Martin Edwards's Blog, page 34

Berwick Literary Festival

I enjoy taking part in literary festivals. Each one has its own personality and special form of appeal, and that was certainly true of the Berwick Literary Festival, which was held this past weekend. I was invited last year, but wasn't able to attend, so I was very glad to be able to make it this year. Glorious weather was a real bonus for such a long trip to a very interesting part of the world.

I was interviewed by Lindsay Allason-Jones, an eminent archaeologist with a taste for classic crime fiction and although we'd never met before, I felt the conversational approach worked really well and made for a truly enjoyable experience. Lindsay kindly invited us to her home for a cup of tea and told a fascinating story about a mysterious shelter in her garden which, she discovered, was used by a former resident to intercept signals during the war, which he then passed via London to Bletchley Park. An extraordinary bit of domestic history.

The weather meant that it was possible to see Berwick at its very best. I've visited briefly before, but this time we were able to get a proper feel for the town's character and incident-packed history. Needless to say, I'm now wondering about setting a short story there. The local element may kick-start a story idea that I've been wrestling with for several weeks without any progress!

We were fortune to be given wonderful hospitality by Sophie and Angus Hamilton in their marvellous home, perched above the River Tweed. Spending time with them really gave the trip an added element of memorability. En route, I called in at Cogito Books in Hexham, a splendid shop. And on the long return journey there was time to explore Cragside, an impressive National Trust property. A great trip. 

   

Forgotten Book - The Four False Weapons

Henri Bencolin, the Great Detective who appeared in John Dickson Carr's first four novels returns in The Four False Weapons, a story written a few years later and offering a modified presentation of the character. I gather from Doug Greene's biography of Carr that he felt the detective was, in effect, too dark, and here he's retired and in lighter and less devilish form than in the earlier books. 

The story begins, however, with Richard Curtis, a young partner in a London law firm who dreams of adventure being summoned to France to assist a client who is caught up in a very difficult situation. Ralph Douglas wants to marry Magda Toller, but his former mistress, Rose Klonec, has been found murdered in the villa where he had 'installed' her. Soon Richard is getting all the adventure he could ever have wished for. Such assignments never came my way during my legal career, I have to say!

Rose's body has been surrounded by weapons, but it's not clear how, let alone why, she came to die. I did wonder if this scenario was a distant inspiration for Agatha Christie's The Clocks, which name-checks Carr, whose storyline does actually feature a clock. Christie was a friend and admirer of Carr and inscribed at least one book to him, which is still in the family's possession.

Even more so than The Clocks, I'm afraid the brilliance of the set-up is not maintained throughout the story and I agree with Doug Greene that it's a minor work. I think the changes to Bencolin's character are not for the better while Curtis is simply a substitute for Jeff Marle in the earlier books. The plot and indeed the motive disappointed me. Yet there are occasional flashes of Carr's customary zest which make the book worth reading as long as you're not hoping for one of his masterpieces. 

Forgotten Book - At Last, Mr Tolliver

At Last, Mr Tolliver by William Wiegand won the Mary Roberts Rinehart Prize in 1950 (ahead of books by Fay Grissom Stanley, Thaddeus O'Finn, and Maude Parker, none of whom, I must admit, I've ever heard of). It's a book that achieved widespread acclaim in its day, and remarkably the author - a student at Michigan University - was only 21 years old. Impressive!

William Wiegand went on to have an illustrious career in academe, teaching creative writing in California. However, despite making such a successful start as a novelist, he only published one more crime novel, which appeared ten years after his debut, plus a few other books. I've read some of his correspondence - with fellow academic and mystery expert Donald Yates, to whom my copy is inscribed by Wiegand - and it's not entirely clear to me why he didn't pursue a career in fiction with more vigour. Perhaps he didn't find it financially rewarding, despite the advantage of a prize-winning start at a young age. His correspondence with Yates, although sporadic, spanned thirty years and he lived until 2016.

So what of the book itself? It's a kind of locked room mystery, but as the dust jacket blurb of the first edition says, 'The intricate solution...is only one of the suspense elements'. The eponymous Tolliver is a tenant in a boarding house and is confronted by the mysterious death of a fellow tenant. It becomes clear that Tolliver's own background gives him criminal connections and he investigates the puzzle for his own purposes.

I think it's fair to say that this is a Marmite sort of book. Readers seem either to love it a lot (Nick Fuller, a good judge, is among them) or find it rather on the pretentious side. To my surprise and regret, I'm afraid I found myself in the latter camp, partly because I never quite warmed either to Tolliver or the situation with which he is confronted. Maybe I was in the wrong mood to enjoy it. It is certainly 'different', and I can understand why it earned critical praise. So maybe I'll revisit it another time.  

Forgotten Book - A Bone and a Hank of Hair

My enthusiasm for the work of Leo Bruce has increased steadily over the years. At first, I was more interested in his early books, featuring Sergeant Beef, but the advocacy of Barry Pike, a very good judge of classic detective fiction, led me to sample the Carolus Deene stories, and that series does contain several gems. I'd put A Bone and a Hank of Hair (1961) very high on the list, possibly right at the top.

This is an unusual mystery, with a genuinely ingenious plot. Like all the Carolus Deene books I've read so far, the focus is on dialogue - Bruce isn't a man for detailed description, although I did learn that Carolus is, like Lord Peter Wimsey and Dr Gideon Fell, a Balliol man. This story is set over the Christmas holidays, although the festive season plays a negligible part in events as Carolus seeks out the truth about an enigmatic and disreputable character called Brigham Rathbone.

Carolus is consulted by a woman called Ada Chalk, who believes Rathbone has murdered her cousin and cheated her children out of an inheritance. Carolus is persuaded to investigate what has happened and soon finds that Rathbone has been involved in a series of house moves - and that each time, he appears to have been accompanied by a different wife. Is Rathbone a latter day George Joseph Smith?

There are several very witty scenes among the countless interviews that Carolus conducts. I especially enjoyed two landlords, one in Cornwall who despises local artists, and another who is obsessed with the old school tie and reminiscences of war-time. Despite a few darkish touches, there's a lot of fun to be had with this story, and the puzzle element is wonderfully tricky. 

Forgotten Book - Someone from the Past

Margot Bennett published Someone from the Past in 1958. It was her sixth crime novel and proved to be her last. It won the CWA Gold Dagger (to use the familiar term for the award for best crime novel of the year) and yet, remarkably, she gave up on the genre after that, apart from writing a few television episodes of crime fiction, notably for Maigret. By 1968, she was finished as a writer, though she was still only in her mid-fifties and lived until 1980.

All those six novels are distinctive. This one is narrated by a young woman called Nancy Graham and I sense that there are elements of self-portraiture (in a heightened sense) in her portrayal. Nancy is rash and often dishonest, but she has redeeming qualities and is an aspiring novelist. She is also, like Bennett, very witty. The phrase-making in this book is delightful.

The premise is simple. Nancy's old chum and former room-mate Sarah Lampson has spent years flitting from man to man. She is about to marry someone rich when someone from her past sends a threatening letter. She confides in Nancy, but before anything can be done, Sarah is murdered. 

Nancy becomes a prime suspect, which rather serves her right given how stupidly she behaves at times, but we know that the real killer is one of four men whom Sarah betrayed: Donald, Michael, Peter, or Laurence. Suspicion shifts around this quartet before Nancy herself uncovers the truth. The mystery is okay, but for me it's the quality of the writing that makes this story stand out from the crowd.

Bouchercon - a great honour for the future and some great memories from the past

I'm honoured to have been invited to be International Guest of Honour at Bouchercon 2027 in Washington D.C.  Of course, I'm extremely grateful to the organisers and it's a privilege to be invited alongside Laura Lippman, George Pelecanos, Shawn Crosby and others. It's a long way in the distance - and we know how much can happen in four years! - but it's definitely something to look forward to.

This invitation has also prompted me to reflect on my involvement with Bouchercon, the world's leading mystery convention and to dig out a few photos from over the years. It's an association that dates back more than 30 years. To 1990, in fact, when the convention came to London. At that time, I wasn't a published novelist, but I very much enjoyed meeting a number of leading writers - including Patricia Cornwell, who had just published her own first novel. That was when I also met Geoff Bradley, Tony Medawar, and Maxim Jakubowski for the first time, as a result of participating in the Criminal Mastermind competition.

A couple of years later, when I had become a published novelist, I travelled with my wife and infant son to Toronto, another memorable experience (as was the more recent Toronto Bouchercon, with a trip to Niagara Falls among the delights). In 1995, Bouchercon came to Nottingham, the last time it was held in England, and among other things I took part in a dramatised performance about crime fiction along with Stephen Murray and Gillian Linscott - a very rare venture onto the stage. There was also another Mastermind, this time with Ed Hoch and Marv Lachman among the contestants.

In 2003, I went to the Las Vegas Bouchercon, where I met Ali Karim for the first time and spent some great days touring with the late and much-missed Stuart Pawson and his wife Doreen. In more recent years, I've attended Bouchercons at places such as New Orleans, Dallas, St Petersburg, and San Diego. I've picked up awards on three occasions and I've spent quality time with some lovely people.    

So many good times and I hope for more in the future. One thing is for sure: the youngish enthusiast who attended his first Bouchercon as a fan more than 30 years ago would never have imagined that the day would come when he'd be invited along as a guest of honour. It's hard to believe even now, and I'm truly delighted.

I'm honoured to have been invited to be International Gue...

I'm honoured to have been invited to be International Guest of Honour at Bouchercon 2027 in Washingtnn D.C.  Of course, I'm extremely grateful to the organisers and it's a privilege to be invited alongside Laura Lippman, George Pelecanos, Shawn Crosby and others. It's a long way in the distance - and we know how much can happen in four years - but it's definitely something to look forward to.

This invitation has also prompted me to reflect on my involvement with Bouchercon, the world's leading mystery convention and to dig out a few photos from over the years. It's's an association that dates back more than 30 years. To 1990, in fact, when the convention came to London. At that time, I wasn't a published novelist, but I very much enjoyed meeting a number of leading writers - including Patricia Cornwell, who had just published her own first novel. That was when I also met Geoff Bradley, Tony Medawar, and Maxim Jakubowski for the first time, as a result of participating in the Criminal Mastermind competition.

A couple of years later, when I had become a published novelist, I travelled with my wife and infant son to Toronto, another memorable experience (as was the more recent Toronto Bouchercon, with a trip to Niagara Falls among the delights). In 1995, Bouchercon came to Nottingham, the last time it was held in England, and among other things I took part in a dramatised performance about crime fiction along with Stephen Murray and Gillian Linscott - a very rare venture onto the stage. There was also another Mastermind, this time with Ed Hoch and Marv Lachman among the contestants.

In 2003, I went to the Las Vegas Bouchercon, where I met Ali Karim for the first time and spent some great days touring with the late and much-missed Stuart Pawson and his wife Doreen. In more recent years, I've attended Bouchercons at places such as New Orleans, Dallas, St Petersburg, and San Diego. I've picked up awards on three occasions and I've spent quality time with some lovely people.    

So many good times and I hope for more in the future. One thing is for sure: the youngish enthusiast who attended his first Bouchercon as a fan more than 30 years ago would never have imagined that the day would come when he'd be invited along as a guest of honour. It's hard to believe even now, and I'm truly delighted.

Who Killed Father Christmas? - anthology number 50!

Tomorrow sees the publication of my 50th anthology of short mystery stories, Who Killed Father Christmas? You guessed, it's another seasonal collection in the British Library Crime Classics series and I'm truly delighted to notch up my half-century. (Assuming I've counted correctly, which can't be taken for granted! There has also been, by the way, a collection of non-fiction essays about true crime).

I've loved short mystery anthologies since receiving a CWA collection for Christmas back in the late 60s. I never imagined then that I'd edit one myself, let alone so many - my dream at that point was simply to write short stories as well as novels. But having begun with Northern Blood, a book of stories by northern CWA members, one thing led to another. It's been an enormous pleasure to be the first to receive manuscripts of brand new stories from talented authors, famous and not so famous (an experience I'm currently enjoying with two anthos that are currently in the course of compilation) while it's also fun to discover or rediscover tales that fit in with a specific Crime Classics theme.
The majority of the 50 collections have been edited on behalf of either the CWA or the British Library, but there have been some other fun projects along the way, including Ten Year Stretch for CrimeFest and Motives for Murder for the Detection Club, as well as a number of Murder Squad books. Publishers tend to be dubious about anthologies, but they can sell well if correctly marketed. The themed Crime Classics anthologies have been enormously popular, with terrific sales to match glowing reviews, and I'm currently researching two more potential collections for next year.
Who Killed Father Christmas? has a title story written by Patricia Moyes. It's a title I love and although it's been used before, for a Moyes collection under the Crippen & Landru imprint, Doug Greene and Jeff Marks were very happy for me to use it, which I appreciate. There are some lovely stories in this one, and I'm especially pleased with my discovery of a very obscure tale by Glyn Daniel. As ever, there's a mix of well-known authors and those whose reputations have faded. I'm hopeful that plenty of people are going to find that it makes an excellent Christmas present - and I think that anthology number 50 bears comparison with the best of its predecessors.

Forgotten Book - The Long Shadow

Celia Fremlin's crime writing career began brilliantly, with an Edgar-winning debut, maintained a high level for a considerable stretch, and then rather faded out. To some extent, the same can be said of her novel The Long Shadow, which dates from 1975. As ever with Fremlin, it's very readable, but my main reservation was that the resolution of the story wasn't up to the standard of the beginning.

And that beginning really is good. We're introduced to Imogen Barnicott, the third wife of a leading academic who has recently died. He was widely admired, and many people console Imogen. But a number of witty lines - 'How Ivor would have loved being dead!' - suggest that all is not quite as it seems, and the first chapter ends with her murmuring to herself: 'Please God, don't let me ever forget what a bastard he could be.' 

My first doubts about the story emerged when a man she meets claims that she killed Ivor. This is absolutely untrue, but when the man tries to blackmail her, her response is passive rather than active and this bothered me. She simply dismisses him as 'a nut'. No matter, the story continues to be entertaining. But Imogen's passivity did begin to grate when she allows a variety of people - including one of Ivor's other exes - to come to stay with her indefinitely.

The later stages of the book also left me somewhat dissatisfied, mainly because of the part played in events by two people who have not emerged very clearly in the preceding narrative. I suspect that Fremlin came up with an intriguing character-based situation (she experienced widowhood herself) but struggled to develop the plot. As a result, this is a book that offers plenty of pleasures, but is not quite up to her highest standard.

Forgotten Book - Fatal Venture

If I'd read Fatal Venture as a teenager, I wouldn't have been impressed. I tried Freeman Wills Crofts at the age of thirteen or fourteen and found the books a struggle. I gave up at least one of them long before the end. There simply wasn't enough pace and excitement for me. And this novel certainly moves at a stately pace. Yet, a lot older and a bit wiser these days, I appreciated its merits when I read it a while back.

The story was published in 1939, but you'd never guess that war was looming. There is brief mention of a foreign envoy, but no hint of international tensions. On the contrary, the government's chief preoccupation seems to be its moral panic over a floating casino which offers cruises around the British Isles, just outside the three mile limit. A good deal of space is devoted to the plans to set up the casino business, and this is relevant to the plot, but people less interested in business life than me might find reading this part of the story a bit of a chore. Murder isn't done until we're almost half-way through the book.

In reading this novel, I was interested to try to figure out how Crofts wrote it. The central plot twist involves a pretty simple idea that he might easily have used in a short story. As you might guess, it concerns an alibi. It's clear that he took a dim view of gambling and this issue adds texture to the story, though he never gets under the skin of the gambler's obsession or indeed of the terrible consequences of gambling addiction. Crofts loved to travel, and the extensive travelogue aspects of the story, although again relevant, aren't conducive to pace. But I must admit that they reminded me that I'd like to go on a cruise of the British Isles - I gather that they have become increasingly popular, post-pandemic, though gambling isn't a component of the offer to tourists.

Crofts added depth and interest to the story with a structural device that enabled him to weld his components into a single entity and make a full-length novel out of them. The book is composed of two parts: pre- and post- police investigation. We see the establishment of the floating casino business through the eyes of Morrison, a young man who becomes closely involved. Morrison is quite likeable, but his occasional stupidity, although necessary to make the story work, is slightly irritating. Then - even though the crime is not committed in England - Inspector French comes on to the scene, and we know that eventually he'll get his man - or woman. There's even a bit of 'had-I-but-known' stuff to encourage readers to keep going: 'Though neither of them knew it, their tentative arrangement was to prove the most momentous either had ever made', for example. I think some readers will find this a minor work, and rather slow-moving, but I enjoyed it.