Accident by Design

Robert Macdonald #34

by E.C.R. Lorac

Accident by Design was honestly a really well done classic British mystery. I was surprised, expecting something subpar and generic. It was well-written, with interesting characters and some great descriptions of the British countryside and the work done on a tenant farm. The story is about a family estate in the early '50s. The patriarch lies in bed near death, but still quite aware. His eldest son is a feckless alchoholic with a middle-class (bad), Australian (worse) wife who hates pretty much everyone his father employed and has threatened to make a clean sweep when he takes over. When they both die in a car accident, too many people benefit and this alerts the local constabulary (who are very well depicted in the best British tradition of the no-nonsense, practical, reasonable police force). When their surviving son dies a few days later, by seemingly eating some poisonous berries, the game is truly afoot.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Golden Age Mystery, British Literature, Mystery Thriller, 20th Century

229 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1951

About the author

Edith Caroline Rivett (who wrote under the pseudonyms E.C.R. Lorac, Carol Carnac, Carol Rivett, and Mary le Bourne) was a British crime writer. She was born in Hendon, Middlesex (now London). She attended the South Hampstead High School, and the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London.

She was a member of the Detection Club. She was a very prolific writer, having written forty-eight mysteries under her first pen name, and twenty-three under her second. She was an important author of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction.

Reviews

[Barb in Maryland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another tough case for my favorite Scotland Yard man, Chief Inspector Macdonald.
The setting is one that is very familiar in English mysteries of the early-mid 20th century: old family estate in the country, dying patriarch, squabbling family members, loyal estate staff. The story opens with the car crash that killed the heir to the estate and his wife. Gerald and Meriel Vanstead were not liked by many on the estate; he drank too much and was a bad driver; she was argumentative. He had already promised a 'clean sweep' of the estate staff once he inherited; no one shed any tears at the funeral. While the local constabulary could not find any evidence of foul play, they were bothered by how convenient Gerald's death was. But not bothered enough to call in Scotland Yard.
Macdonald doesn't appear until there's another death among the Vanstead heirs, reviving suspicions about the car crash.
I wasn't too bothered by Macdonald's late arrival. I was having too much fun with the family dynamics, the locals, and the staff. The mystery of who did the murders was complex. Too many people with possible motives; but who among them had the knowledge as well as the opportunity?
The author gave us several characters we could immediately cross off the list of suspects: the two older women who had known Gerald as a child, as well as the young farmer and his charming wife. Almost everyone else was fair game. The final chapters, wherein Macdonald sets his trap, were very tense. Even though by that time I had worked out who had to be the baddie, I was still caught up in the drama, worried that the trap would fail.
One thing I enjoy about the author's books--she usually gives us a 'wrap-up' chapter, where Macdonald explains all. I always appreciate that.

[Kusaimamekirai · Rating 4 out of 5]

“To start with a bias is the very devil."

The Vansteads are fairly unlikable people. Rich, condescending, arrogant, and obsessed with their property.
That is with the exception of Gerald Banstead and his wife Meriel. They are mostly simple minded people who are hated and tormented by the rest of the family. Gerald is also the heir to the Vanstead fortune once his ailing father dies and, as is to be expected in a mystery written in the mid 19th century, finds himself, his wife, and his bratty son, murdered.
Cue the arrival of Inspector MacDonald (fashionably late to the story as he doesn’t appear to the midway point) as he tries to discover who had the motive and opportunity to get Gerald and his family out of the way.
This story is quite clever and takes some interesting twists and turns over botanics, poisons, and science. In addition, despite their being more than a few characters, the story does a really nice job of developing them and caring what happens to them.
This is my 2nd Lorac mystery and I am 0-2 in guessing the murderer. Her mysteries are a wonderful mix of a just challenging enough whodunit mixed with some social criticism. Inspector MacDonald is quite fun as well.

[Doug Bolden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought and started reading this book because its name sounds very much like the kind of name a mystery parody might use. It is not, alas, a funny parody but reading it I was enjoying the energy it had. Everything was pretty typical and fairly commonplace: English family has interpersonal conflicts, some people die, some more people die, and everyone sits around and talks about the implications of it while well-meaning but slightly bumbling police fail to really get to the bottom of it.

That one death was the family heir and his deeply disliked wife felt pretty bog standard but elements of the past help us to find some sorrow at their passing even if most people in the novel refuse to consider it a bad thing. The second death, one of a young and problematic type, feels more disruptive and emotional even if again a lot of the response was to snap back to a "stiff upper lip" frame. We had a variety of folks, most of who could be the culprits, going through a variety of set pieces and scenes and I was deeply interested to see it unfold.

The loss of a central detective meant that the normal pattern of the victims being the outsiders in the novel ostensibly about them was disrupted. We no longer had a hero type - usually a quirky hero type - to hang our characterizations upon. We were forced to deal with the crime itself (not even obviously a crime despite the massive SPOILER the title provides) and I was loving it. The mystery genre has long dealt with murder and terrible things in a way so unlike the horror genre because in part it so decentralizes the murder it is supposedly about. It becomes an element of a narrative rather than the loss of a person. By having the murder BE the narrative felt much harder to compartmentalize.

Then the detective showed up. And I had to go and look it all up and it turns out that Lorac's MacDonald is a well established series. Sometimes going in blind has drawbacks.

Shortly after that I put the book down for a long while because it felt I had approached it from the wrong angle. A Lorac fan would have been driven through those quiet moments waiting for the Outsider Hero to take control of the narrative and invert the focus away from the family. As a new reader, I was instead seeing the Insider Family lose focus and start acting much more deeply like the usual cast of devils in a crime novel where multiple suspects is the primary way to drive a page count forward.

I did reopen it a few days ago and finished this morning and I can say that I was being harsh but also being exactly right. The novel never quite regains that central emotional landscape that made the first portion work well in the constraints of classic detective fiction but the detective did not quite so disrupt it as I feared he might. Lorac returns to the focus family quite a bit at the time it matters and the entire situation is practically solved without him. A couple of clues are shoehorned in: "Oh, there was a vial hidden away!". A couple of characters are some what about-faced. Still, the novel manages to make the Hero Detective much more of a part of the rhythm rather than the main melody when it matters. That I liked.

I now feel the need to look up other novels because I sort of want to see what made Lorac make this change, even if the end the gravity of the genre template pulled it all back more to straight.

[TheRavenking · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rather ordinary offering from Lorac featuring some of her recurring themes like farming, country life, the running of a large household, tensions between family members. I found it unfortunate that the more interesting characters get killed at the beginning and none of the remaining are particularly likeable. The investigation plods along without any real highlights, MacDonald enters the scene relatively late into the proceedings and his presence isn't quite as strong here as in some of the other novels. The reveal of the killer's identity wasn't much of a surprise either. It's by no means a bad mystery, just suffering from a lack of originality. It has a certain workmanlike quality which ensured that I read it in one sitting, but Lorac has written far more entertaining books.

[Daniel Myatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that ECR Lorac spends time setting the scene (as does George Bellairs, another classic crime writer I love).

There is no rush to introduce the detective nor the crime (although the first crime occurs fairly quickly in this book) in her books and that gives us time to survey the characters and make our assumptions on who the murderer is and this book is no different!

A family bought back under the same roof, tensions are high, and fractures are made bigger by having a cast of servants, local farmers, and friends all added into the dynamic!

Then the murders begin! Classic Lorac, no surprises, and MacDonald strolls in uses his friendly, calm manner to solve the lot!

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a bit to get into this one, as everyone in the main family is inherently unlikable ... which turns out OK as family members begin dying off and you realize in all likelihood one of them is responsible. I did not guess the murderer, but the points McDonald made as he summed up were utterly reasonable. Very few of the characters were likable, which is why McDonald finds himself summing up to a young farmer and his wife who manage the home farm for the family estate.

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this one, though I picked the killer and motive pretty much immediately (either the mysteries are getting simpler or I'm getting wiser to them...)

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gerald Vanstead is the surviving son and heir to Templedean, home of his father Sir Charles and sister Judith. He and his wife are not liked and few mourn their death in a car accident. When another death occurs Macdonald of Scotland Yard is brought in to investigate both events.
An entertaining mystery
Originally published in 1951

[sslyb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lorac’s books get so much better after Inspector MacDonald enters, I don’t know why she waits so long to bring him into the story. Nearly half way until MacDonald comes into this one

[Elisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid Mystery

A solid golden age mystery. The author plays fair and does give clues that the reader can follow to guess the solution of the crime. A worthwhile read.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author takes a lot of time with the set-up of this 1950 novel as a result of which the redoubtable CI Robert Macdonald does not appear until about the halfway point in the story, by which time three members of the wealthy Vanstead family have died in a road accident and by poisoning. Lorac tells us a fair bit about her series detective:-

“…a tall, lean fellow, black-haired, grey-eyed, his skin as tanned as a farmer’s, his broad shoulders and long limbs those of an athlete…there was something serene about him, a quality of stability and balance, which showed in his unlined face and healthy skin, as well as in the way he stood …a man who went his own way, indifferent to promotion, sometimes a thorn in the flesh to superior officers because of his essential independence, but possessed of a judgment and tenacity which had made him a terror to those he pursued.”

The local police in the shape of the very capable Inspector Young and Sergeant Brown have their own ideas about the possibility of criminality in these deaths, but are somewhat overwhelmed by the flood of rumours in the local community and by deference towards the Vanstead household.

“That’s why an outsider like myself is often useful,” agreed Macdonald. “It gets rid of bias and accepted privilege.”

Suspicion is sloshed around liberally, as there are many, among the family, the servants and on the estate who will gain by these deaths, and, ultimately, the solution did come down to the old question of “cui bono?”-“who benefits?”

The writing and plotting are ever clear and there is a good cast of realistically-portrayed characters. The gradual narrowing down of the suspects is skilfully handled and the reader can perhaps too obviously follow Macdonald thinking, to the extent that I saw with clarity who the murderer had to be, were suicide and accident ruled out.

For me this is the most Christiesque of Lorac’s books, with its Cotswold setting, gossiping villagers, grand Manor House,atropine as the poison of choice and a very perceptive elderly unmarried lady in the mix. However the author’s uniqueness shows in her depiction of farming life and use of a very able and insightful professional policeman.

[Claire Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

so glad that the British Library have reissued these books!

This excellent series of detective novels had fallen out of print - such a shame as they have great plot lines that twist and turn, well rounded, accurately drawn characters and believable stories. The period details are very accurate as they were written by an author who had lived those years but they in no way does it date them in a way that some older novels become ‘unreadable’.
This is a genre that I very much enjoy so it is a treasure trove to find that all her many novels under several different pen names have been reissued. There is no gratuitous violence or unnecessary gory details merely a set of interconnected people with very different sets of lives - in a time when servants were still a ‘thing’- with a crime cleverly disguised in a plot that twists and turns and puts many under suspicion. I do enjoy a good murder mystery where along with the detective my mind turns from one character to the other. Too often nowadays the ending becomes obvious by at least half way through the book - these novels are not so!
No plot spoilers so just try one of her books and I guarantee you’ll be hooked. My daughter spotted her first book on a table in Waterstones of books reissued by the British Library then I found them on Kindle. This is my 3rd of her books and I intend to work my way through them as I am recuperating from orthopaedic surgery and have the leisure of time to read.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gerald Vanstead keeps talking of how he’ll make a ‘clean sweep’ when he inherits Templedean, so there are few mourners when he dies in a car accident. But after a second death, Chief Inspector Macdonald is called in: is it accident - or design?

Yes, it’s another of ECR Lorac’s postwar mysteries set in a beloved family home, this time an idyllic country estate. The set-up is interesting: Judith Vanstead, the capable sister who has presided over the house for her ailing father, is a sympathetic character, but Gerald and his wife and son, all damaged by their experiences in a Japanese prisoner of war camp, and colonial fish out of water at home, are given their own point of view. Lorac here is on the same page as Agatha Christie: no-one deserves to be murdered, however awful they are.

Niceties of social class play a significant part in this book, and contribute to the motives, clues and possible exoneration of the relatively small pool of suspects, against a background of the chorus of local village opinion. I did guess the murderer, who is unmasked in what for Lorac is an unusual denouement - no chase and no disguise. It’s a good Lorac book, and one where her conflicted depiction of the survival of the beautiful family estate becomes very much a story about post-war England itself.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating 3

Generally I like the novels of ECRL but for some reason this one felt a bit meh for me.
The writing is as easy to read as ever and the locations are well drawn and believable.
The plot itself is a very slight one, with MacDonald not appearing until over half way through the novel.
The main characters who are essentially the vanstead family, their servants and a couple of neighbours are in the main lightly sketched for the reader and I don’t like any of them. It is obviously deliberate on the part of the writer but none of them arouse any sympathy in the reader, even the first couple of murder victims.
The mystery itself is very basic and although I did half guess/wondered about the guilty party, I didn’t commit myself so to speak.
Overall then a very mid range effort for me this title , still worth reading but only when other better titles have been read.

[BBoulier · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Accident by Design” (1950) by E.C.R. Lorac (pen name of Edith Caroline Rivett) is one of the Inspector MacDonald series. Having returned from Malaya to his family home in England because of the poor health of his father, Gerald Wanstead and his wife are killed in an automobile accident. But, was it an accident? Several people have a motive to dispense with Gerald, who is much disliked and is in line to inherit his father’s estate. The local police suspect foul play but lack sufficient evidence to charge anyone. Scotland Yard’s MacDonald is summoned to work on the case. This is a nicely written mystery with a fine plot and excellent descriptions of country life and of the characters in the story. The MacDonald series of books is one of my favorites and this is one of the better books. Highly recommended.

[Ann Morrill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gentle golden age mystery

This is a wonderful example of its time. Well written, well paced and I didn't guess the murderer till nearly the end. It's really interesting to see how attitudes to children and psychiatry have changed and how we have advanced so much in out understanding of the effects of trauma and abuse. I found myself getting angry at how the poor child s obsession with food, fear of cars, cruelty to others and insecurity is dismissed as him being a greedy, cowardly, stupid and nasty child. Given that he survived a Japanese POW camp and then survived a car crash that killed his parents his behaviour is totally normal but this just demonstrates that you have to read this book accepting that it is a product of its time and you can't put today's values on it.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really excellent example of the English Country House Murder(s) in which the local police are slightly in awe of the landed gentry involved in the case. They bring in Macdonald from Scotland Yard to take over. The writing is superb, especially the dialogues between him and the suspects. Also, as always, the descriptions of the characters and locations are brilliant. Loads of red herrings but as the author does play fair with the reader, I did figure out whodunit but not till the last knockings.

I have read a lot of her books and this one is, I think, one of the best.

Very highly recommended for lovers of beautifully written Golden Age murder mysteries.

[robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely good! Lorac is aces at presenting you with an obvious culprit, at the same time obfuscating them with a selection of other likely culprits and red herrings. There's a moment toward the end when you see the killer absolutely clearly, right at the moment when you're intended to. Very well orchestrated.

Lorac writes the people beautifully and the landscape even more beautifully; these books are a pleasure to read.

[David C Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Death keeps happening in an ancestral home where the patriarch is dying. Accidents? A very Agatha Christie like performance using Christie’s technique of the magician’s sleight of hand: pay attention to the details but forget the essentials - which MacDonald doesn’t do. 3.5 stars because it’s just a little too slow: Lorac liked a long buildup. Also: as before it’s amusing - but also worrisome for police procedure - that none of Macdonald’s suspects ever seem to make it to trial.

[Anna Katharine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A patriarch near death, a beloved family estate, and a detested older son set the stage for an accident too convenient to be true. When a second death involves the implausible consumption of poisonous berries, it becomes imperative to find out which secretive, aristocratic family member is willing to sacrifice lives to save their own livelihood. As usual, Lorac delights with lush descriptions of the English countryside and fresh, quirky characters.

[John Keeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

What A Mysrery

What can I say. After I had gotten to know all the characters I decided on two of which one of them had to be the murderer. I am not going to say who those two were because I am not going to give anything away. Truthfully almost everyone certainly had a motive. Needless to say, as usual I was totally wrong. I can’t recommend this book highly enough.

[Jillian B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read. Well plotted, linear storyline, intelligent and insightful detective and some great characters. I particularly liked Elizabeth Barton.
The “psychological” discussions were most entertaining and very of their time. Seems to be something that interested Lorac as there was an emphasis on it in Post After Post-mortem as well.

[Maria Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read

This was an interesting and involving story with rounded characters. I felt the ending was a little rushed regarding the identity of the protagonist- suspicuan seemed to come all at once but nevertheless it was a satisfactory ending.

[M. White · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent Golden Age mystery

If you like Christie, I'm sure you will enjoy E C R Lorac. Her characters are well developed and interesting, and the plot is very cleverly complex. This was a very well done mystery and I highly recommend it.

[Suzie Grogan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The wonderful Chief Inspector McDonald doesn’t appear until half way through this classic mystery, so Lorac loses a star for a bit of drag in the plot but nonetheless it is a good read, well written. It isn’t hard to guess whodunnit, but it retains an excitement to the end.

[Giles47 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent as ever

Perhaps the best of the Golden Age writers, I thought this one her best stories. Plausible, engrossing, with interesting characters, and set mainly in the country house at the centre of the mystery, it would make a good stage play.

[Allison Henle · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the information is there but you have to view the puzzle the right way.

[M. Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Accident...or murder? Nefarious doings around a Cotswold manor; a little less MacDonald than I'd have liked.

[Linda Berndt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written

Reads like a Christie book. Good suspense and a page Turner. The Scotland Yard detective plays fair with the clues.

[Cricket Muse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspector Macdonald makes a late arrival but once he does the plot definitely improves.