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Colonel Gethryn #5
The Polferry Riddle
What at first seems like a quiet isolated country house on the British coast becomes the sinister setting for murder. Upstairs beneath a bolted door is a stream of blood. A classic locked-room mystery starring the incomparable sleuth Anthony Gethryn.
319 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1931
37 people want to read
About the author
Philip MacDonald
147 books17 followersPhilip MacDonald (who some give as 1896 or 1899 as his date of birth) was the grandson of the writer George MacDonald and son of the author Ronald MacDonald and the actress Constance Robertson.
During World War I he served with the British cavalry in Mesopotamia, later trained horses for the army, and was a show jumper. He also raised Great Danes. After marrying the writer F. Ruth Howard, he moved to Hollywood in 1931. He was one of the most popular mystery writers of the 1930s, and between 1931 and 1963 wrote many screenplays along with a few radio and television scripts.
His detective novels, particularly those featuring his series detective Anthony Gethryn, are primarily "whodunnits" with the occasional locked room mystery. His first detective novel was 'The Rasp' (1924), in which he introduced his character Anthony Gethryn.
In later years MacDonald wrote television scripts for Alfred Hitchcock Presents ('Malice Domestic', 1957) and Perry Mason ('The Case of the Terrified Typist', 1958).
He twice received an Edgar Award for Best Short Story: in 1953, for 'Something to Hide', and in 1956, for 'Dream No More'. Indeed many critics felt that his short story writing was superior to his novels and they did win five second prizes in the annual contests held by 'Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine'.
He also wrote under the pseudonyms Oliver Fleming, Anthony Lawless, Martin Porlock, W.J. Stuart and Warren Stuart.
During World War I he served with the British cavalry in Mesopotamia, later trained horses for the army, and was a show jumper. He also raised Great Danes. After marrying the writer F. Ruth Howard, he moved to Hollywood in 1931. He was one of the most popular mystery writers of the 1930s, and between 1931 and 1963 wrote many screenplays along with a few radio and television scripts.
His detective novels, particularly those featuring his series detective Anthony Gethryn, are primarily "whodunnits" with the occasional locked room mystery. His first detective novel was 'The Rasp' (1924), in which he introduced his character Anthony Gethryn.
In later years MacDonald wrote television scripts for Alfred Hitchcock Presents ('Malice Domestic', 1957) and Perry Mason ('The Case of the Terrified Typist', 1958).
He twice received an Edgar Award for Best Short Story: in 1953, for 'Something to Hide', and in 1956, for 'Dream No More'. Indeed many critics felt that his short story writing was superior to his novels and they did win five second prizes in the annual contests held by 'Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine'.
He also wrote under the pseudonyms Oliver Fleming, Anthony Lawless, Martin Porlock, W.J. Stuart and Warren Stuart.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 21, 2012
First published in 1931. #6 Anthony Gethryn, gentleman investigator, London, Cornwall; classic police procedural/thriller. Also published as THE CHOICE.
A rich and beautiful lady dies in a dark old house; classic themes crafted by a master. There’s madness, love, and death, thrilling chase scenes and multiple possibile culprits, superb pacing, lots of twists and turns plus a tasty finale, all beautifully mixed for a genuinely exciting read even after 80 years.
The characters are nearly stereotypes, particularly Gethryn, but still shine somehow. You like them and want everything to “come right in the end”. Although one of the major plot elements is easily guessed and one of the final shocking bits seems ludicrous now, this is a delicious visit to the past and a solidly enjoyable “gentle thriller” of the best kind.
Similar in spots to his contemporaneous Rynox Murders and the much later List of Adrian Messenger, but still an excellent work “of its type” - I wish his books weren’t so difficult to obtain.
A rich and beautiful lady dies in a dark old house; classic themes crafted by a master. There’s madness, love, and death, thrilling chase scenes and multiple possibile culprits, superb pacing, lots of twists and turns plus a tasty finale, all beautifully mixed for a genuinely exciting read even after 80 years.
The characters are nearly stereotypes, particularly Gethryn, but still shine somehow. You like them and want everything to “come right in the end”. Although one of the major plot elements is easily guessed and one of the final shocking bits seems ludicrous now, this is a delicious visit to the past and a solidly enjoyable “gentle thriller” of the best kind.
Similar in spots to his contemporaneous Rynox Murders and the much later List of Adrian Messenger, but still an excellent work “of its type” - I wish his books weren’t so difficult to obtain.
March 21, 2018
For my full review click on the link below:
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
December 19, 2017
This is the fifth volume in Philip MacDonald's mystery series featuring Anthony Gethryn. Gethryn was a brilliant amateur detective with a close relationship with Scotland Yard.
In The Polferry Riddle, originally published in 1931, Gethryn helps the police to solve a mysterious crime. A woman is found with her throat cut in the large old house she lives in with her husband. Her husband and two other men were together all the time that this might have occurred and so provide one another with an alibi. There were four other people staying in the house, any of whom might have committed the murder. They rule out suicide because there is nothing found in the wife's room that she could have used to cut her throat. Nobody seems to have had a reason to commit murder and there is no suitable weapon found anywhere in the house.
Subsequently other deaths follow which appear to be accidents. And then more "accidents" occur. Are these all connected?
I very rarely figure out the solutions to mysteries but I did come up with half of the answer. Unfortunately, the ultimate solution is quite weak.
MacDonald writes well with a lot of humor. (Gethryn gets all the good lines.) I enjoyed this up until the disappointing final solution.
I need to add that I didn't read this book in any of the editions listed, but rather as a part of a Philip MacDonald omnibus volume, Triple Jeopardy.
In The Polferry Riddle, originally published in 1931, Gethryn helps the police to solve a mysterious crime. A woman is found with her throat cut in the large old house she lives in with her husband. Her husband and two other men were together all the time that this might have occurred and so provide one another with an alibi. There were four other people staying in the house, any of whom might have committed the murder. They rule out suicide because there is nothing found in the wife's room that she could have used to cut her throat. Nobody seems to have had a reason to commit murder and there is no suitable weapon found anywhere in the house.
Subsequently other deaths follow which appear to be accidents. And then more "accidents" occur. Are these all connected?
I very rarely figure out the solutions to mysteries but I did come up with half of the answer. Unfortunately, the ultimate solution is quite weak.
MacDonald writes well with a lot of humor. (Gethryn gets all the good lines.) I enjoyed this up until the disappointing final solution.
I need to add that I didn't read this book in any of the editions listed, but rather as a part of a Philip MacDonald omnibus volume, Triple Jeopardy.
October 24, 2017
Eve Hale-Storford had her throat slit in an isolated house one stormy night, and none of the guests seemed to have done it. The case goes cold, and then the guests started dying one by one. Gethryn runs around with Pike and Lucas trying to prevent one of the guests from being murdered. Talk about a no-twist. This is a riddle, but with a totally underwhelming solution.
December 17, 2022
A woman is found dead in her bedroom on a dark and stormy night, with (it appears) four possible suspects. When those suspects also begin dying in suspicious circumstances, Colonel Gethryn uses his detective skills to unravel the mystery. A good read, but not much more than "good".
May 12, 2016
There are only eight people in Watch House, perched over the sea, and three of them are sitting in a room together. Yet beautiful Eve Hale-Soford is dead. The police have no evidence that any of the people present had a motive for killing her, and no evidence points to any of them. So the case seems to die. Then first one, then another suspect is killed in an accident. Now charming young Susan Kerr seems next in line. Her fiance frantically seeks the help of Anthony Gethryn, who works with Scotland Yard to protect Susan and to find the guilty party.
December 3, 2011
The book was off to a good start with a death that only 4 suspects could have done in a remote house on a stormy night. most of the story moves along nicely, but the solution is disappointing.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews