أمين خزانة البلدة

by J.S. Fletcher, سارة طه علام (مترجم), محمد حامد درويش (مراجعة)

حتى البلداتُ الصغيرة الهادئة قد تُخبِّئ بين جَنَباتها الكثيرَ من الأسرار عن ماضي قاطنيها. في بلدة «هاي ماركت»، التابعة لمُقاطَعة «يوركشاير»، يُعثَر على المُحقِّق السابق «كايتلي» — الوافد حديثًا إلى البلدة — مقتولًا، وتتَّجه أصابع الاتهام إلى «هاربورو»، الجزَّارِ الوسيم الغريب الأطوار. يَرفض «هاربورو» رفضًا قاطعًا أن يُفصِح عن مكان وجوده وقتَ وقوع الجريمة ويُنقِذ رقبتَه من حبلِ المشنقة. بعدها يُعثَر على قتيلٍ آخر، هو «ستونر»، الموظَّف الشاب لدى رجلَي الأعمال والشريكَين؛ «مالاليو» عمدة البلدة، و«كوذرستون» أمين خِزانتها، اللذَين عاشا ثلاثين عامًا يُخفيان سرًّا دفينًا. تقع سلسلةٌ من الأحداث، وتَنقلِب البلدة الهادئة رأسًا على عَقِب، وتبدأ الأسرار في التكشُّف تِباعًا. تُرى ما السرُّ الذي يُخفِيه «هاربورو» ويمنعه من أن يُفصِح عن مكانِ وجودِه وقتَ ارتكاب الجريمة الأولى؟ وهل توجد صلةٌ بين الجريمتَين؟ وما السرُّ الذي يسعى «مالاليو» و«كوذرستون» إلى إبقائه طيَّ الكتمان بأي ثمن؟ وهل يُمكِن أن تصل بهما الرغبةُ في الحفاظ على سرِّهما إلى حدِّ القتل، أم أنَّ يدًا خفية تسعى إلى الإيقاع بهما؟ هذا ما سنَعرفُه من خلال أحداث هذه الرواية المُثيرة.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Ebooks, British Literature

244 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 1921

About the author

Joseph Smith Fletcher was an English journalist, writer, and fellow of the Royal Historical Society. He studied law before turning to journalism.

His literary career spanned approximately 200 books on a wide variety of subjects including fiction, non-fiction, histories, historical fiction, and mysteries. He was known as one of the leading writers of detective fiction in the Golden Age .

Reviews

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining mystery listening 🎶🔰

I picked this novel free on Amazon one year ago.

A man 🚹 is retiring to the British 🏰👑 village from London . He introduces himself to the town treasurer with blackmail. The man 🚹 is found and then another dead body. What is going on? The mayor and the treasurer are both criminals. I would recommend this book and author to 👍 readers of British 🏰mystery novels 👍🔰. 2023 😀👒😡🏰👑

[Ed Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Raymond Chandler castigated writers of Golden Age detective fiction in 'The Simple Art of Murder' he failed to take account of the fact that for most people, reading is escapism, not a quest for absolute accuracy. He also omitted to note that the quality of writing is often the most important part of a book. JS Fletcher writes extremely well and immerses the reader in the plot from the first page. Thus his books achieve their aim, providing the escapism the reader seeks. The Borough Treasurer is no exception, an enjoyable tale that keeps you guessing to the end, even if the characters are not hard boiled enough for Chandler.

[for-much-deliberation ... · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written classic mystery, if that's your interest, I think Fletcher always does quite a good job at presenting such... I think I may have given it a different title though the significance of this one took a while to kick-in but that just keeps you reading...
Good cosy mystery..

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable J. S. Fletcher mystery. He has quite a large cast of interesting characters in this one, and manages to bring them all to life with great detail. Secrets abound, many of the shady characters have a notable soft side, and suspicion is cast among several of them. Lots of action and twists. I listened to this book as a free audio download from LibriVox.org. First published in 1919.

[Aby · Rating 4 out of 5]

أتعجب من عدم حصول هذا الكاتب الرائع على الشهرة اللائقة به مثل العديد من كتَّاب الروايات البوليسية خاصة خلال الفترة ما بين نهاية القرن التاسع عشر و بداية القرن العشرين، مع أن رواياته ذات حبكة ممتازة، قصص مختلفة و مبتكرة، و أسلوبه سلس يجعل القراءة إنسيابية ممتعة.

التقييم 4⭐

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Classic murder mystery featuring two upstanding citizens in northern towns who wish to keep their past secret.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

1919 murder mystery set in the town of Haymarket. Two leading citizens, partners in a successful construction business, in this northern British town and holding political positions, have a 30 year old secret that comes back to haunt them when a man seeks to blackmail them. The blackmailer is quickly found murdered and a visitor in town happens to be a young, intelligent and highly observant London barrister. who sees things others miss. A story of murders, theft, embezzlement, blackmail, double-crossing and double-double-crossing with secrets, shady characters with notable soft sides and suspicion is cast among several of them. Villains abound!

[Don Drewniak · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the seventh novel in the J.S. Fletcher anthology of novels and short stories. Once again, Fletcher has produced a well-written classic murder mystery replete with a host of unique and well-defined characters. The plot is well presented and quite believable. There are a few happenings that strain the bounds of credulity, but can be overlooked in what is an otherwise solid presentation.

[Bachir ELHALLAK · Rating 5 out of 5]

رواية بوليسية ممتعة جدا

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

The eponymous Borough Treasurer, Cotherstone, and his business partner and Mayor of Highmarket, Mallalieu,are rich men but their past wrongdoing now catches up with them in the person of a retired detective named Kitely.

By JS Fletcher’s standards this tale has a very high body count, much of it rather unnecessary except to further complicate an already tangled web of secrets and intrigue.

At the outset Harborough, the man accused of the murder of Kitely, refuses to give information about his whereabouts for no good reason that I can fathom, apart from ensuring further complications, prolonging the investigation and thus facilitating further crimes.

It is all too far-fetched, a bit dull in places,rather pale in characterisation, and demonstrating too much keenness for retribution rather than redemption to suit my taste.

Not a highlight in my mission to read all the author’s mysteries.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic style of Golden Age mystery.
Two prominent businessmen in a small town in the North of England share a secret past. The arrival of someone who knows this secret leads to blackmail, murder, and various types of skullduggery. There are a larger than usual number of villains, and not all of them are murderers.
Fletcher's dialogue can be annoying (3/4 of his characters speak in phrases and dashes) but his plotting is devious and kept me guessing for quite a while.

[Allison Henle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really enjoyable, twisty tale. Although we (the reader) think that we immediately know WHY a crime has been committed, we don't know "who done it" and we also have a limited understanding of the murderer's motives.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author - one of my favourite mystery writers - really shines in this one. Complex plot. Definitely not an “insomnia book”. Lots of characters set the story up for a surprise ending that still leaves the reader guessing. Who did do it? I’ll never tell.

[Jessica Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable classic murder mystery.

[Cindy B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good vintage mystery by a classic author. Recommended.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

What secrets do the inhabitants of Highmarket have could lead to murder. As the story unfolds so are the secrets exposed.
A descent story which was first published in 1921

[Chuck Anderson]

Worth reading. makes the reader want to continue.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book in a row from this author
Great story and I’ll read more
No idea who had done it the end
Twists and turns all the way

[Lea Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little slow, but not without plot twists and distinct storytelling skill.

[Mark Rabideau · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good turn of the century (19-20) mystery although quite melodramatic. This involves a few surprises, a decent plot while providing good entertainment.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

2 Ex cons are blackmailed by a former detective. When the blackmailer is killed, a string of mysteries emerge.
Well written and a fun, almost Dickensian ride.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second J. S. Fletcher I've read. The first one, The Middle Temple Murder wasn't half bad. But this one! This one is something else!

Modernize the language, add a flashy cover, and Bingo! Best seller for sure! Although it was written in the 1920s, the plot is not at all what you'd expect. There is murder (of course), theft, embezzlement, blackmail, double-crossing, double-double-crossing, and much, much more. Agatha Christie this is not!

If you are looking for a nice little cosy to keep you entertained, you may want to look elsewhere. If you are looking for a riveting read that grabs you and doesn't let go...you've found it!

[P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

An OK read, but far far too complicated. Fletcher liked to pull his denouements out of a hat, and the one that got picked here is just one of a number of possibilities. Unfortunately there are not one but two 'romances' [which he did poorly in every book of his I've read] here facilitated by four bodies on the ground, putting paid to the mystery, but leaving plenty of room for the romances to come to a happy end. There certainly are better Fletcher books, but while this one is frequently tedious, there are decent bits.

[Heather Oakman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a murder myster set in England at the turn of the century. It had a strong narrative and interesting characters, but the plot was so predictable that even I could figure it out before the end of the book (and I'm one that never figures it out before the end!)

[Laura]

Free download available at Project Gutenberg.

[Barbara J Wicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

An historical murder mystery

I enjoyed reading this book. Just when you think you know "who did it", more details come out. Then when you are sure, the end surprises you.

[Nev Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Good

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty predictable, but entertaining.