English Mysteries Club discussion

This is the thread to discuss Tragedy at Law by Cyril Hare, which has won our golden age English mystery poll for September. Tragedy at Law is the first of the Francis Pettigrew series.

Reading and discussion begins on 1st September and continues all month. Who's in for this one?

I shan't be joining in as I read this last year but I do commend it to everyone. I have really enjoyed this series so far. Maybe I will join in the discussion.

Craftyhj wrote: "Maybe I will join in the discussion ..."

That's a good idea! And thanks for telling us how good it is 😊

I'm in for sure!

Just downloaded my copy.

Great! My DAISY disc arrived today, though I'm not sure when I'll get to it ...

Jean, What is a DAISY disc?

It's a sort of souped up CD which I get from the RNIB with a special player. It's short for Digital Accessible Information System, and can hold up to about 40 hours on one disc. You can navigate on it and insert bookmarks etc. Practically every book can be recorded on one disc.

We begin this read today! Who has started it?

Not yet, but soon!

When I saw the selection, I had just finished Sarah Caudwell’s four books starring an English barrister, and this looked very like a prequel. And I needed more quiet books to knit to.
Once one gets used to his slower pace, it grabs you up. They are very well written, cleverly plotted books. Thanks for the reference, and I may buy them. But for now, I owe Internet Archive even more than I donate now for access to all these books.
I say all, because I have now read all four of the Francis Pettigrew books including Tragedy At Law, and am now on Inspector Mallett two.
The plot twists are pretty amazing, not to say very twisty, but Mr. Hare manages to make them sound logical and extremely human, in that strange logic that people use, which reminds me of Dowager Duchess Wimsey.

Liz wrote: "The plot twists are pretty amazing, not to say very twisty, but Mr. Hare manages to make them sound logical and extremely human, in that strange logic that people use, which reminds me of Dowager Duchess Wimsey ..."

Funnily enough I've just finished a Dorothy L. Sayers. This one does sound good ... and very English! Thank for all this info., Liz 😊

This world Hare creates, or perhaps just relates, because he did inhabit it as his lifework, does take quite a deep dive of the imagination. It feels so foreign in every way possible: the ambiance, legal jargon, personalities, their movements, even the colors and fabrics … wow. Submerge!

I've just finished the book and enjoyed it, but it certainly was a complicated plot!

I read this last year and really enjoyed it. It was fascinating to learn about a facet of life which has long since disappeared into the history books. The characters and the plot are well rounded and the humour is a delight.

I do encourage people to read on in the series. You will not be disappointed.

That's good to know. Our library system has two more of the books in the series.

Spoiler alert: there aren't many crucial details in what follows, but I do briefly mention a couple of incidents in the first quarter of the book. There is no mention of anything later than chapter 6 as that's as far as I've got.

I've just finished chapter 6, about one quarter of the whole book, and I'm wondering whether any other readers are finding the start of this tale a bit slow. I know that Cyril Hare worked for a legal firm and clearly knows that world well. It's helpful to have some realistic legal details to bring the setting to life, but I'm finding there are a few too many, and too detailed. Here's a sentence from around the middle of chapter 6, referring to a court case that is being presented at length, but the finer legal points of the argument are still not clear, to me at least: "The action which had been so much canvassed in lodgings, proved, to Derek's mind at least, one of unexampled dullness." Unfortunately, this is also how I feel about the scene. And if one of the legally trained characters in the story finds it so, it's hardly surprising that a reader does also.

By the time my Kindle reader indicated that I'd read 25% the most dramatic events to have taken place were a car accident and two vaguely threatening letters addressed to the judge. Not an exciting plot! Though chapter 6 ends on a more dramatic note. I'm hoping the story will pick up pace a bit from now on.

Does anyone else share my response to the story so far?

It does take a while to get started but the action does build up-and every incident is important.

Rosemarie wrote: "It does take a while to get started but the action does build up-and every incident is important."

That's reassuring, Rosemarie. Thanks!

Mike wrote: "Spoiler alert: there aren't many crucial details in what follows, but I do briefly mention a couple of incidents in the first quarter of the book. There is no mention of anything later than chapter..."

I had trouble getting interested in the plot also so I put it aside temporarily. I do not like “not finishing a book” so I will probably pick it up and try again later.

Beverly wrote: "Mike wrote: "Spoiler alert: there aren't many crucial details in what follows, but I do briefly mention a couple of incidents in the first quarter of the book. There is no mention of anything later..."

I'm afraid there wasn't really a plot for the first 6 chapters, Beverly, but I'm now at the end of chapter 10 and the pace has really picked up. It could be worth persevering.

Mike wrote: "Beverly wrote: "Mike wrote: "I'm afraid there wasn't really a plot for the first 6 chapters, Beverly, but I'm now at the end of chapter 10 and the pace has really picked up. It could be worth persevering.."

Thanks Mike, I just made it to Chapter 7 and it has been a little slow so it's good to know it will pick up. Despite the slowness, I am enjoying Pettigrew.

I think sometimes the first in a series takes a while to establish the character(s) and get going, doesn't it? That's what I found with Edmund Crispin's Gervase Fen.

I finished reading the second book in the series, With a Bare Bodkin, very quickly last night and it was delightful.

Bionic Jean wrote: "I think sometimes the first in a series takes a while to establish the character(s) and get going, doesn't it? That's what I found with Edmund Crispin's Gervase Fen."

I agree!

Mike wrote: "Beverly wrote: "Mike wrote: "Spoiler alert: there aren't many crucial details in what follows, but I do briefly mention a couple of incidents in the first quarter of the book. There is no mention o..."

Mike wrote: "Beverly wrote: "Mike wrote: "Spoiler alert: there aren't many crucial details in what follows, but I do briefly mention a couple of incidents in the first quarter of the book. There is no mention o..."

Thank you, Mike .
That encourages me to come back to it later and try again.

I've just finished it and my short verdict is: very good. By coincidence, the point at which I commented on the slow start (end of chapter 6) was exactly the point at which the pace picked up. After that I thought it was a very good read, with an ingenious ending.

The point about establishing characters in the first book in a series is interesting because I felt that Pettigrew remained a rather undeveloped, side-line sort of figure all the way through, although he came a little more to the forefront in the final few chapters.

Yes I've noticed that with series before, as we said Mike, e.g. Simon Serrailler in Susan Hill's detective series, where he barely appears at all in the first book The Various Haunts of Men.

It's tricky, because in a group read the obvious place to start is the first one, unless someone can tell us one is a stand-alone. But perhaps now someone might nominate a later one for us to read.

Thanks for your final thoughts 😊

I've read all the Cyril Hare titles and reread several. I am a huge fan and wish he hadn't died young. Tragedy at Law is one of my favorites.

That's good to know thanks Ellen. (Oh yes, he was just a month shy of 58 when he died of T.B.😟)

Why does Pettigrew call Barber the Shaver? Is it just meant to be a humorous play on words? Barbers shave. Or is there something more behind it?

I was not able to acquire a copy of this month’s book. I was able to find the last copy of Beat Detective Stories of Cyril Hare at our Saskatchewan Provincial Library. I am enjoying these little gems of scheming and come-uppance. New author for me.

Jessica wrote: "Why does Pettigrew call Barber the Shaver? Is it just meant to be a humorous play on words? Barbers shave. Or is there something more behind it?"

I would think it's the former, Jessica 😁

Archiving this one, but leaving it open for further comments.

And as it happens, it's me commenting!

I've just written a review of this one, and given it ⭐⭐⭐⭐I really enjoyed the writing, and the clever plot.

Tragedy at Law by Cyril Hare

Jean's review

Great detailed review, Jean!

yes, that was impressive, Jean!