Author: Leo Bruce
Genre: Mystery
Paperback; Digital Book (Hardcover Available)
ISBN #: 9780897332927
Academy Chicago Publishers
203 Pages
$10.99 5; $17.99 Amazon
Original Print 1970
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽
Carolus Deene is a college professor who does a little sleuthing on the side. His friend, Father John Stainer, tells him he thinks something nasty is going on in his little village of Clibburn near Kent. A year ago, a small boy died from pneumonia, but John thinks there's more too it. Now, coming again on All Hallowe'en, he's afraid more will happen and wants Carolus to look into it.
Of course he agrees, and heads to Clibburn to stay with John. When he meets a man named Connor, he seems shaken because he thinks someone has taken a shot at him. Carolus presses him (gently) for more information, but Connor refuses. It is then that he has a true mystery on his hands. He's determined to figure out what it is that Connor is hiding, and if it is connected in any way to the death of young Cyril a year ago.
What Carolus finds is that someone wants him out of the village, and soon. He's not easily intimidated, and he knows he may very well put himself in danger; but he proceeds with his investigation, sharing what he finds with the local police. It's interesting what you can discover when you ask people the right questions, isn't it?...
This is the first book that I have read by Leo Bruce, but it is certainly not going to be the last. I found this mystery so well done, in fact, that I did not know the murderer until nearly the very end, later than Mr. Deene did, himself. It was a delight to read, especially since it coincided with the Halloween time as well. (I do love to 'read the season', as it were).
Watching Carolus look for answers among the village people was definitely worth it alone. Some of them were first and foremost nasty humans that one would not want to spend time with; but there were others that were just those who wanted to live their lives. Yet all of them were connected in some way or another, even if it were only vicariously.
When the truth comes out, it is definitely a terrible sight. Even Carolus was disgusted by what he found. But human nature is uncontrollable, and things will occur even if we don't like them. Evil exists. Murder does happen, and it is never pleasant.
The book was a very good read, and the clues not so easy to find. But all in all, it made me respect Mr. Bruce and want to look for others he has written. Highly recommended.
More on Leo Bruce's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/c/rupert-croft-cooke/
No comments:
Post a Comment