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Miles Bredon #2
The Footsteps at the Lock
Urbane mystery, set in the pastoral reaches of the upper Thames, concerns the disappearance of young heir to a fortune. Insurance company investigator Miles Bredon takes on the case. Delightfully tongue-in-cheek tone, baffling clues, challenging mystery counterpointed by poetic evocation of the river and countryside. Fine novel by author of 10 celebrated "commandments" for writing detective fiction.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1928
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251 people want to read
About the author
Ronald Knox
224 books112 followersMonsignor Ronald Arbuthnott Knox was a Roman Catholic priest, theologian, author of detective stories, as well as a writer and a regular broadcaster for BBC Radio.
Knox had attended Eton College and won several scholarships at Balliol College, Oxford. He was ordained an Anglican priest in 1912 and was appointed chaplain of Trinity College, Oxford, but he left in 1917 upon his conversion to Catholicism. In 1918 he was ordained a Catholic priest. Knox wrote many books of essays and novels. Directed by his religious superiors, he re-translated the Latin Vulgate Bible into English, using Hebrew and Greek sources, beginning in 1936.
He died on 24 August 1957 and his body was brought to Westminster Cathedral. Bishop Craven celebrated the requiem mass, at which Father Martin D'Arcy, a Jesuit, preached the panegyric. Knox was buried in the churchyard of St Andrew's Church, Mells.
Knox had attended Eton College and won several scholarships at Balliol College, Oxford. He was ordained an Anglican priest in 1912 and was appointed chaplain of Trinity College, Oxford, but he left in 1917 upon his conversion to Catholicism. In 1918 he was ordained a Catholic priest. Knox wrote many books of essays and novels. Directed by his religious superiors, he re-translated the Latin Vulgate Bible into English, using Hebrew and Greek sources, beginning in 1936.
He died on 24 August 1957 and his body was brought to Westminster Cathedral. Bishop Craven celebrated the requiem mass, at which Father Martin D'Arcy, a Jesuit, preached the panegyric. Knox was buried in the churchyard of St Andrew's Church, Mells.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
July 29, 2024
Published in 1928, the second of five Miles Bredon mysteries sees the intrepid insurance investigator (plus long-suffering spouse) on the trail of estranged cousins Derek and Nigel Burtell, who seem intent on mutual destruction for inheritance purposes (and one of them, indeed, may succeed) during a carefully choreographed ‘reconciliation’ boating trip.
Author and theologian Ronald Knox was a founder member of the Detection Club, ‘Golden Age’ writers who subscribed to Knox’s ‘Ten Commandments’ of crime fiction. Not surprisingly, this twisted yarn exhibits all the characteristics of its era; only by keeping a detailed spreadsheet could the reader have any hope of unravelling its intricacies.
Setting aside the unlikely contrivance that is the plot, the book offers a pleasant jaunt along the bucolic upper reaches of the Thames, meeting locks and lockkeepers, inns and innkeepers, and introducing the reader to the nuances of punting. It is competently written, uncompromisingly so at times, and I extended my vocabulary to the tune of circumlocution, confabulations, divagations, meretricious and pertinaciously. Now comes the challenge to use them!
Author and theologian Ronald Knox was a founder member of the Detection Club, ‘Golden Age’ writers who subscribed to Knox’s ‘Ten Commandments’ of crime fiction. Not surprisingly, this twisted yarn exhibits all the characteristics of its era; only by keeping a detailed spreadsheet could the reader have any hope of unravelling its intricacies.
Setting aside the unlikely contrivance that is the plot, the book offers a pleasant jaunt along the bucolic upper reaches of the Thames, meeting locks and lockkeepers, inns and innkeepers, and introducing the reader to the nuances of punting. It is competently written, uncompromisingly so at times, and I extended my vocabulary to the tune of circumlocution, confabulations, divagations, meretricious and pertinaciously. Now comes the challenge to use them!
June 19, 2021
Ronald Knox è una delle figure di spicco della Golden Age del giallo e uno dei massimi studiosi e critici di questo specifico ambito letterario.
Ronald Arbuthnott Knox nacque a Kibworth, nel Leicestershire, nel 1888. Figlio di un vescovo anglicano, studiò a Eton e a Oxford, per poi seguire le orme paterne divenendo sacerdote. Nel 1917 però, a seguito di un lungo travaglio interiore, si convertì al cattolicesimo. Fu un uomo di spicco nel mondo culturale dell'epoca, particolarmente attivo in campo religioso, tanto da aver curato la prima traduzione in inglese della Bibbia. Fu un grande conoscitore della letteratura poliziesca, scrivendo molti saggi sull'argomento e, in particolare, la sua disanima sul Canone holmesiano è reputata tra i migliori lavori critici dell'opera di Doyle. Egli stesso si dedicò alla stesura di sei romanzi gialli, pubblicati tra il 1925 e il 1937, aventi tutti come protagonista Miles Bredon, vivace e bizzarro detective che lavora per un'agenzia assicurativa.
Knox fu anche autore satirico che lavorò per la BBC, scelto per conferire varietà e brio alla programmazione noiosa di cui il pubblico inglese si era lamentato. Riuscì benissimo nel suo compito come si può evincere da un divertentissimo aneddoto: il 15 gennaio del 1926, pur avendo preannunciato che si sarebbe trattato di un pezzo umoristico, Knox fece andare in tilt il pubblico londinese, convincendolo con una serie di notizie inventate che fosse avvenuta una grande rivolta che aveva causato l'esplosione del Savoy Hotel (riprodotta facendo scoppiare in radio una busta di arance). La satira di Knox generò un terrore diffuso, molti ascoltatori diedero fede alla storia e cominciarono a tempestare l'Ammiragliato di chiamate. Il fatto che le strade fossero intasate per una recente nevicata fece sì che i giornali tardarono a diramare la notizia che si era trattato di una farsa, così, per un po' di tempo, Londra fu in subbuglio, all'insaputa dello stesso Knox! Questo molto prima della celebre "invasione aliena" annunciata ironicamente da Orson Welles.
Insomma, Knox fu una figura vistosa e peculiare negli ambienti culturali del tempo.
Successivamente, sollecitato dai suoi superiori, Knox fu costretto ad abbandonare la narrativa gialla e, da allora, si dedicò esclusivamente alla materia religiosa. Morì nel 1957.
Essendo un autore particolarmente importante nella storia del genere, di cui peraltro compilò 10 regole ben precise a cui ogni scrittore doveva attenersi, ero curioso di leggere qualcosa di suo e ho scelto "Orme sul ponte", seconda opera della saga con Bredon.
"Orme sul ponte" ("The Footsteps at the Lock", 1928) è un romanzo giallo particolare, scritto con una prosa brillante e umoristica, sebbene presenti molte carenze sia nella narrazione che nell'enigma in sè.
L'opera inizia con un primo capitolo in cui vengono delineate, con toni satirici e quasi parodistici, le due figure che saranno al centro della trama, i cugini Burtell. Derek e Nigel sono ragazzi profondamente diversi, eppure sono accomunati da una grossa caratteristica: il fatto di essere dei completi inetti. Certo, ognuno a modo suo: Derek, dopo aver concluso gli studi, con la sua solita indolenza e indifferenza a tutto, era caduto nelle grinfie dei due demoni più potenti, ossia il gioco e la droga, vivendo una vita di stenti tra un creditore e l'altro; Nigel invece, pur essendo uno scialacquatore tanto quanto il cugino, ha un animo più ribelle e decisamente più antipatico, provocando sommosse e comportandosi da dandy intransigente e superiore a tutti. Ça va sans dire, i due si detestano vicendevolmente, anche per motivi prettamente pecuniari.
Infatti, Sir John Burtell, loro nonno e stimato avvocato, alla sua morte, aveva deciso di lasciare in eredità ben 50000 sterline al nipote a lui più caro, Derek. Egli avrebbe potuto mettere le mani sulla somma solo al suo venticinquesimo compleanno. Il problema è che quei soldi Derek, pur ricevendoli, avrebbe dovuto poi darli via per ripagare i suoi debiti Nigel, d'altro canto, si ritrova fuori dai giochi in ogni caso. A meno che Derek non muoia prima di compiere gli anni.
Anche se i due rampolli sono sempre al verde, il denaro sembra inseguirli: difatti una loro vecchia e ricchissima zia si è interessata a loro dopo molti anni, essendo i suoi unici parenti stretti ancora in vita. Vorrebbe che i due si riconciliassero e chissà se questo può contribuire a inserirli nel testamento...
Insomma, bisogna fare buon viso a cattivo gioco e i due decidono di fare una gita in canoa insieme, sollecitati anche dal medico di Derek.
Fatto sta che, nei pressi della chiusa a Shipcote Lock, Nigel ricorda di avere un esame da fare ed è costretto a lasciare in canoa il cugino e a recarsi alla stazione più vicina. Nel frattempo, però, Derek scompare e la canoa, dopo attente ricerche,viene ritrovata affondata e con un enorme foro sul fondo. Cosa è successo a Derek? Subito le squadre di soccorso, assieme a molti volontari e aspiranti detective, si danno da fare per dragare la zona, ma del corpo non c'è nessuna traccia. Alle ricerche, per conto dell'Indescribable, compagnia assicurativa con cui Derek aveva stipulato una polizza sulla vita, si aggiunge Miles Bredon, abile e versatile detective. Le indagini si fanno sempre più difficili e la posta in gioco è alta: il destino delle 50000 sterline dipende tutto dalle condizioni di Derek. È vivo o è morto? Si tratta di delitto, suicidio, incidente o fuga volontaria? I sospetti non tardano a puntarsi su Nigel che, tuttavia, ha un solido alibi di ferro. Tra ragionamenti, ipotesi e molti indizi contraddittori e assurdi come una foto di orme sul ponte, un portafoglio e alcune tracce sul terreno, Miles Bredon arriverà a scoprire una diabolica verità.
"Orme sul ponte" è un'opera tradizionale e particolare per svariati motivi.
Tradizionale è la struttura del romanzo, che consta di un breve preambolo iniziale, in cui vengono caratterizzati in modo ironico e intelligente le personalità dei due protagonisti, Derek e Nigel, della narrazione vera e propria, a partire dalla descrizione del presunto crimine e le indagini preliminari e poi del disvelamento graduale della verità e della messa a fuoco del significato dei vari indizi. Il percorso seguito è perciò classico, ma è reso più vivace dall'inserimento di interventi ironici dell'autore e da pezzi di metaletteratura su cui si ragiona e ci si burla del giallo stesso, delle sue usuali casistiche e delle varie tecniche narrative.
Così afferma il narratore in uno dei capitoli iniziali:
"La Musa della letteratura poliziesca –perché ormai ne esisterà sicuramente una– presenta uno svantaggio, se paragonata alle sue consorelle: quello di non essere in grado di raccontare una storia in modo semplice, senza fronzoli. Perché se lo facesse, non potrebbero esserci misteri, situazioni ingarbugliate, soluzioni a sorpresa. L'onniscienza dell'autore e l'onnipresenza del lettore, camminando mano nella mano, distruggerebbero tutte le false piste."
Knox, con questa affermazione, dichiara come siano imprescindibili al genere le sezioni descrittive, in quanto esse forniscono gli elementi necessari al lettore per poter partecipare al "più grande gioco del mondo". Attraverso queste interessanti osservazioni, velate di sarcasmo e umorismo, l'autore si giustifica anche per le ampie digressioni espositive che saranno presenti nel corso dell'opera e che risultano fondamentali per la comprensione della dinamica dei fatti, essendo tutti gli eventi legati alla tempistica dei movimenti dei sospetti e ai luoghi in cui sono stati rinvenuti gli indizi. Nonostante ci sia anche una cartina, tuttavia queste descrizioni costituiscono il punto debole dell'intera opera: se Knox si dimostra un fine prosatore, non si può dire che sia abile nella chiarezza espositiva, in quanto risulta spesso vago e prolisso, andando a confondere le idee del lettore. Molti passaggi sono ambigui e la confusione descrittiva non consente di capire a fondo tutta la sequela di fatti senza i quali non si può pienamente afferrare la soluzione.
Nonostante lo stile fresco, simpatico, la presenza di personaggi peculiari e caratteristici, questo caos narrativo rende l'opera abbastanza ostica.
L'enigma, invece, presenta degli aspetti positivi e originali, a partire dalla costruzione stessa della parte gialla, fondata su un "supposto crimine", lasciando aperta così la porta al dubbio sulla sua reale natura fino nel finale. Non c'è, come avviene nella maggioranza dei casi, una base di partenza certa su cui fondare le successive supposizioni.
Però, la limitatezza dei personaggi coinvolti rende abbastanza semplice individuare la soluzione tra le poche realmente possibili, pur non avendo indizi univoci e chiari.
Dunque, "Orme sul ponte" è un romanzo particolare, con alcune idee interessanti anche se non sviluppate al massimo delle loro potenzialità.
Ronald Arbuthnott Knox nacque a Kibworth, nel Leicestershire, nel 1888. Figlio di un vescovo anglicano, studiò a Eton e a Oxford, per poi seguire le orme paterne divenendo sacerdote. Nel 1917 però, a seguito di un lungo travaglio interiore, si convertì al cattolicesimo. Fu un uomo di spicco nel mondo culturale dell'epoca, particolarmente attivo in campo religioso, tanto da aver curato la prima traduzione in inglese della Bibbia. Fu un grande conoscitore della letteratura poliziesca, scrivendo molti saggi sull'argomento e, in particolare, la sua disanima sul Canone holmesiano è reputata tra i migliori lavori critici dell'opera di Doyle. Egli stesso si dedicò alla stesura di sei romanzi gialli, pubblicati tra il 1925 e il 1937, aventi tutti come protagonista Miles Bredon, vivace e bizzarro detective che lavora per un'agenzia assicurativa.
Knox fu anche autore satirico che lavorò per la BBC, scelto per conferire varietà e brio alla programmazione noiosa di cui il pubblico inglese si era lamentato. Riuscì benissimo nel suo compito come si può evincere da un divertentissimo aneddoto: il 15 gennaio del 1926, pur avendo preannunciato che si sarebbe trattato di un pezzo umoristico, Knox fece andare in tilt il pubblico londinese, convincendolo con una serie di notizie inventate che fosse avvenuta una grande rivolta che aveva causato l'esplosione del Savoy Hotel (riprodotta facendo scoppiare in radio una busta di arance). La satira di Knox generò un terrore diffuso, molti ascoltatori diedero fede alla storia e cominciarono a tempestare l'Ammiragliato di chiamate. Il fatto che le strade fossero intasate per una recente nevicata fece sì che i giornali tardarono a diramare la notizia che si era trattato di una farsa, così, per un po' di tempo, Londra fu in subbuglio, all'insaputa dello stesso Knox! Questo molto prima della celebre "invasione aliena" annunciata ironicamente da Orson Welles.
Insomma, Knox fu una figura vistosa e peculiare negli ambienti culturali del tempo.
Successivamente, sollecitato dai suoi superiori, Knox fu costretto ad abbandonare la narrativa gialla e, da allora, si dedicò esclusivamente alla materia religiosa. Morì nel 1957.
Essendo un autore particolarmente importante nella storia del genere, di cui peraltro compilò 10 regole ben precise a cui ogni scrittore doveva attenersi, ero curioso di leggere qualcosa di suo e ho scelto "Orme sul ponte", seconda opera della saga con Bredon.
"Orme sul ponte" ("The Footsteps at the Lock", 1928) è un romanzo giallo particolare, scritto con una prosa brillante e umoristica, sebbene presenti molte carenze sia nella narrazione che nell'enigma in sè.
L'opera inizia con un primo capitolo in cui vengono delineate, con toni satirici e quasi parodistici, le due figure che saranno al centro della trama, i cugini Burtell. Derek e Nigel sono ragazzi profondamente diversi, eppure sono accomunati da una grossa caratteristica: il fatto di essere dei completi inetti. Certo, ognuno a modo suo: Derek, dopo aver concluso gli studi, con la sua solita indolenza e indifferenza a tutto, era caduto nelle grinfie dei due demoni più potenti, ossia il gioco e la droga, vivendo una vita di stenti tra un creditore e l'altro; Nigel invece, pur essendo uno scialacquatore tanto quanto il cugino, ha un animo più ribelle e decisamente più antipatico, provocando sommosse e comportandosi da dandy intransigente e superiore a tutti. Ça va sans dire, i due si detestano vicendevolmente, anche per motivi prettamente pecuniari.
Infatti, Sir John Burtell, loro nonno e stimato avvocato, alla sua morte, aveva deciso di lasciare in eredità ben 50000 sterline al nipote a lui più caro, Derek. Egli avrebbe potuto mettere le mani sulla somma solo al suo venticinquesimo compleanno. Il problema è che quei soldi Derek, pur ricevendoli, avrebbe dovuto poi darli via per ripagare i suoi debiti Nigel, d'altro canto, si ritrova fuori dai giochi in ogni caso. A meno che Derek non muoia prima di compiere gli anni.
Anche se i due rampolli sono sempre al verde, il denaro sembra inseguirli: difatti una loro vecchia e ricchissima zia si è interessata a loro dopo molti anni, essendo i suoi unici parenti stretti ancora in vita. Vorrebbe che i due si riconciliassero e chissà se questo può contribuire a inserirli nel testamento...
Insomma, bisogna fare buon viso a cattivo gioco e i due decidono di fare una gita in canoa insieme, sollecitati anche dal medico di Derek.
Fatto sta che, nei pressi della chiusa a Shipcote Lock, Nigel ricorda di avere un esame da fare ed è costretto a lasciare in canoa il cugino e a recarsi alla stazione più vicina. Nel frattempo, però, Derek scompare e la canoa, dopo attente ricerche,viene ritrovata affondata e con un enorme foro sul fondo. Cosa è successo a Derek? Subito le squadre di soccorso, assieme a molti volontari e aspiranti detective, si danno da fare per dragare la zona, ma del corpo non c'è nessuna traccia. Alle ricerche, per conto dell'Indescribable, compagnia assicurativa con cui Derek aveva stipulato una polizza sulla vita, si aggiunge Miles Bredon, abile e versatile detective. Le indagini si fanno sempre più difficili e la posta in gioco è alta: il destino delle 50000 sterline dipende tutto dalle condizioni di Derek. È vivo o è morto? Si tratta di delitto, suicidio, incidente o fuga volontaria? I sospetti non tardano a puntarsi su Nigel che, tuttavia, ha un solido alibi di ferro. Tra ragionamenti, ipotesi e molti indizi contraddittori e assurdi come una foto di orme sul ponte, un portafoglio e alcune tracce sul terreno, Miles Bredon arriverà a scoprire una diabolica verità.
"Orme sul ponte" è un'opera tradizionale e particolare per svariati motivi.
Tradizionale è la struttura del romanzo, che consta di un breve preambolo iniziale, in cui vengono caratterizzati in modo ironico e intelligente le personalità dei due protagonisti, Derek e Nigel, della narrazione vera e propria, a partire dalla descrizione del presunto crimine e le indagini preliminari e poi del disvelamento graduale della verità e della messa a fuoco del significato dei vari indizi. Il percorso seguito è perciò classico, ma è reso più vivace dall'inserimento di interventi ironici dell'autore e da pezzi di metaletteratura su cui si ragiona e ci si burla del giallo stesso, delle sue usuali casistiche e delle varie tecniche narrative.
Così afferma il narratore in uno dei capitoli iniziali:
"La Musa della letteratura poliziesca –perché ormai ne esisterà sicuramente una– presenta uno svantaggio, se paragonata alle sue consorelle: quello di non essere in grado di raccontare una storia in modo semplice, senza fronzoli. Perché se lo facesse, non potrebbero esserci misteri, situazioni ingarbugliate, soluzioni a sorpresa. L'onniscienza dell'autore e l'onnipresenza del lettore, camminando mano nella mano, distruggerebbero tutte le false piste."
Knox, con questa affermazione, dichiara come siano imprescindibili al genere le sezioni descrittive, in quanto esse forniscono gli elementi necessari al lettore per poter partecipare al "più grande gioco del mondo". Attraverso queste interessanti osservazioni, velate di sarcasmo e umorismo, l'autore si giustifica anche per le ampie digressioni espositive che saranno presenti nel corso dell'opera e che risultano fondamentali per la comprensione della dinamica dei fatti, essendo tutti gli eventi legati alla tempistica dei movimenti dei sospetti e ai luoghi in cui sono stati rinvenuti gli indizi. Nonostante ci sia anche una cartina, tuttavia queste descrizioni costituiscono il punto debole dell'intera opera: se Knox si dimostra un fine prosatore, non si può dire che sia abile nella chiarezza espositiva, in quanto risulta spesso vago e prolisso, andando a confondere le idee del lettore. Molti passaggi sono ambigui e la confusione descrittiva non consente di capire a fondo tutta la sequela di fatti senza i quali non si può pienamente afferrare la soluzione.
Nonostante lo stile fresco, simpatico, la presenza di personaggi peculiari e caratteristici, questo caos narrativo rende l'opera abbastanza ostica.
L'enigma, invece, presenta degli aspetti positivi e originali, a partire dalla costruzione stessa della parte gialla, fondata su un "supposto crimine", lasciando aperta così la porta al dubbio sulla sua reale natura fino nel finale. Non c'è, come avviene nella maggioranza dei casi, una base di partenza certa su cui fondare le successive supposizioni.
Però, la limitatezza dei personaggi coinvolti rende abbastanza semplice individuare la soluzione tra le poche realmente possibili, pur non avendo indizi univoci e chiari.
Dunque, "Orme sul ponte" è un romanzo particolare, con alcune idee interessanti anche se non sviluppate al massimo delle loro potenzialità.
November 8, 2015
Nigel and Derek are cousins who don’t like each other. Both are ne’er do wells who eternally need money, with Derek also suffering from poor health and a drug problem. Inexplicably, they decide to take an extended canoe excursion through English countryside waterways. During this excursion, Derek disappears (or does he?) and is thought to have been murdered, with Nigel being the obvious perpetrator. Onto this scene arrives Miles Bredon, investigator for the Indescribable Insurance Company, and his uber-competent assistant/wife Angela. Bredon isn’t really concerned with who might have committed a murder (Inspector Leyland focuses on that) but rather if there has even been a death and if a insurance payout can be avoided. This engaging mystery novel was first published in 1928 and is the second featuring Bredon. It is very plot heavy and complex (so much so that it kind of falls apart in the last chapter or two) but has a great deal of charm, engaging characters, and a good sense of place.
August 6, 2021
"The Muse of detective fiction – she must surely exist by now – has one disadvantage as compared with her sisters; she cannot tell a plain unvarnished tale throughout. If she did, there could be no mystery, no situation, no dénouement; the omniscience of the author and the omnipresence of the reader, walking hand in hand, would lay waste the trail; no clue would be left undiscovered, no detail lack its due emphasis."
Certainly Ronald Knox does not tell plain and unvarnished tales. But is this one really all that complicated? Or am I missing some point? Is this more morality tale than detective fiction?
Two cousins, two wills, and some photographs are involved in another tale of a huge insurance policy, disappearance, inheritance, and possible murder. One of the cousins is addicted to cocaine which adds a new dimension. And then there is a third possible heir...
Miles Bredon eventually works it all out. The ending is rather contrived, but redemptive, I suppose. I found it a bit unsatisfactory and somewhat smugly pious.
The writing is good, as ever, with lyrical descriptions of the English countryside, and the main characters nicely uncongenial, as the author intended.
Maybe three in a row has been too many.
Recommendable despite my reservations.
Certainly Ronald Knox does not tell plain and unvarnished tales. But is this one really all that complicated? Or am I missing some point? Is this more morality tale than detective fiction?
Two cousins, two wills, and some photographs are involved in another tale of a huge insurance policy, disappearance, inheritance, and possible murder. One of the cousins is addicted to cocaine which adds a new dimension. And then there is a third possible heir...
Miles Bredon eventually works it all out. The ending is rather contrived, but redemptive, I suppose. I found it a bit unsatisfactory and somewhat smugly pious.
The writing is good, as ever, with lyrical descriptions of the English countryside, and the main characters nicely uncongenial, as the author intended.
Maybe three in a row has been too many.
Recommendable despite my reservations.
July 24, 2020
Quite good, even Conan Doyle good.
August 29, 2022
A book completely of its period. At its centre are two unlikeable cousins, Derek and Nigel, and wills leaving one or the other of them large sums of money, depending on who survives whom and when. Derek is stupid, unimaginative, and addicted to drugs; Nigel is pretentious, vain, and fancies himself a Wildean aesthete. Trying to please a dying rich aunt by pretending to like each other, they go on a boating trip down the Thames, where first one and then the other disappears under very mysterious circumstances. Intricate plotting ensues. Extremely intricate plotting. There's appealing banter of the Nick and Nora Charles variety (and anything that brings Myrna Loy to mind gets points from me), and more twists and turns than you can shake a stick at. Knox is pretty cavalier about technical matters like police procedures and fingerprints (at one point one of the investigators glances at a fingerprint and immediately recognises it as just like another one he saw a few days ago). The constantly elaborating plot gets a bit out of hand at times; one character admits that the double/triple/quadruple bluff of one plot point doesn't make much sense (though it perhaps makes sense if you're drug-addled). But it's all great fun if you like mysteries of the British Golden Age variety.
June 1, 2017
Another mystery novel with detective Miles Bredon solving the problem while playing patience.
The mystery itself is a tangle with the least probable solution. Bredon discusses the possible solutions with inspector Leyland, but keeps some of his ideas from him (and from the reader) so as to surprise both.
The mystery itself is a tangle with the least probable solution. Bredon discusses the possible solutions with inspector Leyland, but keeps some of his ideas from him (and from the reader) so as to surprise both.
December 6, 2021
Dipping into books about vintage mysteries, I’ve often come across the name of Ronald Knox as the creator of “The Ten Commandments of Detective Fiction.” (Some of which are quite funny such as Rule #5, “No Chinaman must figure into the story.”)
Footsteps on the Lock was a fun read. I especially enjoyed the banter between Bredon and his wife. The mystery was good too, but all the time I was reading it, it seemed almost too clever. There were so many twists that I began to feel like the author was making it impossible for the readers to ever come to any solutions on their own. When Agatha Christie blindsides me with “who-dun-it,” I’m actually delighted at how she tricked because the facts were obvious. In Knox’s book no fact is what it seems, which turned out to be more disconcerting than satisfying.
Footsteps on the Lock was a fun read. I especially enjoyed the banter between Bredon and his wife. The mystery was good too, but all the time I was reading it, it seemed almost too clever. There were so many twists that I began to feel like the author was making it impossible for the readers to ever come to any solutions on their own. When Agatha Christie blindsides me with “who-dun-it,” I’m actually delighted at how she tricked because the facts were obvious. In Knox’s book no fact is what it seems, which turned out to be more disconcerting than satisfying.
March 21, 2020
"The outing seems innocuous enough. Two cousins, Derek and Nigel Burtell, have agreed to a canoeing voyage up the Thames, the object being to restore Derek's failing health. As it happens, Derek is shortly to inherit 50,000 pounds from his grandfather. In view of the young man's deteriorating physical condition, however, the Indescribable Insurance Company (Knox's nod to the 'Lord, what fun!' school of detective fiction) has insured his life, in the event he does not reach his 25th birthday, the scheduled date of his windfall.
"The journey upstream goes without a hitch; however, the return trip is destined to be less than idyllic. Nigel leaves the canoe at Shipcote Lock to take an exam at Oxford. Before he can rejoin his cousin, the canoe is discovered adrift below the lock, empty with a jagged gash in the bottom. Derek is nowhere to be found.
"Suspecting foul play, the Indescribable sends Miles Bredon, the firm's premier investigator, to look into the case. Can the pastoral reaches of the upper Thames be harboring a murderer? Has Derek met with an accident? Will the company have to pay up? To complicate matters, Nigel Burtell has also vanished.
"Thus begins an urbane and literate mystery, delightfully tongue-in-cheek in tone, that offers mystery buffs ample opportunity to match wits with the imperturbable Bredon and to puzzle over a cluster of clues -- a set of strange photographs, a baffling cipher, a trail of naked footprints on a bridge near the lock. The author's poetic evocation of the river and the countryside through which it flows provides a peaceful counterpoint to the dubious deeds under under investigation."
~~back cover
This book just didn't grab me. even though I read halfway through.
"The journey upstream goes without a hitch; however, the return trip is destined to be less than idyllic. Nigel leaves the canoe at Shipcote Lock to take an exam at Oxford. Before he can rejoin his cousin, the canoe is discovered adrift below the lock, empty with a jagged gash in the bottom. Derek is nowhere to be found.
"Suspecting foul play, the Indescribable sends Miles Bredon, the firm's premier investigator, to look into the case. Can the pastoral reaches of the upper Thames be harboring a murderer? Has Derek met with an accident? Will the company have to pay up? To complicate matters, Nigel Burtell has also vanished.
"Thus begins an urbane and literate mystery, delightfully tongue-in-cheek in tone, that offers mystery buffs ample opportunity to match wits with the imperturbable Bredon and to puzzle over a cluster of clues -- a set of strange photographs, a baffling cipher, a trail of naked footprints on a bridge near the lock. The author's poetic evocation of the river and the countryside through which it flows provides a peaceful counterpoint to the dubious deeds under under investigation."
~~back cover
This book just didn't grab me. even though I read halfway through.
July 11, 2025
"A" for Ronald Knox's ingenuity. Layers upon layers, wheels within wheels of red herrings, this may be the most complex of the genre that I've come across. Installments of evidence are very gradually compiled by Miles Bredon, insurance investigator, in cooperation with Leyland of Scotland Yard. And each new piece of evidence modifies or flatly contradicts hypotheses based on clues that have turned up earlier.
This is "nothing-is-what-it-seems-ism" carried on to the nth degree. (Love it, and it will love you back.)
Lots of arduous polemical give and take between Bredon and Leyland. And it is relentless, hardly a break exists in this double stream of consciousness.
You need a brochure and software to tabulate all these lines of speculation. What you are given is a map of the ins and outs of the region where the clues appear, which didn't help me much.
What saves the book from being a 2-star are a few amusing passages satirizing the two cousins who are the main figures of the story. That amounts to caricaturization, however, not characterization.
Nigel, the Oscar Wilde-patterned nihilistic aesthete, is an actor, and therefore how he presents himself is multifaceted; to the other cousin, Derek, is attributed flashes of genius when he's under the influence of drugs, and a general torpor when he's not. So they're not exactly easy to get to know; therefore, it's a tough slog to determine their motivations.
I read this one to the end by pure willpower.
This is "nothing-is-what-it-seems-ism" carried on to the nth degree. (Love it, and it will love you back.)
Lots of arduous polemical give and take between Bredon and Leyland. And it is relentless, hardly a break exists in this double stream of consciousness.
You need a brochure and software to tabulate all these lines of speculation. What you are given is a map of the ins and outs of the region where the clues appear, which didn't help me much.
What saves the book from being a 2-star are a few amusing passages satirizing the two cousins who are the main figures of the story. That amounts to caricaturization, however, not characterization.
Nigel, the Oscar Wilde-patterned nihilistic aesthete, is an actor, and therefore how he presents himself is multifaceted; to the other cousin, Derek, is attributed flashes of genius when he's under the influence of drugs, and a general torpor when he's not. So they're not exactly easy to get to know; therefore, it's a tough slog to determine their motivations.
I read this one to the end by pure willpower.
June 5, 2021
A 1928 British detective novel so laughably bad one would take it for parody if not for the author's obvious sincerity. Without a shred of evidence and not even sure a crime has taken place, two detectives, one a policeman and the other working for an insurance company, endlessly postulate the most elaborate theories imaginable only to take them back in the following chapter and begin all over again. The two are so utterly inept that it strains the reader's credulity. The actual plot, when finally revealed, is so byzantine that it is almost incomprehensible. At one point the author explains away a character's bizarre and otherwise inexplicable actions by stating that he did them while in an opium dream.
I would have given this one star except that the author seems likable enough and does have a certain talent for lyrically describing the Thames river country in the early 20th century. He does succeed in giving a glimpse into a world that has long since disappeared.
I would have given this one star except that the author seems likable enough and does have a certain talent for lyrically describing the Thames river country in the early 20th century. He does succeed in giving a glimpse into a world that has long since disappeared.
August 25, 2020
Golden Age of Mystery classic by the great Father Ronald Knox. As most of us have seen, some mysteries are driven by a combination of character, dialog, plot, and psychology. This particular tale falls into the "puzzle" driven plot category. The list of suspects is very short. There are a couple of twists and several red herrings. Much of the dialog, especially mid-story is between the investigators arguing out how most of the facts point one way, but the alibis and "gotchas" make those outcomes impossible. I have to admit, at times, I skimmed over those sections - I wasn't keeping track of the convoluted puzzle anyways. The final resolution did make sense and I had guessed the main events(even if losing much of the secondary parts), so that added to the pleasure
August 6, 2021
A complicated will from their grandfather mean that cousins Derek and Nigel Burtell are effectively rivals for a fortune of £50,000. Putting aside any bad feeling the pair take a sail trip on a canoe however only Nigel returns and Derek has vanished. Insurance company investigator Miles Bredon and his rival Inspector Leyland are both on the case to find the truth. If you want to read a complicated novel with numerous twists and characters not who they are claiming to be "The Footsteps at the Lock" by Ronald Knox can be seen as that book. The plot is fiendish until the end and even after Bredon's solution the reader is given one more clue that leaves you unsure.
September 10, 2023
R.A. Knox’s “Footsteps at the Lock” (1928) is the second in a series of books featuring Miles Bredon, an investigator for the Indescribable Insurance Company. In this one, Bredon investigates the disappearance of a young heir to a fortune. The plot is hopelessly and unbelievably convoluted. While there are a few quite funny moments, it’s not worth the effort of slogging through the rest of a rather boring mystery. Not recommended. Read “The Three Taps,” the first book in the series, instead.
January 28, 2023
This is vintage English fiction (1928)and the language and concerns take a little getting used to.
The two cousins, Derek and Nigel seem superficial and annoying. There is a large inheritance and an insurance premium to consider however .
They each manage to go missing. The police and the Insurance company detective manage to figure out the convoluted mystery mainly designed to engage us in the witty banter.
The two cousins, Derek and Nigel seem superficial and annoying. There is a large inheritance and an insurance premium to consider however .
They each manage to go missing. The police and the Insurance company detective manage to figure out the convoluted mystery mainly designed to engage us in the witty banter.
January 13, 2019
Slow starting and hard for me to get interested in. It is plot driven vs character, not my favorite. The plot was fairly complex and Knox's writing was more 'formal' than I'm use too. I stuck with it though and ended up enjoying it. Lovely descriptions of the countryside along the Thames and witty banter between characters.
May 23, 2019
I wanted to REALLY like this book, but, quite honestly, it was so convoluted with so many ridiculous conjectures and mis-leads, that I actually just felt weary. There were, however, moments of snarky British humor that were a bit redeeming, but not enough so to make me want to seek out any other Knox mysteries.
June 4, 2022
A Tangle
An intricate (at least to me) mystery. I found it enjoyable. It interests me that the author thought detective stories should be able to be figured out by the reader. I couldn't make heads or tails out of either of the books of his I've read, until the denouement.
An intricate (at least to me) mystery. I found it enjoyable. It interests me that the author thought detective stories should be able to be figured out by the reader. I couldn't make heads or tails out of either of the books of his I've read, until the denouement.
Want to read
December 1, 2018Synopsis: a mystery set in the upper Thames area. Insurance investigator Miles Bredon looks into the disappearance of a young heir to a fortune.
December 9, 2020
Derek goes missing on a canoeing trip, and insurance investigator Miles Bredon is called in to solve the puzzle. An interesting mystery, although I found things a bit confusing at points.
May 2, 2022
Great detective who is not afraid to listen to his sensible wife. Knox has a fine sense of humor.
August 25, 2024
Complicated!
Engaging golden age whodunnit with exceptionally elaborate plot, though it was not so complicated as to preclude the reader from working out the general story.
Engaging golden age whodunnit with exceptionally elaborate plot, though it was not so complicated as to preclude the reader from working out the general story.
Want to read
January 2, 2025RK KINDLE
February 1, 2025
Classic British mystery
August 6, 2011
Father Knox was an influential theologian, classical scholar and critic. He is well-known in the mystery field as one of the founders of of Holmesian scholarship as well as the author of the celebrated "ten commandments" for writing detective fiction. These commandments are as follows:
1. The criminal must be mentioned in the early part of the story, but must not be anyone whose thoughts the reader has been allowed to know.
2. All supernatural or preternatural agencies are ruled out as a matter of course.
3. Not more than one secret room or passage is allowed.
4. No hitherto undiscovered poisons may be used, nor any appliance which will need a long scientific explanation at the end.
5. No Chinaman may figure in the story.
6. No accident may help the detective, nor must he have any unaccountable intuition which proves to be right.
7. The detective himself must not commit the crime.
8. The detective is bound to declare any clues which he may discover.
9. The stupid friend of the detective, the Watson, must not conceal from the reader any thoughts which pass through his mind: his intelligence must be slightly, but very slightly below that of the average reader.
10. Twin brothers, and doubles generally, must not appear unless we have been duly prepared for them.
And most writers of the Golden Age followed these rules scrupulously. The Footsteps at the Lock shows Father Knox to be not only a scholar and critic of the genre but one who could practice what he preached.
The story starts out innocently enough. Two cousins, Derek and Nigel Burtell, set out on a canoeing trip up the Thames. The goal is to give Derek a voyage in the great outdoors to restore his failing health. It also happens that Derek is shortly, upon his 25th birthday, to inherit 50,000 pounds from his grandfather. Insurance is also involved because, in view of Derek's frail condition, his life has been insured by the Indescribable Insurance Company in the event that he does not reach the celebrated day.
While the journey upstream is uneventful, the return trip does not go as planned. Nigel must leave the canoe at Shipcote Lock in order to take an exam at Oxford. While he is away, the canoe is found adrift below the lock, Derek has disappeared, and there is a jagged gash in the bottom of the canoe. The Indescribable Insurance Company immediately suspects foul play and sends Miles Bredon, a prime investigator, to investigate the circumstances. Is there a murderer along the banks of the Thames or has Derek met with an unfortunate accident? Most importantly, will the company have to acknowledge the claim? Further muddying the waters, Derek's cousin has disappeared as well.
This is a very literate and witty mystery. And very tongue-in-cheek. There are plenty of clues from a set of strange photographs to a baffling cipher to the trail of footprints near the lock and there is also plenty of opportunity to match wits with Bredon. The challenging mystery and nefarious deeds are countered with the beautiful descriptions of the river and the surrounding countryside.
It has been a while since I read this one, but I do remember enjoying the interactions between Mike Bredon and his wife, Angela. They set out by canoe to retrace the cousins' trip and to investigate the area around the lock. Angela is a good partner for Mike and there is a fair amount of witty conversation. Three and a half stars.
1. The criminal must be mentioned in the early part of the story, but must not be anyone whose thoughts the reader has been allowed to know.
2. All supernatural or preternatural agencies are ruled out as a matter of course.
3. Not more than one secret room or passage is allowed.
4. No hitherto undiscovered poisons may be used, nor any appliance which will need a long scientific explanation at the end.
5. No Chinaman may figure in the story.
6. No accident may help the detective, nor must he have any unaccountable intuition which proves to be right.
7. The detective himself must not commit the crime.
8. The detective is bound to declare any clues which he may discover.
9. The stupid friend of the detective, the Watson, must not conceal from the reader any thoughts which pass through his mind: his intelligence must be slightly, but very slightly below that of the average reader.
10. Twin brothers, and doubles generally, must not appear unless we have been duly prepared for them.
And most writers of the Golden Age followed these rules scrupulously. The Footsteps at the Lock shows Father Knox to be not only a scholar and critic of the genre but one who could practice what he preached.
The story starts out innocently enough. Two cousins, Derek and Nigel Burtell, set out on a canoeing trip up the Thames. The goal is to give Derek a voyage in the great outdoors to restore his failing health. It also happens that Derek is shortly, upon his 25th birthday, to inherit 50,000 pounds from his grandfather. Insurance is also involved because, in view of Derek's frail condition, his life has been insured by the Indescribable Insurance Company in the event that he does not reach the celebrated day.
While the journey upstream is uneventful, the return trip does not go as planned. Nigel must leave the canoe at Shipcote Lock in order to take an exam at Oxford. While he is away, the canoe is found adrift below the lock, Derek has disappeared, and there is a jagged gash in the bottom of the canoe. The Indescribable Insurance Company immediately suspects foul play and sends Miles Bredon, a prime investigator, to investigate the circumstances. Is there a murderer along the banks of the Thames or has Derek met with an unfortunate accident? Most importantly, will the company have to acknowledge the claim? Further muddying the waters, Derek's cousin has disappeared as well.
This is a very literate and witty mystery. And very tongue-in-cheek. There are plenty of clues from a set of strange photographs to a baffling cipher to the trail of footprints near the lock and there is also plenty of opportunity to match wits with Bredon. The challenging mystery and nefarious deeds are countered with the beautiful descriptions of the river and the surrounding countryside.
It has been a while since I read this one, but I do remember enjoying the interactions between Mike Bredon and his wife, Angela. They set out by canoe to retrace the cousins' trip and to investigate the area around the lock. Angela is a good partner for Mike and there is a fair amount of witty conversation. Three and a half stars.
October 18, 2012
BOTTOM LINE: Set in 1928 Oxford and London, and many of the canals, waterways and pubs in the upper reaches of the Thames, with special attention to Shipcote Lock. We follow two young men in a boat, on a summer’s journey with serious undertones. Classic puzzler from the 1920s and on many "best of" lists. All in all this was an enjoyable read but I had one major problem: I managed to guess precisely where the all the twists and turns would come, and pretty nearly exactly what they would be! But the writing was smooth, and the puzzle was entertaining.
High-living young Derek has been doing things far, wide and handsome all his Oxford career, based upon his expected inheritance at age 25. But his many creditors don’t wish to be left in the lurch should his wildness lead him into illness or death before he reaches that age, so they set up a policy with a large and prosperous insurance company to pay off his bills “just in case” he doesn’t make it. Derek and his cousin Nigel (next-in-line for the loot “if”...) suddenly decide to take a boating trip for a couple of weeks near end of term, even though they’ve previously never much enjoyed each other’s company, and it’s not really surprising that bad things happen along the way. When Derek disappears and the boat found damaged and adrift after Nigel had gone up to Oxford to take an exam, the investigators at first suspect accident, then murder-for-profit.
Main Characters: wastrel Derek Burtell, heir to a small fortune on his 25th birthday (in two months) that he’s pretty much already spent; his cousin Nigel Burtell, next-in-line for the bequest if Derek doesn’t make it to that date; mild-mannered Miles Bredon, investigator for The Indescribable Insurance Company; Erasmus Quirk, an, um, quirky American visitor who enjoys puzzles.
Layers within layers, puzzles tied to other puzzles, abound in this finely crafted, albeit slow and extremely old-fashioned tale. Characters are not very well-defined but “come clear” enough, the settings are rather good and the pacing is thrilleresque, with each chapter ending with a large hook. Several “solutions” are carefully worked through and then disproved throughout the story, with the one at the end having a nice double twist.
I’d always wanted to see what Knox’s writing was like, and now I have. While I enjoyed this one I won’t go far out of my way to read more of his books, as the excellent initial premise, the convoluted plotting and good pacing eventually became overwhelmed by the formulaic nature of the “thrills”. His writing hasn’t aged well, and while there’s wit and some broadly funny bits scattered along the way, there’s very little sense of fun in general to his writing - it tends to plod along its many twists and turns. Interesting, but not tasty.
High-living young Derek has been doing things far, wide and handsome all his Oxford career, based upon his expected inheritance at age 25. But his many creditors don’t wish to be left in the lurch should his wildness lead him into illness or death before he reaches that age, so they set up a policy with a large and prosperous insurance company to pay off his bills “just in case” he doesn’t make it. Derek and his cousin Nigel (next-in-line for the loot “if”...) suddenly decide to take a boating trip for a couple of weeks near end of term, even though they’ve previously never much enjoyed each other’s company, and it’s not really surprising that bad things happen along the way. When Derek disappears and the boat found damaged and adrift after Nigel had gone up to Oxford to take an exam, the investigators at first suspect accident, then murder-for-profit.
Main Characters: wastrel Derek Burtell, heir to a small fortune on his 25th birthday (in two months) that he’s pretty much already spent; his cousin Nigel Burtell, next-in-line for the bequest if Derek doesn’t make it to that date; mild-mannered Miles Bredon, investigator for The Indescribable Insurance Company; Erasmus Quirk, an, um, quirky American visitor who enjoys puzzles.
Layers within layers, puzzles tied to other puzzles, abound in this finely crafted, albeit slow and extremely old-fashioned tale. Characters are not very well-defined but “come clear” enough, the settings are rather good and the pacing is thrilleresque, with each chapter ending with a large hook. Several “solutions” are carefully worked through and then disproved throughout the story, with the one at the end having a nice double twist.
I’d always wanted to see what Knox’s writing was like, and now I have. While I enjoyed this one I won’t go far out of my way to read more of his books, as the excellent initial premise, the convoluted plotting and good pacing eventually became overwhelmed by the formulaic nature of the “thrills”. His writing hasn’t aged well, and while there’s wit and some broadly funny bits scattered along the way, there’s very little sense of fun in general to his writing - it tends to plod along its many twists and turns. Interesting, but not tasty.
May 15, 2012
Ronald A Knox was a mystery writer in the early part of the 20th century who belonged to a club peopled by such writers as Christie, Sayers and G. K Chesterton. He made a list of the ten commandments of detective fiction which includes such gems as
1. The criminal must be mentioned in the early part of the story
2. No supernatural explanations
and 3. No Chinaman must figure in the story which may mean a foreign servant or passerby. He also says at #10 that if twins or doubles are used in the story the reader must be prepared in advance for them.
In this mystery their are two young men who do indeed bear a mild resemblance to each other but he doesn't break any of his rules. The story is about the disappearance of one young man while on a rowing trip up the Thames with the other. This is one of those delicious tales where you have to decide who is really the victim.
Most of Knox's commandments have become outdated in modern crime writing, especially #2. and #4 which calls for the exclusion of unknown poisons and the use of any appliance which requires a long scientific explanation at the end. In this story the setting is a river, a boat and some oars.
1. The criminal must be mentioned in the early part of the story
2. No supernatural explanations
and 3. No Chinaman must figure in the story which may mean a foreign servant or passerby. He also says at #10 that if twins or doubles are used in the story the reader must be prepared in advance for them.
In this mystery their are two young men who do indeed bear a mild resemblance to each other but he doesn't break any of his rules. The story is about the disappearance of one young man while on a rowing trip up the Thames with the other. This is one of those delicious tales where you have to decide who is really the victim.
Most of Knox's commandments have become outdated in modern crime writing, especially #2. and #4 which calls for the exclusion of unknown poisons and the use of any appliance which requires a long scientific explanation at the end. In this story the setting is a river, a boat and some oars.
March 15, 2016
In the Golden Age style, a mystery puzzler set south of Oxford. Two academic cousins spend a weekly jaunt paddling the Thames through the country-side. A surprising coupling given that the cousins dislike one another. By journey's end, the canoe is found half-sunk and one cousin is missing but the other has a too-smooth alibi. An investigation ensures, as vast sums hang in the balance....inheritance and backstop insurance proceeds hang in the balance on whether the cousin is dead or not. While the witty tongue-in-cheek writing was welcome, the plot delved into the too-absurd in regards to the other cousin...who had disguised himself with makeup throughout a full three years at Oxford (!?) and is unmasked as Mr. Quirk. Obviously, the mystery had a heavy tongue-in-cheek element to it...but some of this surrealism is explained from conniving cousin being drug-addled. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this particular mystery by Knox, but it is a quick read so it wouldn't do much harm. And Reverand Knox does provide a good moral ending in his tale.
January 22, 2016
Ronald A. Knox was a detective fan before he was a mystery novelist. One might think that's always the case, but I mean something more. I get the impression he began writing as a way to become even more immersed in the genre. That's my explanation for why Footsteps at the Lock isn't better than it is. The initial mystery is definitely intriguing: two cousins who don't get along and are both up for an inheritance go boating and one disappears. But the detection becomes more and more puzzle-dominated, leading to a denouement lacking dramatic "umph."
One positive element is how Monsignor Knox, a Catholic priest, blends theology into the proceedings. In this case it's the assertion by the detective's wife to a self-confessed potential murderer, "If you were waiting behind a bush to murder a man, and he fell into the river on the way, you'd jump in and rescue him." It is of some interest to find out whether she's right or not.
One positive element is how Monsignor Knox, a Catholic priest, blends theology into the proceedings. In this case it's the assertion by the detective's wife to a self-confessed potential murderer, "If you were waiting behind a bush to murder a man, and he fell into the river on the way, you'd jump in and rescue him." It is of some interest to find out whether she's right or not.
January 1, 2011
A mystery written eighty-some years ago by the most literate translator of the Catholic Bible has to have some interest to it. And it does. Monsignor Ronald A. Knox has created what is undoubtedly the most complex and detailed mysteries ever penned. Ironically, it takes place in the rural upper reaches of the Thames, in a bucolic atmosphere marked by canal locks, isolated farms, and an occasional country inn. If it weren't for the fact that Knox is a great stylist (as his translation of the Bible clearly shows), I would have given up in utter frustration long before the end. But I was carried along just by my brain asking, "So what's going to happen next?" I may well have to find another of his mysteries before passing judgment on his work.
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