Blueprint for Murder by Roger Bax: A Review by Warren Bull
Blueprint for Murder by Roger Bax: A Review by Warren Bull
Published originally in 1948, Blueprint for Murder was written by Paul Winterton using the penname of Roger Bax. The author also wrote under the names Andrew Garve and Paul Somers.
The novel starts with Arthur Cross trying to escape from a Russian offensive in World War II. Although he wears a German uniform, when Cross decides Germany is doomed he immediately tries to shed the uniform and assume the pose of having been a British prisoner of war held by the Germans. The author grabbed and held my interest by describing Cross moving alone at night, trying to avoid military forces, seeking food and water by any means possible. He also established that Cross would do anything, including robbery and murder, to stay alive.
Once back in his native England, Cross continues to act in ways that serve his interest at the expense of everyone. Learning he is a beneficiary of his uncle’s will, Cross begins to plot how to kill his uncle without getting caught. The author’s depiction of Cross’ utterly cold-blooded planning is chilling.
The extended sea chase at the end of the novel is also engrossing. Technically, the writing is good to excellent. However, one aspect of the novel bothered me — the relationship between the hero and his love interest. The woman is a medical student, daughter of a physician, who wants to become a surgeon. She demonstrates her skill and ability to think clearly in a crisis. In 1948 that was an unusual goal for a woman. Initially, I thought the author had developed an interesting character. However, the hero, in his attempt to sweet-talk her, says he does not think she should become a surgeon, doubting that a woman would have the necessary strength and endurance. He refers to her suspicion of the villain as women’s intuition, discounting her intelligence and reasoning. In response the woman just accuses him of being old fashioned. Neither character seems to find it strange that the hero completely discounts the intelligence, abilities and persistence of the heroine.
Sections of the book, especially the beginning and ending, showed both excellent writing and descriptions of events that I had not read about before. Those parts qualify as highly recommendable. The plotting is clever and realistic. However, the hero’s chauvinistic behavior bothered me. It detracted from my enjoyment of the book. For me this is an illustration of how a single element of a mystery that rings false can result in an unsatisfying read.
Because of that one element, I recommend Blueprint for Murder as an example of good writing. However, there are many other well-written books I enjoyed more than this.
Published originally in 1948, Blueprint for Murder was written by Paul Winterton using the penname of Roger Bax. The author also wrote under the names Andrew Garve and Paul Somers.
The novel starts with Arthur Cross trying to escape from a Russian offensive in World War II. Although he wears a German uniform, when Cross decides Germany is doomed he immediately tries to shed the uniform and assume the pose of having been a British prisoner of war held by the Germans. The author grabbed and held my interest by describing Cross moving alone at night, trying to avoid military forces, seeking food and water by any means possible. He also established that Cross would do anything, including robbery and murder, to stay alive.
Once back in his native England, Cross continues to act in ways that serve his interest at the expense of everyone. Learning he is a beneficiary of his uncle’s will, Cross begins to plot how to kill his uncle without getting caught. The author’s depiction of Cross’ utterly cold-blooded planning is chilling.
The extended sea chase at the end of the novel is also engrossing. Technically, the writing is good to excellent. However, one aspect of the novel bothered me — the relationship between the hero and his love interest. The woman is a medical student, daughter of a physician, who wants to become a surgeon. She demonstrates her skill and ability to think clearly in a crisis. In 1948 that was an unusual goal for a woman. Initially, I thought the author had developed an interesting character. However, the hero, in his attempt to sweet-talk her, says he does not think she should become a surgeon, doubting that a woman would have the necessary strength and endurance. He refers to her suspicion of the villain as women’s intuition, discounting her intelligence and reasoning. In response the woman just accuses him of being old fashioned. Neither character seems to find it strange that the hero completely discounts the intelligence, abilities and persistence of the heroine.
Sections of the book, especially the beginning and ending, showed both excellent writing and descriptions of events that I had not read about before. Those parts qualify as highly recommendable. The plotting is clever and realistic. However, the hero’s chauvinistic behavior bothered me. It detracted from my enjoyment of the book. For me this is an illustration of how a single element of a mystery that rings false can result in an unsatisfying read.
Because of that one element, I recommend Blueprint for Murder as an example of good writing. However, there are many other well-written books I enjoyed more than this.
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