The Eye in Attendance

Inspector Manderton #3

by Valentine Williams

The "Eye" in this straight mystery novel is Inspector Manderton of Scotland Yard, who solves an ugly case of double murder at an elegant country house. Scandal, blackmail, and passion are the ingredients of the case. The main plot is a little thin, relying heavily on emotional scenes between the characters, but Williams uses an entertaining romantic subplot and good comic interludes to bolster it up. - The Mystery Lover's Companion, Art Bourgeau

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1927

About the author

Aka Douglas Valentine (1 work)

George Valentine Williams (1883 - 1946) was the son of G Edward Williams, Chief Editor of the Reuters News Agency. After being privately educated in Germany, he joined Reuters as a sub editor in 1902. In 1909, Williams became a reporter for the Daily Mail (then the most popular British newspaper and the first to achieve a daily circulation of one million copies). In this capacity, he reported on international events such as the Portuguese Revolution of 1910 and the Balkan Wars of 1912 - 1913. During the early stages of the First World War, reporters were not permitted direct access to the Western Front. Williams therefore obtained a commission with the Irish Guards in December 1915. He saw action during the Battle of the Somme, where he was seriously wounded in 1916, and was awarded the Military Cross. Williams then joined the small group of accredited war correspondents based at British General Headquarters and continued to serve as the accredited correspondent for the Daily Mail until the end of the War. After the War, Valentine Williams was in charge of reporting the Versailles Peace Conference in 1919 for the Daily Mail. In addition to journalism, Williams also became a popular writer of mystery fiction, publishing a series of 28 books from 1918 until his death in 1946.

Reviews

[Rick Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Residents of Node House:

Sir Harry and Lady Ethel Fubsy, owners
Ned Fubsy, their son .. in Brazil at the moment
Alix Barleston, Lady Fusby's niece
Major Frankie Barleston, (Alix's husband), over his head in debt
Captain Ronald "Ronnie" Dene, Alix's lover
Isobel "Freckles" Dalgleish, Alix's sister
Gerrard "Gerry" Leese, an American diplomatic secretary
Curtiss Vrogue, an author (apparently)
Cantle, the butler
Vance, the maid

and...
Basil Stanismore. M.P. (Member of Parliament), wealthy financier
Keene Kavanagh, one of Frankie's creditors
Superintendent Nolling, local police
Inspector George Manderton, Scotland Yard

Locale: Isle of Wight, off the coast of England

Synopsis: Beautiful Alix Barleston has way too many men in her life. There is her estranged debt-ridden no-good gambling husband, Frankie Barleston. There is her secret lover, Ronnie Dene. Now enter wealthy financier Basil Stanismore, who has bought up Frankie's debt; and makes an astounding offer to Frankie: Stanismore will forgive his debts and set him up with a fresh start and a job somewhere distant (i.e., get lost); if he will just look the other way as Stanismore takes Alix as his mistress.

Sir Harry and Lady Ethel Fubsy own Node House on the coast. Alix and Ronnie are staying as guests (separate rooms, of course). There is a creepy tower on the property which has a room which was the Fubsy's only daughter who has died, and it is kept intact. Stanismore meets Alix in the tower, and begs Alix to be his mistress; which she rebuffs. Returning to her room, Frankie appears at her room and begs to remain there all night.

American Gerry Leese and Alix's sister, Isobel "Freckles" Dalgleish are returning from a date by boat, and when landing at Node House, discover a body on the beach - later identified as Basil Stanismore. He had been murdered.

Pretty much everyone has a motive, but all keep quiet when Inspector Manderton arrives; as no one wants to finger anyone else.

Review: This is a nice tight self contained page-turner, and not one of the Clubfoot series. I wish/hope Williams had authored more of these - perhaps he has since I have not read them all. I will have to refer to the bibliography. [UPDATE: Yes, there are more Inspector Mandertons! Will seek them out] That said, a good country house mystery set on an island. There are six servants stated, but we only meet two. One aspect which I thought would lead somewhere was the mysterious tower room once occupied by the only daughter who died, but it only serves as a convenient tryst location. The final chase scene as the perpetrator escapes by boat is very well done.