Dead on Time

Inspector Harry Charlton #8

by Clifford Witting

The scene is The Blue Boar in the High Street, Lulverton. The occasion: the stag party planned to celebrate Sergeant Bert Martin's retirement after thirty years' service. "It was good while it lasted," said Bert, putting down his empty tankard with a reflective sigh. "Bein' in the Force, I mean. Lookin' back over the long vista of the years..." But Bert had still until midnight before Bradfield was due to step into his shoes. At nine twenty-five Jimmy Hooker was still very much alive, if a little the worse for wear, when he barged in on the party in the upstairs room. At closing time he was dead in the saloon. "And I don't think," said 'Pop' Collins, licensee of the Blue Boar, "that it was in the way of nature."

Genres: Mystery, British Literature

268 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1948

About the author

Clifford Witting (1907-68) was an English writer who was educated at Eltham College, London, between 1916 and 1924.

During World War II he served as a bombardier in the Royal Artillery, 1942-44, and as a Warrant Officer in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, 1944-46.

He married Ellen Marjorie Steward in 1934 and they had one daughter. Before becoming a full-time writer, he worked as a clerk in Lloyds bank from 1924 to 1942. He was Honorary Editor of The Old Elthamian magazine, London. from 1947 up to his death.

His first novel 'Murder in Blue' was published in 1937 and his series characters were Sergeant (later Inspector) Peter Bradford and Inspector Harry Charlton. Unusually, he didn’t join The Detection Club until 1958 by which time he had written 12 detective novels.

In their 'A Catalogue of Crime', Jacques Barzun and Wendell Hertig Taylor stated, 'Witting started feebly, improved to a point of high competence, and has since shown a marked capacity for character and situation, with uneven success in keeping up the detective interest.'

On the gadetection website it reports, 'Why is Witting so obscure? His detection is genuinely engrossing, and his style is witty, if occasionally facetious. He could do setting very well—Army life in Subject: Murder. His books have the genuine whodunit pull. He can brilliantly misdirect the reader (Midsummer Murder) or invent a genuinely clever and simple murder method (Dead on Time).

'He experimented with form: the surprise victim (whowillbedunin?) of Measure for Murder, or, weak as it is otherwise is, the riff on the inverted detective story in Michaelmas Goose. In short, he always has something to offer the reader, and found original ideas within the conventions of the formal detective story.

'And yet he’s barely known—no entry in 20th Crime and Mystery Writers, and only a passing reference in the Oxford guide. Only treated in detail in Cooper and Pike, and in Barzun.'

Reviews

[Lisa Kucharski · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that starts off with a toast and keeps going to the end! A retirement party involving a small group of police officials at a local hotel and bar ends when the police are called to investigate a dead man in the bar. It's a fairly small town and everyone is familiar with the dead man- Hooker. What starts as a simple who killed Hooker, to much more complex crime very quickly. The pace is fast and while I would not say this is completely fair play- if that was done it would deflate a great deal of the fun that the story gains. Hints of the WW2 lingering effects are in play.

Well worth a read, I enjoyed this one better than the previous one There Was a Crooked Man, both are quite different, but I would say this one had a much more energetic pace.

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gift card | Overly detailed, especially on police procedure | This is a good book, and while I thought the solution was fairly clear, the process of getting there was pretty good. But every single thing the police do is accounted for, including the Inspector detailing all of it to his supervisor. All of the fiddly procedural work is realistic, but it's usually left out of this style of mystery because it's dull. Took ages to finish, even though I was interested, because it spent so much time treading water.

[John Keeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Surprised

I was going to give this only three stars because I was sure early on who the murderer was. And by three forth of the book we knew who was behind what was going on. The murderer however had not been officially named. Needless to say I was totally wrong and thus my four stars.

[Estott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neatly written, with a nice twist. A little rough at the beginning with references to a floor plan I didn't find in the Kindle copy, but which wasn't necessary for the solution. Interesting characters and some good detection. I'll check out more by Witting.

[Puzzle Doctor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and clever classic crime. Full review at classicmystery.blog

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superbly Suspicious

The best Golden mysteries are wonderfully descriptive stories taking time to share rich & fulfilling reading experiences to the End!!!!

[Ron Kastner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very clever; worth the read for sure.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

For my full review click on the link below:
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...