Inspector French's Greatest Case

Inspector French #1

by Freeman Wills Crofts

In 'Inspector French's Greatest Case' by Freeman Wills Crofts, readers are taken on a thrilling ride through a complex criminal investigation. The book, written in a classic detective style, showcases the meticulous attention to detail and logical reasoning that Inspector French is known for. Set in the English countryside, Crofts expertly weaves together multiple plot lines to create a suspenseful and engaging mystery that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The book is a prime example of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, with its keen focus on puzzle-solving and methodical detective work. Readers will appreciate the intricate plot twists and clever sleuthing that Inspector French employs to solve the case. Freeman Wills Crofts' writing is both descriptive and precise, immersing readers in the world of 1920s England and the intricate workings of a criminal investigation. His mastery of the detective genre shines through in this captivating novel, making it a must-read for fans of classic mystery fiction.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Classics, British Literature, Detective, Audiobook

337 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1924

About the author

Born in Dublin of English stock, Freeman Wills Crofts was educated at Methodist and Campbell Colleges in Belfast and at age 17 he became a civil engineering pupil, apprenticed to his uncle, Berkeley D Wise who was the chief engineer of the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway (BNCR).

In 1899 he became a fully fledged railway engineer before becoming a district engineer and then chief assistant engineer for the BNCR.

He married in 1912, Mary Bellas Canning, a bank manager's daughter. His writing career began when he was recovering from a serious illness and his efforts were rewarded when his first novel 'The Cask' was accepted for publication by a London publishing house. Within two decades the book had sold 100,000 copies. Thereafter he continued to write in his spare time and produced a book a year through to 1929 when he was obliged to stop working through poor health.

When he and his wife moved to Guildford, England, he took up writing full time and not surprisingly many of his plots revolved around travel and transport, particularly transport timetables and many of them had a Guildford setting.

In retirement from engineering, as well as writing, he also pursued his other interests, music, in which he was an organist and conductor, gardening, carpentry and travel.

He wrote a mystery novel almost every year until his death and in addition he produced about 50 short stories, 30 radio plays for the BBC, a number of true crime works, a play, 'Sudden Death', a juvenile mystery, 'Young Robin Brand, Detective', and a religious work, 'The Four Gospels in One Story'.

His best known character is Inspector Joseph French, who featured in 30 detective novels between 1924 and 1957. And Raymond Chandler praised his plots, calling him "the soundest builder of them all".

Gerry Wolstenholme
May 2010

Reviews

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A man is found dead in a London diamond merchant's offices, and it soon transpires that a large number of jewels are missing. But that's just the start of a complicated case which takes Inspector Joseph French all over Europe, including visits to Holland, France and Spain.

I really enjoyed this detective novel, from 1924, the first in the long-running series featuring French. It is rather slow-building, but that's the point, as it shows the amount of painstaking, unglamorous detective work which goes into solving a case, and how many blind alleys need to be explored before the truth is discovered.

French must be one of the earliest Golden Age detectives to be a career policeman rather than a Holmes-style amateur genius. His determined character and stolid presence reminded me of Maigret, so I wondered if the author was influenced by Georges Simenon and even whether the name "French" was a tribute - but I was wrong there, as in fact Maigret only made his fictional debut in 1931.

The edition I read, from Collins Crime Club, has an enjoyable introduction added by the author in 1935, where he explains how he decided to make his hero "humdrum" and even interviews French during the article. Crofts mentions jokingly that he thinks he said French and his wife Emily had children in one book and then that they didn't in another, so he now steers clear of the subject as he can't find either reference.

After reading this in the introduction, I was surprised to find a moving reference to French being a father in this first book. Someone asks him if the First World War affected him. "Lost my eldest," said French gruffly. Could Crofts really have forgotten writing that?

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

"French once more felt baffled. Again in this exasperating case he was left at a loose end. The information he gained always seemed to fail him at the critical moment."

Inspector French’s Greatest Case is a 1924 Golden Age mystery novel featuring Scotland Yard detective Inspector French. Fans of puzzle mysteries or police procedural should find this book delightful. I was surprised to enjoy this one as much as any Agatha Christie book that I’ve read. Inspector French, like Hercule Poirot, is known for his suave manners and his methodical approach to solving a case.

A murder and theft occurred at Duke & Peabody’s, a London diamond merchant, and Inspector French was assigned the case. The head clerk was found dead hunched over an open, empty safe when another clerk from the office returned there late. French learned that Mr. Duke kept one of the only two keys on his person that opens the safe, the other key was secured at a bank. Yet the safe in the office stood open. Who could have had access to the key? Factoring in a second branch office located in Amsterdam, it makes a long list of the number of people who knew about the unusual volume of diamonds being kept in the safe.

This was not a quickly solved case. It took months of interviews, analysis of timetables, typewriting, and handwriting, cracking a code; and discovering the identity of an impersonator before French could conclude this complex plot with subplots. I enjoyed being privy to French’s thoughts as he turned “the matter over in his mind.” All the clues are laid out for the reader.

The investigation takes French (and sometimes a side kick) all over Europe. He must collaborate with other police departments, undercover detectives, and a private inquiry agent during what I dub French’s “Greatest Chase.” Anyone with an interest in European geography would have an opportunity to track the chase for themselves. Towns and streets in several countries are mentioned, along with bodies of water and ports.

I liked Inspector French from the start and that he was sometimes wrong in his hunches added to his appeal. Unlike Hercule Poirot, French has a wife who he occasionally presents all the facts to her about a troubling case, and, sometimes, Mrs. Emily French “takes a notion” about it. In other words, she points out a vital clue or logical reasoning French has missed.

This was the first book I’ve read by Crofts and won’t be the last. Solid storytelling and quality writing made this story entertaining. The subplots enhanced the story without feeling like red herring filler material. I would recommend this book to fans who appreciate languid pacing, savoring the clues, and a well thought out plot.

This book is public domain and can be downloaded from Project Gutenberg.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do not think that Inspector French will ever be a favourite Golden Age author of mine, although I am glad that - having read later mysteries - I have finally read the first in the series.

Mr Gething, the Head Clerk in a diamond merchants, is found dead by an open safe. The diamonds, and cash, kept inside, are gone and itis up to Inspector French to unravel the clues. This he does, and Freeman Wills Crofts is keen to make clear that his detective is no Sherlock Holmes, with unerring knowledge and flashes of brilliance. Rather, he investigates clues, interviews those involved and hunts down any possible leads, which involves him crossing to the Continent. Again, here he is also very human, indulging in a little sight-seeing along the way. Overall, I enjoyed this, but it is a little painstaking for me.

Rated 3.5

[Sharon Barrow Wilfong · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good mystery for the most part. You can read the blurb for a summary of the plot. I felt that the plot flatlined a few times. It could have built up more. Nevertheless, I liked Crofts usual tactic of having the reader follow French along as he, through trial and error, slowly works his way to the solution of the mystery.

[Nancy Oakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://www.crimesegments.com/2019/11/...

In looking at this book, for me it all comes down to the reader and what he/she wants out of his/her detective reading. Inspector French, called "Soapy Joe" behind his back by his colleagues because of his intense politeness, may not be the most brilliant detective ever -- even his creator Freeman Wills Crofts reveals in the introduction to this edition which was actually written in 1935 that "many people call him dull" -- but he never lets go, remains completely methodical and detail oriented throughout, and he is not averse to listening to his wife's flashes of insight when she comes up with an idea that sparks the light bulb over his head that will move him another step along in his investigation. "Thoroughness and perseverance" are qualities that the author has given his detective, and admittedly, French does not "leap to his conclusions by brilliant intuition." In short, he's a regular guy, he gets things wrong, and keeps trying until he gets it right. Personally, I found myself rooting for Inspector French along the way and actually feeling sorry for him as things continued to go wrong. If you want dazzling detective, you won't find that here; Inspector French's Greatest Case has much more in common with police procedurals and Crofts had obviously spent a great deal of time meticulously plotting each step of this mystery;
French's progress in some ways mirrors that slow and meticulous attention to detail.

As far as this particular case being his "greatest," well, I'll admit that I have no clue there, since there will be twenty-nine more cases for the Inspector to solve, the last published in 1957. In this book, the series opener and the first French mystery I've read, he is brought in to solve the case of a murder of a Mr. Gething, the head clerk of diamond merchants Duke and Peabody. The firm's safe is open, "three-and-thirty thousand pounds" worth of diamonds are gone, along with a thousand pounds in notes. Despite a number of clues and a number of suspects, the case is anything but open and shut, and "days slipped by" without any progress, causing the Inspector no end of frustration. It is a bafflement that will continue to dog French as the case takes him on a series of travels beginning in Switzerland, leading him eventually to a ship on its way to Brazil; he always seems to be close but at each step, just as he feels he's getting somewhere, he hits the proverbial wall as events transpire to put barriers between himself and a solution.

I had actually figured the big twist here, which is normally cause to let loose an internal scream, but in the author's defense it was not too long before French himself did, so the experience was unlike when I read detective novels in which I guess things early on. And "humdrum" or not, I quite enjoyed Inspector French and I quite enjoyed the book, enough so that I've been slowly stockpiling these Harper editions so that I can look forward to more of Soapy Joe's cases in the future.

[Sid Nuncius · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave Inspector French’s Greatest case a good go, but I struggled to about half way and couldn’t face any more, I'm afraid.

First published in 1924, the plot involves a theft of diamonds from a London merchant and the murder of the firm’s Chief Clerk. Inspector French diligently and ploddingly pursues enquiries which lead to blind alleys or more conundra. These enquiries include travelling to different places in Europe, which the author is keen to describe to us to show that he has been there.

I’m afraid found it pedestrian in the extreme and, unlike some other other readers, the meticulous, repetitive spelling out of exactly what each piece of evidence might mean (but then didn't) began to bore me badly. I did quite like some of the travelogue aspects from a century ago, but that wasn't enough to maintain my interest.

Dialogue was pretty terrible, I thought, with supposedly spontaneous remarks sounding like the reading out of a solicitor’s Prepared Statement, and even for 1924 the prose often felt stilted and creaky. I kept thinking of the writings of Kipling or Dorothy L. Sayers or C.S. Forester around that time and how, in their different ways, their prose was so very good by comparison.

I'm glad others have enjoyed it, but Crofts isn't for me. In the High And Far Off Times when I collected (and actually read) those lovely old Penguin Crime Editions, I slogged my way through The Cask. I didn't enjoy it, but after all this time I was prepared to give him another try. Forty years on, I'm afraid I feel the same, so it's no more Freeman Wills Crofts for me, I think.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read two Inspector French books, but this is the first book in the series, and it seemed like a good idea to see how his character first started out. This book turned out to be pretty complicated with the plot encompassing not only murder, but also embezzlement, theft, fraud and impersonation. It really is a police procedural book, taking us through the discovery of the murder, and then every clue and half clue that French encounters. And, goodness this police inspector does travel chasing up the clues and suspects, both home and abroad. But French also shows us how much of the detection is down to tedious, time consuming work. I like the way when he is really stumped, he explains his case to his wife, who not being a police person is able to put a different slant on the subject.
I enjoyed reading this book, but have to say when an explanation of an encrypted message was being worked out and solved, I was still non the wiser. I did have my suspicions as to who the murderer was, but still enjoyed the journey getting it fully laid out.

[Gerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this book is entitled 'Inspector French's Greatest Case', the credit should go to Mrs French whose perceptive remarks late on in the case give Inspector Joseph French a new lead and eventually this leads to the capture of the criminals.

Those criminals had robbed a Hatton garden jeweller of diamonds and rubies and the manager of the shop, Duke & Peabody, is found dead on the scene. It is a most perplexing case and French has plenty of leads that take him all over the Continent ... but with little success.

Then Mrs French pontificates and he sees the crime in a different light and, in an intriguing ending he unravels the mystery, which keeps the reader on the edge of his/her seat from first page to last.

[Arpita (BagfullofBooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

In ' French's Greatest Case' we are introduced to a case of murder that occurs at the offices of Duke and Peabody, a diamond merchant located at Hatton Garden in London. On a cold night in the middle of November, the body of an employee, by the name of Mr. Charles Gething is discovered prostrate on the floor in the inner office of Mr. Duke. Mr. Duke's large Milner safe has been ransacked with the loss of thirty-three thousand pounds worth of diamonds and a thousand pounds in bank notes. Mr. Gething has undoubtedly been murdered as evidenced from the ugly wound made to the back of the skull by a blunt instrument.

The theft of the diamonds and money previously secured in the safe are the motive behind the murder. To investigate the case, Inspector French of the Criminal Investigation Department of New Scotland Yard is called in.
Find a full review here: http://bagfullofbooks.com/2015/10/27/...

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

On my reading this again after a six year gap I have upgraded my rating.

Although the best was yet to come,and while for me this was not “the greatest case” in which he was involved,the first Inspector French does have many features which Crofts went on using over the next thirty or so years.

There is French’s peculiar brand of dogged persistence, ratiocination followed by the evolving and demolishing of theories, the continental travel by boat and train, the timely intervention of his wife and the attention to detail and procedure.

There is also the occasional ignoring of the obvious and the failure to follow a point immediately which prolongs the resolution. Here I thought the perpetrator to be fairly obvious and that some investigation into the background and activity of some of the principals at an earlier stage would have borne fruit.

A good solid and enjoyable read.

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Five minutes later he was eagerly turning over the leaves. It took but a second or two to find page 328, and another second to count down to the sixth word. It was “French.”

Without waiting to consider whether this might refer to himself, in which case he had found the solution, or merely be a coincidence, in which case he hadn't, he hastily went on to the next number. Page 568, word 5, was “On.”

“French on.” Still it might make sense or it might not. He looked up No. 3.

The fourth word on the 1039th page was “Your.” “French on your” was going all right, but when he turned up No. 4 and found that the ninth word on page 936 was “Track,” all doubt was at an end. “French on your track.” He had got it with a vengeance!

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

London, 1924. Freeman Wills Crofts’ Inspector French’s Greatest Case has been released by Spitfire Publishers (2019), but was originally published by William Collins & Company, London, in 1924. The key item to remember when reading this Golden Age Mystery is that it was originally published in 1924. Inspector French’s of Scotland Yard had very few advantages of technology that are available to detectives today. Inspector French has to use his brain and his feet mostly as the technology he had in 1924 were only the telephone and the telegraph. The Crime: Murder, Stolen Diamonds from London Diamond Merchants. Inspector French from Scotland Yard reports to the crime scene, and he begins the lengthy investigation process of interviewing possible witnesses, traveling to the Amsterdam Office to interview those employees, and covering other countries on the Continent such as Switzerland for clues and/or answers. Inspector French eventually is aware that he is attempting to catch a ‘master criminal’. “..... a cool customer ........... putting her head into the lion’s mouth, but at the same time calling his attention to its being there.” After much brain and foot work, Inspector French successfully solves of the missing diamonds and murder. “As neat the real thing as any sleuth in fiction.” The Sunday Times. 4 stars.

[Carolien · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this first instalment, we are introduced to Inspector Joseph French of Scotland Yard who has to find a murderer who has made off with a large haul of diamonds. The chase takes him all over the continent - France, Switzerland, Spain, Holland and Portugal are visited as he follows the clues. A classic of the mystery genre.

I read the Project Gutenberg copy: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/65553...

[EuroHackie · Rating 2 out of 5]

If this is Inspector French's greatest case, then he is a pretty dumb detective. Thorough and meticulous, but also completely oblivious.

Once the identity of the mysterious Lady X was uncovered, it was pretty obvious who her partner in crime was - and French even went and spilled the beans to him, which made his life 1000% harder than it needed to be. If he'd kept his own counsel he would've saved everyone a lot of time and tedious effort (including me, reading this book). Watching French fuck around for nearly 100 pages, suspecting everyone but the actual murderer, and expressing outraged shock when he came face-to-face with him in the end was just supremely irritating. I do not usually guess correctly when it comes to whodunit, so if *I* could see it, I'm incredulous that our supposedly ingenious detective couldn't.

The novel goes into painstakingly monotinous detail of everything French did as he dug around in this case - every trip he took, every piece of paper he read, even an entire chapter about solving a extremely convoluted cipher. I get it, and appreciate it, seeing the details behind the ~magic~ but sometimes its too much. Did I really need to know about every single possible alphanumerical cipher that was considered and discarded during that especially tedious chapter? No, I did not.

As for the case being "simple" in the end, well - not really. If it takes an entire chapter to explain the hows and whys of a crime, by definition it's not simple. And this one was really OTT - if you have any disbelief left by the end of this novel, you must be pretty credulous yourself.

I managed to finish this novel (which is more than I can say for the other French novel I tried, Antidote to Venom) but it wasn't really worth the time it took to read it. If you like wild goose chases and running every single lead into the ground, you'll probably enjoy this. Me, I like my detectives to be a bit swifter on the uptake than French is.

[Susan in NC · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this first outing with Scotland Yard Inspector French, written in 1924. Not only is it a complex and interesting mystery involving murder, diamond theft, fraud and impersonation, with a sprinkling of adultery, it’s also somewhat of a travelogue, as French pursues suspects and clues to Switzerland, France and Spain, along with various parts of England.

The good inspector is diligent to the point of tedium, but Crofts does an excellent job of portraying the detailed, unglamorous work of detection. He’s also given his detective a friendly, charming, optimistic demeanor, and the nickname “Soapy Joe” from his underlings at the Yard. I’ve noticed Crofts’ attention to the monotony and detail of police work in the previous mysteries I’ve read, The 12:30 from Croydon, and Mystery in the Channel. French works relentlessly to get his man (or woman), using all the mechanisms of organized policing at his disposal, and doesn’t skimp on the details. Crofts realistically portrays the dead ends inevitable to any investigation, where our hero almost loses his characteristic optimism, leads dry up, and as time without results passes, French’s superiors get testy at lack of progress. It was interesting to see him lay his case out before his wife, Emily, who sometimes sees something French is missing and spots a new avenue for investigation. I enjoyed this humanizing glimpse of his home life.

In this case, a young clerk returns to the diamond trader’s office where he works, and finds the elderly head clerk dead in front of an open safe; a large cache of diamonds, along with cash, is missing. French is called in right away, and starts his investigation, but time goes on as one promising lead after another dries up. No spoilers, but after another death, this time a suicide, I began to suspect the killer - I had no idea of the details, and it turns out I was right, but I really appreciated the detailed explanation at the end. It was convoluted and complicated, but clearly laid out - I appreciate that about the Inspector French novels I’ve read.

[Sara Eames · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent cosy mystery with well-written characters and a plot that moves at a steady pace.

[Dlmrose · Rating 3 out of 5]

3+

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

First published in 1924, this is considered one of the classics of the Golden Age of British crime fiction. The case develops step by step throughout the novel as the Inspector steadfastly follows up on leads, inching ever closer to apprehending the culprits. Very well plotted and evenly paced. Recommended for fans of British crime fiction who like puzzles and do not need chase scenes, graphic violence, or deep character development.

[Pamela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although this is only around 250 pages, it seems much, much longer. Part of the problem is the way French just misses his quarry over and over and over. Part of the problem is we are privy to just about every single thought that wanders through French’s mind.

[Ashley Lambert-Maberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm so mean in my old age. But I think one has to be ruthless when one reaches 60 and still has 4,000 books in one's to-read list, and has noticed that rather than shrinking over time, this list continues to grow. It's like interviewing job candidates: if you only have three people applying, you hope at least one of them is literate and can do basic math, but if you have 800 applications, you start specifying "masters' degree or equivalent" and you get a little choosey.

So this could be a perfectly fine book, for those of you with your life ahead of you and time to spare. That's not me: if it starts to rub me the wrong way, and I'm not eager to start Chapter Three, and nothing about it is screaming "I'm special in a weird way and you can sense it can't you, give me time" then I put it aside, forever. And so it is with this one.

It's a workplace mystery (which already doesn't thrill me, because it's the 1920s so the majority of characters will be middle-aged white males and I'll have trouble telling them apart), and the characters are all speaking some variation of "Now, gentlemen, if you will please sit down, I want to ask you a few questions. I’ll take you first, Mr. Orchard. I have your name, and your address is Bloomsbury Square. Now tell me, is that your home?" and it's so stiff, it irks.

The author also thinks I've never read a mystery before, and carefully describes how one dusts for prints, and over-explains, and sure, maybe in 1920-ish you needed such explanation, but not now. So it's shaping up to be a slog, the actual sentences aren't delighting me (as they had with, say, Mrs. Ames from ten years earlier), so I'll move along. Only 3,999 left.

(5* = amazing, terrific book, one of my all-time favourites, 4* = very good book, 3* = good book, but nothing to particularly rave about, 2* = disappointing book, and 1* = awful, just awful. As a statistician I know most books are 3s, but I am biased in my selection and end up mostly with 4s, thank goodness.)

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A big part of why I like old mystery novels is watching bad guys get tracked down and caught by unflappable and inevitable representatives of The Law, wielded firmly but mercifully on behalf of all of us who don't go around doing Byzantine murders that disrupt everyday life and prevent the juvenile leads from finding love etc. I think that's probably some part of the appeal for everybody, but I bring it up here because these Inspector French novels are basically Oops! All that.

French is not especially interesting, the mystery is usually not especially mysterious... it's just an over-the-shoulder view of a very resourceful Scotland Yard detective making careful notes. Poirot has the mannerisms and the incredible novelty, French has an intense love of creating timetables, often cross-referenced with other timetables. He's a nice guy, likes traveling, hopes to be promoted someday.

Crofts is a good sentence-level writer, so if you like this kind of thing enough (as I do) there's nothing keeping you from enjoying it (as I did). But it's a little uncanny to see this one feature of the mystery novel separated so completely from the rest—in kind but not degree it's sort of like when "hurt-comfort" transformed from an occasional feature of a novel to a genre of fanfiction. Read one of these and you will discover exactly how important colorful characters or wild twists or fair play mystery puzzles are to you.

[Jan C · Rating 4 out of 5]

This doesn't say much for me or maybe for Mr. Crofts - it apparently took me 10 years to read it. I think I read it in fits and starts. Or maybe started it and then didn't pick it up again for 9-10 years.

Anyway, it was all right in the end. Not a bad start for a series. Inspector has several suspects. Both of whom lead him all over Europe. Could have been a nice vacation - he did do some sightseeing, while waiting for trains. I guess there wasn't much flying in the post-WWI era. The book did involve ocean, cab and train travel.

I did wind up enjoying this book. Might as well since I think I have more of his stashed on my Kindle.

I find this a hard book to review without using spoilers.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though I suspected the guilty party almost at once, the case involved intricacies I'd never have figured out.

[Adam Carson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is very much a police procedural of a detective novel and quite different in style to the Christie, Marsh and Allingham’s of the era!

Crofts takes you through Inspector French’s thought process thoroughly from crime to solution, through the red herrings, side investigations and monotonous police work covering months. He certainly covers a lot of ground, boats, trains and least 4 European countries! At times, and particularly at the start the procedural nature of the book can make it feel a little slow, but ultimately it was refreshing, felt very real and was enjoyable.

[Sheila Howes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another author I have not read previously, and look forward to reading again. I really enjoyed the plot of this one - it was a fantastic adventure with lots of twists, turns and red herrings. I really liked the character of Inspector French as well.

[Cognatious Thunk · Rating 3 out of 5]

April 2025 - narrated by Phil Fox for HarperCollins Publishers
Although my ratings for Freeman Wills Crofts novels haven't raised, I find Phil Fox's narrations to be much more enjoyable than the LibriVox ones. For Crofts, the interest in murder mysteries wasn't who-done-it, but rather how-did-it, which means that his books are all about the journey, rather than the destination. Fox understands that and turns what could have been (and frequently became with other narrators) a plodding plot into a delightful and leisurely journey.

[Cindy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think I would have rated this much higher if it weren't for the title. If this was Inspector French's Greatest Case, then it's no wonder that his books are virtually forgotten today.

A man goes to work at a jewelry shop only to find the dead body of a senior clerk and an empty safe. French takes over the case. The investigation is described in mind-numbing detail, along with his frequent trips to Europe - the Netherlands, Spain, France, etc, which are either by rail (with the entire route carefully described, including a time table) or by sea. At this point, I had all but given up. So when I temporarily misplaced this book, I wasn't exactly heartbroken. And when I got it back, I finished more because I wanted to get it over with than because I really cared how it ended.

It ended with a big climax aboard another ocean-going ship, complete route included (just in case you wanted to book passage) and Inspector French being surprised by the identity of the murderer.

This was a classic example of "tell, don't show." Not recommended for anyone. If you want to try another book by this author (this was his first book, and it really shows) Inspector French and Cheyne Mystery is better. Although even then, the ending could have been much better. Crofts seems to go for the very conventional story.

To be fair, this might have been a much better read at the time. But as a modern reader, I kept thinking that if he had taken a plane ride, it would have sped up the plot a lot. And where was Scotland Yard getting all this money to pay for his fares? Never once does French end up short on cash or miss his connection. Silly read, all around.

[Korynn · Rating 1 out of 5]

If Inspector French is the best Scotland Yard can come up with then I understand the need for the amateur detective, give me Peter Wimsey anyday over the methodical and highly conservative Inspector. The mystery is rather straight forward, a man is murdered and jewels are stolen but French dawdles about, discounts theories, and essentially allows himself to be led by the nose by false clues without taking any action himself. He travels all over the place without really getting any value for his troubles, his list of suspects are never really investigated and in the end, we are given a villain who was never a suspect in the first place and, if the Inspector was any good, should have been investigated to begin with!!! That and the book really rankles me with its portrayal of women and the "lower classes."

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I discovered Inspector French when I was browsing the British Library classic crime series. I've read several of them now. I like most of them, although they are very dated (unsurprisingly) - in terms of police procedure and in terms of social attitudes. There's also only basic characterisation, which can get annoying sometimes. French is endearing nonetheless, and it is fun to find out who did it.

[Victor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well...3.4 stars because I identified the culprit pretty early .Orherwise it was as usual
.. detailed,absorbing and very thorough logicwise. But to be fair this was the weakest French I have read till now ..he seemed a bit slow on the uptake ... say in the matter of the Trunks contents, in deciding how a British girl can become american .On the other hand the codebreaking was excellent and was this books high point for me .