Death in White Pyjamas / Death Knows No Calendar

by John Bude

Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder

Two mysteries of the kind John Bude does best, with well-drawn and authentic period settings and a satisfying whodunit structure, following the traditional rules and style of the Golden Age of the genre.

Death in White Pyjamas: At the country home of Sam Richardson, a group of actors have gathered along with their somewhat sinister producer Basil Barnes, and a playwright whose star is rising in the drama scene. With competitive tension in the air between the three actresses, Clara, Angela and Deirdre, the spell is broken when Deirdre is found murdered in the grounds wearing, for some unknown reason, white pyjamas.

Death Knows no Calendar: A shooting in a locked artist's studio. Four suspects; at least two of whom are engaged in an affair. An exuberant and energetic case for Major Boddy.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Classics, British Literature, Detective, Amateur Sleuth

536 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

John Bude was a pseudonym used by Ernest Carpenter Elmore who was a British born writer.

He was born in 1901 and, as a boarder, he attended Mill Hill School, leaving in 1919 and moving on to Cheltenham where he attended a secretarial college and where he learned to type. After that he spent several years as games master at St Christopher School in Letchworth where he also led the school's dramatic activities.

This keen interest in the theatre led him to join the Lena Ashwell Players as stage manager and he took their productions around the country. He also acted in plays produced at the Everyman Theatre in Hampstead, where he lived for a time. He honed his writing skills, whenever he had a moment to spare, in the various dressing rooms that he found himself in.

He eventually returned to Maidstone, the town of his birth, and during the Second World War he ran his local Home Guard unit as he had been deemed unfit to serve in the forces.

He later lived in Loose, Kent, and after that near Rye, East Sussex, and enjoyed golf and painting but never learned to drive although that did not stop him apparently offering advice to his wife when she was driving! He had met his wife, Betty, when producing plays back in Maidstone and they married in 1933.

After becoming a full-time writer, he wrote some 30 crime fiction novels, many featuring his two main series characters Superintendent Meredith and Inspector Sherwood. He began with 'The Cornish Coast Murder' in 1935 and his final two crime novels, 'A Twist of the Rope' and 'The Night the Fog Came Down' were published posthumously in 1958.

He was a founder member of the Norfolk-based Crime Writers Association (CWA) in 1953 and was a co-organiser of the Crime Book Exhibition that was one of the CWA's early publicity initiatives. He was a popular and hard-working member of the CWA's committee from its inception through to May 1957.

Under his own name he also wrote a number of fantasy novels, the most well-known of which is 'The Lumpton Gobbelings' (1954). In addition he wrote a children's book, 'The Snuffly Snorty Dog' (1946).

He was admitted to hospital in Hastings on 6 November 1957, having just delivered his what turned out to be his final manuscript to his publisher, for a routine operation but he died two days later.

Fellow British crime writer Martin Edwards comments, "Bude writes both readably and entertainingly. His work may not have been stunning enough to belong with the greats, but there is a smoothness and accomplishment about even his first mystery, 'The Cornish Coast Murder', which you don't find in many début mysteries."

Interestingly he was the dedicatee of 'The Case of the Running Mouse' (1944) by his friend Christopher Bush. The dedication stated, 'May his stature, and his circulation, increase.'

NB: He was not born on 1 January but the system does not allow a date of birth without a month and date so it defaults to 1 January.

Reviews

[Anissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's another offering from the British Library Crime Classics reissues and there are two novellas in this volume. I have read others by John Bude and this has not supplanted Death on the Riviera or Death Makes a Prophet as my favourites of his.

Death In White Pyjamas in which a woman is found dead in a lake wearing white pyjamas at a country house hosting an acting troupe for which she was the set director, had a quite promising beginning. I did figure out who would be the killer before it happened and the story working out that puzzle after it happened was a bit overlong. I liked the characterizations and that the writing skewered them, helped when they were insufferable. There were also some witty lines here and I even laughed out loud. I think this may be the better of the two stories.

Favourite quotes:

The most important thing to know about this story:

Old Knolle was slowly being transformed from a holiday camp into a home for nervous wrecks.

What made me laugh:

Angela was too good-natured to believe that anybody could hate her, and Deirdre was too clever to let her realize that she was wrong.

He had never felt so masterful, so generous and protective as he took Angela in his arms. For once he was not showing somebody else how to kiss with conviction. He was performing simply and solely for an audience of one… himself! Oh, and Angela, of course. He was forgetting her!

Never had he felt so fleet of foot, so light in the head, such a complete and utter ass.

If, in her private life, she had no scruples whatsoever, in her work she was highly conscientious.

Unfortunately, that young woman appears to have collected enemies with as much energy as less perverted people collect postage stamps!”
_________________

Death Knows no Calendar was fairly obvious with regard to who killed a woman found shot in her locked art studio and it meandered longer than I thought necessary to get to the point. It did have a pretty exciting back half as the investigators and the killer leave the original story location I thought the characterizations were well done in that everyone was memorable but it too much relied on exaggerated traits. One woman is said to resemble a horse and to drive it home, the verb used to describe her actions or utterances are related in equine terms. Her niece has a pronounced lisp so of course, most of her sentences are full of words with "s" (she primarily speaks to and of her Aunt Sarah and paramour Stanley). It wore very quickly. These, I think were mostly played for laughs but were lost on me. Others were somewhat similarly plagued.

In both stories, Bude does what I suppose must be a bit of a hallmark of his, he does not take the story to the point where the murderer is confronted and captured. I find that while I can really enjoy everything else in the lead-up, I am disappointed in the end. I like to know that the killer who thinks they were clear, is confronted with being caught. At least in these stories, there aren't any inexplicably dropped threads (as happens in my two favourites by Bude). Here, Death in White Pyjamas gives two marriage announcements and for the life of me I couldn't figure out why for one of them. Death Knows No Calendar ends with nuptials as well and worked better as a device.

On the whole, I'm glad I read this. I can't say I loved it while I was reading but every time I had to put it down, I thought about it, so that gets points from me. I can add one more to my pile of read books in the BLCC reissue series and I will of course continue on. If you are so determined to read them all or you're a Bude fan, then do read this. It's not his best but it's also not a bad book to grab during the week.

[Avid Series Reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

Death in White Pyjamas by John Bude is a Golden Age of Murder historical mystery set at an English country estate. Originally published in 1944, now part of Poisoned Press British Library Crime Classics https://poisonedpenpress.com/series/b....

Sam Richardson made a fortune as a biscuit manufacturer, then decided to promote live theatre as affordable education: "It is of course a notorious fact that intelligent theatre-goers have no money and moneyed theatre-goers have no intelligence." Sam purchased the historic Beaumont Theatre, renovated it...to a point. He left the exterior and seating as-is: "A psychological aspect to consider, intelligent theatre is always associated with dilapidation and discomfort. Hard seats: alert minds, luxury: lethargy."

Theatre producer Basil Barnes loves luxury: good food, good wine, faultless service. Never able to afford it, he sponges off Sam constantly. Basil purchases Fallow Cottage in Lambdon near Sam's Old Knolle country estate. He cleans up lawn and garden, adds bits and pieces of furniture, but laments "I can't get the place to look as if it has been lived in for three hundred years".

Old Knolle is a grand castle built of Kentish ragstone, influenced by Balmoral. The original architect fancied a moat, but the water was used to create a lake instead (Sam keeps it stocked with trout). The estate is open to the company actors as a summer retreat.

Stage designer Deirdre Lehaye is tall, dark, icy, intimidatingly confident. First time they met, "her slanting green eyes, Gioconda smile, faultless diction" commanded Basil's attention across the room : "no sooner had their glances crossed, like two alender rapiers, above the heads of the other guests".

Willy Farnham is a grand old character actor whose behavior can rapidly change from mild-mannered gentleman to a bratty child throwing a tantrum. Willy loves to gamble...on anything.

Actress Angela Walsh is young, naive, naturally beautiful and graceful. She's thrilled to be in the company, mentored by the older actresses, well-liked by all but Deirdre. Deirdre hates Angela because her beauty and talent come naturally. Deirdre has Angela fooled into thinking they're friends. Basil sees the malice.

Rudolph Millar is actress Clara Maddison's nephew. As "Rudie" reads his newest play at Old Knolle, Basil notes Angela's rapt focus on Rudie, and determines not to produce the play. All love it, except jealous Basil. "Pigs in Porcelain reeked of success, one of those morbid pathological little pleasantries which sent audiences home thanking God they managed to preserve their own health and sanity". Angela doesn't understand Basil's reaction to the play. Basil goes into a major tirade, then poses theatrically and asks "May I kiss you?". Angela marvels "that a god from should step down from Olympus and plead with her for a kiss". Basil disregards her timid protest. "He had never felt so masterful, so generous and protective as he took Angela in his arms. For once he was not showing somebody else how to kiss with conviction. He was performing simply and solely for an audience of one...himself! Oh, and Angela , of course. He was forgetting her!"

The star of the tale is Inspector Harting, called upon to investigate a murder at Old Knolle. At first he's just as bamboozled as the rest by clever staging of the crime. But he and Sergeant Dane demonstrate excellent detection skills. They brainstorm possible culprits and scenarios, track down evidence, rule out a theory but continue to brainstorm. Harting's sense of a tiny detail amiss niggles away at him...and proves to be the key.

[Judy Lesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Neither of these stories was an unqualified success for me; in fact I didn't like the first one at all. Death in White Pajamas was much too light hearted for me. Like reading a P. G. Wodehouse classic with dead bodies; pretty much unsatisfactory because Bude didn't seem to be taking the story seriously. Death Knows No Calendar just droned on and on and on with a locked room mystery which was rendered completely unsolvable by the reader (me) because all the information wasn't given to me. I have to admit to being surprised by both these stories and my reaction to them. John Bude has recently become an author I automatically read because I've had such good experiences with his works. Well, I'll be a whole lot more selective next time and that's a shame. I would prefer to rate this book as 2.5 but I rounded up to 3 stars after a lot of going back and forth. I have enjoyed stories by this author so much that I'm hoping this will be just a blip on the radar.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an e-galley of these two short stories.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Double the pleasure...

Every now and then the British Library produces a twofer in their Crime Classics series – two full-length novels by the same author in one volume – and these always feel like an extra special treat, especially when the author is one of the ones who has become a readers’ favourite, as John Bude apparently has. I must admit, although I’ve enjoyed the previous Bude novels I’ve read, he hadn’t become one of my personal stars, but I hoped maybe these two would raise him up to that status. And they did! I loved both of these very different novels...

Death in White Pyjamas 5 stars

Having made his fortune in business, Sam Richardson is now enjoying his middle years by using his wealth to support a small theatre company, led by director Basil Barnes. Barnes’ artistic drive and Richardson’s knowledge of the type of thing he himself likes to see performed on stage make for a winning combination, and Richardson’s wealth allows Basil to hire a core group of established actors and actresses along with a few promising newcomers. In the winter months they perform in the London theatre Richardson has bought, and during the summer closed-season he throws open his country home to any of the regulars who need a little break or for the group to gather for early rehearsals of the next season’s plays. This summer most of the company are staying at Richardson’s house, while Basil has bought a little cottage close by and is in the process of fitting it out to his own taste. However, as in any group, there are tensions and jealousies under the surface, and murder is waiting in the wings...

This is one of these mysteries where we slowly get to know all the characters and possible motives before the crime is committed, so my advice is – don’t read the blurb on the back or the introduction until after you’ve read the book! Half the fun is seeing all the convoluted threads that seem to give each of the characters reasons to want rid of one or more of the other ones, and the identity of the eventual victim is not at all clear until the murder actually happens. It almost gives two mysteries – the first, who will be killed, revealed around halfway through, and then the second, who is the killer?

The characterisation is great. There are all the theatrical stereotypes – the old character actor, the beautiful young ingénue, the aspiring playwright, the predatory director, the money-minded producer – but they’re all brought beautifully to life with a lot of warmth and humour, so that they don’t feel at all stale. Once the victim is known, the whodunit is reasonably easy to guess, but the howdunit aspect is great fun, and as with the best vintage crime there are happy endings for those who deserve them and justice for those who don’t. Excellent!

Death Knows No Calendar 5 stars

When his old friend Lydia Arundel is found dead in her locked artist’s studio with a gun close at hand, Major Tom Boddy finds he can’t believe that she was the type of woman to ever contemplate suicide. So he sets out to investigate, armed only with his extensive knowledge of detective fiction and ably assisted by his batman, Syd Gammon. Although he has his suspicions from an early stage, he soon realises there are several people with the motive to do away with Lydia, a woman whom men fell in love with too easily, and who enjoyed her power over them too much. But even if he works out whodunit, he knows he’ll never be able to persuade the police that she was murdered unless he can solve the mystery of how the crime was done...

There’s more than one “impossible” scenario hidden in this gem of a book, which will please fans of the locked room style of mystery. But for me the greatest joy is in Major Boddy’s character – he’s one of these traditional old colonials who is scared of nothing and assumes nothing is beyond him. When he sets his mind to a task, he sees it through. But he’s also kind-hearted and, typical of the fictional type, gives the impression of being rather baffled by human behaviour, especially of the female variety. There’s so much humour in this book – I smiled and chuckled my way through it. As well as the locked room aspect, the setting is another much-loved vintage crime staple – the small village, where everyone knows everyone else’s secrets, or think they do at least. As in Death in White Pyjamas, the identity of the killer is easier to work out than the method of the crime, and in this one the amateur detection efforts of the Major and Syd are hugely entertaining. I think I enjoyed it even more than Death in White Pyjamas.

So two great books in one volume – I hereby officially declare myself a John Bude fan and now can’t wait to read more of his stuff. Doubly recommended!

NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, the British Library.

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[Gabriele Crescenzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

DEATH IN WHITE PYJAMAS
La morte può colpire ovunque. Il giallo classico lo dimostra chiaramente, avendo reso proprio questo assioma per creare trame originali e collocate in ambientazioni insolite tali da affascinare e stupire il lettore: gli assassini sembrano avere una predilezione per il treno o per gli aerei, come dimostrano innumerevoli capolavori del genere, da "Assassinio sull'Orient-Express" e "Delitto in cielo" di Christie a "Morirai a mezzogiorno" di Charles Daly King; altri preferiscono rovinarsi le ferie con crimini al mare o in montagna, come rispettivamente in "Un colpo di pistola" di John Dickson Carr e in "Il caso dei fratelli siamesi" di Ellery Queen; altri ancora decidono di agire indisturbati nel caos urbano, come avviene ne "La serie infernale" di Agatha Christie.
Creare situazioni sempre più bizzarre e particolari sembra essere divenuta una sorta di sfida tra gli scrittori della Golden Age, attraverso cui dar sfogo al proprio estro creativo.
Eppure, nonostante la varietà di location in cui piazzare un bel cadavere, una delle ambientazioni più ricorrenti nel giallo tradizionale, assurta quasi a emblema distintivo del genere medesimo, è quella della campagna inglese, con delitti spesso avvenuti in pittoresche ville rurali.
L'ambientazione idillica, immersa nella natura lussureggiante e amena, il silenzio offerto dal luogo, lontano dai frenetici ritmi cittadini, e la stretta cerchia di persone riunite in uno spazio limitato, in cui possono emergere prepotentemente dissidi e dissapori, hanno costituito un'attrattiva irrinunciabile per i giallisti britannici: quale miglior scenario della silente e pacifica campagna per un truculento omicidio, che va a sconvolgere tutti gli equilibri e, per contrasto, risulta ancor più in evidenza?
La dicotomia armonia-violenza insita in tale dinamica, con cui si illustra come gli impulsi ferini dell'uomo possano emergere in maniera devastante in un'atmosfera di apparente quiete, si è rilevata vincente nel corso del tempo, tanto che molti famosi autori ne hanno approfittato per scrivere i loro capolavori: "La morte nel villaggio" di Agatha Christie, l'omonimo titolo di Edmund Crispin, "Un colpo di fucile" di Carr, "Il demone del Dartmoor" di Halter e molti altri.
In questa categoria rientra anche "Death in White Pyjamas" di John Bude.

John Bude è un autore ingiustamente dimenticato nel panorama giallistico inglese.
Nato Ernest Carpenter Elmore a Maidstone, nel Kent, nel 1901, studiò alla Mill Hill School e poi in una scuola per segretari. Lavorò poi come game master alla St. Christopher School di Letchworth. Nel frattempo si interessò alle attività teatrali scolastiche, ambito che lo appassionò a tal punto da entrare a far parte della compagnia "Lena Ashwell Players" come manager di scena. È proprio in questo periodo che inizierà la sua attività da scrittore, firmandosi con lo pseudonimo John Bude. Molte delle sue storie avranno come sfondo proprio il mondo teatrale, unendo la sua passione per il dramma a quella per la narrativa. Produsse circa una trentina di opere gialle, molte delle quali ambientate in pittoreschi luoghi inglesi, riportati nei rispettivi titoli, come "The Cornish Coast Murder", "The Lake District Murder" e "The Sussex Downs Murder". Durante la Seconda Guerra Mondiale, nel clima fosco e angosciante che pervadeva il paese, i suoi romanzi si velarono di toni più leggeri, con la volontà di distrarre e divertire i lettori in un periodo così denso di sciagure. Morì ad Hastings, nel Sussex, nel 1957.

Dopo molti anni di oblio, le opere di John Bude sono state fortunamente ripubblicate dalla British Library Crime Classics. Curioso di conoscere questo autore, descritto come un grande prosatore, dallo stile elegante e atmosferico, ho acquistato il volume che contiene due suoi romanzi: "Death in White Pyjamas" e "Death Knows No Calendar". Ho iniziato con il primo.

"Death in White Pyjamas" (1944) è un romanzo grazioso, dalla prosa elegantissima e piacevole, in cui Bude descrive alla perfezione le dinamiche interne di quel mondo teatrale che lui conosceva tanto a fondo. Accanto ad una caratterizzazione fenomenale, tra le migliori che abbia letto nel mondo poliziesco, si colloca un enigma interessante e ben congegnato.

La trama ci immerge sin dalle prime pagine nel complesso e spesso turbolento universo del teatro: Sam Richardson, milionario e magnanimo proprietario di una grande impresa che produce biscotti, desideroso di investire il suo immenso patrimonio in qualcosa di più idealistico, decide di acquistare un teatro e di dirigerlo economicamente dopo l'incontro con il famoso drammaturgo e dandy Basil Barnes. I due uomini sono uno l'opposto dell'altro: Sam è gargantuesco, baldanzoso e, nonostante la sua astuzia in ambito finanziario, ripone sempre una grande fiducia negli altri; Basil, invece, è il classico intellettuale un po' snob, sprezzante delle convenzioni e avido di successo. Forse però, proprio questa contrapposizione antitetica li rende perfetti per la gestione di un'attività teatrale, in cui Sam rappresenta l'animo pratico e Basil quello prettamente artistico. Comprano così il Beaumont Theatre, lo ristrutturano e cominciano a tenervi molti spettacoli di alto livello, adatti ad un pubblico colto e raffinato. La stagione invernale va a gonfie vele e d'estate tutti i componenti della compagnia vengono a Old Knolle, dimora campestre di Sam Richardson, nel Sussex, dove trascorrere in tranquillità la pausa estiva prima del ritorno sulla scena. Anche Basil si era fatto incantare dalla tranquillità bucolica e si era fatto convincere da Sam ad acquistare Fallow Cottage, abitazione vicina a quella del grande imprenditore. Gli attori si divagano dunque nel lusso della villa di campagna del loro mecenate, approfittando della sua grande munificenza. Ma si sa, gli attori sono esseri volubili, abituati a recitare, a creare dinamiche e, anche al di fuori del palcoscenico, continuano a interpretare diversi ruoli e a fingere. Il clima difatti non è dei migliori, soprattutto a causa dei caratteri spesso opposti dei vari membri del cast: c'è Angela Walsh, giovane attrice dalle caratteristiche eteree e con un animo dolce e generoso, che spesso suscita l'invidia femminile; c'è Willy Farnham, grande e istrionico attore, inseparabile dal suo monocolo e contraddistinto dalla sua camminata da ballerino, ma che diventa una belva quando perde le staffe; vi è poi Clara Maddison, attrice consumata dall'indole materna. Tuttavia il vero fulcro di tutte le vicende, vera e propria "femme fatale", è Deirdre Lehaye, artista di fama internazionale che si occupa delle scenografie: furba, scaltra e cinica, tenta in ogni modo di stuzzicare gli animi, di esasperare gli altri e di giocare con i loro difetti e i loro punti deboli. Un gioco decisamente pericoloso.
Dopo molti giorni di completo ozio, qualcosa smuove le acque in quell'angolo di paradiso agreste: Clara presenta al gruppo suo nipote Rudolph Millar, ragazzo giovane e impacciato il quale vuol farsi strada nel duro mondo della drammaturgia. La sua visita ha motivi professionali, in quanto vuole sottoporre al giudizio di Sam, ma soprattutto del grande professionista Basil, la tragedia da lui scritta, "Pigs in Porcelain". Dopo cena, dunque, comincia a spiegare l'opera e a esporre il suo testo all'intera comitiva che assiste ammaliata alla genialità dell'intreccio. Basil però, nonostante la standing ovation generale, rimane freddo e afferma che si tratti di un'opera di scarso livello. In realtà è solamente invidioso, in quanto sa che, se rappresentata, può diventare un successo strepitoso. Sfrutta quindi il suo ruolo di critico acclamato per demolire il sogno di Rudolph che, rattristito, vede sfumar via la possibilità di divenire qualcuno. Tutti sono indignati dall'atteggiamento di Basil, soprattutto Angela che gli chiede spiegazioni. Per tutta risposta Basil la seduce, con la sua bravura da "tombeur de femmes", e la bacia. Angela, stupita dal gesto, rimane tuttavia incantata dal giovane regista e inizia così tra i due una relazione amorosa. Anche Basil è stupito in quanto, nonostante fosse un latin-lover, non gli era mai successo prima di innamorarsi realmente, come dimostrano i suoi frequenti scatti di gelosia, il suo pensiero perennemente rivolto a contemplare l'immagine idealizzata di Angela. Ciò sconvolge la sua psiche, tenta di persuadersi che non si sia innamorato, che si tratti di una storia passeggera come tutte le altre. Non vuole sentirsi soggiogato da questa forza da cui si era sempre ritenuto immune. Le sue giustificazioni interiori però reggono poco e deve confermare la massima virgiliana "omnia vincit amor et nos cedamus amori". Questa liaison, profondamente sentita da entrambi, è però alquanto turbolenta: il giovane Rudolph si è innamorato a prima vista di Angela e la subissa di lettere d'amore che lei non è capace di rigettare; Deirdre, profonda conoscitrice dell'animo umano, intuendo la debolezza di Barnes, gioca con il suo orgoglio, lo stuzzica con allusioni e stoccate poco velate.
Insomma, non vi è un'atmosfera di pace.
Tutto precipita tre giorni dopo quando, nel cuore della notte, Deirdre, affetta da insonnia, scende di sotto per passeggiare un po' nel vasto giardino della tenuta e vede la porta dello studio di Sam aperta. Sbirciando maliziosamente all'interno, nota Willy Farnham che sta frugando nei cassetti e intascando un mazzetto di banconote. La donna vede in ciò un'occasione sia per arricchirsi sia per continuare il suo subdolo gioco di tortura psicologica: ricatta dunque Willy e, giorni dopo, quando Sam ha ormai scoperto il furto e allertato la polizia, gli confida che ha visto quella notte Rudolph e non Willy che rubava il denaro dalla sua scrivania, in combutta con Basil che così riesce a togliere di mezzo un suo rivale sia in amore che nel lavoro. In questa situazione ingarbugliata di bugie, inganni, confessioni e relazioni ambigue, ci scapperà il morto. E quale migliore vittima se non la sobillatrice Deirdre? Viene difatti ritrovata una notte annegata nel lago della tenuta, vestita solo con un pigiama bianco. Chi è stato? Se sconosciuto è il colpevole, i moventi invece abbondano.
A questo punto interviene l'ispettore Harting che, assieme al suo sottoposto, il sergente Dane, riuscirà a scoprire un piano diabolico ed efferato.

"Death in White Pyjamas" è un romanzo complesso e molto articolato e dimostra l'abilità dell'autore nella stesura di una trama intricata e dettagliata, con particolare attenzione al tratteggio della psicologia dei diversi personaggi.
La struttura dell'opera è bipartita in due sezioni disomogenee: una prima parte, che occupa quasi due terzi dell'intero libro, è interamente dedicata alla descrizione dettagliata dei rapporti e delle personalità delle varie figure, una sorta di lungo preambolo prima che avvenga il crimine e che ha la funzione di delineare lo scenario dei futuri avvenimenti; la seconda, invece, introdotta dalla scoperta dell'omicidio e dall'entrata in scena dei due poliziotti Harting e Dean, è interamente incentrata sulle indagini e il processo deduttivo per arrivare alla verità.
Il primo blocco narrativo rappresenta nel contempo il punto di forza e il tallone di Achille dell'intero romanzo, in quanto se da un lato permette al lettore di immergersi nelle "quinte" dell'attività teatrale, fatte di antipatie professionali, rivalità, odi dissimulati, in cui predomina la descrizione e la molteplicità delle focalizzazioni, dall'altro la lunghezza di tale sezione risulta eccessiva e influisce negativamente sul ritmo complessivo della narrazione.
Nella seconda sezione, al contrario, grande importanza è rivestita dalla routine investigativa. Lo stile qui si fa meno divagante e più dialogico, la focalizzazione si stabilizza e viene a coincidere con quella degli inquirenti e subentra l'azione alla staticità "emotiva" che aveva caratterizzato la sezione precedente.

Ciò che più colpisce dell'autore, ed è la parte migliore dell'opera, è la sua capacità di rendere i suoi personaggi delle figure a tutto tondo, estremamente realistiche sia singolarmente che nelle interazioni con gli altri. Bude ha allestito in queste pagine non solo una grande rappresentazione del mondo del teatro a lui caro, ma anche un portentoso affresco psicologico, penetrando nella sfera emotiva e intima delle "dramatis personae" e mettendo a nudo gli impulsi e le passioni che dominano l'essere umano e lo spingono spesso a compiere gesti sconsiderati, a violare i propri principi e, a volte, a compiere gesti criminosi.
Lo stile fresco, dotto ma non pedante, e la leggerezza espressiva, mai sopra le righe seppur maliziosa in alcuni punti, rendono questo meraviglioso preambolo estremamente vivo e intenso. In questo aspetto ricorda molto "Poirot e la salma" di Agatha Christie in quanto vi è una lunga parentesi prettamente psicologica, da cui e per cui scaturisce il crimine e l'intervento del "deus ex machina" nelle ultime pagine.
Questa sezione si compone di una serie di scene susseguenti e intimamente correlate l'una all'altra, come le tessere di un mosaico per comporre una figura nitida e incisiva, in cui spesso si alternano i punti di vista, consentendo al lettore di conoscere i pensieri e l'interiorità dei singoli protagonisti.
In tale aspetto, spiccano in modo particolare tali personalità:

•Deirdre, fulcro dell'intera narrazione e causa primaria di tutti i dissidi. Viene descritta come una sorta di lady Macbeth, che pone l'ambizione al primo posto, asservendo ad essa ogni moralità. È furba, astuta, maligna e bugiarda e crea attriti per puro piacere personale. L'autore mette in luce come questa sua indole distruttrice sia dovuta ad un passato non particolarmente felice, creando una personalità non irreale e manichea, ma concreta e credibile;

•Basil, tipico esempio dell'uomo vanitoso, che crede di essere superiore alle dinamiche della gente comune. Nel corso dell'opera, subirà un brusco cambiamento dovuto all'innamoramento di Angela, il quale mette in dubbio le sue certezze e ferisce il suo orgoglio da uomo superiore a certe frivolezze;

•Sam, il personaggio più simpatico dell'opera, furbo in affari ma ingenuo nel campo umano. Ha un'estrema fiducia negli altri e per questo, come capita con tipi del genere, rimane deluso. Con il delitto subisce anche lui un lieve mutamento, in quanto diviene consapevole della malignità insita nell'essere umano.

Nella prima parte dell'opera è gradevolissima anche la descrizione dell'ambiente campestre, che crea contrasto con la brutalità degli eventi che vi accadono e li pone per questo in maggior risalto.
Pur avendo apprezzato le doti descrittive dell'autore, la prima parte dell'opera risulta eccessiva e sbilanciata rispetto alla mole del libro stesso, dando alla narrazione un ritmo lento anche se non sgradevole. Inoltre, proprio a causa della bravura di Bude nel dipingere le varie personalità, è facile intuire chi sia la persona colpevole. Dunque la fine inquadratura psicologica è poco funzionale all'enigma giallo.

La seconda parte vede l'arrivo dei due poliziotti Harting e Dane, i quali, attraverso meticoloso lavoro d'indagine coadiuvato dalla deduzione logica, riescono a venire al fondo dell'enigma.
Harting prende in esame tutti gli indizi, le deposizioni dei vari sospetti, le analizza al dettaglio. Tutto questo attento lavoro di prassi ricorda molto le modalità d'indagine dell'ispettore French di Crofts. Sulla base di prove materiali, l'ispettore Harting elabora teorie che cerca di dimostrare o confutare attraverso la razionalità e l'esame accurato delle premesse. Si tratta di un lavoro di progressivo restringimento del campo d'indagine che porterà poi, tramite una deduzione derivata da un'osservazione attenta, a scoprire un piano ben congegnato e un celato movente.

L'enigma presenta alcuni aspetti positivi: la meccanica è interessante anche se non sfruttata nel modo migliore e affascinante è il leitmotiv, che dà il nome al libro, del perché la vittima indossasse un pigiama bianco. Il colpevole però, proprio a causa della meticolosa caratterizzazione, è sin troppo semplice da capire, pur non possedendo basi indiziarie di alcun tipo. Inoltre Bude non utilizza la solita tecnica di disvelare il colpevole nelle ultime pagine, creando suspence e tensione, ma lo rivela un po' prima, dedicando i capitoli successivi alla ricostruzione completa della dinamica e alla raccolta delle prove. Insomma, il climax si appiattisce prima del finale e il ritmo diviene più statico nelle ultime pagine.

Dunque, "Death in White Pyjamas" è un giallo piacevole, con una caratterizzazione eccellente e un enigma buono seppur trasparente.

[Karina · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the first story a set designer is found dead near a lake dressed in white pyjamas and of course almost everybody has a sound reason to hate her. And " everybody " means a troupe of actors,a director and a wealthy supporter. The setting,a country house,and the colourful characters are part of the charm. However when it comes to suspense it did not quite deliver the goods. It was really not difficult to guess who the culprit was.
As for the second story,it was basically a locked room mystery. A rather fearsome woman ,who had more than her share of enemies,is found murdered in her locked studio in the garden. Here again it was not really difficult to find the murderer. But once it was established who the miscreant was the amateur sleuth, in this case a Major Boddy,needs to find proof and this drags on and on...The solution to the murder or more precisely the "how" is impossible to guess as the reader does not get any clues.
All in all,two charming stories (country house, quirky characters, English summer garden...) but not quite successful ones when it comes to mystery and suspense.
John Bude has better stories to tell...

[Farah Mendlesohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great fun. Most notably, Bude seems remarkably free of the snobbery of most of his contemporaries.

[Puzzle Doctor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review of Death In White Pyjamas at classicmystery.blog

[Karina · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the first story a set designer is found dead near a lake dressed in white pyjamas and of course almost everybody has a sound reason to hate her. And " everybody " means a troupe of actors,a director and a wealthy supporter. The setting,a country house,and the colourful characters are part of the charm. However when it comes to suspense it did not quite deliver the goods. It was really not difficult to guess who the culprit was.
As for the second story,it was basically a locked room mystery. A rather fearsome woman ,who had more than her share of enemies,is found murdered in her locked studio in the garden. Here again it was not really difficult to find the murderer. But once it was established who the miscreant was the amateur sleuth, in this case a Major Boddy,needs to find proof and this drags on and on...The solution to the murder or more precisely the "how" is impossible to guess as the reader does not get any clues.
All in all,two charming stories (country house, quirky characters, English summer garden...) but not quite successful ones when it comes to mystery and suspense.
John Bude has better stories to tell...

[JacquiWine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two highly entertaining Golden Age mysteries for the price of one here, lovingly reissued the British Library in one combined volume as part of their Crime Classics series. (My thanks to the publishers for kindly providing a review copy.)

Death in White Pyjamas (1944) is one of those lovely country house mysteries where everyone is a potential suspect, and the crime itself involves several unexpected twists. There is a wonderful theatrical quality to the narrative, partly because all the leading players are connected to the Beaumont, a modest repertory theatre off London’s West End.

The theatre is largely financed by Sam Richardson, a generous, amiable businessman with an interest in the cultural arts. Having made his fortune in biscuits, Sam is using his money to prop up the Beaumont, endeavouring to broaden the audience and strengthen its reputation. Leading the creative side of the venture is theatrical director, Basil Barnes, a somewhat slippery character at heart. Nevertheless, despite his rather superior manner, Basil is very good at his job, frequently coaxing excellent performances from his diverse and temperamental cast.

Sam was pleasant to everybody. Basil was condescending. He always looked on actors and actresses, as he had explained to Mr. Richardson, as so much raw material, only some of it was rawer than the rest. (p. 19)

The action takes place in the summer as the members of the company gather together for initial rehearsals at Old Knolle, Sam’s country retreat. Rather conveniently, Basil has just purchased a cottage nearby, which he is in the process of refurbishing with the help of Deidre Lehaye, the talented stage designer who also works at the Beaumont. Deirdre too is quite the character. Cynical, provocative and barbed, she likes nothing more than to make mischief for other people, finding and exploiting their weaknesses for her own personal gain.

To read the rest of my review, please visit:

https://jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2020...

[Xan · Rating 3 out of 5]

These mysteries were alright but not as exciting as I was hoping for.
Death in White Pyjamas was slow paced with a bit too much exposition— this really affected the story. Although I did like that the characters had very distinguishable voices and I do recognize the initial importance of delving into the pasts of the cast and crew so that one could follow the motives better. This helped bring in a small sense of tension that followed throughout.

Death Knows No Calendar held a quicker pace but so much of the writing was spent on having the characters go back and forth on the same ideas for about eighty pages, which ended up being tedious. The dialogue was funny at times and lended itself into making the characters more whimsical and slightly unpredictable.

The reason for giving these stories a 3-star:
- The scenery was described well and created good immersion.
- in DKNC it was too easy to figure out who the murderer was, most of the time was spent on proving how and why. The 'why', was obivious, and the 'how' stretched for so long that it did not matter in the end as I lost interest.
- in DiWP the story took to long to really launch.
- pacing was affected too much throughout both of these works.
- I enjoyed the ending of DiWP— it was done well, but did not enjoy the ending of DKNC as it was extremely anticlimactic and rushed.

[Theunis Snyman]

The author has a nice way with words and it is a joy to read the book. He does not have, however, the misdirection and clueing of other detective authors. The detectives find the essential piece of evidence purely by chance and not through detection. And from the outset I knew who the murderer was. There was no other alternative. Nevertheless, an enjoyable book.

[KayKay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two stories in one book bundle. If readers enjoy reading John Bude would not find this bundle disappointing.

"Death in White Pyjamas/Death Knows no Calendar" was my first John Bude experience. Unfortunately, not a pleasant one. John Bude went at length to build the stories with drama which I first enjoyed initially, in fact for both stories. The solving the crime process, however, were too slow and not entertaining at all. I lost interests following the sleuths poking around for clues. But the writing was beautiful. John Bude was excellent with words and description which was a pleasant surprise.

The two stories did not captivate me enough; just an average read to me. 3 stars

[Caroline A Leveaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gems

These books are just little old gems. I wanted something for my anxious mind and these old novels have been perfect – interesting enough to fill the gaps, not fluffy, but it takes you back into a different world. Some may find the class differentials and so forth grading – and indeed they are – but for me they are part of the context of the time in which these are written, during and after the Second World War. They were written as a brief escape from that bleak world, and if you can accept that context, then I think you may well find these are a lovely escape for you too.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The British Library Crime Classics paperback reprints of classic crime novels are always good value; this is particularly true of this particular volume. John Bude, real name Ernest Carpenter Elmore, is apparently an author who has been rediscovered thanks to the British Library series. According to Martin Edwards extremely informative Introduction, these two books have been the most difficult to obtain copies of, and they are both extremely enjoyable in their own right and thoroughly deserving of a wider audience. Although they were both originally published during the Second Word War, they make no reference to the ongoing conflict and were obviously intended to “keep up the spirits of readers” during this hard time. They both provide enthralling mysteries which puzzled and distracted this reader with great flair and a flowing style; the second story in particular became truly difficult to put down. With diversions, red herrings and marvellous characters, these are both fascinating stories that I greatly enjoyed, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to read and review this engaging edition.
The first mystery, Death In White Pyjamas, was originally published in 1944 and at first reflects an idyllic world of a theatre company sponsored by a rich benefactor, Sam Richardson. Mainly set in the kind of country house much beloved of classic mystery writers, the grounds and select company of inhabitants provide a closed community and a set of logistical possibilities and suspects which define the eventual murder inquiry undertaken by Inspector Harting. Having plenty of money but no real knowledge of theatrical matters, the choice of plays and cast is largely placed by Sam in the hands of his producer Basil Barnes.
Sam choses the small but beautifully appointed Beaumont theatre in London for the actual productions, but the cast and others actually frequently assemble at the Old Knowle country estate for rest periods between productions and to begin rehearsals when a play is first launched. Basil elects to acquire a small cottage on the edge of the estate and with the help of Deirdre Lehaye, set designer, begins work on establishing its décor. Another person who helps is the female lead of several productions, Angela Walsh, whose youth and beauty soon attracts the attention of several men, including Basil and a young would -be playwright, Rudolph Millar, nephew of Clara who plays the older female parts in the company. The older male lead, Willy Farnham, a character actor with great ability and certain personal issues, make up the group usually to be found at the estate enjoying Sam’s hospitality.
Like any theatre company in mystery fiction, there are underlying jealousies, disturbances and ill feeling amid the group, and these are made more significant when a theft is discovered. The eventual discovery of a body on the estate means that a full investigation must take place, and there are many clever twists in the story. It is a novel of its time with characters who are well drawn and have fascinating interactions. I enjoyed the setting, helpfully illustrated in a map, of the country house and gardens with cottage which provide the background for the excellent characters. It is a well-constructed mystery which I found really engaging, and which I thoroughly recommend.

Death Knows No Calendar
This novel is full of extremely well executed mystery standards. Originally published in 1942, it also keeps well away from War topics. It does feature a retired military man, Major Tom Boddy, whose hobby has long been the reading and commenting on fictional murder mysteries, so that he is well equipped to be an amateur sleuth, especially with the aid of his faithful batman, Syd Gammon. Boddy has not only acquired a lot of theories about investigation from his extensive reading, but also has a lot of local knowledge of the individuals involved. A mysterious death in a locked studio appears at first to be suicide, but for various reasons Boddy is not satisfied by the verdict, and begins investigating on his own with Syd. A local and rather flamboyant artist features, as well as her husband, a disappointed admirer and others who may not have wished the deceased well. Apart from a locked room mystery, several other particular puzzles must be solved, apart from the general questions of alibis and mysterious nocturnal activities. Each character, even the minor ones, are well drawn and distinctive. The settings, which range from a rural village to an unprepossessing area of London, are well established and described. The plot is satisfyingly complex, and when Boddy draws in the police, well managed.
This is an entertaining book which develops all the characters well, especially the two intrepid investigators who sadly did not feature in any other of Bude’s books, but show enormous determination as well as comic aspects as they pursue the truth and even romance. I really enjoyed puzzling out the leads and red herrings, and the characters with their very distinctive dialogue. I recommend this clever and fascinating book as possibly the better of the two offerings from Bude here, and am so pleased that they have been made available once more.

[Mbuye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two marvellous John Bude novels, reissued in the British Library Crime Classics, featuring non-series detectives, bring back refreshing memories of vintage crime heroes, upper crust, plummy-accented, Oxbridge-educated, cricket-playing, eligible bachelors who play dumb and act smart. Of course, the usual Scotland Yard Plod is not quite clever enough to catch the clues, but the murderer has to be cunning enough for the hero to match his wits against.

These two novels are not quite the same. In both cases, the police are given the credit for intelligence and doggedness, though with an unlimited supply of men, time, and resources that no police department could ever afford. Particularly not for a backwater village somewhere in rural England. (Although the police are eliminated in Round One in one of the books, the hero is a middle-aged ex-soldier, very much an upper-crust officer.)

Bude’s murder victims, and the subsequent titles of his novels, are located in exotic surroundings: Cornwall, the Riviera, Sussex, the Lake District and so on. His novels were at the height of their popularity in the pre-World War II years in the 30’s by the glamour invoked by these names, when the British public was just waking up to the possibilities of domestic tourism. The almost lyrical descriptions of a sleepy English village or the strange manners and speech of a French coastal town are hypnotic in their charm and beauty.

Set against these lovely surroundings, the murders that spoil the quiet peace are brutal in contrast. The murderer himself, however much or little a part he plays, remains colourless. He barely registers in your mind. What does remain, in stark contrast, are the fiendishly convoluted methods by which murder can be devised by Bude. Ingenious and improbable, they need a host of coincidences to be discovered.

And in that lies the essential weakness of John Bude's novels. He always writes about the perfect, the flawless undetectable murder …

After which, there can be no story.


‘Death in White Pyjamas,’ (1944) about a troupe of actors spending a weekend at the home of their rich, kindly and comfortable patron, is an agreeable John Bude classic mystery. As with all actors, this is a talented if temperamental crowd, each with his own secrets. Bude takes much effort in defining the least of his cast. So well-defined are they, in fact, that the murder doesn't occur till more than two thirds of the book is over. After that, the who is pretty obvious, but the how is ingenious and doesn't quite fit the who, not with the build-up we’ve been given. Still, a book that is fun and a must for classic mystery buffs.

*******

‘Death Knows No Calendar’ (1942) is very tongue-in-cheek throughout. The victim is a bitchy but talented and successful artist, who has half the men in Sussex (at least, half the men in Beckford, a little Sussex village) at her feet, hating or adoring her and all too often both at the same time. In counterpoint to her femme fatale act, is a little ingenue, a regular Madeline Basset with a lisp. Add a mixed cast of village regulars. Finally throw in a retired Empire builder and his batman. A batman who combines in himself the superb qualities of Jeeves, Bunter, cracksman and tracker, and who can obey orders without question.

So, a locked room, and a dead woman inside. As any reader of detective fiction knows, that ain't a suicide, it's murder. So whodunit? The police are on the job at once, but given the forensics of the day in a small country village, have to rely on sketches and witness statements to submit to the coroner at the inquest. These are no bumbling Mr Plods. From the Chief Constable down to the level-headed constable, they are intelligent and observant. At the inquest, however, all their hard work seems to be doomed, for the jury brings in an uncompromising verdict of suicide, after which the cops cease to matter.

It is now the turn of Major Boddy the Empire builder and his batman to worry and work out the truth. The most baffling part of the affair is the mystery of a room locked on the inside, with no second key, no exit other than a skylight which is inaccessible. Solve that, and everything else would fall in place. Ah but complications of solving that. By today's standards (and laws), many things the Major attempts or does would be deemed downright illegal. Holding the axiom that the ends justify the means to be morally correct, and with a string of coincidences to further the cause of justice, the murderer is caught. The methods are truly ingenious, and as in all Bude novels, the how is more interesting than the who, in every way.

[mrskelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Death in White Pyjamas

I was so taken by this book. It may well be the most entertaining of Bude’s novels that I’ve read so far. While the murder doesn’t take place until well into the story, he keeps the reader’s attention from the outset by creating a unique group of characters, then over time, putting them in situations the set one against the other. Bude’s love of the theatre and amateur dramatics reflected in his strong characterizations and sharp choreography of scenes.

Bude’s descriptions of the characters just are marvelous. We have a credulous biscuit millionaire and theatrical promoter, who “Like so many promoters of theatrical entertainment, knew absolutely nothing about the theatre." A producer who is a “congenital philanderer”, and who it he “put his hand in his pocket you expected him to produce a revolver. Actually he produced plays.” The old character actor who “aped a kind of Louis Quinze daintiness, which deceived people into believing him a nice mild-mannered old gentleman.” And the set designer, a woman with a “Gioconda smile”, who “as one woman was dedicated to bridge and another to squash or the singing of madrigals, intrigue was her hobby.”

And you can always count on Bude to inject lots of humor into his stories, and he certainly succeeded here. Whether it’s taking mild jabs at the theater world—“It is, of course, a notorious fact that intelligent theatre-goers have no money and moneyed theatre-goers have no intelligence.” Or in his characterization of the local police Sergeant—“The sergeant never walked anywhere. He waddled. He was the Falstaffian type of Englishman, popular to a degree, who wheezes and chuckles and roars his way through life, as amiable and deceptive as a hippo.”

As alluded to earlier, it's quite two-thirds into the story before the murder takes place. But Bude uses that time to good effect, building stories and tension so that when Inspector Harting and Sergeant Dane arrive on the scene there is a tangle of relationships to unpick, motives to uncover, and multiple red herrings to see through. For the habitual reader of crime fiction, it won’t really be that hard to pick out the murderer. But, do not let that deter you because the method of murder is ingenious, so figuring out the how is a totally different story.

An overall enjoyable read, and one that I very much recommend. Now it’s on to part two—

Death Knows No Calendar

After artist Lydia Arundel is found dead in her locked studio, with a gun close at hand, an inquest brings in a determination of suicide. But Major Tom Boddy, who knew Lydia well, finds it hard to believe that a woman so vibrant would ever contemplate suicide. Plus, there were so many with a motive for killing her. The Rev. Peter Swale-Reid, who racked with the guilt over a shameful episode he had with Lydia some years before. Local farmer Stanley Hawking, whose ten-year one-sided infatuation with Lydia nearly ruined him. Until he met Honororia Preece, with whom he had blissful relationship, until Honororia saw he and Lydia together in her studio.

Major Boddy knows that even if he uncovers the murderer, he’ll have a hard time persuading the police that she was murdered—unless he can solve the mystery of how someone managed to shoot Lydia from outside the studio and have the gun found near her body. Undeterred, the Major, with his vast knowledge of detective fiction and his batman Syd Gammon as his Watson, sets out on his investigation.

The characters are quirky, but the comedy derived from several of them—the guilt ridden vicar, the hulking farmer, and the lisping young girl— is more of the sad clown variety. The exceptions are Major Boddy and Syd, who together make an intelligent team of amateur sleuths. They with their long history and military bearing, make a very entertaining duo.

The mystery of whodunit is fairly easy to figure out, while the "locked room" solution is much more complex, with a murder method that is highly ingenious. And, as always with Bude, it is all laced with not a little comedy.

[Darius Ostrowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

A two-for-one British Library Classic Mystery reissue: “Death in White Pyjamas” and “Death Knows No Calendar”, both by John Bude, a frequent author in this series. Both of these are specific slices of mid-twentieth century English countryside life, focusing on the artists of that time period, both also featured women who seem to almost go out of their way to upset enough people that they are bound to get murdered.

“Death in White Pyjamas” focuses on the theater, all of the main characters are involved with a small theater company owned by a millionaire who made his fortune in biscuits. We have the usual cast of characters – an old actor who has a secret problem, a young beautiful actress on her way up, an older actress and her playwright nephew, the cold-hearted producer who only cares about money, the set designer with secrets of her own, the servant who rules the house with an iron fist, and the generous millionaire himself. The murder takes place quite late in the story, with plenty of set-up and description of all of the characters. By the time the victim is murdered, she has managed to set just about everyone against her, and she actually revels in the misery she causes. A great (if maybe too long) set-up to a satisfying conclusion.

“Death Knows No Calendar” also features a woman who plays with other people’s affections and emotions until once again the reader isn’t surprised that someone decides to end her life. This is somewhat complicated by the classic locked-room scenario – she is found dead in her painter’s studio with the gun next to her and all of the windows and doors locked from the inside. The verdict is suicide, but her good friend and neighbor Major Boddy doesn’t believe it. And he has a wide assortment of suspects: the vicar who once gave in to temptation with the victim, the simple farmer who has carried a torch for her for many years, the young fiancée of the simple farmer who sees the victim as her competition, the servant with his own secrets, the failed actor husband whom no one respects. Assisted by his batsman from the army Syd Gammon and his extensive knowledge of detective fiction, Major Boddy takes it on himself to solve the murder, and also figure out how the killer managed to get in the locked room. The ending was a bit of a stretch with a couple of surprises, but fun nevertheless.

Both of these are interesting examples of the late golden age of British mysteries, with great characters and strong emphasis on story.

I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

[Pamela Mclaren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who would think that a murder mystery would be light-hearted or fun? Well, I did after reading these two classic tales that continue to entertain well into their eighth decades from John Bude.

Death in White Pyjamas, written in 1944, involves a company of actors staying at the country home of Sam Richardson, a wealthy man who made his wealth in biscuits and now is working to help the theatre and its company broaden audience base and reputation.

Everything seems light and gay but there is tension in the air. Producer Basil has jumped into home ownership by purchasing a cottage near Richardson's estate of Old Knolle and trying to do up the place on his own. He eventually brings in stage designer Deidre Lehaye, a cynical woman who enjoys discovering others foibles, to furnish the place. Then there is the young ingenue Angela, the established actress Clara, seasoned actor Willy who has gambling issues, and finally, Rudolph, an aspiring playwright and nephew of Clara. He is attracted to Angela, who is attracted to him as well as Basil, who is jealous of Rudolph ...

It's a right stew of personalities that holds together until blackmail and murder appear. Everyone is suspected — just about anyone would be a good choice — but it's how it happens where the magic and fun are truly at the forefront.

The same can be said In Death Knows No Calendar, which occurs in the village of Beckwood. John and Lydia Arundel are two artistes — she is the money maker and he is the holder on. Here too, everything appears to be light and gay but there are undercurrents as well. Petty slights, jealousies and a death that definitely feels like suicide unless you are more cynical. Who would have struck down the victim? Just about everyone.

The investigation into the death comes down to Major Boddy, an older gent with a rabid enthusiasm for crime fiction (no wonder I like him!) who along with his former batman, Syd, is quite adept in digging out the clues and the goods.

Wonderful writing, clever settings and dialogue, and the real winner in both cases is the "how-done-it." This book is grandly entertaining, a delight from the first to the last pages.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Death in White Pyjamas / Death Knows No Calendar is a double title which includes 2 mysteries by John Bude. Originally released in 1944/1942 respectively this reformat and re-release, out 7th June 2020 is part of the British Library Crime Classics series by Poisoned Pen Press. This edition is 488 pages (for the ebook version) and available in paperback and ebook formats. (Other editions available in other formats). It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

These are both well written golden age British country house murder mysteries. Bude's style is lighthearted, sometimes bordering on wryly sarcastic (he gleefully describes one character's romantic exploits as "priapic"). It reminded me somewhat of Edmund Crispin's slightly campy overtone on several occasions. Nevertheless, both books were enjoyable reads, well plotted and very (very) British.

For me, one of the draws of the books in the crime classics series are the erudite and always interesting introductions by editor Martin Edwards. Mr. Edwards has a prodigious knowledge of the genre and writes engagingly and well.

Well written, this double entry and the series as a whole are well worth seeking out. This would make a superlative selection for readers of the genre as well as an introduction to classic crime fiction from the golden age by a lesser known author from the period. It's so nice to see these being released for a new generation of fans.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[John Hardy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two books in one, republished by Ulverstone from the British Library. Death in White Pyjamas: first pub. 1944. It's a country house mystery with a theatrical theme. It is written in a mildly satirical tone. Inspector Harting is in charge of the investigation. There's some emphasis on times, and of course the police interview persons of interest. The relations between Harting and his seniors was cordial.
On the whole, although not a bad book, I felt it was only worth a 3.
Death Knows no Calendar: first published 1942. Amateur sleuth Maj. Boddy is the main protagonist. Mind you, he calls detective fiction "a bastard form of literature", even though it is one of his hobbies. He expresses himself in a bluff, direct way. "Could have blocked your ears", he said jovially. "Didn't think of it, eh?" Then "No! No! Pulling your leg, Miss Finnigan." He sometimes uses malapropisms - "like a bull in a bonnet". When enlisting help from his servant, Gannon, they speak in military terms of "operations". He has an amusing exchange with the Chief Constable, who sarcastically downplays the police efforts as "typically unimaginative police routine". I felt the whole book was written as a parody of detective stories, with farcical proceedings, and it was extremely entertaining. That's really the reason why I slipped this under cosy crime, although it's not really.
The author uses some witty turns of phrase - "her evidence must stand firmly on its own shapely legs". Attitudes to women are cliched for the time, but not in any way mean. There is some underlying racism - "as if a gangling pygmy had shot a lioness".
The author may have been trying his hand with certain writing techniques, as there were messed up versions of a female lisping, Dr. McBane's Scottish accent, and Lewis's cockney accent.
I felt that there were certain technical difficulties - a .45 bullet lodged in the skull?
I really enjoyed this book, and felt like giving it a 5, so therefore, the two together get a 4 star rating.

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy John Bude's novels, so I was delighted to find two in one volume. Typical Bude - the murderer is fairly easy to spot, but the method depends on having some expert knowledge. Having said that, Bude's characters and locations are generally so well written that I enjoy rereading his novels, even when I know both 'whodunnit' and 'howdunnit'.

He is especially gifted at producing likeable amateur sleuths, and we have an especially good one in 'Death Knows No Calendar'. I think this might have been a 5 star read if not for three annoying quibbles. In the first place, Bude doesn't 'play fair'. At one point, he makes a statement of fact regarding the inner thoughts of one character, which would mean that person was innocent of murder - but they are actually the guilty party. The second quibble is regarding his amateur sleuth, Major Boddy. The victim, Lydia Arundel, is a really nasty piece of work - a manipulative and cruel individual who loves nothing more than making other people unhappy, yet Major Boddy thinks of her as 'witty, generous', 'charming' and 'great hearted'. It's hard to believe that anyone as blind to reality as this could be an effective detective! My third complaint is that one of the characters, a slightly dim and childish girl, has a lisp. It's not just sloppy characterisation to give a lisp to any character who needs to appear 'simple', it's also pretty offensive to anyone with a lisp. If this were a modern novel, I'd be knocking a couple of stars off just for that, but I don't feel it's fair to downgrade a novel of the 1940s for this kind of stereotyping, because it was so normal for the times.

Death in White Pyjamas is a simpler story - if you are used to Golden Age detection and especially Bude, you'll know as soon as you start reading that A is going to be murdered, B will be the killer, C and D will fall in love, E will...etc, etc. It's still a fun read though, with some wonderfully comic moments.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Death in White Pyjamas" is a mystery that was originally published in 1944 and is set in England. This mystery took up the first half of this book. The murder didn't occur until later in the book, so the reader got to see everything leading up to the murder. This included strong clues about whodunit. For the reader, it was more about working out how the murder was done. The detective didn't initially have these clues, so he asked questions, checked alibis, and looked for clues, but he and his sidekick mainly speculated about who might have done the murder and how. They talked out several possible scenarios, and it took a while to unravel the truth because they weren't especially smart. However, it was an interesting mystery with entertaining characters. There was no sex. There was a fair amount of bad language.

"Death Knows No Calendar" is a mystery that was originally published in 1942 and is set in England. The murder was made to look like a suicide, so it was an amateur sleuth who decided to look into how the murderer could have been committed and who had motive. Again, whodunit seemed pretty obvious to me. The sleuth worked through the motives and alibis fairly quickly to come to the same conclusion. Then it was simply tracking down enough clues to convince the police and figuring out how the clever, locked room murder was done. Unless you happen to have lived at that time, you're unlikely to figure out the answer of how it was done. The sleuth kept that information to himself to reveal at the end. The characters were interesting and entertaining. There was no sex. There was a fair amount of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this book (both stories) to fans of historical mysteries from this time period.

I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cast and production team of the Beaumont Theatre’s production of Pigs in Porcelain are increasingly overshadowed by the grim atmosphere of the play. A country weekend is supposed to clear the air, but instead ends in murder. But why was the victim wearing white satin pyjamas?

Martin Edwards’ introduction tells us that John Bude was involved in professional and amateur theatre for decades, and one does wonder how much he used this book to work off built-up frustrations with productions and people from his past. The mixture of high emotions, cultural rhetoric and backstage shenanigans from the slightly seedy to the downright villainous certainly rings true. In fact so true that no-one really comes across as sufficiently sympathetic to allow the reader to care what happens to them. I must admit I often found myself thinking how much better Ngaio Marsh manages to work with this setting.

I have reviewed Death Knows No Calendar separately, but to take the two together as published in the BL series: it’s a bit much to have two books back to back in which the victim is a strong woman who abuses her power and therefore can be said by those investigating in both books to deserve her murder - this particularly true of Death in White Pyjamas. Also interesting to see two books published mid-WWII which make no reference to it in any way. As any reader of Angela Thirkell knows, luxurious country weekends and village life were both thoroughly disrupted and would never return to the world described in these books. After reading Bude’s slightly cynical take, one can’t really regret that.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed. I enjoy John Bude’s prose, his classical old fashioned way of writing, and his descriptions of things. He has a good portraiture of characters in his stories and the stories themselves are interesting. He doesn’t generally have the suspense of Christie, but the yarns are pleasing and keep you reading. The murders are almost incidental sometimes.

This book had two stories, Death in White Pyjamas and also Death Knows No Calendar. Whilst the first’s characters were more modern and the story had more air of impropriety amongst the actors of a small theatre in London conspired to idyllic village life in the second.

Pyjamas was interesting for the peek behind the acting curtain, but the denouement was disappointing as it hung on a clue/finding that the reader had no way of foreseeing or guessing and it seemed a little blunt.

Calendar was a more simple who funnier procedural with Major Boddy and hit Bat-man Gammon solving the riddle and finding the person responsible, and how it was done. It was quite clever and a devious plot.

I like Bude’s use of accents and voices in his books, the cockney accent in the second book is so funny and well written, as well as the local servant voices; housemaid and such.

Nothing to shock or offend in these books, nothing controversial and good rainy day reads. I’ve read a few of Bude’s in the Crime Classics Series and whilst they’re still not Agatha ... they’re good.

[Sam Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, something I’ve learnt about myself for reading these classic murder mysteries, is once I’ve read one I want to immediately read something different.

Death In White Pyjamas, a tale of tensions within a theatre cast, was my preferred story because, although I think the actual murder took a little too long to happen, you got a very strong understanding of the characters and their relations and tensions with each other.
Death Has No Calendar I felt wasn’t as strong, but like the former, definitely picked up speed and interest toward the back half of the story.

John Bude wrote both of these in the mid-40s so they have this lovely, quaint atmosphere to them. The first takes place across a country estate, the second occurs primarily throughout a manor and its accompanying British village. While I personally wouldn’t read this book again, I certainly enjoyed my time with it. But my time spent with this collection of two stories has shown me that once I’ve read a story of classic murder mystery, from the British Library Crime Classics collection, I do then desire to read something drastically different. How some people can only read murder mysteries I’ll never know (then again I’m a nut for science fiction so I can’t say anything)

All in all, I do recommend this book. It’s one of the few of the Collection that actually gathers two stories by the same author together because, frankly, they both have similarities in atmosphere, themes and execution.

4/5

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two mysteries from the Classic Era of crime writing. Death in White Pyjamas was an interesting tale of a group of actors at a country home and their jealousies and competitions. Sam RIchardson has gathered the group of actors at his home to prepare for their coming season. A new writer's play is read and almost everyone is eager to produce it except Basil Barnes, the producer. Eventually Basill convinces everyone not to produce the new play, There is increased tension among the three female leads as well. When someone is found dead, the first suspect, of course, is the disgruntled, rejected playwright. But the victim had more enemies than just the playwright. An excellent mystery.

The second book in this compilation is Death Knows No Calendar. This was a classic locked room mystery - was it murder or suicide? After the inquest finds that flamboyant artist Lydia Arundel committed suicide, Major Boddy doesn't believe it. He has known Lydia for a long time and cannot believe someone so vibrant would take her own life. He embarks on a solution to the locked room mystery..

My only complaint with Death Knows No Calendar was the multiple dialect dialogue in the book. I was tearing my hair out trying to decipher various accents: the cocky London, speech impaired, country and Scottish. Not necessary and very distracting.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

1 - Death in White Pyjamas
A Country House Mystery originally published in 1942
Old Knolle house in Sussex, is the home of Sam Richardson, a wealthy theatre promoter and owner of the Beaumont Theatre. Theatre producer Basil Barnes, lives nearby in Fallow Cottage, on the outskirts of the Lambdon village. Over time the actors stay at Old Knolle house to rehearse the latest play that they will perform. The story shows the various interactions between the characters, and relating the various motives, which in its slow build up, will climax in a death.
Inspector Harting investigates.
An entertaining and well-written mystery.
2 - Death Knows No Calendar
A Locked Room Scenario. John and Lydia Arundel have organised a party to their official opening of their licensed premises, The Little Bottel, in Beckwood. One of the invited is Major Tom Boddy an amateur sleuth. Later Lydia is found dead and the police believe it to be a suicide. Boddy with his sidekick Syd Gannon investigate. Over time they eliminate their suspects, determine who the guilty party is, and discover the clues that show motive and method.
A enjoyed this interesting story, but what I didn't care for was for me the overuse of the vernacular, and the lisp speech.
A NetGalley Book

[Brian Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

There're two complete traditional British detective stories in the book. The first one, Death in White Pyjamas, is a puzzle mystery set in the English countryside, that combines a "whodunit" with a "howdunit". It starts slowly with the murder not happening until well into the story. However, readers ought not to be surprised by the identity of the victim. The action picks up with the discovery of the body and the arrival of the police in the person of Police Inspector Harting. The Inspector and his Sergeant Dane are well suited to solving the mystery through sheer hard work. The killer has concocted a clever cover story and an ingenious mechanical device with which to carry out the plot. It's all far-fetched but makes for a good mystery read. The members of the suspect pool are from the theater world. Each of them is quirky or annoying in their own way, making for interesting background to the mystery story. It takes some effort to adapt to the verbose dialogue which seems common to these traditional mystery stories.

In the second story, "Death Knows No Calendar", amateur detective Major Tom Boddy, takes on the investigation of a "sealed box" suspicious death at an English country home. With the help of his manservant, Syd Gammon, he figures out how a female artist woman was shot in her locked studio. It's the more interesting of the two stories, with two puzzles included for the amateur sleuths to solve. The major and his sidekick are standout characters worth a special mention.

The helpful introduction by Martin Edwards merits a read.

Recommended.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with a complementary advance reading copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for a fair review. The comments about it are my own.

[Diane Hernandez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Both Death in White Pyjamas & Death Knows No Calendar were disappointments to me. I expect more from John Bude than an incredibly long setup and a disappointing conclusion.

Both tales have a vicious female provocateur that is murdered late in the story. Deidre in Pyjamas was literally hated by everyone within range of her voice. Lydia in Calendar was just as evil.

However, the solution of both tales was impossible for the reader to discover. Key clues were withheld to a minute before the detective revealed whodunit. Pyjamas had so many abrupt twists of who was lying at the end that I soon stopped even trying to solve the mystery myself. Calendar was a locked room mystery with an answer only known to rural British villagers at the time.

Therefore, I would only recommend Death in White Pyjamas & Death Knows No Calendar to readers who do not want to try to solve the mysteries themselves. 3 stars. Armchair detectives should read any other book by this usually good author rather than this book.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.