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The Ponson Case

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From the Collins Crime Club archive, the forgotten second novel by Freeman Wills Crofts, once dubbed ‘The King of Detective Story Writers’.
When the body of Sir William Ponson is found in the Cranshaw River near his home of Luce Manor, it is assumed to be an accident – until the evidence points to murder. Inspector Tanner of Scotland Yard discovers that those who would benefit most from Sir William’s death seem to have unbreakable alibis, and a mysterious fifth man whose footprints were found at the crime scene is nowhere to be found . . .

This Detective Story Club classic is introduced by Dolores Gordon-Smith, author of the Jack Haldean Golden Age mysteries.

341 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1921

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About the author

Freeman Wills Crofts

139 books89 followers
Born in Dublin of English stock, Freeman Wills Crofts was educated at Methodist and Campbell Colleges in Belfast and at age 17 he became a civil engineering pupil, apprenticed to his uncle, Berkeley D Wise who was the chief engineer of the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway (BNCR).

In 1899 he became a fully fledged railway engineer before becoming a district engineer and then chief assistant engineer for the BNCR.

He married in 1912, Mary Bellas Canning, a bank manager's daughter. His writing career began when he was recovering from a serious illness and his efforts were rewarded when his first novel 'The Cask' was accepted for publication by a London publishing house. Within two decades the book had sold 100,000 copies. Thereafter he continued to write in his spare time and produced a book a year through to 1929 when he was obliged to stop working through poor health.

When he and his wife moved to Guildford, England, he took up writing full time and not surprisingly many of his plots revolved around travel and transport, particularly transport timetables and many of them had a Guildford setting.

In retirement from engineering, as well as writing, he also pursued his other interests, music, in which he was an organist and conductor, gardening, carpentry and travel.

He wrote a mystery novel almost every year until his death and in addition he produced about 50 short stories, 30 radio plays for the BBC, a number of true crime works, a play, 'Sudden Death', a juvenile mystery, 'Young Robin Brand, Detective', and a religious work, 'The Four Gospels in One Story'.

His best known character is Inspector Joseph French, who featured in 30 detective novels between 1924 and 1957. And Raymond Chandler praised his plots, calling him "the soundest builder of them all".

Gerry Wolstenholme
May 2010

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5 stars
81 (25%)
4 stars
122 (38%)
3 stars
87 (27%)
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22 (6%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
Profile Image for Fiona MacDonald.
812 reviews198 followers
January 2, 2018
Starting this book off I was a bit disappointed because it was so slow. I have only just recently heard of this author and didn't have high hopes for him. I felt I was going to struggle with the book and had thought about giving up immediately- what a good thing I persevered! As I read more the story sped up to such an extent that I had to read it under my desk at work, so anxious was I to discover the culprit!! Everything was brought together perfectly at the end and I sat gobsmacked after finishing trying to work out how the author had created such a good story! Freeman Wills Crofts was a pretty astonishing author, and if he was good enough for PG Wodehouse then he is definitely good enough for me. I will be seeking out more of his work!
Profile Image for K.J. Charles.
Author 66 books12.2k followers
Read
July 11, 2020
I think I see why Freeman Wills Croft hasn't lasted. This is an ingenious plot and there's glimmers of good characterisation including a heroine with guts, but the whole thing is mired in a plot that depends on checking every tiny detail of an alibi over and over again till the reader runs screaming. Also, I called the mystery from a throwaway line in the opening of the first chapter.
Profile Image for France-Andrée.
689 reviews27 followers
August 18, 2021
Too many explanations! Wow, chapters after chapters of train schedules and other transports. The story could have been better if shorter and to the point. It’s also very dated sometimes it makes it a classic but not in this case. The twists are good (though one is too easy to guess… and the cop hadn’t even thought of it!), I liked the ending of the mystery but there is too much meanderings to get there.

I can believe the author was a train engineer, he was in love with his career, but it doesn’t make for a fascinating read maybe an accountant could have made it more boring? And no accountants get angry, I work in accounting!

Profile Image for John.
778 reviews40 followers
July 29, 2014
If you like Police Procedurals then this is the book for you. I don't think that I could think of a better one. Some might find it over long and boring but I really enjoyed this book. The reader is privy to every thought that Inspector Tanner has and is given all the clues. Red herrings abound in this 1920's English country house mystery.
Profile Image for Betsy.
1,126 reviews144 followers
March 5, 2020
This has to be one of the most complicated Golden Age mysteries I have ever read. The detective, Inspector Tanner, actially believes at least 3 different people did it. The ending is still puzzling. I like Golden Age, but this was one was a mish-mosh, which left me cold.
Profile Image for Catullus2.
230 reviews5 followers
October 6, 2023
Good characters and setting. Ending was a bit flat.
Profile Image for Alejandro.
104 reviews
April 17, 2024
A wonderful detective story. Unlike the ones I usually read, the detective was just a guy (which I liked). He wasn't a genius or a neurotic or some other thing, just thorough and perceptive; I think this worked best for this book. It really let me believe I was there alongside the characters figuring it out as it happens, instead of having random wild twists that make no sense. The twist that was in the book was "sensational," but I could easily accept it.
Also, I really enjoyed the shifting perspective to the female lead as she investigates herself. Probably some of the best sections of the book, if you like competent characters.
Profile Image for Lisa Kucharski.
1,058 reviews
August 10, 2014
First book for me to read by Crofts, and it is highly reminiscent of J.S. Fletcher who wrote at the same time. A very detailed account of Ins. Tanner of Scotland Yard investigating a case. And we follow all the exacting details of hunting clues. The last line of inquiry being a bit more complicated, but it proved something I suspected was happening that precipitated the death of William Ponson. If you've been around the mystery bend more than once you too would probably find yourself making certain guesses as well.

The story is very much of its time, that is to say- that a social stigma would create certain behaviors. It's really hard to conceive of acting in this manner today, especially as so many people are advertising their dirty laundry and getting all sorts of attention from it. The characters are well drawn and the plotting is done well... the ending doesn't have the same flourish and stamp that many stories do of this time which makes it kind of interesting to me.

Overall, it has the feel of a cozy mystery but is most certainly in the police procedural vein. And, though this copy said copyright 1937, the original had to be earlier as few people had cars, and it seemed even fewer had telephones.
Profile Image for Eric.
1,495 reviews49 followers
October 23, 2021
This certainly represents a huge step forward from Crofts' "The Cask" , being more tightly-plotted and less prolix.

Inspector Tanner of Scotland Yard conducts a meticulous investigation into the death of retired industrialist, Sir William Ponson. Alibis are checked and tested, evidence is sifted and weighed, and the reader can follow the detective's thought process and procedures throughout.

There is some amateur involvement and a couple of romances are entwined in the plot. As with the later tales of Inspector French, there are numerous journeys by train and boat, at home and abroad, as well as plenty of details of timetables.

Most GAD aficionados will spot a huge clue which is dropped in at an early stage, and which forms part of the solution. However, this is not one which the reader can fully solve.

Unfortunately I found it difficult to accept that Sir William would have acted as he did in the backstory without taking legal advice, and so my enjoyment was less than it might have been.

3.5 stars.
Profile Image for Olivia Barth.
288 reviews10 followers
May 20, 2021
I really loved this one! It was puzzling and tricky, but tied together so well at the end. I know that some people haven't liked the ending, but I thought it was perfect - that's the kind I like!
46 reviews4 followers
July 11, 2025
My husband added this to my pile of books because he thought I’d enjoy it. We’ve been married over 20 years and I’m not sure he knows me all that well.

Too many details about train schedules for my liking.
73 reviews1 follower
April 3, 2019
The Ponson Case is Freeman Wills Crofts' second (of four) full length novels which were written before the introduction of his most famous series detective, Inspector French.

In this tale a wealthy gentleman is found dead in a river and it is, at first, presumed that he has fallen from his boat but subsequent investigations suggest foul play. Inspector Tanner from New Scotland Yard is brought in to investigate the mystery. Two of the relatives of the deceased come under suspicion yet both seem to have unbreakable alibis. Freeman Wills Crofts is the undoubted master of the unbreakable alibi and a large portion of this novel is devoted to Tanner's investigations into, and attempts to break, the accounts of those he suspects of having a hand in the murder. Eventually he makes an arrest and at that point is aided in his enquiries by the solicitor for the accused.

The story is well told and, given the complexities of the plot, easy to follow. The author is able to convey a tricky and convoluted series of events in straightforward language which allows the reader to enjoy the narrative without getting bogged down in the text. This is a welcome hallmark of Freeman Wills Crofts' writing and makes reading his books a pleasure.

He is also scrupulous in playing fair with the reader. Tanner does not discover anything that we are not told immediately and it would, in theory at least, be possible to work out the solution before the end of the novel, though in this particular story a lot of the finer points of what actually happened on the fatal night are only revealed by those actually involved rather than deduced by Tanner.

Like Crofts' earlier (and excellent) debut novel 'The Cask' some of the action of this story is set abroad though the foreign sections are less prevalent here than in the earlier work.
One of the joys of Crofts' stories is that all the characters are believable and three dimensional. Inspector Tanner is a sensible and sympathetic police officer who works diligently to solve the mystery without relying on the almost supernatural flashes of inspiration so often found in detectives of the period. He is also prepared to cooperate and share information with the defence team of the accused in order to get to the truth which allows the story to have several different threads without unnecessary conflict between the characters which would detract from the main thrust of the plot.

This is a very enjoyable and interesting read, the details of railway timetables and the movement of ships, the chip in the heel of a shoe and and an old love story all play their part and are the solution is wholly satisfactory.

It is not a fast paced thriller nor is there any overly descriptive violence but a lovely way to spend time in a bygone and simpler age.
Profile Image for Frederick.
Author 7 books44 followers
February 20, 2018
Written in 1921, this is the first (or second) published novel by Freeman Wills Crofts. Crofts was a writer's writer, by which I mean that a major figure such as Raymond Chandler considered Crofts a "master-builder."
I must point out that this may be the most even-toned book of any sort I've read in years. This is at once its merit and its flaw. Notice I have given it four out of five stars. It is nothing if not a throughly thought-out novel. But be prepared for the excitement to derive almost exclusively from exhaustive detail about the gathering and sifting of evidence.
There are four or five moments when Crofts' wit allows itself to be seen. He could have written a much more entertaining book, but his goal, clearly, was to try to get the reader to try to figure out the mystery every step of the way. Again I point out I gave it four stars. This is because the story as a whole is inspired. As slowly as this book moves, as methodical as its narration, it is almost subversive in its ultimate view of society.
Profile Image for Elle Hartford.
Author 35 books301 followers
May 18, 2023
This was my first Crofts novel, and I was a little skeptical because the introduction reeeeaally talked it up, haha. But to me, it seemed the story lived up to the hype, and it kept me guessing until the end! The alibis are incredibly intricate and the inspector (and other detectives) are very, very thorough.

From what I understand, Crofts went on to write about a single detective; but this book, one of his early ones, reads a little more like The Moonstone or similar works where several characters come together to solve the mystery. My one frustration was with the characterization of the mother and daughter. But, it is, of course, a book of its time.

Overall, this was fascinating, especially as another look at early classic mysteries. Very detail-oriented, but the puzzle is rewarding in the end!
Profile Image for John Frankham.
679 reviews20 followers
September 20, 2016

This is an early 1920s 'police procedural'. Third-person narration but concentrating on the thoughts and actions of Scotland Yard's Inspector Tanner as he investigates the death, by drowning (?) of retired businessman Sir William Ponson in the south of England. Several suspects, many reversals of suspicion, etc. In the fashion of the time, meticulous and perhaps over-long, but a decent read. Nearer 3* than 4*.
Profile Image for Mike.
Author 46 books194 followers
January 27, 2025
I remarked to my wife about this one that it doesn't matter if the inspector in a Freeman Wills Crofts novel isn't Inspector French, because he'll be functionally indistinguishable from him anyway. The author reserves personality for his suspects and victims, supplying none to his detectives. They're all efficient, dogged men who work patiently through the tedious investigative work that lets them unravel complicated and imaginative crimes.

The suspects are generally interesting, though, at least in spots. The deceased and his wife and daughter are lightly sketched, and have little role except as backstory, but his son, his nephew, the son's fiancée (a determined, intelligent woman who gets respect and approval from the police inspector), and another character who it would be a spoiler to describe have had more time spent on them, and come through as individuals.

There are elaborate and clever alibis, a tense chase leading eventually to Portugal, and a couple of unexpected twists, one of which I saw coming from a little distance off, but the other of which I definitely did not. While the resolution stretched my suspension of disbelief a little (), it was emotionally satisfying.

These are enjoyable mystery stories in which the cleverness of the crime, and its gradual revelation through careful police work, are the biggest draws, but there's an awareness too of how the events affect the characters emotionally, and how their relationships impact events. There's also always admiration of the landscape through which the inspector travels, both in England and often, as here, on the Continent, and I have to wonder whether this was Freeman Wills Crofts' way of making his holidays tax deductible, as well as a reflection of his genuine enjoyment of travel and scenery. And we usually get a tense chase, fight, or other action sequence thrown in as well. The character work may be patchy, and the detectives interchangeable, but these are still well written stories in other respects.
Profile Image for Yibbie.
1,403 reviews54 followers
May 8, 2025
Beware, don't get any of those little details mixed up. Every second and step is important. And despite knowing that, I still didn't see the end coming. Crofts has created a tangle of motives and opportunities that implicate everyone and no one. So, of the obstinate son, the ne'er-do-well nephew, and the mysterious small man, who is actually guilty, and what deep secret ties them all together. I do wish that Lois had a larger part in the story. She was a fun character who kept the slowest parts of the book interesting. There was a stretch of the story that seemed to drag on and on, but eventually Crofts brought it all together and surprised me.
There were a couple of curse words.
726 reviews
November 17, 2025
The death of Sir William Ponson seems to be an accidental drowning but a post-mortem examination suggests murder and so Inspector Tanner arrives from London to investigate. It soon becomes clear that there are several suspects and Tanner follows the evidence to discover the killer.

Another classic novel from the pen of Freeman Wills Croft, one of the writers from the Golden Age of Detective fiction. The novel is full of interesting detail and it’s interesting to see the reliance on rail travel in the days before other transport would be more common. The ending is rather disappointing and loses some of the potential created in the pursuit of the killer.
1,887 reviews50 followers
May 7, 2023
A classic puzzler in the grand tradition. When a wealthy man is found dead in unusual circumstances, Inspector Tanner has to embark on a round of painstaking checking of alibis and motives. So there's a lot of checking train time tables and interviewing taxi drivers and that type of police work, including a complicated and urgent journey from England to Lisbon to arrest one of the suspects. All good fun to follow with a notebook in hand. Just don't expect any subtle psychology : this is a book of dogged police men, dignified gentlemen and the obligatory plucky girl who stands by her man.
93 reviews
April 21, 2024
The style of this mystery is one you really don't see any more. Instead of dropping clues here and there and leaving you to figure out which ones are important, the author leads you through every step, every detail, alongside the detective. The book plays it completely fair with the reader, not requiring external knowledge or suspect leaps of the imagination.

Of course, in real life if so much time and money were spent investigating every crime, the police budget would be greater than the GNP and there would be a decades-long backlog of cases.
Profile Image for Cognatious  Thunk.
538 reviews30 followers
February 11, 2025
Feb. 2025 - narrated by Yoganandh T. on LibriVox
Well, I didn't expect that solution. I went through the entire novel, feeling quite cocky since I thought I discovered the murderer early on, due to a common murder mystery trope, only to get drawn up at the end by an unexpected plot twist. Who could have guessed that Not I. At least I got about
4,389 reviews56 followers
November 30, 2018
A clever mystery that left me guessing. At times it reads like a police procedural as it is recorded in detail all the steps the detective takes and then throughout a summary of how things stood and the things the detective needed followup. Parts of that become boring. But there is an exciting chase scene in the book.
1,058 reviews2 followers
December 20, 2019
The detail of the investigations of Inspector Tanner are careful and prodigious - reading them step by step is an interesting experience. Perhaps not as good as Sherlock Holmes or Lord Peter Whimsy the plot and characters are highly enjoyable. Perhaps your emotions are not absolutely engaged but it is surprising that Freeman Wills Crofts is not better known.
33 reviews
May 27, 2020
Excellent Read

Delightful mystery from the golden age of British mysteries. Complex plot—the final solution was not quite credible and the suspects seemed to have acted a bit out of character, but the journey to the solution was pleasant and the detective thoughtful and attractive.
Profile Image for Susan.
7,263 reviews69 followers
December 30, 2024
1920. Sir William Ponson goes missing on a Wednesday evening and is found dead the following day in the nearby river. Suspicion falls on his son and nephew. But what would be their motive.Inspector Tanner of Scotland Yard investigates.
An entertaining historical mystery
Originally published in 1921
Profile Image for Christine.
1,307 reviews
September 2, 2019
This is kind of like a primitive, slow-moving Harlan Coben story. It all seems so impossible and inexplicable in the beginning, but as the story goes on, the players are introduced, alibis are proven and dis-proven, clues are unearthed, and all is satisfactorily explained in the end.
Profile Image for LeAnne.
384 reviews9 followers
June 25, 2021
Excellent mystery, was it murder or an accident ?

I liked following Inspector Tanner as he diligently followed clue after clue. The story kept me reading night after night. The author, Freeman Wills Croft, is one of my favorite Golden Age writers.
548 reviews5 followers
May 1, 2022
Freeman Wills Crofts provides a complex murder mystery which leaves the listener engrossed and sometimes baffled. My only quibble is the long end sequence in which every minor detail, however small, is tidied up. While I prefer the Inspector French novels this is well worth looking at.
Profile Image for Mark Rabideau.
1,242 reviews3 followers
December 17, 2023
This is a very good mystery. The plot is especially filled with twists and turns. I'm beginning to wonder why this author is hiding in the mists of history rather than being noted for his interesting tales.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews

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