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Slim Callaghan #7
Uneasy Terms
Three dazzling sisters are suspects in the killing of their own mother. If only Viola could have predicted the potential for danger when she drafted the will that prevents any of her daughters from being married strictly for her fortune. But no case of murder and intrigue is too knotty for shrewd detective Slim Callaghan, who stirs up the calm waters of the tiny village of Alfriston, leaving chaos in his wake and a stunningly solved puzzle at this adventure's thrilling close.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1946
3 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
About the author
Peter Cheyney
110 books30 followersBorn Reginald Evelyn Peter Southouse Cheyney, he trained as a lawyer before getting tired of legal office work and joining the Army. He fought at the second Battle of the Somme in World War I and was wounded but when he returned to England he wrote songs, poems and short stories for various newspapers and magazines and used many pseudonyms.
He also turned his hand to journalism, was a newspaper editor and also owned a detective agency, Cheyney Research Investigations.
His first published novel was This Man Is Dangerous and this began his prolific novel writing career. Thereafter he averaged two mystery novels a year with his best known characters being Slim Callaghan and Lemmy Caution and he became one of the best known and most successful of British crime novelists. His success also brought with it financial rewards and he was recognised as one of the richest authors of the time.
There have been many film versions of his works, which helped spread his popularity, particularly to the United States.
His life-style, one of hard-living, much like his characters, and hard work eventually took their toll and he died at age 55. He was buried at Putney Vale Cemetery.
Michael Harrison published a biography in 1954 entitled Peter Cheyney Prince of Hokum and there have been a number of biographical essays over the years.
Gerry Wolstenholme
December 2010
He also turned his hand to journalism, was a newspaper editor and also owned a detective agency, Cheyney Research Investigations.
His first published novel was This Man Is Dangerous and this began his prolific novel writing career. Thereafter he averaged two mystery novels a year with his best known characters being Slim Callaghan and Lemmy Caution and he became one of the best known and most successful of British crime novelists. His success also brought with it financial rewards and he was recognised as one of the richest authors of the time.
There have been many film versions of his works, which helped spread his popularity, particularly to the United States.
His life-style, one of hard-living, much like his characters, and hard work eventually took their toll and he died at age 55. He was buried at Putney Vale Cemetery.
Michael Harrison published a biography in 1954 entitled Peter Cheyney Prince of Hokum and there have been a number of biographical essays over the years.
Gerry Wolstenholme
December 2010
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 3, 2018
First sentence: The wind came in from the sea, driving the rain before it. It descended in sheets beating down on the rolling Sussex Downs, forming little rivulets that ran swiftly down the gutters of the winding roads about Alfriston. The wind howled dismally through the woods that topped the long rise of downland behind the village.
Premise/plot: If only the mother could have foreseen that her will would lead to murder...
Viola Alardyse is the oldest daughter. Her inheritance will be lost IF she is married at the time of her mother's death or if she gets married.
Corinne Alardyse is the middle daughter. She gets the inheritance if her older sister marries, but only so long as she remains unmarried herself.
Patricia Alardyse is the youngest daughter. Again, she gets the inheritance if and only if both of her sisters have married and if she herself remains unmarried.
If all three sisters marry, then everything goes to charity.
The book begins with an argument over dinner. The sisters live with their maternal aunt--their mother's sister--and their stepfather--their mother's second husband. The sisters are fighting with each other but also with their stepfather. He shares a startling bit of news: he has heard some rumors and he's going to hire a private investigator to get to the bottom of it.
Enter Slim Callaghan, a private investigator. What will he make of Viola? of Corinne? of Patricia? He won't have a chance to form an opinion of the stepfather--Colonel Stenhurst. Before they can meet, his body is found.
My thoughts: Peter Cheyney is a new-to-me author. This was my first introduction to the British private investigator, Slim Callaghan. He seems to love women and booze. But he stays on task--mainly. Even if he's led in part by his lusty intuition.
I saw a few of the twists coming early on. But I didn't mind because it can be quite satisfying to guess right in a mystery.
Premise/plot: If only the mother could have foreseen that her will would lead to murder...
Viola Alardyse is the oldest daughter. Her inheritance will be lost IF she is married at the time of her mother's death or if she gets married.
Corinne Alardyse is the middle daughter. She gets the inheritance if her older sister marries, but only so long as she remains unmarried herself.
Patricia Alardyse is the youngest daughter. Again, she gets the inheritance if and only if both of her sisters have married and if she herself remains unmarried.
If all three sisters marry, then everything goes to charity.
The book begins with an argument over dinner. The sisters live with their maternal aunt--their mother's sister--and their stepfather--their mother's second husband. The sisters are fighting with each other but also with their stepfather. He shares a startling bit of news: he has heard some rumors and he's going to hire a private investigator to get to the bottom of it.
Enter Slim Callaghan, a private investigator. What will he make of Viola? of Corinne? of Patricia? He won't have a chance to form an opinion of the stepfather--Colonel Stenhurst. Before they can meet, his body is found.
My thoughts: Peter Cheyney is a new-to-me author. This was my first introduction to the British private investigator, Slim Callaghan. He seems to love women and booze. But he stays on task--mainly. Even if he's led in part by his lusty intuition.
I saw a few of the twists coming early on. But I didn't mind because it can be quite satisfying to guess right in a mystery.
May 28, 2020
First published in 1947 this was the author's attempt at a novel about a hard boiled private investigator based in the United Kingdom. Slim Callaghan is not a loner as he has a secretary/ receptionist in his office and also has a Canadian assistant to do his leg work. I suppose the author was not just influenced by Raymond Chandler but also by Erle Stanley Gardner and Leslie Charteris. Fifty years ago I liked this series and I picked this book up because of nostalgia. It's not a bad read though Callaghan's drinking is overdone and the plot does not quite work. I can see why this would have appealed to me in my early teens but having just re-read three of the author's books I doubt I will look for any more. The main thing which struck me was how much about the characters I remembered fifty years on (slight exaggeration as I re-read this book in 1976 and 1983) whereas these days I have completely forgotten books I read only a couple of years ago.
September 5, 2014
Murder mystery set in the 40s in England--
Our private eye's hand is usually always filled with a cigarette, a drink, a gun, or a woman. Every cliche of this time period pretty well included. There is even the younger sister who comes in handy as a gopher and surprise, surprise...develops a crush on our hero, (the older, suave man).
Our private eye's hand is usually always filled with a cigarette, a drink, a gun, or a woman. Every cliche of this time period pretty well included. There is even the younger sister who comes in handy as a gopher and surprise, surprise...develops a crush on our hero, (the older, suave man).
June 7, 2014
This is an OK murder mystery, I quite enjoyed it really. Nothing special though.
June 30, 2022
Uneasy Terms is a short crime novel. The main character is a private detective named Slime. Personally I dislike many aspects of this book. The women are described by their beauty and extremely objectivized. Also, main character solves his jobs mostly by fist fighting. And drinks whiskey all day long. His right hand is a guy that goes by name Windy. Windy is through the whole book flying around, seducing women for information and searching different investigation ends. Slime also, has no issue breaking the law, disturbing crime scenes and lying to the police. In my opinion, this book would have been written a whole lot differently if it was written in present time and not in the 1950s.
I am very much against sexist behavior and everything related, so only for that this book would get 1 star rating from me. However, the investigation is interesting, there are a lot of different ends that Slime had to investigate and figure out in order to solve the murder, so for that reason I am giving this book 3 stars.
Would not recommend. There are some great crime novels out there, and this is not one of them.
I am very much against sexist behavior and everything related, so only for that this book would get 1 star rating from me. However, the investigation is interesting, there are a lot of different ends that Slime had to investigate and figure out in order to solve the murder, so for that reason I am giving this book 3 stars.
Would not recommend. There are some great crime novels out there, and this is not one of them.
March 21, 2023
Decent if dated thriller, but good storyline and liked the Marlowe-esque hero with the American sounding name of Slim Callaghan
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews