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A Corpse by Any Other Name
WITHDRAWN LIBRARY BOOK WITH USUAL STAMPS AND MARKINGS. OUR COPY HAS THE SAME BOARDS AS STOCK PHOTO SHOWN. SCUFFING, SOME DINGS AND DISCOLORATION ON COVERS AND SPINE. INSIDE COVERS AND PAGES HAVE AGE RELATED TANNING WITH SOME DISCOLORATION, STAMPED MARKINGS AND AN OCCASIONAL SMALL RIP OR TEAR, NOT AFFECTING READABILITY. PAGE 11/12 IS PRESENT, BUT HAS LOOSENED FROM BINDING. OTHERWISE PAGES INTACT. MUSTY ODOR.
283 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1943
6 people want to read
About the author
R.A.J. Walling
74 books6 followersRobert Alfred John Walling (11 January 1869, Exeter – 4 September 1949 Plympton) was an English journalist and author of detective novels, who signed his works "R. A. J. Walling".
See also Robert Alfred John Walling.
See also Robert Alfred John Walling.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 9, 2022
Major characters:
Philip Tolefree, Secret Service agent
James Farrar, narrator
Robert Blenkinsop, a.k.a. "Perry", survivor of S. S. Bridgend
Charles Black, the other survivor of S. S. Bridgend
William Hasty Fonthill
Frank Jackson, a potential witness
Capt. Barrett
Locale: Westport, England
Synopsis: World War II is in progress, and England is getting regular bombings from Germany. Our narrator, James Farrar, receives a letter from a Robert Blenkinsop, stating he is one of the survivors of the torpedoed S. S. Bridgend, and has a message for him from the ship's captain, Capt. McPherson, who went down with the ship. Farrar meets up with Secret Service agent Philip Tolefree, and they travel to Westport to meet Blenkinsop.
They meet up with Capt. Barrett at the Hotel Imperial in which Blenkinsop is staying. As they arrive, they encounter an injured William Hasty Fonthill fleeing, whom they apprehend. A German blitz is underway, and they take Fonthill to recover in safety at the rural home of Farmer Rawlings. Fontill suddenly recovers and escapes.
Returning to a devastated Westport after the bombing, they find the hotel has collapsed. Two bodies are found in the wreckage: Blenkinsop (who had registered under the name Perry), and Charles Black - the only two survivors of the torpedoed ship. Examination shows both Perry and Black had been shot prior to the bombing. Fonthill is their prime suspect. Another lodger at the hotel, Frank Jackson, is perhaps a witness; so he is sought also.
It is learned Fonthill has sought refuge in the family lodge in remote, mountainous Wales. Tolefree and Farrar travel there to receive a cold reception, and Fonthill again escapes from under their noses.
Review: Philip Tolefree is a series character, but not having read previous titles, I was a bit lost as to who exactly he was; it seemed to be assumed the reader is familiar with him. It was not stated that he was Secret Service until near the end. Farrar's relationship with him, other than being our narrator and Tolefree's 'Watson', is not clear either. I am also not sure about Captain Barrett, if he is a sea, police, or military captain.
The last third of the book was a bit of a tiring slog, as every possible sequence of events of who shot Blenkinsop and Black in which order is exhaustively explored.
We never find out what was in the important message from Captain McPherson. Oh yes, the person he gave the message to (Blenkinsop) died before he could deliver it.
I did enjoy the descriptions of mountainous Wales, and also the descriptions of life in England during the blackout.
Note: The acronym H.E. is used throughout - this means High Explosive.
Please visit The Mystillery Blog and try The Mystillery Reading Challenges!
Philip Tolefree, Secret Service agent
James Farrar, narrator
Robert Blenkinsop, a.k.a. "Perry", survivor of S. S. Bridgend
Charles Black, the other survivor of S. S. Bridgend
William Hasty Fonthill
Frank Jackson, a potential witness
Capt. Barrett
Locale: Westport, England
Synopsis: World War II is in progress, and England is getting regular bombings from Germany. Our narrator, James Farrar, receives a letter from a Robert Blenkinsop, stating he is one of the survivors of the torpedoed S. S. Bridgend, and has a message for him from the ship's captain, Capt. McPherson, who went down with the ship. Farrar meets up with Secret Service agent Philip Tolefree, and they travel to Westport to meet Blenkinsop.
They meet up with Capt. Barrett at the Hotel Imperial in which Blenkinsop is staying. As they arrive, they encounter an injured William Hasty Fonthill fleeing, whom they apprehend. A German blitz is underway, and they take Fonthill to recover in safety at the rural home of Farmer Rawlings. Fontill suddenly recovers and escapes.
Returning to a devastated Westport after the bombing, they find the hotel has collapsed. Two bodies are found in the wreckage: Blenkinsop (who had registered under the name Perry), and Charles Black - the only two survivors of the torpedoed ship. Examination shows both Perry and Black had been shot prior to the bombing. Fonthill is their prime suspect. Another lodger at the hotel, Frank Jackson, is perhaps a witness; so he is sought also.
It is learned Fonthill has sought refuge in the family lodge in remote, mountainous Wales. Tolefree and Farrar travel there to receive a cold reception, and Fonthill again escapes from under their noses.
Review: Philip Tolefree is a series character, but not having read previous titles, I was a bit lost as to who exactly he was; it seemed to be assumed the reader is familiar with him. It was not stated that he was Secret Service until near the end. Farrar's relationship with him, other than being our narrator and Tolefree's 'Watson', is not clear either. I am also not sure about Captain Barrett, if he is a sea, police, or military captain.
The last third of the book was a bit of a tiring slog, as every possible sequence of events of who shot Blenkinsop and Black in which order is exhaustively explored.
We never find out what was in the important message from Captain McPherson. Oh yes, the person he gave the message to (Blenkinsop) died before he could deliver it.
I did enjoy the descriptions of mountainous Wales, and also the descriptions of life in England during the blackout.
Note: The acronym H.E. is used throughout - this means High Explosive.
Please visit The Mystillery Blog and try The Mystillery Reading Challenges!
January 1, 2020
One of the rare books that I did not finish, around a quarter of the way into it.
It was nearly impossible to figure out what was going on, and the sleuth Tolefree constantly hid things from the reader character, which I think was supposed to make him look smart and elusive but really was just aggravating because you had no idea what was going on! Walling is a poor writer.
I had previously read Walling's "The Corpse with the Eerie Eye" which takes place directly before this book, and I found that book to be a joyless trudge through a mystery as well. Based on that, I was much less inclined to give this second book a chance, and it's why I gave up a quarter into it.
I will be avoiding RAJ Walling in the future and recommend that you do too!
It was nearly impossible to figure out what was going on, and the sleuth Tolefree constantly hid things from the reader character, which I think was supposed to make him look smart and elusive but really was just aggravating because you had no idea what was going on! Walling is a poor writer.
I had previously read Walling's "The Corpse with the Eerie Eye" which takes place directly before this book, and I found that book to be a joyless trudge through a mystery as well. Based on that, I was much less inclined to give this second book a chance, and it's why I gave up a quarter into it.
I will be avoiding RAJ Walling in the future and recommend that you do too!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews