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Inspector Cockrill #2
Green for Danger
This Golden Age masterclass of red herrings and tricky twists, first published in 1944, features a tense and claustrophobic investigation with a close-knit cast of suspects. "You have to reach for the greatest of the Great Names (Agatha Christie, John Dickson Carr, Ellery Queen) to find Christianna Brand's rivals in the subtleties of the trade." —Anthony Boucher in The New York Times It is 1942, and struggling up the hill to the new Kent military hospital Heron's Park, postman Joseph Higgins is soon to deliver seven letters of acceptance for roles at the infirmary. He has no idea that the sender of one of the letters will be the cause of his demise in just one year's time. When Higgins returns to Heron's Park with injuries from a bombing raid in 1943, his inexplicable death by asphyxiation in the operating theatre casts four nurses and three doctors under suspicion, and a second death in quick succession invites the presence of the irascible—yet uncommonly shrewd—Inspector Cockrill to the hospital. As an air raid detains the inspector for the night, the stage is set for a tense and claustrophobic investigation with a close-knit cast of suspects.
285 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1944
224 people are currently reading
1979 people want to read
About the author
Christianna Brand
100 books137 followersChristianna Brand (December 17, 1907 - March 11, 1988) was a crime writer and children's author. Brand also wrote under the pseudonyms Mary Ann Ashe, Annabel Jones, Mary Roland, and China Thomson.
She was born Mary Christianna Milne in 1907 in Malaya and spent her early years in India. She had a number of different occupations, including model, dancer, shop assistant and governess.
Her first novel, Death in High Heels, was written while Brand was working as a salesgirl. In 1941, one of her best-loved characters, Inspector Cockrill of the Kent County Police, made his debut in the book Heads You Lose. The character would go on to appear in seven of her novels. Green for Danger is Brand’s most famous novel. The whodunit, set in a World War 2 hospital, was adapted for film by Eagle-Lion Films in 1946, starring Alastair Sim as the Inspector. She dropped the series in the late 1950s and concentrated on various genres as well as short stories. She was nominated three times for Edgar Awards: for the short stories "Poison in the Cup" (EQMM, Feb. 1969) and "Twist for Twist" (EQMM, May 1967) and for a nonfiction work about a Scottish murder case, Heaven Knows Who (1960). She is the author of the children's series Nurse Matilda, which Emma Thompson adapted to film as Nanny McPhee (2005).
Her Inspector Cockrill short stories and a previously unpublished Cockrill stage play were collected as The Spotted Cat and Other Mysteries from inspector Cockrill's Casebook, edited by Tony Medawar (2002).
Series:
* Nurse Matilda
* Inspector Charlesworth
* Inspector Chucky
* Inspector Cockrill
She was born Mary Christianna Milne in 1907 in Malaya and spent her early years in India. She had a number of different occupations, including model, dancer, shop assistant and governess.
Her first novel, Death in High Heels, was written while Brand was working as a salesgirl. In 1941, one of her best-loved characters, Inspector Cockrill of the Kent County Police, made his debut in the book Heads You Lose. The character would go on to appear in seven of her novels. Green for Danger is Brand’s most famous novel. The whodunit, set in a World War 2 hospital, was adapted for film by Eagle-Lion Films in 1946, starring Alastair Sim as the Inspector. She dropped the series in the late 1950s and concentrated on various genres as well as short stories. She was nominated three times for Edgar Awards: for the short stories "Poison in the Cup" (EQMM, Feb. 1969) and "Twist for Twist" (EQMM, May 1967) and for a nonfiction work about a Scottish murder case, Heaven Knows Who (1960). She is the author of the children's series Nurse Matilda, which Emma Thompson adapted to film as Nanny McPhee (2005).
Her Inspector Cockrill short stories and a previously unpublished Cockrill stage play were collected as The Spotted Cat and Other Mysteries from inspector Cockrill's Casebook, edited by Tony Medawar (2002).
Series:
* Nurse Matilda
* Inspector Charlesworth
* Inspector Chucky
* Inspector Cockrill
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 339 reviews
March 3, 2020
First published in 1944, this is the second in Christianna Brand's novels featuring the chain smoking Inspector Cockrill (first book in the series is "Heads You Lose") and probably her most famous mystery, being made into a film with Alastair Sim. The novel is set during WWII in a military hospital. Brand herself was living near such a hospital, where her husband worked, during the blitz and brings much of her experiences at that time into this novel. She was told the best thing she could do for the war effort was to carry on writing and bring much needed foreign currency into the country, so donning her tin hat and dodging the bombs, she completed this book. Although WWII crime mysteries are virtually a genre unto themselves these days, this is very much the real thing and you can feel the authenticity of experience in every line.
The novel is set at Heron's Park in Kent, a former children’s sanatorium, now a military hospital. The main characters are Gervase Eden, who ran a successful Harley Street practice before the war, Jane Woods, who was a successful dress designer (Brand ties this in nicely with a previous novel "Death in High Heels": Inspector Charlesworth Series, Book 1), Esther Sanson, a young VAD with a hypochondriac mother, Mr Moon, a local surgeon, Dr Barnes, a local anaesthetist, Frederica Linley, a young VAD and Sister Marion Bates. These characters are tied together by secrets, relationships and by becoming suspects when an old man, Joseph Higgins, dies in the operating theatre. There seems no plausible motive to kill the harmless elderly man, who in peacetime was a postman. However, as Cockrill is called in to investigate, what could have been an accident becomes obviously a case of murder.
I am so glad that Christianna Brand's crime novels have been re-published and hope she reaches a new audience. Her books are excellent, fast paced and with an exciting plot and great characters. This is a vastly enjoyable mystery, with a real sense of place and time. If you wish to read on in the series, the next book is “The Crooked Wreath”. If you are a fan of Golden Age Detective fiction and like a good 'whodunnit', then you will certainly enjoy Christianna Brand.
The novel is set at Heron's Park in Kent, a former children’s sanatorium, now a military hospital. The main characters are Gervase Eden, who ran a successful Harley Street practice before the war, Jane Woods, who was a successful dress designer (Brand ties this in nicely with a previous novel "Death in High Heels": Inspector Charlesworth Series, Book 1), Esther Sanson, a young VAD with a hypochondriac mother, Mr Moon, a local surgeon, Dr Barnes, a local anaesthetist, Frederica Linley, a young VAD and Sister Marion Bates. These characters are tied together by secrets, relationships and by becoming suspects when an old man, Joseph Higgins, dies in the operating theatre. There seems no plausible motive to kill the harmless elderly man, who in peacetime was a postman. However, as Cockrill is called in to investigate, what could have been an accident becomes obviously a case of murder.
I am so glad that Christianna Brand's crime novels have been re-published and hope she reaches a new audience. Her books are excellent, fast paced and with an exciting plot and great characters. This is a vastly enjoyable mystery, with a real sense of place and time. If you wish to read on in the series, the next book is “The Crooked Wreath”. If you are a fan of Golden Age Detective fiction and like a good 'whodunnit', then you will certainly enjoy Christianna Brand.
September 27, 2023
The whole time I was reading this I felt like I'd read it before. So maybe I've seen a movie based on it. Anyhow, this was a top notch murder mystery with a few twists and it kept me guessing the whole way through. Even with my deja vu feeling, I was still surprised by the culprit.
The setting is unique, a murder takes place in the middle of a surgery during the blitz. Only the doctors and nurses in the room could have done it. It's a closed room mystery, but unusual in that the person, who is already in jeopardy, in the midst of an operation, has a murderer targeting them. No one can figure out how it was done until there's another operation.
The setting is unique, a murder takes place in the middle of a surgery during the blitz. Only the doctors and nurses in the room could have done it. It's a closed room mystery, but unusual in that the person, who is already in jeopardy, in the midst of an operation, has a murderer targeting them. No one can figure out how it was done until there's another operation.
August 28, 2025
Girl, you got me.
But I'm not coming back for more.
I didn't guess the murderer until Cockrill slapped the cuffs on them. And speaking of Inspector Cockrill, he is maybe the least likable detective ever written. Just an ass. Not funny, not clever, not slick. Just banging around like a semi-competent cop with a grade-A douchebag personality. No finesse, no real skills, no wit...?
I doubt I'll ever bother to read another one of her books.
It was kind of hard for me to keep track of who the characters were. I'm not sure why, but they tended to blend for me. The guys all blended, and so did the gals. Woody was a bit of a standout, and the old Major Moon was too, mainly because of his age. But the others all seemed to be too similar to separate, and I had to do a lot of backing up to try to remember who meant what to whom. The most interesting thing here is the way Brand captures the wartime hospital setting.
Also. That ending scene. That was a whole kick in the cooch. What?!
Though that was probably what would have happened in real life, but stilllll. I'm reading a cozy mystery for the cozy part.
The mystery? Whodunnit? Top-tier!
The characters were not my cuppa, though. Other than the last few minutes of the Big Reveal, I was not very engaged with this one. I'd heard this was her best work, so this is where I get off the Christianna Brand train.
Meh.
But I'm not coming back for more.
I didn't guess the murderer until Cockrill slapped the cuffs on them. And speaking of Inspector Cockrill, he is maybe the least likable detective ever written. Just an ass. Not funny, not clever, not slick. Just banging around like a semi-competent cop with a grade-A douchebag personality. No finesse, no real skills, no wit...?
I doubt I'll ever bother to read another one of her books.
It was kind of hard for me to keep track of who the characters were. I'm not sure why, but they tended to blend for me. The guys all blended, and so did the gals. Woody was a bit of a standout, and the old Major Moon was too, mainly because of his age. But the others all seemed to be too similar to separate, and I had to do a lot of backing up to try to remember who meant what to whom. The most interesting thing here is the way Brand captures the wartime hospital setting.
Also. That ending scene. That was a whole kick in the cooch. What?!
Though that was probably what would have happened in real life, but stilllll. I'm reading a cozy mystery for the cozy part.
The mystery? Whodunnit? Top-tier!
The characters were not my cuppa, though. Other than the last few minutes of the Big Reveal, I was not very engaged with this one. I'd heard this was her best work, so this is where I get off the Christianna Brand train.
Meh.
March 5, 2023
Christianna Brand's Green for Danger is a recent release in the British Library series re-releasing classic crime fiction. Green for Danger is my favorite title in this series thus far, and I would recommend it to anyone who appreciates a good, classic mystery novel, particularly one set during WWII.
The novel opens as a postal carrier bicycles uphill to a large building that has been transformed into a hospital during the Blitz. He's carrying seven letters. We're told at the end of this brief introduction that within a year he'll be dead, murdered by one of the seven who received a letter that day. It's a great set-up.
The suspects are all doctors or nurses working at the facility. At first it appears that none of them has a motive for murder, but that changes as the novel progresses. An Inspector Cockrill (apparently a figure who appeared in several of Brand's novels) is sent in to solve the crime. Cockrill is a sort of WWII-era Columbo, a quick thinker despite a somewhat disorganized and disheveled persona. He serves as an excellent hub around whom the suspects orbit.
The suspects are a close group—in some ways too close. The women are housed together in tight quarters. One doctor is a serial seducer, a friend, but also a rival, of the remaining doctors. Romances, brief and ongoing abound. There are also tragedies from the past that emerge as possible motives. Brand does an excellent job of parceling out clues that keep each of the suspects in the running until the book's denouement, which—at least for me—came as a real surprise.
Green for Danger is typical of its time (it was originally published in 1944) in terms of its gender-based assumptions, which can cause a roll of the eye every few chapters. But if a reader can get past this stereotyping, the novel is a truly compelling read that will leave readers guessing until the end.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title fro the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.
The novel opens as a postal carrier bicycles uphill to a large building that has been transformed into a hospital during the Blitz. He's carrying seven letters. We're told at the end of this brief introduction that within a year he'll be dead, murdered by one of the seven who received a letter that day. It's a great set-up.
The suspects are all doctors or nurses working at the facility. At first it appears that none of them has a motive for murder, but that changes as the novel progresses. An Inspector Cockrill (apparently a figure who appeared in several of Brand's novels) is sent in to solve the crime. Cockrill is a sort of WWII-era Columbo, a quick thinker despite a somewhat disorganized and disheveled persona. He serves as an excellent hub around whom the suspects orbit.
The suspects are a close group—in some ways too close. The women are housed together in tight quarters. One doctor is a serial seducer, a friend, but also a rival, of the remaining doctors. Romances, brief and ongoing abound. There are also tragedies from the past that emerge as possible motives. Brand does an excellent job of parceling out clues that keep each of the suspects in the running until the book's denouement, which—at least for me—came as a real surprise.
Green for Danger is typical of its time (it was originally published in 1944) in terms of its gender-based assumptions, which can cause a roll of the eye every few chapters. But if a reader can get past this stereotyping, the novel is a truly compelling read that will leave readers guessing until the end.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title fro the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.
January 3, 2025
She is a coolly collected killer, without pity. Whether her characters are kind or cruel, no matter, her knife plunges in. Her victims may as well be her murderer: all deserving only the scantest sympathy. Although she came shortly after the Golden Age of Crime Fiction, that genteel milieu, she writes as if she hails from an older, colder age. She has viewed the world and is not particularly impressed.
Perhaps because she was a child and then an adult of war. She has seen certain things. Some personalities only survive, and perhaps flourish, by shutting down the kindness, the empathy. One must have a clear head to live in such times. One must be a little heartless.
And so she wrote a book about doctors, nurses, and murders. All taking place in the middle of war, a war that feels very, very real. Broken hearts, broken minds. Brittle banter. Love may be real, but it does not heal. Anaesthetics applied, less than carefully. Bombs crashing so often, one could get jaded. A mother buried under rubble for three days, only to die after rescue. Voices from Germany, jeering at the foolish Brits. The warmest and sweetest of the characters ignored and dismissed, her heart broken, the very last pages a portrait of her despair. The author shrugs. Such is life.
She went by many names: Mary Ann Ashe, Annabel Jones, Mary Roland, and China Thomson. She was born Mary Christianna Milne. For this book, her name is Christianna Brand. A clever writer and a clever book - it is the rare reader who could guess the murderer. A clever book, and such a callous one. Reading it made the chilly weather feel even more wintry. Not a book of much human warmth.
❄️☣️🩻
I watched the 1946 adaptation as well. It took many liberties with the text, including eliminating my two favorite characters (Dr. Moon & William). Still, it was pretty enjoyable. Really wonderful atmosphere. In the book, the Inspector is an unlikeable, rather uninteresting character. But for the movie, Alastair Sim really brings him to life with a typically eccentric and perverse performance. It was well worth watching, in particular for its perfectly achieved setting and for Alastair.
Perhaps because she was a child and then an adult of war. She has seen certain things. Some personalities only survive, and perhaps flourish, by shutting down the kindness, the empathy. One must have a clear head to live in such times. One must be a little heartless.
And so she wrote a book about doctors, nurses, and murders. All taking place in the middle of war, a war that feels very, very real. Broken hearts, broken minds. Brittle banter. Love may be real, but it does not heal. Anaesthetics applied, less than carefully. Bombs crashing so often, one could get jaded. A mother buried under rubble for three days, only to die after rescue. Voices from Germany, jeering at the foolish Brits. The warmest and sweetest of the characters ignored and dismissed, her heart broken, the very last pages a portrait of her despair. The author shrugs. Such is life.
She went by many names: Mary Ann Ashe, Annabel Jones, Mary Roland, and China Thomson. She was born Mary Christianna Milne. For this book, her name is Christianna Brand. A clever writer and a clever book - it is the rare reader who could guess the murderer. A clever book, and such a callous one. Reading it made the chilly weather feel even more wintry. Not a book of much human warmth.
❄️☣️🩻
I watched the 1946 adaptation as well. It took many liberties with the text, including eliminating my two favorite characters (Dr. Moon & William). Still, it was pretty enjoyable. Really wonderful atmosphere. In the book, the Inspector is an unlikeable, rather uninteresting character. But for the movie, Alastair Sim really brings him to life with a typically eccentric and perverse performance. It was well worth watching, in particular for its perfectly achieved setting and for Alastair.
April 19, 2023
I seem to be on a Golden Age Mystery binge lately and this book is consistently on the "best of" lists, so I gave it a try. I was a bit disappointed but still enjoyed it.
The scene is a military hospital in England, set up during the Blitz and the characters are a mixed bag of physicians, nurses, and VADs who are overwhelmed with patients; however, they find some time to have flirtations, love affairs, and gossip which may or may not have some effect on the main story.
A local resident who apparently is unknown to the hospital staff dies on the operating table for no apparent reason. Protocol requires an investigation and the cause of death is questionable. Enter Detective-Inspector Cockrill (a continuing character in the author's books) who is suspicious and not a very likeable fellow. Soon another very obvious murder occurs, as well as an attempted murder and Cockrill is on the case.
The plot is complex and a bit far-fetched. I picked out the murderer about half-way through the book and I was totally wrong!! The denouement is rather unbelievable which caused me to drop one star in the rating. But the book is still very clever and deserves its place in mystery classic history.
The scene is a military hospital in England, set up during the Blitz and the characters are a mixed bag of physicians, nurses, and VADs who are overwhelmed with patients; however, they find some time to have flirtations, love affairs, and gossip which may or may not have some effect on the main story.
A local resident who apparently is unknown to the hospital staff dies on the operating table for no apparent reason. Protocol requires an investigation and the cause of death is questionable. Enter Detective-Inspector Cockrill (a continuing character in the author's books) who is suspicious and not a very likeable fellow. Soon another very obvious murder occurs, as well as an attempted murder and Cockrill is on the case.
The plot is complex and a bit far-fetched. I picked out the murderer about half-way through the book and I was totally wrong!! The denouement is rather unbelievable which caused me to drop one star in the rating. But the book is still very clever and deserves its place in mystery classic history.
July 13, 2021
Readers will enjoy Green for Danger, the second in this sophisticated series from the 1940s about gruff Inspector Cockrill, more than the first. It’s the most famous of author Christianna Brand’s books, later made into a movie. Chain-smoking and disheveled, Cockrill early on deduces who the murderer is from a field of seven suspects, but can’t prove it. I thought I, too, had figured it out early on, but I was completely surprised. Unlike so many of the Golden Age mystery writers, Brand eschews sentimentality and provides a real picture of people, flaws, inconsistences and all, making it a perfect choice for modern readers.
November 13, 2022
Christiana Brand is an author I had been hearing good things about for some time, so I was keen to try try her out, and this one certainly didn't leave me disappointed.
It's set in a military hospital during WW2. In the first chapter we are introduced to several people about to take up posts there. Life in the hospital is pretty hectic, especially during and after the many air-raids taking place. On one night, and older gentleman is brought in from an air-raid, and the next morning he does on the operating table. Initially this is out for to a reaction to the anesthia, but later, when one of the nurses also ends up being stabbed it becomes clear that it was murder. There are only six people who could have done it, all good friends, but secrets start to emerge in the group.
I thought this was an excellent mystery; very readable and with a real sense of atmosphere. I have read that Brand wrote from experience, she lived near to a military hospital and her husband worked in one. I had thought I had guessed who the culprit was, but it turned out I was wrong.
I hope I can get to more of her books sooner rather than later.
*Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.*
It's set in a military hospital during WW2. In the first chapter we are introduced to several people about to take up posts there. Life in the hospital is pretty hectic, especially during and after the many air-raids taking place. On one night, and older gentleman is brought in from an air-raid, and the next morning he does on the operating table. Initially this is out for to a reaction to the anesthia, but later, when one of the nurses also ends up being stabbed it becomes clear that it was murder. There are only six people who could have done it, all good friends, but secrets start to emerge in the group.
I thought this was an excellent mystery; very readable and with a real sense of atmosphere. I have read that Brand wrote from experience, she lived near to a military hospital and her husband worked in one. I had thought I had guessed who the culprit was, but it turned out I was wrong.
I hope I can get to more of her books sooner rather than later.
*Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.*
March 31, 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdc3F...Description: Set in a military hospital during the blitz, this novel is one of Brand's most intricately plotted detection puzzles, executed with her characteristic cleverness and gusto. When a patient dies under the anesthetic and later the presiding nurse is murdered, Inspector Cockrill finds himself with six suspects--three doctors and three nurses--and not a discernible motive among them.
Splendid!
March 31, 2019
OMG I hate the phrase 'very dated.' Yikes, everything is dated from the moment it's written. Phrasing, politics, perspective, technology, manners and mannerisms - it is all constantly in flux. A word we use today might sound horrible tomorrow. Having said all that...
There are a few moments in this book when stereotypes and comments seem highly inappropriate and one wonders why they weren't back when it was written, 1941. So I jumped over them. What else could I do? This book is considered a mystery classic...
But I did get tired of everyone using the endearment 'darling' until I wanted to blacken out the word in the thousand or so times it's used. (Yes, and it's a library book so I refrained.) There's also a lot of romance in this book and hurt feelings and people off in a cubbyhole or corner kissing, and people listening in on others and getting it wrong - or right and making it wrong. It seemed hopelessly, relentlessly contrived and I actually set it aside for a week as I was getting sick of it.
However, every review of the book just goes on and on about its complexity, its cleverness, as well as its unusual setting and time period - WW2, a military hospital. But it depends too much on people SAYING and DOING certain things at the EXACT RIGHT TIME, and people being in certain PLACES and with certain people for everything to come out right at the end.
The story: A man dies on the operating table. There are seven potential suspects: three men, four women. All were in attendance at the operation or had access to the equipment being used. A crotchety English detective is in charge of finding out who did what to whom and when, where and how. But shortly after he starts his investigation, one of the seven is also murdered. WHAT is GOING ON???
Hey, I like old mysteries. Give me a country estate - or hospital - and a bunch of mixed-up, somewhat jaded elitist types and I'm happy. Usually. But not always.
So ho-hum, contrived or dated or just not my cuppa tea. Two stars.
There are a few moments in this book when stereotypes and comments seem highly inappropriate and one wonders why they weren't back when it was written, 1941. So I jumped over them. What else could I do? This book is considered a mystery classic...
But I did get tired of everyone using the endearment 'darling' until I wanted to blacken out the word in the thousand or so times it's used. (Yes, and it's a library book so I refrained.) There's also a lot of romance in this book and hurt feelings and people off in a cubbyhole or corner kissing, and people listening in on others and getting it wrong - or right and making it wrong. It seemed hopelessly, relentlessly contrived and I actually set it aside for a week as I was getting sick of it.
However, every review of the book just goes on and on about its complexity, its cleverness, as well as its unusual setting and time period - WW2, a military hospital. But it depends too much on people SAYING and DOING certain things at the EXACT RIGHT TIME, and people being in certain PLACES and with certain people for everything to come out right at the end.
The story: A man dies on the operating table. There are seven potential suspects: three men, four women. All were in attendance at the operation or had access to the equipment being used. A crotchety English detective is in charge of finding out who did what to whom and when, where and how. But shortly after he starts his investigation, one of the seven is also murdered. WHAT is GOING ON???
Hey, I like old mysteries. Give me a country estate - or hospital - and a bunch of mixed-up, somewhat jaded elitist types and I'm happy. Usually. But not always.
So ho-hum, contrived or dated or just not my cuppa tea. Two stars.
June 3, 2023
Read earlier, this one I REALLY enjoyed, most especially because I never guessed the who.
full post is here:
http://www.crimesegments.com/2023/06/...
Green for Danger is book number two in Christianna Brand's Inspector Cockrill series, preceded by the series opener, Heads You Lose (which I'm reading now). I'm just thrilled that it is a part of the British Library Crime Classics collection, since the copy I've had for eons is an old mass market paperback in pretty beat-up condition. I enjoyed Green for Danger so very much that I immediately bought the remaining books, including preordering Death of Jezebel (also new from British Library Crime Classics and arriving in August) -- that's how very good it is. Now I want to read everything in this particular series.
World War II serves as the backdrop for this clever, well-plotted closed-circle mystery, which takes place at a former sanitorium now serving as military hospital at Heron's Park just outside of Heronsford in Kent. The seven main players have all been called to duty there, and they are introduced one by one (along with a bit of each person's backstory) via their acceptance letters which are being delivered by postman Joseph Higgins. The male contingent consists of Dr. Gervase Eden, a surgeon from Harley Street, Mr. Moon, another surgeon hailing from Heronsford, and Dr. Barnes (Barney), a local anesthetist; the women are Jane Woods (Woody), who has been called as a VAD nurse as have Esther Sanson and Frederica (Freddi) Linley, and finally Sister Marion Bates. Offering the tiniest bit of a clue as to where this story is headed, as Higgins takes himself and his bicycle up the hill leading to Heron's Park, the author tells us that he "could not know that, just a year later, one of the writers would die, self-confessed a murderer."
As a person who often figures out the who long before the big reveal comes, I have to say that I was extremely delighted not to have done so this time. I actually had two different suspects in mind but Brand came along and pulled the rug right out from under me. That's not too surprising, since the author sort of toys with her readers by planting doubts (and thereby possible motives) about each of the seven suspects. In hindsight, all of the clues were definitely there, and it was like a "how did I miss that?" kind of moment when Brand actually unmasked the killer. Add to this the very realistic and credible sense of place and the atmosphere that the author delivers pretty much from the start, all making Green For Danger a pitch-perfect mystery.
I have the old black-and-white film (1946, Pinewood Studios) on DVD as part of my Criterion Collection movies, so I watched it right after finishing the novel. While it deviates a bit from the book I could have cared less. Alastair Sim definitely steals the show here in the role of Inspector Cockrill, often playing his scenes for laughs, which at times given the dark and actually somewhat sinister atmosphere underlying this film, can be a welcome relief. He is eccentric, but underneath his quirkiness there is definitely a sense that he is a wise detective with a keen sense of justice. The supporting cast, including Trevor Howard, also does a great job.
I would definitely recommend both book and movie, in that order.
full post is here:
http://www.crimesegments.com/2023/06/...
Green for Danger is book number two in Christianna Brand's Inspector Cockrill series, preceded by the series opener, Heads You Lose (which I'm reading now). I'm just thrilled that it is a part of the British Library Crime Classics collection, since the copy I've had for eons is an old mass market paperback in pretty beat-up condition. I enjoyed Green for Danger so very much that I immediately bought the remaining books, including preordering Death of Jezebel (also new from British Library Crime Classics and arriving in August) -- that's how very good it is. Now I want to read everything in this particular series.
World War II serves as the backdrop for this clever, well-plotted closed-circle mystery, which takes place at a former sanitorium now serving as military hospital at Heron's Park just outside of Heronsford in Kent. The seven main players have all been called to duty there, and they are introduced one by one (along with a bit of each person's backstory) via their acceptance letters which are being delivered by postman Joseph Higgins. The male contingent consists of Dr. Gervase Eden, a surgeon from Harley Street, Mr. Moon, another surgeon hailing from Heronsford, and Dr. Barnes (Barney), a local anesthetist; the women are Jane Woods (Woody), who has been called as a VAD nurse as have Esther Sanson and Frederica (Freddi) Linley, and finally Sister Marion Bates. Offering the tiniest bit of a clue as to where this story is headed, as Higgins takes himself and his bicycle up the hill leading to Heron's Park, the author tells us that he "could not know that, just a year later, one of the writers would die, self-confessed a murderer."
As a person who often figures out the who long before the big reveal comes, I have to say that I was extremely delighted not to have done so this time. I actually had two different suspects in mind but Brand came along and pulled the rug right out from under me. That's not too surprising, since the author sort of toys with her readers by planting doubts (and thereby possible motives) about each of the seven suspects. In hindsight, all of the clues were definitely there, and it was like a "how did I miss that?" kind of moment when Brand actually unmasked the killer. Add to this the very realistic and credible sense of place and the atmosphere that the author delivers pretty much from the start, all making Green For Danger a pitch-perfect mystery.
I have the old black-and-white film (1946, Pinewood Studios) on DVD as part of my Criterion Collection movies, so I watched it right after finishing the novel. While it deviates a bit from the book I could have cared less. Alastair Sim definitely steals the show here in the role of Inspector Cockrill, often playing his scenes for laughs, which at times given the dark and actually somewhat sinister atmosphere underlying this film, can be a welcome relief. He is eccentric, but underneath his quirkiness there is definitely a sense that he is a wise detective with a keen sense of justice. The supporting cast, including Trevor Howard, also does a great job.
I would definitely recommend both book and movie, in that order.
August 10, 2022
(4.5 Stars - probably one of the best BLCCs I've read.)
It’s always an unexpected joy when one of these lovely British Library Crime Classics drops through the door, especially if it’s as enticing as this. (My thanks to the publishers for kindly providing a review copy.)
First published in 1944, Green for Danger – the second book in Brand’s Inspector Cockrill series – is set at Heron’s Park, a military hospital in Kent in the midst of WW2. As Martin Edwards notes in his excellent introduction, the novel is an example of a classic ‘closed circle’ mystery in which the culprit is one of a small pack of potential suspects the author shuffles during the story, shifting the focus from one person to another until the perpetrator is revealed.
Brand cleverly introduces her cast of suspects in the opening chapter through their acceptance letters for positions at Heron’s Park. So, we have Gervase Eden, a Harley Street surgeon, the type with a string of women falling at his feet; Jane Woods (Woody), a rather plain woman of forty who has given up a life of gaiety to volunteer as a V.A.D. nurse, mostly to assuage her conscience for past misdemeanours; Esther Sanson, a young woman whose life has been dominated by a needy, hypochondriac mother – if nothing else, nursing will give Esther some sort of training and a life away from home.
Mr Moon, another surgeon, is a kindly, mature man (almost Churchillian in appearance), still mourning his son, who was killed in a road accident. The sensitive anaesthetist Dr (Barney) Barnes remains troubled by the unfortunate death of a patient on the operating table while in his care. Nothing untoward was found in the inquiry, but the patient’s family have their suspicions – hopefully the move to Heron’s Park will offer Barney a fresh start. Finally, we have Frederica Linley (Freddi), a cool, detached young woman who views volunteering as a V.A.D. as a way of escaping her dreadful stepmother; and Sister Marion Bates, who seems to be on the lookout for a husband on the hospital wards.
Once all the main characters have been introduced, we fast forward to a point in time when the team has been working together for a while, steadily dealing with the casualties in its care. The hustle and bustle of hospital life is brilliantly conveyed, oscillating between periods of high activity and quieter moments when the staff get a chance to chat.
One day, a recently admitted patient – Joseph Higgins – dies while undergoing a seemingly routine operation, much to the team’s distress. At first, the outcome is put down to a bad reaction to the anaesthetic; but given Barney’s history of a previous unexplained death, the surgeons decide to call on Detective Inspector Cockrill to give the incident the once over. The hope is that this will nip any potential gossip about foul play in the bud, but when Cockrill takes a look, his suspicions are soon aroused…
To read the rest of my review, please visit:
https://jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2022...
It’s always an unexpected joy when one of these lovely British Library Crime Classics drops through the door, especially if it’s as enticing as this. (My thanks to the publishers for kindly providing a review copy.)
First published in 1944, Green for Danger – the second book in Brand’s Inspector Cockrill series – is set at Heron’s Park, a military hospital in Kent in the midst of WW2. As Martin Edwards notes in his excellent introduction, the novel is an example of a classic ‘closed circle’ mystery in which the culprit is one of a small pack of potential suspects the author shuffles during the story, shifting the focus from one person to another until the perpetrator is revealed.
Brand cleverly introduces her cast of suspects in the opening chapter through their acceptance letters for positions at Heron’s Park. So, we have Gervase Eden, a Harley Street surgeon, the type with a string of women falling at his feet; Jane Woods (Woody), a rather plain woman of forty who has given up a life of gaiety to volunteer as a V.A.D. nurse, mostly to assuage her conscience for past misdemeanours; Esther Sanson, a young woman whose life has been dominated by a needy, hypochondriac mother – if nothing else, nursing will give Esther some sort of training and a life away from home.
Mr Moon, another surgeon, is a kindly, mature man (almost Churchillian in appearance), still mourning his son, who was killed in a road accident. The sensitive anaesthetist Dr (Barney) Barnes remains troubled by the unfortunate death of a patient on the operating table while in his care. Nothing untoward was found in the inquiry, but the patient’s family have their suspicions – hopefully the move to Heron’s Park will offer Barney a fresh start. Finally, we have Frederica Linley (Freddi), a cool, detached young woman who views volunteering as a V.A.D. as a way of escaping her dreadful stepmother; and Sister Marion Bates, who seems to be on the lookout for a husband on the hospital wards.
Once all the main characters have been introduced, we fast forward to a point in time when the team has been working together for a while, steadily dealing with the casualties in its care. The hustle and bustle of hospital life is brilliantly conveyed, oscillating between periods of high activity and quieter moments when the staff get a chance to chat.
One day, a recently admitted patient – Joseph Higgins – dies while undergoing a seemingly routine operation, much to the team’s distress. At first, the outcome is put down to a bad reaction to the anaesthetic; but given Barney’s history of a previous unexplained death, the surgeons decide to call on Detective Inspector Cockrill to give the incident the once over. The hope is that this will nip any potential gossip about foul play in the bud, but when Cockrill takes a look, his suspicions are soon aroused…
To read the rest of my review, please visit:
https://jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2022...
January 28, 2024
Very good mystery set in an English military hospital during the early years of WWII. But we are not in London; we are in the Kent countryside, three miles from the nearest village.
In the first chapter we meet one Joseph Higgins, postman, toiling up the rutted road to the hospital, moaning about having to make the trip to deliver a mere 7 letters. We get a brief intro to the letter writers as he examines each letter. He then continues his journey, with the chapter ending with the ominous "He could not know that, just one year later, one of the writers would die, self-confessed a murderer."
I was hooked at that point. I had to read on to discover who was killed, and why, and how. And, of course, try to figure out which of the 7 did the deed.
The author did a good job of fleshing out the letter writers, making them real people. The military hospital setting was convincing.
I liked our policeman, Inspector Cockrill, who was a local man and not from Scotland Yard. He was cranky, crabby, and shrewd.
I must say that, unlike Cockrill, I had no idea 'whodunnit' or why. However, I did figure out how the first murder was accomplished. I just might track down another one or two of his cases.
In the first chapter we meet one Joseph Higgins, postman, toiling up the rutted road to the hospital, moaning about having to make the trip to deliver a mere 7 letters. We get a brief intro to the letter writers as he examines each letter. He then continues his journey, with the chapter ending with the ominous "He could not know that, just one year later, one of the writers would die, self-confessed a murderer."
I was hooked at that point. I had to read on to discover who was killed, and why, and how. And, of course, try to figure out which of the 7 did the deed.
The author did a good job of fleshing out the letter writers, making them real people. The military hospital setting was convincing.
I liked our policeman, Inspector Cockrill, who was a local man and not from Scotland Yard. He was cranky, crabby, and shrewd.
I must say that, unlike Cockrill, I had no idea 'whodunnit' or why. However, I did figure out how the first murder was accomplished. I just might track down another one or two of his cases.
March 24, 2023
A man dies on the operating table. At first it seems like a simple matter of chance, but as Inspector Cockrill digs in—and as someone else is found dead in rather more violent fashion—it becomes clear that a murderer is on the loose, and the pool of suspects is very small indeed.
First published in 1944, this is being brought back to life in a new edition, and it is a delight. I'd never heard of Brand before picking this up, but if Green for Danger is anything to go by, she was a force to be reckoned with. This is on the relatively lighter side of things—bodies do start piling up, yes, but the characters/suspects don't ever devolve into paranoia and anger, and there's a great deal of wit and humor to go around. I'm not all that interested in the inspector (he does tend to think himself quite superior), but the story focuses so closely on the rest of the cast that it actually took me a while to realize that this is one in a series featuring Cockrill.
It's helpful to go in aware that this was written some eighty years ago and is feeling its age—the publisher has included a note about problematic language and so on, but generally speaking there's also just a whole lot here that wouldn't pass muster if first published in 2023. But if you know that going in, and especially if (*cough*) you're already fond of the occasional piece of 40s or 50s genre fiction, it's a quick, atmospheric read that will keep you guessing about the details until the very end. I may need to see what other of Brand's books can be hunted down.
Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
First published in 1944, this is being brought back to life in a new edition, and it is a delight. I'd never heard of Brand before picking this up, but if Green for Danger is anything to go by, she was a force to be reckoned with. This is on the relatively lighter side of things—bodies do start piling up, yes, but the characters/suspects don't ever devolve into paranoia and anger, and there's a great deal of wit and humor to go around. I'm not all that interested in the inspector (he does tend to think himself quite superior), but the story focuses so closely on the rest of the cast that it actually took me a while to realize that this is one in a series featuring Cockrill.
It's helpful to go in aware that this was written some eighty years ago and is feeling its age—the publisher has included a note about problematic language and so on, but generally speaking there's also just a whole lot here that wouldn't pass muster if first published in 2023. But if you know that going in, and especially if (*cough*) you're already fond of the occasional piece of 40s or 50s genre fiction, it's a quick, atmospheric read that will keep you guessing about the details until the very end. I may need to see what other of Brand's books can be hunted down.
Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
April 3, 2015
In the wee hours of the morning, I closed Ms Brand's "Green for danger" with a satisfactory sigh. It is not often that a murder mystery manages to surprise me now. Thanks to having read and re-read Agatha Christie zillions of times, I assumed that I was up to every trick that a mystery author could throw at me. But Ms Brand successfully managed to fob me off. As in Agatha Christie's "Cards on the table", we have a limited set of suspects. The puzzle is tantalizing. You know you should expect the unexpected but the problem was defining the unexpected. Quite brilliantly done.
As much as the solution to the mystery is brilliant, what makes this a most notable work is the picture it paints of the World War and how medical units operated during those days. We get but fleeting peeks into this life but they are what make this book distinguish itself from just-another-murder-mystery. The air raids, the procedures to be taken during air raids, how hospitals and its personnel reacted to such incidents - these are truly captivating. This is not a historical novel - Ms Brand was simply recounting life as it existed then, which makes this more like a live document of the times.
Despite all these positives going for it, the book somehow has a rather "pulpy" feel to it and I strong suspect the rather sloppy romance to be the cause. Ms Brand can write mysteries well enough but she is definitely no romance writer. The romance in fact brought to my mind bad, forgettable scB-grade and some war time Hollywood movies of the 1930s and 40s. I love the movies of that period but the B-graders were pretty obvious. When the book begins to read like such movies, you are turned off.
Inspector Cockrill was good fun for most part, but somehow somehow, not all that memorable at the end of the book. I watched the movie adaptation after completing the book. They have done a marvelous job with it and Alistair Sim is particularly brilliant as Cockrill.
Overall, my rating for this book would be an Average- 2.5 would be an accurate rating.
As much as the solution to the mystery is brilliant, what makes this a most notable work is the picture it paints of the World War and how medical units operated during those days. We get but fleeting peeks into this life but they are what make this book distinguish itself from just-another-murder-mystery. The air raids, the procedures to be taken during air raids, how hospitals and its personnel reacted to such incidents - these are truly captivating. This is not a historical novel - Ms Brand was simply recounting life as it existed then, which makes this more like a live document of the times.
Despite all these positives going for it, the book somehow has a rather "pulpy" feel to it and I strong suspect the rather sloppy romance to be the cause. Ms Brand can write mysteries well enough but she is definitely no romance writer. The romance in fact brought to my mind bad, forgettable scB-grade and some war time Hollywood movies of the 1930s and 40s. I love the movies of that period but the B-graders were pretty obvious. When the book begins to read like such movies, you are turned off.
Inspector Cockrill was good fun for most part, but somehow somehow, not all that memorable at the end of the book. I watched the movie adaptation after completing the book. They have done a marvelous job with it and Alistair Sim is particularly brilliant as Cockrill.
Overall, my rating for this book would be an Average- 2.5 would be an accurate rating.
August 1, 2015
I've heard about this one for years, and finally read it. The mystery itself kept me guessing until the very end, even when I was convinced I'd figured it out. I never could warm to the characters, though, or the rather clumsily-written romantic elements. (side note: it drove me nuts how often everyone referred to everyone else as 'darling' - my brain couldn't help but count the times and it was very distracting)
January 11, 2020
I'll read almost anything that takes place during the blitz, especially if it involves some murder and a lot of witty banter. This would make an absolutely ripping black and white movie that I'd be thrilled to catch on a rainy afternoon, preferably without the book's casual racism.
February 11, 2019
I enjoyed the first in this series and intend to continue it. This installment takes place in a WWII surgical hospital where it treated non wartime injuries as well as those incurred from air raids. This is unlikely to be my favorite because I did not especially care for this setting
Again, Brand presents her story in such a way as there are a limited number of suspects, each having means and opportunity. For some, motive was also clear, though not so much for the others. Oh, I was ever so smug because I had this figured out very early. Nothing had me waiver from my opinion and all along I thought it not a very good mystery. Well darn heck if I wasn't wrong all along.
Brand does a good job of characterization - not a fabulous job, but I did feel as if these were real people. Inspector Cockrill, on the other hand, is not as well drawn. This is somewhat strange as he is the series detective and we'll see continue to see him.
I have recently learned of the London Detection Club, an organization of crime writers established in 1930. Membership was by invitation. Christianna Brand became a member in 1946. I think the organization is still in operation. (The link has not been updated recently.) Though I may not be interested in some of the more recently added members, I may find myself exploring more fully the writing of some of those early ones.
Again, Brand presents her story in such a way as there are a limited number of suspects, each having means and opportunity. For some, motive was also clear, though not so much for the others. Oh, I was ever so smug because I had this figured out very early. Nothing had me waiver from my opinion and all along I thought it not a very good mystery. Well darn heck if I wasn't wrong all along.
Brand does a good job of characterization - not a fabulous job, but I did feel as if these were real people. Inspector Cockrill, on the other hand, is not as well drawn. This is somewhat strange as he is the series detective and we'll see continue to see him.
I have recently learned of the London Detection Club, an organization of crime writers established in 1930. Membership was by invitation. Christianna Brand became a member in 1946. I think the organization is still in operation. (The link has not been updated recently.) Though I may not be interested in some of the more recently added members, I may find myself exploring more fully the writing of some of those early ones.
September 13, 2025
Interesting and Suspenseful Mystery!
This is my second Christianna Brand mystery novel and I really enjoyed it. This war hospital-centered murder story kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved the slow introduction of each of the medical personnel—both male and female, professional and VADs. Though, when reading the first Inspector Cockrill book (Heads You Lose) and this second one, I had to re-listen to the first chapter twice. (Perhaps it was because I'm not 100% familiar with her writing style yet?)
Following the twists and turns of multiple murders (in and out of the hospital), as well as suspicious behavior from all of the medical staff, made the ending even more dramatic. I was sure it was a certain person until the very end and I was shocked at the final reveal of the murderer by Inspector Cockrill.
I'll definitely keep reading these British Library Crime Classics by Christianna Brand. Even though I still love Agatha Christie and Moray Dalton the most, Christianna Brand is definitely a clever and satisfying mystery writer. Give the Inspector Cockrill series a try!
This is my second Christianna Brand mystery novel and I really enjoyed it. This war hospital-centered murder story kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved the slow introduction of each of the medical personnel—both male and female, professional and VADs. Though, when reading the first Inspector Cockrill book (Heads You Lose) and this second one, I had to re-listen to the first chapter twice. (Perhaps it was because I'm not 100% familiar with her writing style yet?)
Following the twists and turns of multiple murders (in and out of the hospital), as well as suspicious behavior from all of the medical staff, made the ending even more dramatic. I was sure it was a certain person until the very end and I was shocked at the final reveal of the murderer by Inspector Cockrill.
I'll definitely keep reading these British Library Crime Classics by Christianna Brand. Even though I still love Agatha Christie and Moray Dalton the most, Christianna Brand is definitely a clever and satisfying mystery writer. Give the Inspector Cockrill series a try!
December 1, 2016
This had too much romance in it for my tastes. The author used the character's last name just as often as their first. I couldn't keep track of who was in love with who. And frankly I didn't care. Writing skill was definitely of good caliber but the whole thing fell apart for me.
January 13, 2022
Best read for its evocation of working in a hospital during the Blitz and the portrait of nurses and doctors flirting, falling in love and disappointing each other. The murder method is quite technically complex and less 'easy' than the police make out at the end. I can't get a handle on Inspector Cockrill or understand why all the suspects are so pally with him, calling him 'Cockie'? A fun read, apart from some period casual racism.
May 7, 2019
Esta novela me ha resultado súper adictiva, no sé si será que la he leído en un momento en el que es justo lo que necesitaba o qué me ha pasado pero he aparcado otras lecturas para darle prioridad.
Está ambientada en la Segunda Guerra Mundial, de hecho toda la historia transcurre en un hospital militar, en Herons Park. Uno de los pacientes del hospital morirá antes de ser intervenido y ésto dará lugar a una investigación policial. Todos aquellos que estuvieron en contacto con el paciente resultan ser muy sospechosos, como suele ocurrir en este tipo de novelas.
Aunque la escritora da al lector suficientes pistas para averiguar quién es el asesino yo no pude adivinarlo, tenía un montón de conjeturas pero al final no acerté con ninguna.
Tan sólo hay una cosa que me resultó fuera de lugar en la historia y es que después de ocurrir la muerte del paciente, ese día o un día después, hace una fiesta parte del personal, esto me sacó de la historia porque no me resultaba creíble que estuvieran celebrando una fiesta mientras había bombas cayendo relativamente cerca, y por si fuera poco se les había muerto un paciente prácticamente en la mesa de operaciones, no lo entendí. Tal vez recurrían a este tipo de celebraciones para aligerar tensiones.
En cualquier caso es una novela amena, con una buena ambientación, he conocido un poco como era el trabajo en un hospital en aquella época y he disfrutado de la lectura.
Está ambientada en la Segunda Guerra Mundial, de hecho toda la historia transcurre en un hospital militar, en Herons Park. Uno de los pacientes del hospital morirá antes de ser intervenido y ésto dará lugar a una investigación policial. Todos aquellos que estuvieron en contacto con el paciente resultan ser muy sospechosos, como suele ocurrir en este tipo de novelas.
Aunque la escritora da al lector suficientes pistas para averiguar quién es el asesino yo no pude adivinarlo, tenía un montón de conjeturas pero al final no acerté con ninguna.
Tan sólo hay una cosa que me resultó fuera de lugar en la historia y es que después de ocurrir la muerte del paciente, ese día o un día después, hace una fiesta parte del personal, esto me sacó de la historia porque no me resultaba creíble que estuvieran celebrando una fiesta mientras había bombas cayendo relativamente cerca, y por si fuera poco se les había muerto un paciente prácticamente en la mesa de operaciones, no lo entendí. Tal vez recurrían a este tipo de celebraciones para aligerar tensiones.
En cualquier caso es una novela amena, con una buena ambientación, he conocido un poco como era el trabajo en un hospital en aquella época y he disfrutado de la lectura.
May 25, 2023
5/25/23
Finished a re-read this week. It held up. Just as enjoyable this time. Although I was trying to remember who the killer was all the while.
**********************************************************************
The second volume in Inspector Cockrill from author Christianna Brand. Her husband was a surgeon and they lived near the hospital. She thought she should volunteer or something. They told her the best thing she could do would be to keep on writing. This book takes place in a hospital and it shows familiarity with the workings of one and especially the workings of a surgical team.
In the midst of WWII, bombs are going off all over England. Buildings collapsing, etc. People trapped in the buildings. The rescue squads try to save as many of those people as possible. But sometimes they have to wait for special equipment. One such building falls on the mailman and his friend, home from the Navy. The mailman is taken in first. And, so, subsequently is his friend.
And then people start dying. And the Inspector is called in. Could just be a regular death at the hospital. Or not?
This has also been made into a movie with Alistair Sim and Trevor Howard.
I enjoyed the book, too.
Finished a re-read this week. It held up. Just as enjoyable this time. Although I was trying to remember who the killer was all the while.
**********************************************************************
The second volume in Inspector Cockrill from author Christianna Brand. Her husband was a surgeon and they lived near the hospital. She thought she should volunteer or something. They told her the best thing she could do would be to keep on writing. This book takes place in a hospital and it shows familiarity with the workings of one and especially the workings of a surgical team.
In the midst of WWII, bombs are going off all over England. Buildings collapsing, etc. People trapped in the buildings. The rescue squads try to save as many of those people as possible. But sometimes they have to wait for special equipment. One such building falls on the mailman and his friend, home from the Navy. The mailman is taken in first. And, so, subsequently is his friend.
And then people start dying. And the Inspector is called in. Could just be a regular death at the hospital. Or not?
This has also been made into a movie with Alistair Sim and Trevor Howard.
I enjoyed the book, too.
November 14, 2023
Mystery set in a military hospital during WWII. The strength of the novel is the description of the hospital, the doctors and nurses, and the patients who are brought in after a bombing raid. There were plenty of fascinating details about how the hospital functioned and the difficulties of operating during wartime.
The mystery itself was rather disappointing- not only did the murderer and their motive appear quite obvious from early on, but the six main characters (the suspects) were selfish and unpleasant, and had strangely ambiguous ethics. Given that they were doctors and nurses who might have been expected to have a healthy respect for human life, their casual cynicism was quite disturbing, while two of the three male characters verged on creepy.
The plot was probably quite ingenious at the time, although its main points have often been used since so may now be familiar to readers. The ending of the novel was a bit rushed, but overall I quite liked the plot and the structure of the novel, it was the personal behaviour of the characters that put me off.
The mystery itself was rather disappointing- not only did the murderer and their motive appear quite obvious from early on, but the six main characters (the suspects) were selfish and unpleasant, and had strangely ambiguous ethics. Given that they were doctors and nurses who might have been expected to have a healthy respect for human life, their casual cynicism was quite disturbing, while two of the three male characters verged on creepy.
The plot was probably quite ingenious at the time, although its main points have often been used since so may now be familiar to readers. The ending of the novel was a bit rushed, but overall I quite liked the plot and the structure of the novel, it was the personal behaviour of the characters that put me off.
March 23, 2019
The unexplained death of a surgical patient is unusual, but that death is only the beginning of unusual happenings in this classic mystery set in a military hospital during WWII. The author has nailed the hospital setting with its sights, sounds, and smells plus the constant aerial bombardment of the base nearby. The author always plays fair even as she deftly misleads the reader again and again. Reread.
March 16, 2016
24-carat...
World War 2 is underway and a military hospital has been set up at Heron's Park in Kent. As the book begins, the local postman is taking a bundle of letters to the hospital from seven people confirming acceptance of positions they've been offered there. There's Gervase Eden, doctor to the hypochondriacal rich and fatally attractive to women, feeling he must do his bit for the war effort. Jane Woods has always been a bit of a party girl but in a fit of conscience has signed up for nursing duty and is now wondering if she's done the right thing. Esther Sanson sees nursing as an opportunity to escape from being a permanent companion to her needy mother. Mr Moon, an elderly surgeon, is glad of the chance to get away from his home, empty since the deaths of his wife and young son. Dr Barnes is the subject of local gossip about a patient who died under his care as an anaesthetist, so is also glad to get away. Frederica Linley just wants to avoid her father's awful new wife. And Sister Bates lives in hope that she might meet some nice officers...
These seven people will become the chief suspects when a patient at the hospital dies unexpectedly on the operating table. At first, it's assumed the death was no more than an unusual reaction to the anaesthetic, but when Inspector Cockrill is called in to confirm this, he learns a couple of things that lead him to suspect the death may have been murder. But before he can find out who did it, he first has to work out how it was done...
This has everything you would hope for from a true Golden Age mystery, and is exceptionally well written to boot. Brand introduces the characters straight away, and sets up the plot so that only these seven people could have had the opportunity to commit the crime. Her initial sketches of them already suggest possible motives even before we know who the victim will be, and she develops them more deeply as the book progresses so that, in a Christie-esque way, we are led to care more about some of them than others, enabling her to build up a lot of tension as they come under suspicion or even into danger. Because of course there's going to be a second murder! And when it comes it's brilliantly written – goose-bump stuff!
The plot is beautifully complex, as is the murder method – both murder methods, in fact. It turns out that almost everyone could have had a motive for doing away with the first victim, Higgins, an air-raid warden who's been hurt in a bombing. The motive for the second victim is clearer – if one decides to reveal to all and sundry that one knows who the murderer is and intends to tell the police, well, frankly, it's almost one's own fault when one is discovered in a deceased condition not long thereafter...
Life in this military hospital during the Blitz feels totally authentic, with that rather stiff upper lip attitude that I believe the Brits genuinely had back then. So despite the war and the constant danger from air-raids, life very much goes on, with people falling in and out of love, making friends and enemies, coping with rationing and shortages and, importantly, keeping a sense of humour, which helps to keep the novel entertaining while not avoiding darker subjects.
Cockrill is also an old-fashioned detective. There's no overbearing boss, departmental politics or whining about paperwork – he concentrates on solving the crime and does so by skilful questioning and clue-gathering. He's can be a bit rude and has no hesitation in playing on the nerves of his suspects to try to frighten the murderer into mistakes. He's also a bit of a sexist piglet, but then that's another Golden Age tradition. But he's dedicated to getting at the truth and, though he might take the odd risk, he's willing to take responsibility for the consequences of his actions.
All the clues are there, meaning the novel is “fair-play”, but for most of it I remained nicely baffled, only getting there towards the end, and even then there were enough red herrings floating around that I still wasn't sure I'd got it right. If I had a complaint, it's that there a bit of a hiatus towards the end, when Cockrill decides to do nothing for a bit to try to allow nerves to work on the murderer. While his plan works, it does mean that the story slows down a lot at this point. But it quickly builds up again towards a nicely dramatic and complex climax, with enough moral ambiguity to make it satisfying. And Brand doesn't forget to clear up all the side plots she has used as distractions along the way, as well as letting us know how things work out for the remaining characters.
Not all Golden Age novels glitter, but this one does – highly recommended.
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World War 2 is underway and a military hospital has been set up at Heron's Park in Kent. As the book begins, the local postman is taking a bundle of letters to the hospital from seven people confirming acceptance of positions they've been offered there. There's Gervase Eden, doctor to the hypochondriacal rich and fatally attractive to women, feeling he must do his bit for the war effort. Jane Woods has always been a bit of a party girl but in a fit of conscience has signed up for nursing duty and is now wondering if she's done the right thing. Esther Sanson sees nursing as an opportunity to escape from being a permanent companion to her needy mother. Mr Moon, an elderly surgeon, is glad of the chance to get away from his home, empty since the deaths of his wife and young son. Dr Barnes is the subject of local gossip about a patient who died under his care as an anaesthetist, so is also glad to get away. Frederica Linley just wants to avoid her father's awful new wife. And Sister Bates lives in hope that she might meet some nice officers...
These seven people will become the chief suspects when a patient at the hospital dies unexpectedly on the operating table. At first, it's assumed the death was no more than an unusual reaction to the anaesthetic, but when Inspector Cockrill is called in to confirm this, he learns a couple of things that lead him to suspect the death may have been murder. But before he can find out who did it, he first has to work out how it was done...
This has everything you would hope for from a true Golden Age mystery, and is exceptionally well written to boot. Brand introduces the characters straight away, and sets up the plot so that only these seven people could have had the opportunity to commit the crime. Her initial sketches of them already suggest possible motives even before we know who the victim will be, and she develops them more deeply as the book progresses so that, in a Christie-esque way, we are led to care more about some of them than others, enabling her to build up a lot of tension as they come under suspicion or even into danger. Because of course there's going to be a second murder! And when it comes it's brilliantly written – goose-bump stuff!
The plot is beautifully complex, as is the murder method – both murder methods, in fact. It turns out that almost everyone could have had a motive for doing away with the first victim, Higgins, an air-raid warden who's been hurt in a bombing. The motive for the second victim is clearer – if one decides to reveal to all and sundry that one knows who the murderer is and intends to tell the police, well, frankly, it's almost one's own fault when one is discovered in a deceased condition not long thereafter...
Life in this military hospital during the Blitz feels totally authentic, with that rather stiff upper lip attitude that I believe the Brits genuinely had back then. So despite the war and the constant danger from air-raids, life very much goes on, with people falling in and out of love, making friends and enemies, coping with rationing and shortages and, importantly, keeping a sense of humour, which helps to keep the novel entertaining while not avoiding darker subjects.
Cockrill is also an old-fashioned detective. There's no overbearing boss, departmental politics or whining about paperwork – he concentrates on solving the crime and does so by skilful questioning and clue-gathering. He's can be a bit rude and has no hesitation in playing on the nerves of his suspects to try to frighten the murderer into mistakes. He's also a bit of a sexist piglet, but then that's another Golden Age tradition. But he's dedicated to getting at the truth and, though he might take the odd risk, he's willing to take responsibility for the consequences of his actions.
All the clues are there, meaning the novel is “fair-play”, but for most of it I remained nicely baffled, only getting there towards the end, and even then there were enough red herrings floating around that I still wasn't sure I'd got it right. If I had a complaint, it's that there a bit of a hiatus towards the end, when Cockrill decides to do nothing for a bit to try to allow nerves to work on the murderer. While his plan works, it does mean that the story slows down a lot at this point. But it quickly builds up again towards a nicely dramatic and complex climax, with enough moral ambiguity to make it satisfying. And Brand doesn't forget to clear up all the side plots she has used as distractions along the way, as well as letting us know how things work out for the remaining characters.
Not all Golden Age novels glitter, but this one does – highly recommended.
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June 4, 2021
3.5 for me, and probably overall the Christianna Brand book that I’ve enjoyed least, though a worthwhile read nonetheless.
Set in a wartime hospital, this is a very medically orientated book with lots of details of anaesthesia and hospital procedures. As I work in a hospital I found that all really interesting, and while there is quite a lot of detail of medications etc, it doesn’t get too technical.
I liked the setting - and the mystery and plot are both good, but I find Inspector Cockrill one of the least likeable detectives in golden age fiction - no more so than in this book where he’s spiteful to the point of taking enjoyment away from the story.
Lastly, what really got me was the odd pacing of this book. You’re introduced characters in the first few pages like machine gun fire. It settles, then in the second half there are chapters that get incredibly slow, before the ending is rather ‘blink and you’ll miss it’.
I enjoyed, but in my opinion Brand did better.
Set in a wartime hospital, this is a very medically orientated book with lots of details of anaesthesia and hospital procedures. As I work in a hospital I found that all really interesting, and while there is quite a lot of detail of medications etc, it doesn’t get too technical.
I liked the setting - and the mystery and plot are both good, but I find Inspector Cockrill one of the least likeable detectives in golden age fiction - no more so than in this book where he’s spiteful to the point of taking enjoyment away from the story.
Lastly, what really got me was the odd pacing of this book. You’re introduced characters in the first few pages like machine gun fire. It settles, then in the second half there are chapters that get incredibly slow, before the ending is rather ‘blink and you’ll miss it’.
I enjoyed, but in my opinion Brand did better.
November 7, 2023
Well written, a manageable set of suspects, suspense in the setting, lots of red herrings, but imo the end wasn´t very satisfying.
April 8, 2020
Este libro fue una recomendación de Silvia, que sabe lo mucho que me gustan las historias de crímenes y detectives y jugar a quién lo hizo. La acción se sitúa por completo en un hospital de Kent durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, donde un día fallece un paciente en la mesa de operaciones y varias señales indican que no ha sido un simple accidente. En inspector Cockrill, conocido de alguno de los médicos, se traslada a la zona para investigar el caso y en seguida son siete sujetos del personal sanitario los que se perfilan como claros sospechosos.
Es el segundo libro de una saga en la que no importa haber leído el primer libro. De hecho, este segundo es el más popular, no solo de esta serie, sino también de la obra general de la autora. Es un libro muy ameno y fácil de leer, así que lo he devorado casi de una sentada; no es en absoluto perfecto, pero sí entretenido.
La verdad es que cuenta con todos los tópicos del género, e imagino que en su época resultaría innovador, pero ahora queda demasiado lleno de clichés. Además, tiene algunos momentos pasionales y de enredos amorosos que no me decían gran cosa y me hicieron pensar por un momento que en realidad era un libro romántico; o transiciones abruptas entre escenas; o diálogos precipitados; o cosas inverosímiles cogidas con pinzas; o el hecho de que todos los personajes me parecieran demasiado frívolos y me cayeran mal, incluido el detective, que tiene un punto antipático, pero lo cierto es que, con todo esto, el crimen y el cómo se va desentrañando la solución me engancharon bastante. Sospeché de la persona culpable en cierto momento, tras haber pasado el ecuador de la novela, pero no averigüé el móvil del crimen.
En fin, un libro que cumple su cometido de enganchar y entretener, y más en estos días en los que necesitamos dejar volar un poco la imaginación.
Es el segundo libro de una saga en la que no importa haber leído el primer libro. De hecho, este segundo es el más popular, no solo de esta serie, sino también de la obra general de la autora. Es un libro muy ameno y fácil de leer, así que lo he devorado casi de una sentada; no es en absoluto perfecto, pero sí entretenido.
La verdad es que cuenta con todos los tópicos del género, e imagino que en su época resultaría innovador, pero ahora queda demasiado lleno de clichés. Además, tiene algunos momentos pasionales y de enredos amorosos que no me decían gran cosa y me hicieron pensar por un momento que en realidad era un libro romántico; o transiciones abruptas entre escenas; o diálogos precipitados; o cosas inverosímiles cogidas con pinzas; o el hecho de que todos los personajes me parecieran demasiado frívolos y me cayeran mal, incluido el detective, que tiene un punto antipático, pero lo cierto es que, con todo esto, el crimen y el cómo se va desentrañando la solución me engancharon bastante. Sospeché de la persona culpable en cierto momento, tras haber pasado el ecuador de la novela, pero no averigüé el móvil del crimen.
En fin, un libro que cumple su cometido de enganchar y entretener, y más en estos días en los que necesitamos dejar volar un poco la imaginación.
July 5, 2022
This is the second Inspector Cockrill, but you don't have to read the first book to enjoy this World War II mystery that takes place in a hospital during London's blitz. Twists and turns with a surprise ending!
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