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Anthony Bathurst #21
Cold Evil: An Anthony Bathurst Mystery
"I believe those men were murdered just as clearly as if they had been stabbed to the heart with a knife. The only sign that they bore was a dull red mark . . . behind the ears."
Six men meet at the vicarage of St Crayle one evening to tell each other ghost stories. In particular, it is Martin Burke's tale, one of a homicidal chimera in India, that chills his audience to the bone. Burke believes that the events in the story might be a demonstration of pure evil.
This is soon revealed to be a prophecy of sorts, when one of the men disappears that very night, walking home across Constanton Moor. His body is found a week later, without a mark on him, save a look of sheer terror on his face - and a dull red mark behind his ear.
Cold Evil was first published in 1938. This new edition features an introduction by Steve Barge.
Six men meet at the vicarage of St Crayle one evening to tell each other ghost stories. In particular, it is Martin Burke's tale, one of a homicidal chimera in India, that chills his audience to the bone. Burke believes that the events in the story might be a demonstration of pure evil.
This is soon revealed to be a prophecy of sorts, when one of the men disappears that very night, walking home across Constanton Moor. His body is found a week later, without a mark on him, save a look of sheer terror on his face - and a dull red mark behind his ear.
Cold Evil was first published in 1938. This new edition features an introduction by Steve Barge.
- GenresMystery
234 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1938
About the author
Brian Flynn
104 books26 followers"Brian Flynn, English author and an accountant in government service, a lecturer in elocution and speech, an amateur actor. He wrote about 50 novels, mostly for the library market. His serial character is Anthony Bathurst." - fantasticfiction.com
Also wrote under the pseudonym Charles Wogan.
Also wrote under the pseudonym Charles Wogan.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 10, 2021
Decidedly this is one for dedicated Flynnites and should not be entertained as a starting point by newcomers to the series. Bathurst here is not quite at his verbal worst, but the author imbibed too freely at a fountain fed by a Dictionary of Quotations and acres of allusion are the sometimes tedious result.
However we do learn more details about the detective including his age and tastes in music and literature. Interesting too is his attitude to fictional and professional detection :-
"Notable writers, have, I admit, somewhat humoured our beliefs in the fatuity of the professional detective. But more, I think, to exalt their own brilliant creations, their Sherlock Holmes, Hanaud, Poirot, Inspector French, Colonel Gethryn, Philo Vance, and Ellery Queen, rather than to discredit a singularly capable body of men, which, after all, has a persistent record of success behind it to justify its being.".
As to the plot, I have remarked before about lack of fair play in Flynn's novels, but here it is not even an issue as the author is attempting to produce a meditation on the nature of evil as much as a detective novel. I noticed just one clue, but there is no link to the perpetrator until Bathurst explains its significance toward the end of the book.
The background is almost overwhelmingly atmospheric, with freezing cold weather and bleak moorlands, and, despite carol-singers, the most unfestive Christmas and New Year one could imagine. The feelings of horror and helplessness are well-depicted.
The characters are vivid, and I particularly liked the "Watson", Bathurst's cousin Jack, and the Vicar.
Different again, although not a patch on its brilliant predecessor, this is a slightly weird introduction to a welcome third tranche of ALB's adventures.
I am ever grateful to Steve Barge for his researches and Introductions, and to DSP for making the books available at such reasonable prices.
3.5 stars.
However we do learn more details about the detective including his age and tastes in music and literature. Interesting too is his attitude to fictional and professional detection :-
"Notable writers, have, I admit, somewhat humoured our beliefs in the fatuity of the professional detective. But more, I think, to exalt their own brilliant creations, their Sherlock Holmes, Hanaud, Poirot, Inspector French, Colonel Gethryn, Philo Vance, and Ellery Queen, rather than to discredit a singularly capable body of men, which, after all, has a persistent record of success behind it to justify its being.".
As to the plot, I have remarked before about lack of fair play in Flynn's novels, but here it is not even an issue as the author is attempting to produce a meditation on the nature of evil as much as a detective novel. I noticed just one clue, but there is no link to the perpetrator until Bathurst explains its significance toward the end of the book.
The background is almost overwhelmingly atmospheric, with freezing cold weather and bleak moorlands, and, despite carol-singers, the most unfestive Christmas and New Year one could imagine. The feelings of horror and helplessness are well-depicted.
The characters are vivid, and I particularly liked the "Watson", Bathurst's cousin Jack, and the Vicar.
Different again, although not a patch on its brilliant predecessor, this is a slightly weird introduction to a welcome third tranche of ALB's adventures.
I am ever grateful to Steve Barge for his researches and Introductions, and to DSP for making the books available at such reasonable prices.
3.5 stars.
September 15, 2021
Excellent !
Very good, unlike any of the others I have read. I am not scholar enough to be sure whose style Mr Flynn was using, Le Fanu perhaps ?
Very good, unlike any of the others I have read. I am not scholar enough to be sure whose style Mr Flynn was using, Le Fanu perhaps ?
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews