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Weekend at Thrackley
Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"Bubbly social satire sets off a clockwork plot." —Booklist STARRED review
'I'm taking a revolver to Thrackley. You never know with blokes like Carson. I hate these harmless, potty people—they're always up to something.'
Jim Henderson is one of six guests summoned by the mysterious Edwin Carson, a collector of precious stones, to a weekend party at his country house, Thrackley. The house is gloomy and forbidding but the party is warm and hospitable—except for the presence of Jacobson, the sinister butler. The other guests are wealthy people draped in jewels; Jim cannot imagine why he belongs in such company.
After a weekend of adventure—with attempted robbery and a vanishing guest—secrets come to light and Jim unravels a mystery from his past.
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1934
56 people are currently reading
534 people want to read
About the author
Alan Melville
26 books13 followersAlan Melville was an English broadcaster, writer, actor, raconteur, producer, playwright and wit.
There are multiple authors with this name.
There are multiple authors with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 182 reviews
August 31, 2022
I picked this up for a group read and knowing that it was somewhat of a Golden Age mystery, I was prepared to not take it too seriously. I was delighted with it! It was amusing and not the usual manor house weekend party with a dead body. A quirky fun read!
December 15, 2018
I'm taking a revolver to Thrackley. You never know with blokes like Carson. A bit potty, but otherwise quite harmless. and I hate these harmless, potty people. They're always up to something.
~Freddie Usher
As Martin Edwards tells us in his excellent introduction*, Weekend at Thrackley was Melville's mystery debut. And what a debut. Melville gives us that old stand-by of the Golden Age--the country house mystery--with an interesting twist. There is no murder whatsoever until quite near the end and then there is no mystery at all about who did it. That's not the real mystery at all. The real mystery is why on earth did Edwin Carson, infamous jewel collector (some say that his means of acquiring at least a portion of his collection is not exactly...all that it should be), invite Jim Henderson down for a country weekend among a cast of beautiful and wealthy people simply dripping with jewels. Jim's a nice enough fellow. He's reasonably presentable at parties. But wealthy he is not.
Carson's invitation tells Jim that he was a friend of his father's back in the day and he always wanted to get a chance to know his dear friend's boy. Jim's not sure he wants to get to know Carson, but a man in his position isn't likely to turn down a weekend's free room and board. And when he finds out that his friend Freddie Usher (recent heir to the Usher diamonds, hence Carson's interest) has been invited as well, he's all set to go. Viewing the forbidding exterior of Thrackley and meeting Carson, an ugly man whose eyes one never sees, makes him wonder at the wisdom of his decision.
They were hidden by steel-rimmed spectacles, the lenses of which were so thick and so powerful that they made the eyes behind them almost invisible. Somehow one felt, rather than saw, the eyes of Edwin Carson. Jacobson [the butler] always felt at a cruel disadvantage when talking to him: like a mouse being watched by a cat in the dark, unable to see the thing that was staring at it, conscious all the time that every movement was being watched.
Yes, meeting Carson and the even uglier butler as well as the bruisers who serve as house servants certainly gives Jim pause. As the weekend progresses, Jim discovers hidden microphones, servants who aren't what they seem, and that the guests' jewels are disappearing right and left. And then one of the guests disappears....Jim would love to go for help, but there's just one catch: An electrified fence surrounds the country house and no one can leave until Carson allows it. Will Carson make off with everyone's jewels? Will Jim find out Carson's ulterior motive in inviting him for the weekend? Will justice prevail? You'll just have to read it and see.
So what's so great about this one? Well, this debut novel does not read like a debut novel to me. Melville has characterization down pat. His dialogue is funny and charming. And overall this is a downright funny mystery. Martin Edwards mentions the influence of A. A. Milne's The Red House Mystery on this novel (and I can see the connections Martin is making). But even more I see the influence of P. G. Wodehouse. The breezy dialogue (particularly between Jim and Freddie) and characters especially remind me of Wodehouse's Blandings Castle novels. Catherine Lady Stone could have come motoring over from Blandings instead of venturing out of London. The humorous interactions between the characters--from Jim's relationship with his landlady, Mrs. Bertram
"Good-bye, dearie," said Mrs. Bertram. "Take care of yourself, now." (For if half of what you read in the papers were true, you never could tell with these house-parties.)
to his friendship with Freddie Usher
...Freddie Usher and I went to the same school, which can usually be trotted out as an excuse for pinching another man's automobile.
to the scenes between Carson and his servants and the scenes among the dinner guests--these interactions are all worth the price of admission.
One other draw is the character of Carson's daughter. She appears as a light romantic love interest for Jim Henderson, but Melville also makes her more than just the girl to ride off into the sunset with the hero. Mary Carson plays a vital role in the resolution of the story and is far from the helpless female in need of saving. She is a very capable young woman who The Daily Observer, Mrs. Bertram's favorite newspaper, will identify as the "Girl Who Helped Outwit Dangerous Criminal."
I know I have a delightful book in hand when I am jotting down quotes right and left. I had to stop jotting--I would have been copying nearly 80% of the book. And I certainly could load this write up with many more than what I have sprinkled about. This gets such a high rating based, in large part, upon its sheer readability, Melville's way with characters & dialogue, and the fact that it was just plan good fun. 4.5 stars
*You seriously need to get hold of this book and read the introduction where Martin does a much better job than I informing the reader about Melville and his work.
[First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
~Freddie Usher
As Martin Edwards tells us in his excellent introduction*, Weekend at Thrackley was Melville's mystery debut. And what a debut. Melville gives us that old stand-by of the Golden Age--the country house mystery--with an interesting twist. There is no murder whatsoever until quite near the end and then there is no mystery at all about who did it. That's not the real mystery at all. The real mystery is why on earth did Edwin Carson, infamous jewel collector (some say that his means of acquiring at least a portion of his collection is not exactly...all that it should be), invite Jim Henderson down for a country weekend among a cast of beautiful and wealthy people simply dripping with jewels. Jim's a nice enough fellow. He's reasonably presentable at parties. But wealthy he is not.
Carson's invitation tells Jim that he was a friend of his father's back in the day and he always wanted to get a chance to know his dear friend's boy. Jim's not sure he wants to get to know Carson, but a man in his position isn't likely to turn down a weekend's free room and board. And when he finds out that his friend Freddie Usher (recent heir to the Usher diamonds, hence Carson's interest) has been invited as well, he's all set to go. Viewing the forbidding exterior of Thrackley and meeting Carson, an ugly man whose eyes one never sees, makes him wonder at the wisdom of his decision.
They were hidden by steel-rimmed spectacles, the lenses of which were so thick and so powerful that they made the eyes behind them almost invisible. Somehow one felt, rather than saw, the eyes of Edwin Carson. Jacobson [the butler] always felt at a cruel disadvantage when talking to him: like a mouse being watched by a cat in the dark, unable to see the thing that was staring at it, conscious all the time that every movement was being watched.
Yes, meeting Carson and the even uglier butler as well as the bruisers who serve as house servants certainly gives Jim pause. As the weekend progresses, Jim discovers hidden microphones, servants who aren't what they seem, and that the guests' jewels are disappearing right and left. And then one of the guests disappears....Jim would love to go for help, but there's just one catch: An electrified fence surrounds the country house and no one can leave until Carson allows it. Will Carson make off with everyone's jewels? Will Jim find out Carson's ulterior motive in inviting him for the weekend? Will justice prevail? You'll just have to read it and see.
So what's so great about this one? Well, this debut novel does not read like a debut novel to me. Melville has characterization down pat. His dialogue is funny and charming. And overall this is a downright funny mystery. Martin Edwards mentions the influence of A. A. Milne's The Red House Mystery on this novel (and I can see the connections Martin is making). But even more I see the influence of P. G. Wodehouse. The breezy dialogue (particularly between Jim and Freddie) and characters especially remind me of Wodehouse's Blandings Castle novels. Catherine Lady Stone could have come motoring over from Blandings instead of venturing out of London. The humorous interactions between the characters--from Jim's relationship with his landlady, Mrs. Bertram
"Good-bye, dearie," said Mrs. Bertram. "Take care of yourself, now." (For if half of what you read in the papers were true, you never could tell with these house-parties.)
to his friendship with Freddie Usher
...Freddie Usher and I went to the same school, which can usually be trotted out as an excuse for pinching another man's automobile.
to the scenes between Carson and his servants and the scenes among the dinner guests--these interactions are all worth the price of admission.
One other draw is the character of Carson's daughter. She appears as a light romantic love interest for Jim Henderson, but Melville also makes her more than just the girl to ride off into the sunset with the hero. Mary Carson plays a vital role in the resolution of the story and is far from the helpless female in need of saving. She is a very capable young woman who The Daily Observer, Mrs. Bertram's favorite newspaper, will identify as the "Girl Who Helped Outwit Dangerous Criminal."
I know I have a delightful book in hand when I am jotting down quotes right and left. I had to stop jotting--I would have been copying nearly 80% of the book. And I certainly could load this write up with many more than what I have sprinkled about. This gets such a high rating based, in large part, upon its sheer readability, Melville's way with characters & dialogue, and the fact that it was just plan good fun. 4.5 stars
*You seriously need to get hold of this book and read the introduction where Martin does a much better job than I informing the reader about Melville and his work.
[First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
May 23, 2020
Not a whodunnit, more a tale of a criminal mastermind who has a passion for collecting jewels. There are some nice comic touches and some interesting characters.
July 15, 2022
Published in 1934, this is the first mystery published by Alan Melville, who published five mysteries before becoming a television personality in the 1940's/1950's. I am pleased he managed to have a successful career, because this is a delightful mystery and thoroughly deserves being republished.
Jim Henderson was a young man in WWI but, with his career prospects interrupted, he now finds himself a member of the long-term unemployed and living in Mrs Bertram's boarding house. However, into this rather aimless existence comes an invitation to a weekend at a country house. Also invited is Jim's schoolfriend, the Honourable Freddie Usher, the redoubtable Lady Stone, arty twin siblings, Henry and Marilyn Brampton and an Argentinian dancer named Raoul. Their host is Mr Carson, who is an authority in precious stones, his rather alarming staff and a beautiful adopted daughter, Mary, who Jim wisely falls in love with.
Of course, nothing is as it seems and there is an exciting weekend ahead for the inhabitants of Thrackley, which will see many jewels stolen and a few deaths, until everything is nicely wrapped up. I will certainly be exploring more books by this author.
Jim Henderson was a young man in WWI but, with his career prospects interrupted, he now finds himself a member of the long-term unemployed and living in Mrs Bertram's boarding house. However, into this rather aimless existence comes an invitation to a weekend at a country house. Also invited is Jim's schoolfriend, the Honourable Freddie Usher, the redoubtable Lady Stone, arty twin siblings, Henry and Marilyn Brampton and an Argentinian dancer named Raoul. Their host is Mr Carson, who is an authority in precious stones, his rather alarming staff and a beautiful adopted daughter, Mary, who Jim wisely falls in love with.
Of course, nothing is as it seems and there is an exciting weekend ahead for the inhabitants of Thrackley, which will see many jewels stolen and a few deaths, until everything is nicely wrapped up. I will certainly be exploring more books by this author.
May 8, 2023
4.5 ⭐️ What a gripping read! There are so many elements of this that felt unique. We know who the villain is early on and what his crime is but there are still mysterious elements to unravel. I thought Jim Henderson was a likable and believable amateur sleuth, especially since he had been a captain in the war and so presumably had some idea of subterfuge and planning tactics. The murder in this was not a typical murder and it made me so sad. Sophisticated wiring and an elevator also play a big part in the mystery and that was unique as well. Lady Stone was an unexpectedly interesting character. I wish we had gotten more details about certain revelations in the plot but I also thought the story had a perfect bookend beginning and ending. I think this would be a great mystery book club read. There’s a lot to ponder.
June 30, 2018
This was really quite neat. Another Crime Classic from the Golden Age, but this one not so much a Who Dunnit, but more a "How do we get out of this scrape". It has all the elements of a good adventure story and reminded me very much of Allingham. Very entertaining and Praise Be Alan Melville, he actually managed to write a female character that could think for herself. And that in the 1920ies! Impressive.
July 20, 2022
This was fun, and funny, but the tone changed with the first murder, and then the ending petered out and dragged on too long. Read for the Reading the Detectives group August read.
Jim Henderson is a young man struggling financially in London; he lives in a boardinghouse with a gossip-loving landlady who spends a lot of time reading tabloid newspapers. I get the feeling we’re supposed to see her as a delightful and kooky character, as the author opened and closed the book with her.
She was a humorous character, and the light-hearted, witty tone of the book worked at first, and as Jim and his school friend, Freddie, arrive at Thrackley and encounter the other guests invited by the mysterious, reclusive Mr. Carson. These other guests seemed like spoofs of stock characters in GA mysteries - the exotic, sexy foreign performer, the bossy, fund-raising aristocratic lady, the bored, sophisticated artist and writer - and were presented humorously and given good lines to set the stage. Carson is an expert collector of precious jewels, and everyone invited possesses them - except Jim.
It seemed pretty obvious fairly early on what was going on at Thrackley, and why Carson might have invited Jim. Also, once a murder takes place (no spoilers), I felt like the tone changed, and the author tried to maintain the humor, but it seemed to fall a bit flat. He also introduces a “meet cute, insta-love” romance for Jim, but this seemed rather an add-on. At the very end, a Scotland Yard Inspector is brought in, but we already know everything that’s happened and why, so his slow, lumbering doofus act seemed rather pointless. He apparently is brought in only to give Jim the big reveal of why he was invited to Thrackley. Seemed obvious, and a bit of a letdown, and the book should have ended there, but the author inexplicably drags it on to trot out Jim’s landlady again.
Overall, an enjoyable, lightweight GA house party mystery, more for the characters and humor than the plot.
Jim Henderson is a young man struggling financially in London; he lives in a boardinghouse with a gossip-loving landlady who spends a lot of time reading tabloid newspapers. I get the feeling we’re supposed to see her as a delightful and kooky character, as the author opened and closed the book with her.
She was a humorous character, and the light-hearted, witty tone of the book worked at first, and as Jim and his school friend, Freddie, arrive at Thrackley and encounter the other guests invited by the mysterious, reclusive Mr. Carson. These other guests seemed like spoofs of stock characters in GA mysteries - the exotic, sexy foreign performer, the bossy, fund-raising aristocratic lady, the bored, sophisticated artist and writer - and were presented humorously and given good lines to set the stage. Carson is an expert collector of precious jewels, and everyone invited possesses them - except Jim.
It seemed pretty obvious fairly early on what was going on at Thrackley, and why Carson might have invited Jim. Also, once a murder takes place (no spoilers), I felt like the tone changed, and the author tried to maintain the humor, but it seemed to fall a bit flat. He also introduces a “meet cute, insta-love” romance for Jim, but this seemed rather an add-on. At the very end, a Scotland Yard Inspector is brought in, but we already know everything that’s happened and why, so his slow, lumbering doofus act seemed rather pointless. He apparently is brought in only to give Jim the big reveal of why he was invited to Thrackley. Seemed obvious, and a bit of a letdown, and the book should have ended there, but the author inexplicably drags it on to trot out Jim’s landlady again.
Overall, an enjoyable, lightweight GA house party mystery, more for the characters and humor than the plot.
September 17, 2022
A fun read. The author has captured the gloomy dark atmosphere of Thrackley and introduced a quirky set of guests who have arrived for this weekend house party. Not your typical mystery, but a twist at the end.
First published in 1934 the language is very much of that period. I happen to like it, but it’s not for everyone.
First published in 1934 the language is very much of that period. I happen to like it, but it’s not for everyone.
August 30, 2022
I enjoyed most of Weekend At Thrackley very much, although I did think it tailed off rather toward the end.
Published in 1935, this is a variant on the classic country house mystery. It has all the most appealing elements of the genre: an engaging protagonist in Jim Henderson, a variety of well drawn and sometimes amusing characters, a very bad baddie and some romantic interest. The plot is decent and unusual (if scarcely credible in places) and kept things moving nicely, but it is Alan Melville’s style which gave me the most enjoyment here. It is very readable, often wryly amusing and, in the dialogue especially, sometimes very funny. The banter between Jim and his old school friend has a Wodehousian feel to it and it is a huge compliment to Melville that it doesn’t feel like an inferior imitation of the Great Man.
Things did peter out a bit in the last quarter of the book, with some rather over-convenient wrappings-up, but it was still a very engaging read which I can recommend.
Published in 1935, this is a variant on the classic country house mystery. It has all the most appealing elements of the genre: an engaging protagonist in Jim Henderson, a variety of well drawn and sometimes amusing characters, a very bad baddie and some romantic interest. The plot is decent and unusual (if scarcely credible in places) and kept things moving nicely, but it is Alan Melville’s style which gave me the most enjoyment here. It is very readable, often wryly amusing and, in the dialogue especially, sometimes very funny. The banter between Jim and his old school friend has a Wodehousian feel to it and it is a huge compliment to Melville that it doesn’t feel like an inferior imitation of the Great Man.
Things did peter out a bit in the last quarter of the book, with some rather over-convenient wrappings-up, but it was still a very engaging read which I can recommend.
October 15, 2022
I'm just a fan of these British Crime Library Classics, I listened to this on Scribd. Was a very decent mystery, but nothing particularly spectacular. Great for making my chores more interesting I have and will read/listen to more from author and British Crime Library.
August 9, 2018
Jim Henderson, not quite down and out but long unemployed, gets a surprise invitation to a weekend at a country manor in Surrey called Thrackley. In the fine tradition of Golden Age mysteries, the place is dark and forbidding, and the owner, Edwin Carson, has plenty to hide. I won’t spoil the fun by telling more except to say that author Alan Melville loaded plenty of twists, suspense and surprises in this gem, first published in 1934.
I’ll be seeking to read more Melville novels.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, British Library and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review.
I’ll be seeking to read more Melville novels.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, British Library and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review.
August 8, 2018
3.5 stars- this was a lovely example of a Golden Age of Detective Fiction mystery from an author I had not previously encountered. I would certainly read more from his oeuvre after this outing with him... what bumped this up for me from a typical mystery of this type was the authorial voice. It had a distinct flavor of Wodehouse to it, which is my catnip. Well, that and the fact that it is a isolated country house mystery. And a little romance splashed in to boot- yes, all around, this had all the elements that please me and it delivered. Looking forward to exploring more of his work in the future
July 30, 2019
A very amusing country house mystery. Why has unemployed Jim Henderson been invited to spend a weekend with a precious stones collector and a bunch of wealthy guests? A good mix of comedy and suspense.
June 3, 2018
Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a digital galley of this novel.
Published in 1934 this is the debut mystery novel written by Alan Melville and even he admitted in later years that it wasn't very good. I concur. It feels as if Melville might have been reading P. G. Wodehouse before bed and the next day tried styling his mystery novel in almost the same way. Silliness worked with Bertie Wooster, it didn't work for me here. Don't get me wrong, Weekend at Thrackley isn't slapstick comedy but it does try too hard to be flippant and humorous when it isn't needed. The historical country house mystery is a favorite genre for me, but the characters, the house and the location can't be caricatures of themselves.
Jim Henderson has been unemployed for three years and is only hanging on to his social position by a fingernail when he receives an invitation to spend the weekend at Thrackley in Surrey. Jim's never heard of his host but free food and lodging is never to be turned down so he makes plans to get out of London with his friend, the Honourable Freddie Usher, who has also received an invitation. With good luck like that how could anything go wrong?
As I said, this was not a favorite in the British Library Crime Classics series but it was enjoyable enough to keep me reading to see just how obvious the plotting would be. Quite obvious as it turns out but it kept me out of trouble for a few hours.
Published in 1934 this is the debut mystery novel written by Alan Melville and even he admitted in later years that it wasn't very good. I concur. It feels as if Melville might have been reading P. G. Wodehouse before bed and the next day tried styling his mystery novel in almost the same way. Silliness worked with Bertie Wooster, it didn't work for me here. Don't get me wrong, Weekend at Thrackley isn't slapstick comedy but it does try too hard to be flippant and humorous when it isn't needed. The historical country house mystery is a favorite genre for me, but the characters, the house and the location can't be caricatures of themselves.
Jim Henderson has been unemployed for three years and is only hanging on to his social position by a fingernail when he receives an invitation to spend the weekend at Thrackley in Surrey. Jim's never heard of his host but free food and lodging is never to be turned down so he makes plans to get out of London with his friend, the Honourable Freddie Usher, who has also received an invitation. With good luck like that how could anything go wrong?
As I said, this was not a favorite in the British Library Crime Classics series but it was enjoyable enough to keep me reading to see just how obvious the plotting would be. Quite obvious as it turns out but it kept me out of trouble for a few hours.
May 21, 2025
Entertaining, but somewhat absurd.
August 2, 2022
Liked the humour, but the story is so obvious and the end dragging. Otherwise entertaining.
October 27, 2020
“Here in the of England....I mean, one can quite well understand this sort of thing taking place in Russia or Chicago or some of those places, but here in a peaceful old country in England....” Alan Melville’s Weekend At Thrackley, originally published in 1934, is a country house mystery with quite a cast of characters. A young veteran of WWI, who has not had a job for about three years, receives an invitation to a country house party in Surrey. He cannot fathom why he has been invited and does not know who is his host, but Captain James ‘Jim’ Henderson,” pleasant and extremely good-looking”, decides to attend this “house-warming” as it will be a free weekend with free food and free frivolity. With a borrowed set of clothes from his friend, the Honourable Frederick Usher, who also received an invite, and a ride in the Hon. Freddie’s Rolls-Royce, Capt. Henderson, Jim, is off to his first country house gathering. And what a weekend it is!
Thrackley is a dark and unfriendly looking country house, and when Jim and Freddie are admitted by an evil-faced butler, they are glad that they brought their revolvers, but the atmosphere inside Thrackley is welcoming and comfortable. They meet the four other guests, and the house party begins. The food is worth a Michelin star or two, and Jim’s room is exquisitely decorated and spacious, but there is a feeling of unease everywhere. The author’s writing style enabled me to feel as though I was one of the guests, but I kept waiting ‘for the other shoe to drop’. Believe me, it does! What a ride! Recommended. 4.25 stars.
Thrackley is a dark and unfriendly looking country house, and when Jim and Freddie are admitted by an evil-faced butler, they are glad that they brought their revolvers, but the atmosphere inside Thrackley is welcoming and comfortable. They meet the four other guests, and the house party begins. The food is worth a Michelin star or two, and Jim’s room is exquisitely decorated and spacious, but there is a feeling of unease everywhere. The author’s writing style enabled me to feel as though I was one of the guests, but I kept waiting ‘for the other shoe to drop’. Believe me, it does! What a ride! Recommended. 4.25 stars.
January 29, 2019
Great fun to be found in this debut Golden Age, country-house mystery by Alan Melville. I almost felt I was watching one of those wonderful screwball comedies of the Thirties—Cary Grant, William Powell, Carole Lombard—while I eagerly turned the pages. And many parts for character actors of the day as well. The mystery that’s solved in the end is not the one most of the book deals with. In fact, not much mystery there at all as villains are clear early on, but snappy dialogue and clever characterizations provide much to like.
May 24, 2022
In P.G. Wodehouse’s Jeeves and Wooster books, Bertie is usually reading a very silly country house mystery. I think this is it. Beautiful travel poster cover.
July 2, 2018
Edwin Carson invites several persons to spend the weekend at his country house in Surrey. Captain Jim Henderson is among those invited. He does not know why he is on the guest list but decides to go for the adventure and food if nothing else. Adventure they get. Jim discovers a microphone hidden in the chimney in his room and in his friend's room as well. The rest of the novel concerns stolen jewels and even includes murder. The question is not so much whodunit as "will the victims escape the country house." I imagine the puzzle was quite good in its day, but it is unlikely to resound with modern readers as much. I received an electronic galley from the publisher (Poisoned Pen Press) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 16, 2022
Amusing crime story with a country house setting. Jim Henderson is surprised to receive an invitation to a house party from Edwin Carson, a well known collector of jewels, who claims to have known his deceased father many years previously. At first, the party with its mixed bag of wealthy guests seems to go well, but then events take a more sinister turn…
This story was good fun, not particularly taxing as a mystery although there are a couple of minor twists, with a likeable hero in Jim and plenty of witty asides. It was a quick and entertaining read, with all the hallmarks of the Golden Age story, but personally I prefer a mysterious murder to a crazy jewel collector.
This story was good fun, not particularly taxing as a mystery although there are a couple of minor twists, with a likeable hero in Jim and plenty of witty asides. It was a quick and entertaining read, with all the hallmarks of the Golden Age story, but personally I prefer a mysterious murder to a crazy jewel collector.
May 25, 2025
The author's cheap shots against the fat and the ugly are not handsome.
July 23, 2024
"Damn!" said Catherine Lady Stone, a member of the Council of the Society for the Purification of the English Language.
A funny and atmospheric mystery. Enjoyed the characters and the twists! Perhaps not the most memorable mystery for me but a charming book all the same.
A funny and atmospheric mystery. Enjoyed the characters and the twists! Perhaps not the most memorable mystery for me but a charming book all the same.
July 9, 2018
“If it weren’t for the fact that we were just starting lunch, I should kill you quite cheerfully, Brampton.”
“Well, we are just starting lunch, so that’s quite out of the question,” said Lady Stone.
Weekend at Thrackley isn’t a whodunit; that is clear from very early on. And not just because the person in question gets described as sinister-looking and ugly as soon as he appears. We also know that he is the bad guy because there are chapters from his POV.
In the first of those he is standing in his evil lair.
That is filled with the jewels he has stolen.
And that has an elaborate hiding/locking mechanism that means only he himself or people he wants to enter can get in.
And from which he can listen to everything that is going on every room in the house because he had microphones installed there.
Dear Reader, this is a very silly book. But not in the charming over-the-top way Edgar Wallace movies are. Or Farjeon’s Seven Dead. Apart from a handful of genuinly witty pieces of dialogue it’s quite stupid and dull. The plot relies mostly on coincidences: the hero just happens to be at the right place at the right time to overhear the right thing/stumble over the right thing/find the hidden microphone in his room.
Meanwhile, the villain just happens to overhear the right things and the right time as well. Mind you his elaborate surveillance machinery doesn’t include recording devices so he just jumps from one room to the next, listening in and hears just the thing that stops the book from being over after 100 pages.
It’s just too much. The coincidences don’t just make things harder or easier for the characters. All major developments in the story just happen because of ridiculous coincidences.
Part of that can certainly be blamed on the fact that the story is meant to be somewhat humorous/a parody. There is the already mentioned witty banter and there are funny scenes: before the hero leaves, his landlady tells him to be careful because weekends in the countryside frequently end in murder. And I could deal with a mostly coincidence-driven plot in a full-blown parody but for that the rest isn’t funny enough. There is one character who is an over-the-top caricature but all others – including the hero – are just bland and forgettable. So it’s too dull for a parody and to ridiculous for a good mystery.
July 25, 2020
There’s only one word for it...
When Jim Henderson receives an invitation to spend the weekend at Thrackley, the country house of a man called Edwin Carson, he’s puzzled. Although the older man claims to have been a friend of Jim’s long dead father, Jim doesn’t remember ever meeting him or even hearing his name. However, Jim’s found it difficult to get employment since he came back from the war, so the idea of some free food and free accommodation are very welcome, especially when he discovers his old school friend Freddie Usher has also been invited. Carson is a collector of jewels, and it’s not long before the reader discovers his methods of collection aren’t always honest. Over the course of the weekend, Jim will find himself surrounded by thefts, missing persons, murder and attractive women.
When I say that I preferred this to the only other book of Melville’s that I’ve read, Quick Curtain, I have to qualify that by pointing out that I thought Quick Curtain was pretty awful. This one isn’t awful, but it’s not good either. The plot is a mess, full of inconsistencies, holes, continuity errors and coincidences. There’s no mystery aspect since we know early on that Carson is a villain, so it all comes down to whether he’ll escape or be caught. It’s redeemed somewhat by the enjoyable banter between Jim and his old school friend, and by the light-hearted romance that Jim has with Carson’s daughter, Mary. This keeps it readable, so that despite my harrumphing every time the plot took another leap away from credibility, I managed to stick with it quite easily to the end.
And what an end! Sometimes the word silly doesn’t cut it, while farcical implies a level of skill that is distinctly missing here. Throw in a lot of big reveals, have some terrible things happen and no one seeming to much care, have the police totally laid back about the various criminal acts that have been carried out by the guests, and really, what is the right word to describe this shambles? The one that seems best to fit is preposterous. And what’s even more preposterous is that it seems to have been quite a hit when it came out, even being made into a movie. Note to self: don’t watch it...
So not awful, but close...
2½ stars for me, generously rounded up.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, the British Library.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
When Jim Henderson receives an invitation to spend the weekend at Thrackley, the country house of a man called Edwin Carson, he’s puzzled. Although the older man claims to have been a friend of Jim’s long dead father, Jim doesn’t remember ever meeting him or even hearing his name. However, Jim’s found it difficult to get employment since he came back from the war, so the idea of some free food and free accommodation are very welcome, especially when he discovers his old school friend Freddie Usher has also been invited. Carson is a collector of jewels, and it’s not long before the reader discovers his methods of collection aren’t always honest. Over the course of the weekend, Jim will find himself surrounded by thefts, missing persons, murder and attractive women.
When I say that I preferred this to the only other book of Melville’s that I’ve read, Quick Curtain, I have to qualify that by pointing out that I thought Quick Curtain was pretty awful. This one isn’t awful, but it’s not good either. The plot is a mess, full of inconsistencies, holes, continuity errors and coincidences. There’s no mystery aspect since we know early on that Carson is a villain, so it all comes down to whether he’ll escape or be caught. It’s redeemed somewhat by the enjoyable banter between Jim and his old school friend, and by the light-hearted romance that Jim has with Carson’s daughter, Mary. This keeps it readable, so that despite my harrumphing every time the plot took another leap away from credibility, I managed to stick with it quite easily to the end.
And what an end! Sometimes the word silly doesn’t cut it, while farcical implies a level of skill that is distinctly missing here. Throw in a lot of big reveals, have some terrible things happen and no one seeming to much care, have the police totally laid back about the various criminal acts that have been carried out by the guests, and really, what is the right word to describe this shambles? The one that seems best to fit is preposterous. And what’s even more preposterous is that it seems to have been quite a hit when it came out, even being made into a movie. Note to self: don’t watch it...
So not awful, but close...
2½ stars for me, generously rounded up.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, the British Library.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
July 13, 2020
Enjoyable light hearted romp of a crime novel. There’s absolutely no whodunnit element here but it’s a fun, quick read set in the obligatory remote country house.
Quite similar to Milne’s Red House mystery - with lots of humour in the authors voice. Not quite so expertly done but a good read!
Quite similar to Milne’s Red House mystery - with lots of humour in the authors voice. Not quite so expertly done but a good read!
November 23, 2020
I picked "Weekend at Thrackley" up from my local library completely at random. I do that every few months just to keep my reading list fresh and interesting. And it certainly paid off here. This is a British crime novel from the 1930's. A group of Londoners is invited by a mysterious stranger to his manor in the country (Thrackley, to be precise) and it's clear pretty quickly that he's up to no good. Melville changes perspective fairly frequently so that the reader knows this as well.
There are a few twists and turns but nothing the reader can't anticipate. I enjoyed it for the unique set up of Thrackley itself and the hilarious writing. Melville really had an ear for dialogue and humor and keep the story humming along well even if it strained credulity at a number of points. (Why wouldn't the bad guy just...you know...kill them, for one).
It's a short and fast read and a perfect delight.
There are a few twists and turns but nothing the reader can't anticipate. I enjoyed it for the unique set up of Thrackley itself and the hilarious writing. Melville really had an ear for dialogue and humor and keep the story humming along well even if it strained credulity at a number of points. (Why wouldn't the bad guy just...you know...kill them, for one).
It's a short and fast read and a perfect delight.
May 29, 2018
My first #BritishCrimeLibraryClassics mystery and I really enjoyed it! #AlanMelville had a sense of humor and ease of writing that is entertaining almost Wodehousian. I recommend #WeekendAtThrackley for mystery fans as really there is two mysteries going on in this short novel. I will certainly pick up more Melville in the future!
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This was a #netgalley release and is being published Aug 17, 2018.
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This was a #netgalley release and is being published Aug 17, 2018.
August 3, 2022
2.5 stars rounded up to three; not really a mystery but interesting to read. I love it that the main character hasn't worked in 3 years but still belongs to a Club and has his breakfast served to him in bed.
September 21, 2023
Entertaining and light but I do think well written . I enjoyed the characters and the plot was clever . I caught strong whiffs of PG Wodehouse which simply added to the enjoyment . I’ll definitely be seeking out more books by this author .
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