Murder While You Work

by Susan Scarlett

Judy sat staring out of the railway carriage window. Of course there was a war on, but could any train that was trying at all really dawdle the way this one was doing?

On the way to her new munitions work in the village of Pinlock, Judy Rest meets handsome, dynamic Nick Parsons, who turns out (after the two engage in some extremely careless talk) to be engaged in top secret work at the same factory. Nick warns her about suspicious goings-on at her new billet, wherein a suspicious death has recently occurred, but Judy is unphased. As she adapts to her work and learns to maintain the proper rhythm with her lathe ("The girls in this group say that 'White Christmas' just swings it nicely"), more deaths occur at home-with even a dog as victim!-and despite Nick's protection, Judy just might be next.

First published in 1944 and Noel Streatfeild's only foray into the mystery genre, this novel features not only suspense and romance, but vivid scenes of wartime factory life, some potent psychology, and an array of wonderfully likeable (and loathable) characters.

Murder While You Work is the ninth of twelve charming, page-turning romances published under the pseudonym "Susan Scarlett" by none other than beloved children's author and novelist Noel Streatfeild. Out of print for decades, they were rediscovered by Greyladies Books in the early 2010s, and Dean Street Press and Furrowed Middlebrow are delighted now to make all twelve available to a wider audience.

"A writer who shows a rich experience in her writing and a charm" Nottingham Journal

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Romance, Historical Fiction, World War II, 20th Century, Cozy Mystery

235 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1944

About the author

Pseudonym used by the English author Noel Streatfeild for publishing her romance novels.

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was completely different from Sally-Ann and Babbacombe’s but I loved it! It is very suspenseful and for some reason, I liked the romance in it the best of the three books. Perhaps because it is war time and Judy and Nicholas both seem more mature and more equal partners. There are some great characters in this beyond the two protagonists and one quite despicable villain. Too bad Streatfeild didn’t write more mysteries because I think she could have done quite well. That being said, I perhaps do prefer one of her more lighthearted stories overall.

[Alisha · Rating 1 out of 5]

In reading Susan Scarlett's books in publication order, I've discovered that something went seriously awry with her plots during the war years. Gone are the light, sparkling, Cinderella stories. Instead, in this one we have some semblance of a murder mystery, except there's virtually no mystery, and just a lot of disturbing darkness. It's pretty dreadful. Especially since she lets the reader (and the heroine) get quite fond of a couple of sweet, harmless old ladies and a dog before letting them fall prey to a psychopath. Nope nope nope.

In consequence, I've read synopsis and reviews of the last few of her books on my TBR, and removed a couple that seem unlikely to have redeeming qualities.
By all means, if you haven't read Susan Scarlett, I do recommend her... just be selective! Read Sally-Ann, it's delightful and frothy.

[Suanne Laqueur · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well thank goodness ONE of these wasn’t as good as the others.

[Jenn Estepp · Rating 4 out of 5]

A typical Susan Scarlett novel mashed-up with a sinister domestic thriller. Seems incongruous, but it worked for me!

[Chrisanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun! Noel Streatfield is no Agatha Christie, but the two adult main characters developing a mature, interdependent, honestly communicative relationship was delightful and absolutely puts every trope to shame. *

The mystery wasn't much of one, but there was enough tension at the end to keep me reading. The side characters--- Lady Parsons, in particular--- were entertaining and enjoyable.


*I'm odd, I know, but you absorb what you read to a certain extent, and I'd love for my daughter to read about relationships(and women!) like this more often than not. The secrets and the lies that popular novels sell as "romance" are really not the basis for a healthy relationship.

[Louise Culmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set during WW2, the story of a girl called Judy who works in a munitions factory, and the rather strange family she is billeted with. It is a sort of murder mystery, though the identity of the murderer is never really in doubt, the motive and the murder method take longer to discover. There is a portrayal of a child with a mental defect that I found a bit jarring, Judy’s unsympathetic attitude towards him was a bit off putting for me. I actually quite enjoyed his offbeat conversation. I didn’t really warm to any of the characters, and there’s a rather strange digression towards the end of the book where two new characters are described but never actually appear and seem to have no relevance to the story at all. There’s re some enjoyable details about wartime life, factory work, rationing etc which are quite interesting.

[Teri-K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've not read a book written under this name before, though I did read some of her "Shoe" books decades ago when I was a girl, written under the name Noel Streatfield. I believe this is the only mystery she wrote, and that's a pity, as I really enjoyed reading this charming story. It coveys a slice of life in England during WWII, with the MC working at a munitions factory. The mystery revolves around the house she's living in and problems among the owners. I did find the mystery lacking because there was only one possible suspect. The only thing I couldn't be sure of was the motive. Still, I had a lot of fun reading this delightful story with a touch of sweet romance. It does feel old-fashioned, but I like that.

[Gina House · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75🌟 Oooh! This was SO good! I had no idea that Susan Scarlett wrote a murder mystery!

This story had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. It has the perfect blend of coziness, Noel Streatfeild's sparkling writing and intrigue. It was so hard to put down. Wow!

The only reason why I didn't give it a full five stars is because Judy (who I really liked overall) was almost entirely clueless to the affections of a certain war-time colleague. It seems to me that the author wrote her character to be very clever, positive, attractive and observant...but in this one aspect, she is totally blind to the words and actions of this man. I had such a hard time believing this that it frustrated me and I had to bump it down a little in stars.

But, that issue aside, it was AMAZING! I would absolutely re-read this Susan Scarlett novel and...who knows...I might end up changing it to a five star story in the end. Highly recommended! One of my top 5 favs!

[CLM · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review for Dean Street December:

https://perfectretort.blogspot.com/20...

[Karen (Living Unabridged) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Susan Scarlett is a pseudonym for Noel Streatfield and, well, mystery is not her forte, to put it kindly. She's great at domestic scenes, pithy dialogue, and sweet characters. But mystery? No. Hiding the rest behind spoiler tags:
Because, come on, the person you think is the bad guy? Is the bad guy the whole time. In this case, the "bad guy" = a female. But had she not been female she would have been twirling her mustache like the villain in a silent movie. She was EVIL. And there's not really any mystery around that fact through the entire story.

There is a pretty tense scene near the end where the heroine is in danger, so maybe this would have been better billed as a suspense tale instead of a mystery, but oh well.

The main characters are OK but nothing extraordinary. The backdrop of war is interesting. Giving three stars because I'm feeling generous. But it really did highlight just how good writers like Christie or Sayers were at their jobs. Because apparently not all talented writers can handle mystery plotting or characterization.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read quite a few of Noel Streatfeild's Shoes series, and when I heard that she had a pseudonym and had actually published a mystery under that name, I had to read it. This wasn't much of a whodunnit, there's absolutely no question who did it, only how and why, but my main goal with mysteries is to see the sleuthing and I was relatively pleased with it. The romance and the backdrop of WWII both add to the book. I think the main thing that subtracts from this book is that it's dark and the murderer hasn't a single redeeming aspect to their character. The child is also quite clearly autistic but not given the help he needs (the opposite, even from the heroine, who spanks him). Also, general warning that there is animal cruelty in this book.

I'm glad I read this, even with its downsides. Apparently the other books Streatfeild wrote under the Susan Scarlett pseudonym are straight romances, and I may give one or two a try. Streatfeild has this very easy prose that's nothing scintillating but draws you right in and carries you through. I find the same is true of Agatha Christie. I wonder if it's because I read them when I was a kid and the style just feels comfortable and familiar? (I read Ballet Shoes until it was dog-eared.)

[Ruthiella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plucky Judy Rest travels to the village of Pinlock to work in a local munitions factory during WWII. On the train there, she meets young Nicholas Parsons, who also works at the factory, but in a top secret capacity. Nicholas warns Judy that there’s something not quite right at the home where she is billeted, but Judy is undeterred. When she arrives, she is warmly welcomed by Mrs. Former and her daughter Miss Rose. However, their granddaughter-in-law Clara seems to think that Judy would be more comfortable somewhere else and Clara’s little boy, Desmond, is downright odd.

Based on previous reads from both this author and this imprint, I was expecting a cozy mystery, which this decidedly is not. It was pretty nail biting at times. Judy did seem a little slow at times (I had the baddie pegged much sooner than she did) but she was brave, I’ll give her that.

[Catie · Rating 4 out of 5]

#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub on Litsy - January 2024

[Lesley]

This was very effective, although more as suspense than actual murder mystery, because the identity of the murderer was pretty much telegraphed in the first few pages. It was creepy enough in parts that I'm surprised Streatfield considered it light reading to distract the mind.

[Malcolm Noble · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is a link to my YouTube review
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGhuME...

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know why "Susan Scarlett" aka Noel Streatfield wrote so much romantic sludge when she could write like this!
The title refers to the BBC's "Music While You Work", a wartime broadcast made with munitions and other factory workers in mind. It had to be bright and something that could be heard over machinery so no pianissimos--and for some reason no rhumbas! I figure either the head of the Beeb at that time disliked rhumbas or they were afraid the workers would start dancing instead of working. Or something.
Our Heroine goes off to the tiny village of Pinlock to work in a munitions factory. So tiny is the village that there's only one billet left, the one nobody wants. The owner of the house is a sweet little old lady who lives with her daughter and "granddaughter by marriage." Well aren't they all? I think they mean that the grandchild is born to a daughter of the house, not a son, as if the female line of descent weren't terribly legit, but I could be wrong. The house is a bit isolated at the end of a long lane, but it has a lovely garden, so what's the problem? Apparently the granddaughter is the problem. She's a control freak who "eats work" as my mother in law used to say, and for some reason nobody in the village likes her, and not just because she's a Londoner.
This one kept me on the edge of my seat till the last page. I wish Scarlett had written more like this! I'm sure romantic sludge sold better, especially in wartime, but if she had tried she could have left Dame Agatha in the dust.

[Rosemary · Rating 3 out of 5]

During WWII, Judy Rest is heading for a new billet as a worker in a munitions factory. On the train she meets the aristocratic Nick Parsons who is doing secret work on explosives in the same factory.

But when she arrives, it's not the work that troubles Judy, but the situation in the family she's sent to lodge with. The elderly Mrs Former and her middle-aged daughter Rose are lovely, but the house is run by the sinister Clara, the widow of Mrs Former's grandson, who was a pharmacist killed in the Blitz. Soon Mrs Former's treasured pet dog dies, and Judy suspects Clara had something to do with it. Luckily she has Nick to help her investigate.

Susan Scarlett was a penname used by Noel Streatfeild for a series of light-hearted romances. This book is actually quite dark in many ways, but it seemed to me more like romantic suspense than a classic mystery.

[Adrienne · Rating 1 out of 5]

The danger of being a completist- I’ve been working my way through the largely charming and fun Susan Scarlett books reissued by Dean Street Press. I had some misgivings when I saw the title and plot summary of this one, but I want to read all 12 of the books, so I went ahead and did it. Unfortunately, the only real suspense was generated by the dimness of the characters, particularly the heroine. The plot and characterizations were ridiculous. The heroine is a cipher; unlike in other Susan Scarlett books, she is not given much of a backstory or family. I really hope that the remaining 3 Susan Scarlett books that I have to read are a return to the quality of the earlier books Noel Streatfeild wrote under this pseudonym.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hey, the woman who wrote Ballet ShoesBallet Shoes also wrote other stuff! Like this murder mystery set during WWII, which is absolutely my jam. I liked the stiff-upper-lip British people, especially as they gracefully negotiate various class barriers. Oh, while contributing to the war effort and saving an old lady from a murderer (they were too late for the older old lady, or for the doggo, sorry).

[Marlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read and enjoyed many Susan Scarlett's novels (Noel Streatfeild). I didn't enjoy this one as much, but I still thought it was a good read. Like all Scarlett's novels the book is a light romance with a twist. This particular story has multiple murders and is set during WWII. I loved Judy, Nick and Mrs. Former and her daughter Rose. This was not a mystery because as the reader you know who committed the crimes from the start. I started out enjoying this story, but the characters Desmond and his mother was too creepy and disturbing. I also thought at the end when Judy was searching for the whistle was tedious and not at all suspenseful.

[Felicity Stanton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creepy Murder Mystery in a War Setting

A very fine murder mystery when a young girl is billeted in a creepy house to work in a country munitions factory. Unexpected and inexplicable deaths keep happening. Judy is next in line.
Well defined rather nice range of characters are a feature of Susan Scarlet books. This is no exception. Enjoyable read for adults.

[L B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Different from the other Susan Scarletts! Creepy plot and interesting WWII setting. Ended too fast though.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spookier than other Susan Scarlett novels, but still relaxingly straightforward

[Christine PNW · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as Babbacombes. The whole "mystery" concept didn't really play to her strengths as a writer.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judy knows too much! She has been sharing with Nicholas. Clara doesn't know how much Judy knows, but she doesn't care. The big question is how. The second biggest question is why. Finally, will they stop the craziness?

[P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Complicated, but interesting. Some complex crazy-people involved. A good read.