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Mrs. Bradley #40
Skeleton Island
When Colin Spalding agreed to stay with his father in the old lighthouse he had rented for the summer, he did so reluctantly—and only because his father’s second wife would be there. For Colin believed himself to be in love with the beautiful Fiona. His attentions were diverted, however, by the arrival of Laura Gavin, acting as temporary matron with the small prep school which had rented a local hotel—and it took little persuasion for him to take up the post of junior master at the school. There he met a former acquaintance, Ronald Ferrars, with whom his step-mother had once had a ship-board romance. But when Ferrars’ body was found at the old lighthouse, Colin was a suspect for murder… Fortunately, Laura was at hand to persuade her employer, Dame Beatrice Adela Lestrange Bradley, to visit the scene and uncover the unsavoury truth…
- GenresMysteryMystery Thriller
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1967
About the author
Gladys Mitchell
100 books143 followersAka Malcolm Torrie, Stephen Hockaby.
Born in Cowley, Oxford, in 1901, Gladys Maude Winifred Mitchell was the daughter of market gardener James Mitchell, and his wife, Annie.
She was educated at Rothschild School, Brentford and Green School, Isleworth, before attending Goldsmiths College and University College, London from 1919-1921.
She taught English, history and games at St Paul's School, Brentford, from 1921-26, and at St Anne's Senior Girls School, Ealing until 1939.
She earned an external diploma in European history from University College in 1926, beginning to write her novels at this point. Mitchell went on to teach at a number of other schools, including the Brentford Senior Girls School (1941-50), and the Matthew Arnold School, Staines (1953-61). She retired to Corfe Mullen, Dorset in 1961, where she lived until her death in 1983.
Although primarily remembered for her mystery novels, and for her detective creation, Mrs. Bradley, who featured in 66 of her novels, Mitchell also published ten children's books under her own name, historical fiction under the pseudonym Stephen Hockaby, and more detective fiction under the pseudonym Malcolm Torrie. She also wrote a great many short stories, all of which were first published in the Evening Standard.
She was awarded the Crime Writers' Association Silver Dagger Award in 1976.
Born in Cowley, Oxford, in 1901, Gladys Maude Winifred Mitchell was the daughter of market gardener James Mitchell, and his wife, Annie.
She was educated at Rothschild School, Brentford and Green School, Isleworth, before attending Goldsmiths College and University College, London from 1919-1921.
She taught English, history and games at St Paul's School, Brentford, from 1921-26, and at St Anne's Senior Girls School, Ealing until 1939.
She earned an external diploma in European history from University College in 1926, beginning to write her novels at this point. Mitchell went on to teach at a number of other schools, including the Brentford Senior Girls School (1941-50), and the Matthew Arnold School, Staines (1953-61). She retired to Corfe Mullen, Dorset in 1961, where she lived until her death in 1983.
Although primarily remembered for her mystery novels, and for her detective creation, Mrs. Bradley, who featured in 66 of her novels, Mitchell also published ten children's books under her own name, historical fiction under the pseudonym Stephen Hockaby, and more detective fiction under the pseudonym Malcolm Torrie. She also wrote a great many short stories, all of which were first published in the Evening Standard.
She was awarded the Crime Writers' Association Silver Dagger Award in 1976.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 19, 2026
Plot
When Colin Spalding agreed to stay with his father in the old lighthouse he had rented for the summer, he did so reluctantly—and only because his father’s second wife would be there.
For Colin believed himself to be in love with the beautiful Fiona. His attentions were diverted, however, by the arrival of Laura Gavin, acting as temporary matron with the small prep school which had rented a local hotel—and it took little persuasion for him to take up the post of junior master at the school. There he met a former acquaintance, Ronald Ferrars, with whom his step-mother had once had a ship-board romance. But when Ferrars’ body was found at the old lighthouse, Colin was a suspect for murder…
Fortunately, Laura was at hand to persuade her employer, Dame Beatrice Adela Lestrange Bradley, to visit the scene and uncover the unsavoury truth…
My analysis
First, I’ll say that the mystery, or rather, mysteries, are fine. You have the disappearance of a one of the schools staff, the disappearance of one of the students, a body found, and a prisoner escape. All somewhat interconnected. The unravelling of the puzzles was fine save for the solution.
So this begins with a family moving to this island so the husband can write his bird book. You have a disgruntled wife and a young man who has a crush on his step-mother. I get the part about the trouble with parking the car at the school because it sets up circumstances for the mystery.
Then we switch to Gavin, who seems to take over as the main character…until Bradley shows up and they go back and forth on who gets the spotlight. This was disconcerting.
My epub was 200 pages long and it took nearly until a third of the book to get going with the mystery. From there it accelerated, but I was getting antsy for something to happen.
While the back and forth and explorations and investigations of the two women held me, the solution to Ferrars’ murder left me unsatisfied. See, I don’t want to play spoiler. The story built around the family and those at the school. I expected clues to lead to someone who was featured in the story throughout. Instead, we get a scenario akin to “Hey, remember that minor character shop owner back in chapter two? She did it.” This was the case here. Just left me flat.
Again, I must go back to characters. Colin went from immature to mature (sort of). Fiona was a milquetoast. The husband was a derp who cared for nothing but his stupid birds. Bradley and Gavin couldn’t figure out who wanted to be the main character, so both paled.
I have other Mitchell books. I hope they’re better than this one.
My rank:
Camouflage Belt
When Colin Spalding agreed to stay with his father in the old lighthouse he had rented for the summer, he did so reluctantly—and only because his father’s second wife would be there.
For Colin believed himself to be in love with the beautiful Fiona. His attentions were diverted, however, by the arrival of Laura Gavin, acting as temporary matron with the small prep school which had rented a local hotel—and it took little persuasion for him to take up the post of junior master at the school. There he met a former acquaintance, Ronald Ferrars, with whom his step-mother had once had a ship-board romance. But when Ferrars’ body was found at the old lighthouse, Colin was a suspect for murder…
Fortunately, Laura was at hand to persuade her employer, Dame Beatrice Adela Lestrange Bradley, to visit the scene and uncover the unsavoury truth…
My analysis
First, I’ll say that the mystery, or rather, mysteries, are fine. You have the disappearance of a one of the schools staff, the disappearance of one of the students, a body found, and a prisoner escape. All somewhat interconnected. The unravelling of the puzzles was fine save for the solution.
So this begins with a family moving to this island so the husband can write his bird book. You have a disgruntled wife and a young man who has a crush on his step-mother. I get the part about the trouble with parking the car at the school because it sets up circumstances for the mystery.
Then we switch to Gavin, who seems to take over as the main character…until Bradley shows up and they go back and forth on who gets the spotlight. This was disconcerting.
My epub was 200 pages long and it took nearly until a third of the book to get going with the mystery. From there it accelerated, but I was getting antsy for something to happen.
While the back and forth and explorations and investigations of the two women held me, the solution to Ferrars’ murder left me unsatisfied. See, I don’t want to play spoiler. The story built around the family and those at the school. I expected clues to lead to someone who was featured in the story throughout. Instead, we get a scenario akin to “Hey, remember that minor character shop owner back in chapter two? She did it.” This was the case here. Just left me flat.
Again, I must go back to characters. Colin went from immature to mature (sort of). Fiona was a milquetoast. The husband was a derp who cared for nothing but his stupid birds. Bradley and Gavin couldn’t figure out who wanted to be the main character, so both paled.
I have other Mitchell books. I hope they’re better than this one.
My rank:
Camouflage Belt
May 10, 2020
Great fun as always!
I am quite addicted to Gladys Mitchell’s Mrs Bradley stories. The plots are always intricate and the endings unexpected. Most of all I love the characters of Mrs Bradley, Laura, and George the chauffeur, who, while not involved in this story at all, often plays a significant part in the fun.
I am quite addicted to Gladys Mitchell’s Mrs Bradley stories. The plots are always intricate and the endings unexpected. Most of all I love the characters of Mrs Bradley, Laura, and George the chauffeur, who, while not involved in this story at all, often plays a significant part in the fun.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews