A Mansion and Its Murder

by Robert Barnard, Bernard Bastable

'Barnard always makes it look so easy!' Literary Review Sarah Jane Fearing, the sole offspring of a father who desperately wants a male heir, has grown up in the imposing mansion of one of England's most influential banking families. At the centre of Sarah's world stands her uncle Frank, the only relative who seems to have escaped the straitjacket of ponderous respectability. Frank's rebellions afford Sarah delight and hope, until his extravagant lifestyle leads him deeper into debt and into a disastrous marriage. Frank's wedding to a coldly ambitious woman produces the family's longed-for Male scion, but the parents fall to quarrels and then to murder.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Historical Mystery, British Literature

192 pages, Hardcover

First published February 26, 1998

About the author

Aka Bernard Bastable.

Robert Barnard (born 23 November 1936) was an English crime writer, critic and lecturer.

Born in Essex, Barnard was educated at the Royal Grammar School in Colchester and at Balliol College in Oxford. His first crime novel, A Little Local Murder, was published in 1976. The novel was written while he was a lecturer at University of Tromsø in Norway. He has gone on to write more than 40 other books and numerous short stories.

Barnard has said that his favourite crime writer is Agatha Christie. In 1980 he published a critique of her work titled A Talent to Deceive: An Appreciation of Agatha Christie.

Barnard was awarded the Cartier Diamond Dagger in 2003 by the Crime Writers Association for a lifetime of achievement.

Under the pseudonym Bernard Bastable, Robert Barnard has published one standalone novel and three alternate history books starring Wolfgang Mozart as a detective, he having survived to old age.

Barnard lived with his wife Louise in Yorkshire.

Series:
* Perry Trethowan
* Charlie Peace

Reviews

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thrilling

[Brian Greiner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a conventional mystery, but an interesting read all the same, if a bit slow-paced.
It is more of a character study and examination of changing societal attitudes.

[Lukasz Pruski · Rating 2 out of 5]

"The great joy of my early womanhood was not love, not 'sex', but learning my trade of banker. [...] I was learning to take my place as one of the country's leading bankers, [...]"

The non-traditional persona of the narrator, Sarah Jane Fearing, who had read maths in Cambridge, worked on breaking German codes during World War II, and became the first, and so far the only woman in charge of a major British bank, is the most interesting component of Robert Barnard's suspense story A Mansion and Its Murder (1998), the 20th book by this author that I am reviewing here on Goodreads. I keep returning to Mr. Barnard's work - even if he is not successful with many of his books - because his novels are mostly free of horrible clichés of the genre that plague the majority of American mysteries. Perhaps it is because his are British clichés, ones that I am not that familiar with. Alas, in my view Mr. Barnard has failed in this instance.

While Sarah Fearing is telling her story in 1946, the events begin in 1884, when she was five-and-a-half-year old child in a very rich and powerful family of bankers. Sir William Gladstone, British prime minister, who was the guest at the extravagantly opulent dinner took note of little Sarah and predicted a great future for her. Ms. Fearing reminisces about her youth and her enchantment with Uncle Frank, a bon vivant, and a sort of black sheep in the family. Uncle Frank is forced into an unwanted marriage which does not end well. One night Sarah overhears a heated argument among several family members, and Uncle Frank disappears. It is said that he left the country but Sarah suspects he has been murdered.

Sarah's efforts to find out the truth about that fateful night provide the narrative axis of the novel. The plot is relatively interesting until almost the very end. Most readers will enjoy well-written visuals that describe the stupendously huge Blakemere mansion and its grounds: when the mansion opens for public, it takes three days to visit it in its entirety. In addition the reader gains nice insights into the rigid British class society a hundred years ago - with the clear distinction between the "us" and the "below stairs people," the stratified staff of the mansion.

I am quite disappointed in the author's use of a cliché component in the denouement, which cheapens Mr. Barnard's work. It is a pity because the combination of interesting story, atypical protagonist, social commentary, and the usual good writing could produce a memorable novel of suspense. I wish I had not read the last few pages.

Two-and-a-quarter stars.

[N Young · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting, but not particularly enjoyable. The book is written from the viewpoint of Sarah Fearing, the head of a rich and powerful family of bankers. It is set both in her present day where she is the family matriarch in the post-war years, with flashbacks to her childhood. In her childhood, her favourite uncle (Frank) is forced by their family to marry and produce a male heir. She as the existing heir is unsuitable as a female in her grandfather's view. It might be interesting to some to read about this, but the point isn't really explored. Uncle Frank doesn't want to be married but often goes off on adventures and runs up debts which the family won't pay unless he does. The marriage is cold. His first-born legitimate child is born with learning difficulties. The family's reaction to the child (Richard) is hostile and unpleasant. Frank considers his part of the bargain kept, but the family do not and they convene a meeting to pressurise him into producing another heir. Sarah overhears a heated argument among several family members and some sort of cry from Frank, who then disappears. The family tell her he left for Australia, but Sarah suspects he has been murdered and spends much of the rest of the novel trying to discover what happened though in life she studies maths at Cambridge, travels briefly, works at the bank, is recruited to Bletchley Park, and enters politics! In the end what happened is simply told to her by a character referred to earlier in the novel that she hadn't previously met. It's a disappointing way to wrap it up and the reality of the situation is quite unpleasant.

[J. Rubino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sarah Jane Fearing, heiress to a banking dynasty, recalls her decades-old childhood, lived as the only child in a family of undemonstrative adults, with her chummy, devil-may-care Uncle Frank as her only kindred spirit. Heavily in debt and no longer able to flee to the exotic locations that are a relief from his claustrophobic English clan, Frank is pressured to marry the passionless heiress Mary Coverdale, who will be a suitable wife, hostess and mother to a Fearing male heir. Sarah Jane witnesses firsthand the loveless marriage, the birth of her uncle's mentally challenged son, and becomes her uncle's increasing misery. One night she overhears the Fearing clan get into a fierce argument, sees a bundle carried away in the dark of night, is told that her Uncle Frank and his wife have separated, and that he has gone to Australia. She never sees him again.
Sarah Jane lives to her adulthood knowing that her uncle has been murdered, his body disposed of and the murder hushed up by her prominent family until a series of events shifts the perspective on her childhood, her beloved Uncle Frank and what she really saw that night.
A very well-crafted, very slow burn that leads to a stunning revelation that are similar to duMaurier's "Rebecca" in the skill with which Barnard simultaneously reveals and conceals.

[Reggie Billingsworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Think I read this years ago as it seemed familiar but since I couldn't recall exactly it was entertaining to just carry on. Found it a great antidote to Downton Abbey fandom.
Not really the traditional mystery...first person narrative social history with a few changes of era that keeps the reveal literally to the last few pages. Some might think it slow paced but sometimes it's better to just let Barnard take you along and appreciate his writing style.

[Kay Bowen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Obviously, I didn't read this in one session (new books kept coming in from the library); but I did like it--especially the surprise ending.

[Mei · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an another slight odd and morbid novel. I’m not sure I’m a fan of these books but they are fairly readable. Just not particularly engaging.

[Suzanne Heritage · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Not at all what I was expecting and very well written. By far the best Robert Barnard novel I've read so far.

[LJ Eames · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Well written but wanders around so much it's hard know where the focus is. I wish the plot was tied together better - it would be an excellent book. Still enjoyable.

[Chara · Rating 2 out of 5]

A rather obscure character and an abrupt end. I think the title is fitting since the whole story is about the mansion and not so much about the murder. I wouldn't recommend it but I wouldn't advise anyone against reading it either.

[Krystle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book reminded me a lot of the girl with the dragon tattoo. It was a great mystery with a tin of potential. However the writing with slow moving and boring.

[Elizabeth Elwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which begins in 1946 but harks back to events in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It is narrated by Sarah Fearing, a successful middle-aged politician who has ably carried on her inherited family banking business and who now lives by choice in the gatehouse of the huge mansion where she spent her childhood. She closed the mansion up in the thirties, considering it ugly, expensive and completely out of date with the post-war world. Her memories recall elaborate family dinners that hosted illustrious guests such as Prime Minister Gladstone. She was a lonely child, feeling detached from her parents and interacting more with the servants than the family members, but the one person much loved from the past was her Uncle Frank. With a forced marriage to a neighbouring beauty that went disastrously wrong, Frank disappeared from Sarah’s life, purportedly to Australia, but Sarah is convinced that her favourite uncle was actually murdered and the family covered up the whole affair. Knowing that there had to be some twists and turns to the plot, some of the final outcome is not overly surprising, but the story, as it unfolds, is still highly engaging, mainly because of Barnard’s elegant writing style, his subtle wit, and the thoroughly likeable narrator and protagonist. Well worth a read for those who enjoy classic literary mysteries.

[Mizloo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Barnard, whose work is wondrously varied, gives here a sly look at Sarah, the lonely daughter of a Victorian banking family & her much loved, dashing young Uncle Frank. Said uncle is charming, improvident and forced by family pressure (and a substantial bribe) into a marriage of convenience. After an unexpected tragedy, both he and his wife disappear from the life of the family, leaving Sarah with a great deal of unsatisfied curiosity about what occurred.

Barnard manages to withhold the information that would not have been discussed in that era, giving Sarah a narrative that is naive rather than unreliable. A very clever, very satisfying story.