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Paul Temple #11
The Geneva Mystery
Swinging between London and Geneva, Paul Temple and Steve are involved in a case that involves finding the answer to one vital question: is Carl Milbourne, thought to have perished in a car accident, still alive? A Hollywood film producer and a famous actress believe he is, but there are others who are determined to stop the Temples discovering the truth. There are deep mysteries to uncover and plenty of action and suspense which might even involve the death of Paul Temple, unless he can act quickly
125 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1971
About the author
Francis Durbridge
430 books34 followersFrancis Henry Durbridge was an English playwright and author born in Hull. In 1938, he created the character Paul Temple for the BBC radio serial Send for Paul Temple.
A crime novelist and detective, the gentlemanly Temple solved numerous crimes with the help of Steve Trent, a Fleet Street journalist who later became his wife. The character proved enormously popular and appeared in 16 radio serials and later spawned a 64-part big-budget television series (1969-71) and radio productions, as well as a number of comic strips, four feature films and various foreign radio productions.
Francis Durbridge also had a successful career as a writer for the stage and screen. His most successful play, Suddenly at Home, ran in London’s West End for over a year.
A crime novelist and detective, the gentlemanly Temple solved numerous crimes with the help of Steve Trent, a Fleet Street journalist who later became his wife. The character proved enormously popular and appeared in 16 radio serials and later spawned a 64-part big-budget television series (1969-71) and radio productions, as well as a number of comic strips, four feature films and various foreign radio productions.
Francis Durbridge also had a successful career as a writer for the stage and screen. His most successful play, Suddenly at Home, ran in London’s West End for over a year.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 1, 2016
Harkening back to days when a couple sipping cocktails while exchanging fun banter could, in a flash, be drawn into dangerous intrigue in a short period of time, this is great fun. Francis Durbridge’s creation of Paul Temple in 1938 proved to be the lasting legacy of the writer. Wildly popular both on radio and in print, and eventually on the ‘telly’ it still entertains today.
I own a couple of the BBC 4 full cast dramatizations of the famous long-running radio show, one of which I’m giving a re-listen before reviewing, but this one I decided to read in print, and found it good fun. Of the three Paul Temple books I have in print form, I think The Tyler Mystery is the best, then East of Algiers. If by the way, you’re searching for a BBC-4 full-cast production of East of Algiers, starring Crawford Logan and Gerda Stevenson, it became The Sullivan Mystery in its audio format. It’s important to know in case you have the BBC-4 audio and think East of Algiers is one you’ve missed somehow, because you haven’t. It’s the same story in print as the BBC-4 production, The Sullivan Mystery.
In The Geneva Mystery, mystery novelist and amateur sleuth Paul Temple has just returned from a trip. To his wife Steve’s consternation, he is soon involved in the case of Carl Melbourne’s death. Though Carl was killed in a car wreck, his body identified without a doubt, his wife Margaret doesn’t believe he’s dead. Asked by her brother, Maurice, to look into the matter, more to placate Margaret than anything else, Paul and Steve are soon in danger stretching from London to Switzerland.
Francis Durbridge writes with the swift movement he gave the radio scripts for his popular Paul Temple stories.There is much old-fashioned fun and danger packed into the meager 158 pages (Collins Crime Club edition), and The Geneva Mystery finishes up in fine style. This is light fun harkening back to another time and era, so your enjoyment may vary depending on your reading tastes, and perhaps your yen for nostalgia. If you listen carefully, you might be able to hear the famous Coronation Scot theme which became synonymous with the radio show as you turn the pages. Perhaps you can even have it playing low in the background as you read.
Though I’d recommend The Tyler Mystery and East of Algiers as slightly better reads, this is still great fun when you’re in the mood, so I’m rating it high.
I own a couple of the BBC 4 full cast dramatizations of the famous long-running radio show, one of which I’m giving a re-listen before reviewing, but this one I decided to read in print, and found it good fun. Of the three Paul Temple books I have in print form, I think The Tyler Mystery is the best, then East of Algiers. If by the way, you’re searching for a BBC-4 full-cast production of East of Algiers, starring Crawford Logan and Gerda Stevenson, it became The Sullivan Mystery in its audio format. It’s important to know in case you have the BBC-4 audio and think East of Algiers is one you’ve missed somehow, because you haven’t. It’s the same story in print as the BBC-4 production, The Sullivan Mystery.
In The Geneva Mystery, mystery novelist and amateur sleuth Paul Temple has just returned from a trip. To his wife Steve’s consternation, he is soon involved in the case of Carl Melbourne’s death. Though Carl was killed in a car wreck, his body identified without a doubt, his wife Margaret doesn’t believe he’s dead. Asked by her brother, Maurice, to look into the matter, more to placate Margaret than anything else, Paul and Steve are soon in danger stretching from London to Switzerland.
Francis Durbridge writes with the swift movement he gave the radio scripts for his popular Paul Temple stories.There is much old-fashioned fun and danger packed into the meager 158 pages (Collins Crime Club edition), and The Geneva Mystery finishes up in fine style. This is light fun harkening back to another time and era, so your enjoyment may vary depending on your reading tastes, and perhaps your yen for nostalgia. If you listen carefully, you might be able to hear the famous Coronation Scot theme which became synonymous with the radio show as you turn the pages. Perhaps you can even have it playing low in the background as you read.
Though I’d recommend The Tyler Mystery and East of Algiers as slightly better reads, this is still great fun when you’re in the mood, so I’m rating it high.
September 11, 2023
Vlaanderen krijgt een uitnodiging om de dood van een man te onderzoeken. Diens weduwe denkt dat hij nog leeft. Haar broer overtuigt Vlaanderen om het spelletje mee te spelen om haar niet te kwetsen maar verder de zaak links te laten liggen. Maar dat is zonder Ina, de vrouw van Paul Vlaanderen gerekend. Die snakt naar een vakantie. En Genève in Zwitserland waar het dodelijke ongeval zich zou hebben afgespeeld lijkt haar wel wat. En wetend wie ten huize Vlaanderen de echte baas is...
Er blijkt een verband met het louche nachtleven en de filmwereld, met regisseurs en diva's op rust. En ook nog met uitgevers, ook van Vlaanderens eigen boeken.
Er wordt gereisd met de auto, trein en boot, met de nadruk vooral op het comfort en de cullinaire genoegens, of gebrek daarin, en zonder te letten op het landschap dat doorkruist wordt.
Een reveumeisje die Vlaanderen een tip geeft wordt afgetuigd en dat maakt hem pissig. Iedereen lijkt te liegen en er wordt flink wat afgereisd, blijkbaar wil iedereen alle andere in het oog kunnen houden.
Achtervolgingen en schietpartijen zijn dan ook legio.
Ook als er een bevriende inspekteur opdaagt zodat de hulp van de officiële instanties verzekerd is, blijft Vlaanderen van de ene verrassing in de andere vallen. Toch vordert zijn onderzoek gestaag, naar gelang hij de ene leugen na de andere ontmaskert en mensen die niets wilden zeggen toch kan laten praten.
Uiteindelijk is de climax niet echt een verrassing. De oplettende lezer zag het kringetje van mogelijke verdachten steeds kleiner worden en uiteindelijk moest de dader wel de enige verdachte die er nog overschoot zijn.
Weerom spannend, vol aktie en met een gezonde dosis humor, heel aangenaam om lezen.
Er blijkt een verband met het louche nachtleven en de filmwereld, met regisseurs en diva's op rust. En ook nog met uitgevers, ook van Vlaanderens eigen boeken.
Er wordt gereisd met de auto, trein en boot, met de nadruk vooral op het comfort en de cullinaire genoegens, of gebrek daarin, en zonder te letten op het landschap dat doorkruist wordt.
Een reveumeisje die Vlaanderen een tip geeft wordt afgetuigd en dat maakt hem pissig. Iedereen lijkt te liegen en er wordt flink wat afgereisd, blijkbaar wil iedereen alle andere in het oog kunnen houden.
Achtervolgingen en schietpartijen zijn dan ook legio.
Ook als er een bevriende inspekteur opdaagt zodat de hulp van de officiële instanties verzekerd is, blijft Vlaanderen van de ene verrassing in de andere vallen. Toch vordert zijn onderzoek gestaag, naar gelang hij de ene leugen na de andere ontmaskert en mensen die niets wilden zeggen toch kan laten praten.
Uiteindelijk is de climax niet echt een verrassing. De oplettende lezer zag het kringetje van mogelijke verdachten steeds kleiner worden en uiteindelijk moest de dader wel de enige verdachte die er nog overschoot zijn.
Weerom spannend, vol aktie en met een gezonde dosis humor, heel aangenaam om lezen.
February 11, 2026
A thrilling tale of blackmail and murder. With a confusing number of characters but maybe that was my fault, because I read the first three chapters and then some other things.
This was published in 1971 or something and like all contemporary novels contains some sociological gems, the most noticeable of which are that while Paul Temple's wife, Steve, is presented as extremely sharp and intelligent as well as sophisticated and glamorous, she still has to put up with being patronised and getting her arse slapped by men she doesn't know.
Apparently there are a number of these and they were very popular. I don't have any others (this was from Mags' house) and I can't say I'll be seeking the others out, although it was fine.
This was published in 1971 or something and like all contemporary novels contains some sociological gems, the most noticeable of which are that while Paul Temple's wife, Steve, is presented as extremely sharp and intelligent as well as sophisticated and glamorous, she still has to put up with being patronised and getting her arse slapped by men she doesn't know.
Apparently there are a number of these and they were very popular. I don't have any others (this was from Mags' house) and I can't say I'll be seeking the others out, although it was fine.
July 29, 2022
Rating 3
As with all PT novels this moves along at a fairly quick pace. If you think about it too much the reader can begin to wonder about the number of coincidences that keep occurring to help PT solve the mystery.
The radio adaptation I think is superior to the novel, although they are all enjoyable to read.
As with all PT novels this moves along at a fairly quick pace. If you think about it too much the reader can begin to wonder about the number of coincidences that keep occurring to help PT solve the mystery.
The radio adaptation I think is superior to the novel, although they are all enjoyable to read.
May 5, 2018
A mystery novelist, who is also an amateur sleuth, investigates a death.
Even though this was a short book it was very effective – with a good storyline, plenty of dodgy characters and a good pace.
If you enjoy old fashioned murder / blackmail mysteries this book is worth a look.
Even though this was a short book it was very effective – with a good storyline, plenty of dodgy characters and a good pace.
If you enjoy old fashioned murder / blackmail mysteries this book is worth a look.
October 24, 2019
Enjoyed this on the radio far more.
September 1, 2021
A good one but very confused by the rushed explanation at the end.
April 30, 2024
Thoroughly enjoyed my second Francis Durbridge. I like the characters, the plots and the general writing style.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews