith gets dragged into the situation and starts doing some detecting of her own. The book is almost evenly divided between the two. This makes it interesting but the structure is also bit problematic because Sir John and Judith are very different people who see the world through different lenses, making the book feel rather uneven. Innes is eminently comfortable in Sir John’s milieu of dry sarcasm, but his attempts to convey Judith’s artistic temperament are less successful. I got a bit tired of formulations like “The whole scene was like an allegory of senseless human violence” and a description of a wounded character reclining on a three-legged couch as “like a study in sordid realism.” Judith was a bit one-note.
The tone is also different in the two sections because Sir John’s activities are invariably described with a degree of humorous detachment and whimsy, while Judith’s section is more serious, bordering on melodrama. I suspect unexamined sexist assumptions are at play here—the man capable and in control, the woman a helpless, vulnerable creature requiring protection.
At the end there intrudes an element of Cold War–era drama, perhaps inevitable in 1952 but I find that such paranoid plot elements haven’t worn particularly well; they often feel like a straying into fantasy. Still, I enjoyed every crazy character and freakish situation, every hair-raising plot twist. This is Innes near the top of his game.
This isn’t a series in the contemporary sense, though Appleby ages and gets promoted over the years and this book especially includes glancing references to past novels. It’s just fine to read the books out of sequence—in fact, I recommend it because some of the early books are quite flabby and you might get discouraged.
NOTE: The title in British markets is A Private View.
Fast-paced is not the first term that ordinarily springs to mind in connection with Michael Innes novels; he has a deliberate, rather scholarly style (in his real life he was J. I. M. Stewart, an Oxford don). But in fact, a lot happens here and the action takes place over a single afternoon and night. Along the way, there are plenty of eccentric characters and a tangle of baffling events.
The action opens with Innes’s usual hero, Sir John Appleby—now a high muckety-muck at the C.I.D.—reluctantly attending a posthumous show of paintings by a minor artist at his wife’s insistence. (Appleby’s wife Judith is an artist herself, and we get to see a lot of her over the course of this book.) During the show, under Appleby’s very nose, the artist’s last painting is stolen. Appleby’s dander is up, partly because he knows his colleagues will mock him for presiding over a crime and partly because he scents a mystery after a recently murdered artist’s artwork is stolen. So he sets out to learn more about the artist’s death, first in company with his second in command and then, disastrously, on his own.
Appleby gets into fights and then is sort of voluntarily kidnapped, and meanwhile, Judith gets dragged into the situation and starts doing some detecting of her own. The book is almost evenly divided between the two. This makes it interesting but the structure is also bit problematic because Sir John and Judith are very different people who see the world through different lenses, making the book feel rather uneven. Innes is eminently comfortable in Sir John’s milieu of dry sarcasm, but his attempts to convey Judith’s artistic temperament are less successful. I got a bit tired of formulations like “The whole scene was like an allegory of senseless human violence” and a description of a wounded character reclining on a three-legged couch as “like a study in sordid realism.” Judith was a bit one-note.
The tone is also different in the two sections because Sir John’s activities are invariably described with a degree of humorous detachment and whimsy, while Judith’s section is more serious, bordering on melodrama. I suspect unexamined sexist assumptions are at play here—the man capable and in control, the woman a helpless, vulnerable creature requiring protection.
At the end there intrudes an element of Cold War–era drama, perhaps inevitable in 1952 but I find that such paranoid plot elements haven’t worn particularly well; they often feel like a straying into fantasy. Still, I enjoyed every crazy character and freakish situation, every hair-raising plot twist. This is Innes near the top of his game.
This isn’t a series in the contemporary sense, though Appleby ages and gets promoted over the years and this book especially includes glancing references to past novels. It’s just fine to read the books out of sequence—in fact, I recommend it because some of the early books are quite flabby and you might get discouraged.
NOTE: The title in British markets is A Private View.
December 20, 2022
For whatever reason, mystery plots involving art smugglers always leave me unsatisfied. But Innes writes skillfully, as evidenced by sentences like "Appleby fed his wife briskly through a revolving door and joined her on the pavement."
June 7, 2021
After someone handed me a copy this novel many years ago, I I sought out everything by Innes I could find. So the book holds a special place in my heart. Innes is not for everyone. He can be positively Jamesian in his convoluted language. He had a weakness for obscure words like "anima-adversion" and "sublunary".
His detective, Inspector Appleby, seems to solve crimes as much by intuition as by clues. Or by reference to literary allusion. (Innes was a professor of literature at Oxford, and it shows). If you read mystery novels for the puzzle, he is not for you. His over forty crime novels are by no means all of comparable quality, either. The last ten or fifteen are markedly inferior. I also disagree with other fans as to the quality of certain much admired individual works. But that is a matter if individual taste, I suppose.
He was learned, imaginative, and often extremely funny. What was particularly special about Innes however, was his sanity and decency, two qualities not usually notable among writers of fiction. For this reason I find his books perfectly soothing to listen to and read, over and over again. And the more I listen to them, the more I find in them, to the point where I seem to believe his characters are alive and that the author was a genius.
His detective, Inspector Appleby, seems to solve crimes as much by intuition as by clues. Or by reference to literary allusion. (Innes was a professor of literature at Oxford, and it shows). If you read mystery novels for the puzzle, he is not for you. His over forty crime novels are by no means all of comparable quality, either. The last ten or fifteen are markedly inferior. I also disagree with other fans as to the quality of certain much admired individual works. But that is a matter if individual taste, I suppose.
He was learned, imaginative, and often extremely funny. What was particularly special about Innes however, was his sanity and decency, two qualities not usually notable among writers of fiction. For this reason I find his books perfectly soothing to listen to and read, over and over again. And the more I listen to them, the more I find in them, to the point where I seem to believe his characters are alive and that the author was a genius.
August 7, 2018
I wasn’t too sure of this book at the beginning but it developed into an engaging and entertaining read. Although the personal element threatened to dominate, Innes never loses the narrative imperative, the clues, the intellectual engagement and the chase. Judith develops from a seemingly focused arty socialite to an observant, determined minor participant.
I found her sleuthing annoying in places - visiting crime scenes in the dark on impulse, for example, taking risks that are likely to end up diverting police resources. On the other hand, this is no more than her trained and respected husband does, so why wouldn’t she?
Against this is the emergence of Cadover as a reliable, clear-thinking, thorough and intelligent operative, restoring some balance, analysis and process, that in the end ensures the information gained from risk can be put to use. This balancing of forms of intelligence, assessment of personality and nuanced psychology is a good part of the book.s strength and charm.
This series has matured and developed in the books I have read - another plus.
My copy was courtesy of Crime Classics , Agora Books and NetGalley
I found her sleuthing annoying in places - visiting crime scenes in the dark on impulse, for example, taking risks that are likely to end up diverting police resources. On the other hand, this is no more than her trained and respected husband does, so why wouldn’t she?
Against this is the emergence of Cadover as a reliable, clear-thinking, thorough and intelligent operative, restoring some balance, analysis and process, that in the end ensures the information gained from risk can be put to use. This balancing of forms of intelligence, assessment of personality and nuanced psychology is a good part of the book.s strength and charm.
This series has matured and developed in the books I have read - another plus.
My copy was courtesy of Crime Classics , Agora Books and NetGalley
September 16, 2015
Probably this 13th entry in the Appleby series only deserves 3.5 stars but it was just the book I needed right now. It was a witty art-based mystery (with a twist at the end) which made me laugh out loud several times. I was pleased to see Judith Appleby play a significant role, not just initiating her husband into the case.
June 23, 2024
I'm afraid this is barely a 2 star from me. The plot of the book would have been good, but it was such an uphill struggle for me. I lost patience with the pathetic pigeon English dialect of the foreigner, and then the notion that a police commissioner would surge ahead in pursuit of a criminal, let alone a whole gang of them without back up, I found ridiculous. And then to top it all, the wife of the commissioner is taken along with the investigating team! I do expect some leeway in fiction but this was just too much.
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March 28, 2022Super fun, my first by Michael Innes and I really liked it. It's very similar to the Ngaio Marsh/Inspector Allyn books with maybe a little hint of The Thin Man thrown in.
November 25, 2024
Very ridiculous, dated waste of time.
January 6, 2021
Sir John Appleby of Scotland Yard is out to lunch with his wife. Finishing their meal, she coerces him to attend a private viewing of art at the DaVinci Gallery. The work is of a recently deceased, modern artist. This wouldn’t matter much except Appleby knows of the death as it was a matter of murder.
During the private viewing, the large show piece is stolen in from of everyone’s eyes. Removed from the wall, loaded into a van and driven away.
Along with the missing abstract, there is a missing Vermeer and a Stubbs — two very valuable works. The latter two pieces were stolen from the estate of the Duke of Horton. Early on, the Stubbs is found in the studio of the dead artist. How and why it is there is part of the mystery.
Appleby is married to a sculptress, so he is no stranger to the Art world, but the characters he meets during his investigation introduce him to even more unusual personalities.
Piecing clues together and keeping up with a strange chase, gives you quite a few threads to keep track of. It is a book to take your time while reading.
During the private viewing, the large show piece is stolen in from of everyone’s eyes. Removed from the wall, loaded into a van and driven away.
Along with the missing abstract, there is a missing Vermeer and a Stubbs — two very valuable works. The latter two pieces were stolen from the estate of the Duke of Horton. Early on, the Stubbs is found in the studio of the dead artist. How and why it is there is part of the mystery.
Appleby is married to a sculptress, so he is no stranger to the Art world, but the characters he meets during his investigation introduce him to even more unusual personalities.
Piecing clues together and keeping up with a strange chase, gives you quite a few threads to keep track of. It is a book to take your time while reading.
December 3, 2013
(It's curious: my copy is actually titled Murder is an Art, noted as previously published as One Man Show. It has also accumulated the title A Private View, somehow.)
It starts off with the Assistant Commissioner and his wife, seemingly Society people, on their way to a private art showing and becoming embroiled in art theft and incidental murder. Experience with Ellery Queen and the like--argumentative upper-crust personages finding unlikely and unnecessarily complicated means of offing one another--made me consider this inauspicious.
Fortunately, this was not so much.
It felt like it expended the core of its mystery about halfway through and was idling for at least a chapter before the pieces came back together, but this was entirely deceptive: .
It starts off with the Assistant Commissioner and his wife, seemingly Society people, on their way to a private art showing and becoming embroiled in art theft and incidental murder. Experience with Ellery Queen and the like--argumentative upper-crust personages finding unlikely and unnecessarily complicated means of offing one another--made me consider this inauspicious.
Fortunately, this was not so much.
It felt like it expended the core of its mystery about halfway through and was idling for at least a chapter before the pieces came back together, but this was entirely deceptive: .
September 1, 2018
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
A Private View (also known as One-Man Show and Murder Is an Art) is the 13th Inspector Appleby mystery by Michael Innes. Originally published in 1952, this re-release from Agora Books 12 July, 2018 is available in ebook format. Other formats are available for previous releases of the book.
This plot manages to incorporate everything and the kitchen sink. Murder, mayhem, big time art theft, espionage, more murder, archetypal murder-mystery-minor nobility (what? I say!), artsy bohemians, thugs, disappearing secondary characters and more.
I really enjoyed this one and finished it in a couple of sittings. The writing hearkens back to a more classical golden age British mystery vibe. Even though the writing's on the very edge of being self indulgent and too sarcastic for its own good, it's gently written and wryly tongue-in-cheek. I found it very appealing and I liked that Lady Appleby was very central to this plot. She got a lot of good scenes.
There were plot twists up to the very last page.
They don't make them like this any more, more's the pity.
Four stars.
Possibly worth noting for Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this release is avaible in the KU library. along with much of the author's oeuvre.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
A Private View (also known as One-Man Show and Murder Is an Art) is the 13th Inspector Appleby mystery by Michael Innes. Originally published in 1952, this re-release from Agora Books 12 July, 2018 is available in ebook format. Other formats are available for previous releases of the book.
This plot manages to incorporate everything and the kitchen sink. Murder, mayhem, big time art theft, espionage, more murder, archetypal murder-mystery-minor nobility (what? I say!), artsy bohemians, thugs, disappearing secondary characters and more.
I really enjoyed this one and finished it in a couple of sittings. The writing hearkens back to a more classical golden age British mystery vibe. Even though the writing's on the very edge of being self indulgent and too sarcastic for its own good, it's gently written and wryly tongue-in-cheek. I found it very appealing and I liked that Lady Appleby was very central to this plot. She got a lot of good scenes.
There were plot twists up to the very last page.
They don't make them like this any more, more's the pity.
Four stars.
Possibly worth noting for Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this release is avaible in the KU library. along with much of the author's oeuvre.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
October 20, 2018
Lady Judith and Sir John Appleby go to a private viewing of paintings by Limbert, a recently murdered artist. Mr. Brown, the proprietor, is trying hard to have John puchase a painting, but suddenly they realize the painting has disappeared. A few hours later, Inspector Cadover and Sir John were talking about The Waterbath Research Station where some school boys had gotten in and taken pictures, and then that the Duke of Horton called about some pictures which were stollen as well as the Limbert which was stollen when Sir John was present. Sir John begins thinking about Limbert's murder and a missing girl in the apartment upstairs, and decides he should investigate things. He soon finds that Limbert had the Duke's stollen Stubbs hanging in his apartment, and that Limbert had also recently bought a canvas of the same size and shape of the stollen Vermeer Aquarium.
They then realized that the death of Limbert was probably related to the stollen Vermeer, and Sir John went into detecting mode. They first talk to Mr. Brown to tell him Limbert's last painting was actually a Vermeer and knew that it had been in Old Moe Steptoe's shop. Thus, his first step was to go to Steptoe's shop. At first it seemed no one was there. However, he finally stirred up Moe, and Moe made a phone call which caused noises down stairs. Appleby manages to overpower Moe and chase downstairs where he jumped in the back of the van which was driving out of the yard. Meanwhile, Judith decides to do some looking around herself.
They then realized that the death of Limbert was probably related to the stollen Vermeer, and Sir John went into detecting mode. They first talk to Mr. Brown to tell him Limbert's last painting was actually a Vermeer and knew that it had been in Old Moe Steptoe's shop. Thus, his first step was to go to Steptoe's shop. At first it seemed no one was there. However, he finally stirred up Moe, and Moe made a phone call which caused noises down stairs. Appleby manages to overpower Moe and chase downstairs where he jumped in the back of the van which was driving out of the yard. Meanwhile, Judith decides to do some looking around herself.
December 9, 2018
I approached this book with some caution having had mixed opinions about the Michael Innes' novels which I have read in the past. I was, however, very pleasantly surprised.
This is an inventive story which begins with Chief Inspector Appleby being taken to the opening of an art exhibition at a gallery by his wife. Whilst there the star exhibit disappears and the mystery begins. The artist has only been dead a matter of days and is though to have committed suicide but when it turns out that a girl who lived in the same shared house has disappeared Sir John starts to take an active interest.
From there the story moves along at a cracking pace with spies and an elderly nobleman joining the cast, and the book does not suffer from the slightly verbose prose of some of the earlier novels. Whilst Sir John does engage in some escapades which most assistant commissioners of Scotland Yard might consider to be jobs more suited to energetic young constables he does so with a style and integrity worthy of his office.
This is not the most complicated story of the age but is a fun and enjoyable adventure in a time when the police and criminals behaved in a more civilised manner. Highly recommended.
This is an inventive story which begins with Chief Inspector Appleby being taken to the opening of an art exhibition at a gallery by his wife. Whilst there the star exhibit disappears and the mystery begins. The artist has only been dead a matter of days and is though to have committed suicide but when it turns out that a girl who lived in the same shared house has disappeared Sir John starts to take an active interest.
From there the story moves along at a cracking pace with spies and an elderly nobleman joining the cast, and the book does not suffer from the slightly verbose prose of some of the earlier novels. Whilst Sir John does engage in some escapades which most assistant commissioners of Scotland Yard might consider to be jobs more suited to energetic young constables he does so with a style and integrity worthy of his office.
This is not the most complicated story of the age but is a fun and enjoyable adventure in a time when the police and criminals behaved in a more civilised manner. Highly recommended.
August 27, 2018
A Private View by Michael Innes starts off well. An amusing look at the art world that leads to a robbery that leads to a murder with what seems to be a finite set of suspects. A perfect set-up for a mystery. And for the first half of the book, it seems to be a typical Golden Age play fair mystery. Even the shift from Sir John's POV to his wife's worked well and her initial work as a detective worked well. But then the tone shifts to more of a thriller/police procedural chase and while I kept reading to see how it all turned out, the final resolution comes more from serendipity rather than any deductions by anyone. It's true everything is explained at the end, but much of the final solution did not relie on clues in the book. The style of the book was enjoyable, and I found the amusing tone and somewhat satiric authorial tone. I enjoyed it more that Operation Pax, the last Michael Innes I read. However in both books, Innes leans more toward the thrillers of Buchan and Sapper than the cozy mysteries of Christie, Sayers, or Marsh.
I received a free review copy via Crime Classics. This did not influence my review.
I received a free review copy via Crime Classics. This did not influence my review.
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May 12, 2021It’s 1951, and Appleby is now Sir John, Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police. The suspicious death has already happened as he and his wife, Judith, Lady Appleby, set off for an art gallery show. In this case the UK title, Private View, is more appropriate than the US One-Man Show. I’m wondering if real Assistant Commissioners are as directly involved in solving cases as Appleby is in this one. Having said that, though, I was also surprised that Judith becomes as directly involved as she does (both seem to seek opportunities for risky behavior). She’s even the focalizing character for much of the book. The levels of criminality in this plot do strain credibility, but it’s still fun.
August 8, 2018
This Appleby a gem
I had read some of the earliest Appleby stories and really liked them. Then I got bogged down in a couple that were very introspective, slow paced and almost boring at times. However not all were like that. So, when I was offered this as a free read for my review, I naturally jumped on it.
Pleasantly surprised was I. I loved the pace, the wrenching involvement of Lady Appleby and the intricacy of the plot. The plotline was so twisted that it was impossible for me to unravel. And I frequently do. But the opening of books like this should always be regarded!
Worth your time, you readers of Golden Age writers!
I had read some of the earliest Appleby stories and really liked them. Then I got bogged down in a couple that were very introspective, slow paced and almost boring at times. However not all were like that. So, when I was offered this as a free read for my review, I naturally jumped on it.
Pleasantly surprised was I. I loved the pace, the wrenching involvement of Lady Appleby and the intricacy of the plot. The plotline was so twisted that it was impossible for me to unravel. And I frequently do. But the opening of books like this should always be regarded!
Worth your time, you readers of Golden Age writers!
August 10, 2018
A very clever written book, and not only is the puzzle intriguing but we et to see more of the family life of Sir John Appleby, a bit older but the same cleverness.
Michael Innes generally always pleases, written in the style of the golden age, this book really appeals to fans of classic mystery fiction. I really enjoy the book, had a lot of trouble putting it down, and when I finished it, I was very satisfied.
Michael Innes generally always pleases, written in the style of the golden age, this book really appeals to fans of classic mystery fiction. I really enjoy the book, had a lot of trouble putting it down, and when I finished it, I was very satisfied.
October 7, 2024
If by "plot" you want a reasonable causation of events, eh, meh. If you want a series of events orchestrated to a shootout in a quarry between four separate parties, this book is for you. As always, don't read Innes for verisimilitude; read him if you like (as I do) absurd situations like a policeman and a thief wildly pitching junk at each other in a junk shop in the dark, or a policeman's wife hiding in a closet that she comes to realise is also occupied by mannequins.
October 14, 2024
A pleasant enough read, but its age is showing. The prose is very good, but as several reviewers have noted it is overly long and filled with cultural references that don't travel well. It is also, like many British thrillers of the time (1952), heavily class-biased, with upper class victims and sleuths hunting down the lower-class criminal gangs. The plot is nice and twisty, although it stretched credibility at times. Still, a decent quick read, but only the once.
December 25, 2024
An easy, fun read; not quite as good as some of the other Inspector Applebys but I still enjoyed the style. As Assistant Commissioner, Appleby wouldn't be expected to tear after suspects but, by pure chance, he happened to be the man on the spot & got plenty of action. His wife Judith has a large role in this one, particularly as she feels responsible for John being in this situation, having dragged him to the One Man Show in the first place. I love the dry humour.
August 24, 2023
A solid mystery that ends up with multiple crooks with different goals all after the same painting. The painting, Aquarium, supposedly by Vermeer, is made-up. This painting also is mentioned in Hamlet, Revenge! and From London Far.
The ending would make a good chase scene in a movie.
The ending would make a good chase scene in a movie.
April 9, 2025
The story provides insight into the police procedures of the 1950’s in London. The characters were not as well defined as I would have liked, but that could be because I was dropping in on the 13th in the series. It was a good story, and I’ll probably look into another of the series.
August 24, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. Delivered as conversation and thought processes. loved including Lady Appleby in the process. I received a copy from Crime Classics. Opinions are my own.
August 31, 2018
This is my favorite to date by Michael. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes Golden Age Crime.
October 24, 2018
Usually I can read books from decades earlier and enjoy them. But this was too slow... too stuffy.. Not at all like. Lord Peter Wimsey, whom I love.
April 30, 2019
Weak plot and characters combined with implausible situations, made for a very disappointing read.
March 24, 2025
a delightful romp of a mystery. Humor and suspense throughout.
August 26, 2019
I am really starting to enjoy Michael Innes’ work; I have read a few of his Appleby novels over the last number of months and each one has been quite distinct in its content and there is a distinctive voice.
However, Appleby novels are unusual in a number of ways, not least that the protagonist although often referred to is not involved in much of the story. In ‘A Private View’ the major player and indeed detective turns out to be Lady Appleby, the wife of the detective (his sister played the major role in a previous novel). Here, a serious crime is dealt with in a serious manor, nevertheless, another unusual feature presented is the well-handled humour in these stories. This does not detract from the serious nature of the crimes, or the genuine sense of peril in some scenes, however I am always caught off-guard by the quantity of slapstick involved…
This may be a truly odd mix of a novel but once again Innes has provided us with an intelligent and intriguing story with enough substance to sustain most readers. And once again I am hooked.
Copy provided by Crime Classics Advance Readers Club
However, Appleby novels are unusual in a number of ways, not least that the protagonist although often referred to is not involved in much of the story. In ‘A Private View’ the major player and indeed detective turns out to be Lady Appleby, the wife of the detective (his sister played the major role in a previous novel). Here, a serious crime is dealt with in a serious manor, nevertheless, another unusual feature presented is the well-handled humour in these stories. This does not detract from the serious nature of the crimes, or the genuine sense of peril in some scenes, however I am always caught off-guard by the quantity of slapstick involved…
This may be a truly odd mix of a novel but once again Innes has provided us with an intelligent and intriguing story with enough substance to sustain most readers. And once again I am hooked.
Copy provided by Crime Classics Advance Readers Club
September 17, 2015
The Appleby mysteries by Michael Innes are always filled with witty descriptions, great period detail, and plenty of coincidences to help get the mystery solved. The emphasis is usually on witty conversation though there is a good deal of action in this one with some good car chases and gun fights. Not at all violent in a lurid or graphic way like some of the current mysteries. Kind of reminds me of those 50's era British comedies from Ealing studios. This is a quick read with a chance to improve your mid 50's English slang vocabulary.
September 2, 2008
Well written, humorous adventure and mystery. His literary style reflects his background as a Professor of English.
“A meticulously elegant style, a dry literary humour, and a slightly absurd (and, indeed, an absurdly slight) plot are the hallmarks of a thriller by Mr. Michael Innes: hallmarks which have been constantly imitated but which remain somehow distinct.”
– Times Literary Supplement, 6th October 1961
“A meticulously elegant style, a dry literary humour, and a slightly absurd (and, indeed, an absurdly slight) plot are the hallmarks of a thriller by Mr. Michael Innes: hallmarks which have been constantly imitated but which remain somehow distinct.”
– Times Literary Supplement, 6th October 1961
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews