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Death Walks in Eastrepps
È metà luglio e nel sonnolento villaggio di Eastrepps, una località balneare inglese, i villeggianti già cominciano ad affollare le pensioni per trascorrervi una vacanza di tediosa serenità. Del resto, cosa mai potrebbe accadere in un luogo del genere? In treno, da Londra, anche Robert Eldridge si sta dirigendo a ha il consueto appuntamento del mercoledì sera con Margaret, la sua amante. La signorina Mary Hewitt, invece, sta finendo di cenare col fratello, il burbero colonnello James, per poi andare a trovare la cara signora Dampier e ammirare ancora una volta il suo splendido giardino. Eldridge scende dal treno e, passando per i campi per non farsi vedere, si avvia verso il villino di Margaret. La signorina Mary si congeda dall'amica e imbocca lo stretto e buio sentiero in direzione di c'è il gatto Adolphus che l'aspetta e lei sa che s'innervosisce se rientra tardi. Ma la signorina Mary non arriverà mai a casa perché qualcuno ha deciso che, di notte, solo la morte può camminare per Eastrepps. Delitto dopo delitto, mentre la polizia assiste impotente, il terrore s'impadronisce del villaggio. L'assassino riuscirà a eludere Scotland Yard - e il lettore - fino alla fine. Pubblicato nel 1931 e giudicato dal saggista Vincent Starrett uno dei dieci migliori gialli di tutti i tempi, il romanzo ha tuttora la capacità di atterrire e stupire.
284 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1931
About the author
Francis Beeding
83 books5 followersFrancis Beeding is the pseudonym used by two British male writers, John Leslie Palmer (1885-1944) and Hilary St George Saunders (1898-1951). The pseudonym was a joint effort and was apparently chosen because Palmer always wanted to be called Francis and Saunders had once owned a house in the Sussex village of Beeding.
The pair met when undergraduates at Oxford and remained friends when they both worked at the League of Nations in Geneva and it was while there that they decided to collaborate on writing detective novels.
Discussing their collaboration at one time Saunders commented, 'Palmer can't be troubled with description and narrative, and I'm no good at creating characters or dialogue.' Whatever the reason it certainly worked.
Palmer was drama critic for The Saturday Evening Review of Literature and also the Evening Standard. As well as his collaboration on detective novels he wrote such as The Comedy of Manners, Moliere and other books on the theatre. He also wrote novels under the pseudonym of Christopher Haddon.
Saunders served with the Welsh Guards in World War I and was awarded the Military Cross. He worked for the Air Ministry in World War II and was the anonymous author of the popular bestseller The Battle of Britain in 1940. It sold over three million copies in England and was translated into 25 languages. He also wrote The Green Beret (1949), an official history of the British commandos. He was librarian at the House of Commons from 1946 to 1950.
Palmer and Saunders' collaboration on detective fiction began with The Seven Sleepers in 1925. It was the first of 17 spy titles concerning Colonel Alastair Granby, DSO, of the Secret branch of the British Intelligence Service. Many of those titles contained a number from one to 13 but they did not run consecutively; for example The Six Proud Walkers was published in 1928 while The One Sane Man was published in 1934. Overall they produced 31 mysteries.
Perhaps their most famous novel was Death Walks in Eastrepps (1931), a title that the Sherlock Holmes scholar Vincent Starrett once described as the best detective novel that he had ever read.
Their novel The House of Dr. Edwardes (1927) was filmed by Alfred Hitchcock as Spellbound in 1945, starring Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman.
Gerry Wolstenholme
December 2011
The pair met when undergraduates at Oxford and remained friends when they both worked at the League of Nations in Geneva and it was while there that they decided to collaborate on writing detective novels.
Discussing their collaboration at one time Saunders commented, 'Palmer can't be troubled with description and narrative, and I'm no good at creating characters or dialogue.' Whatever the reason it certainly worked.
Palmer was drama critic for The Saturday Evening Review of Literature and also the Evening Standard. As well as his collaboration on detective novels he wrote such as The Comedy of Manners, Moliere and other books on the theatre. He also wrote novels under the pseudonym of Christopher Haddon.
Saunders served with the Welsh Guards in World War I and was awarded the Military Cross. He worked for the Air Ministry in World War II and was the anonymous author of the popular bestseller The Battle of Britain in 1940. It sold over three million copies in England and was translated into 25 languages. He also wrote The Green Beret (1949), an official history of the British commandos. He was librarian at the House of Commons from 1946 to 1950.
Palmer and Saunders' collaboration on detective fiction began with The Seven Sleepers in 1925. It was the first of 17 spy titles concerning Colonel Alastair Granby, DSO, of the Secret branch of the British Intelligence Service. Many of those titles contained a number from one to 13 but they did not run consecutively; for example The Six Proud Walkers was published in 1928 while The One Sane Man was published in 1934. Overall they produced 31 mysteries.
Perhaps their most famous novel was Death Walks in Eastrepps (1931), a title that the Sherlock Holmes scholar Vincent Starrett once described as the best detective novel that he had ever read.
Their novel The House of Dr. Edwardes (1927) was filmed by Alfred Hitchcock as Spellbound in 1945, starring Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman.
Gerry Wolstenholme
December 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
April 14, 2025
A nice crime/mystery story from the golden age, in this case 1931. It was written by two people under one pen name. Since I usually hold this kind of story up to the queen, Agatha Christie, I can tell you she published one of my favorites the next year that being Peril at End House. This is a lesser book but still enjoyable.
It has classic elements—a variety of characters, some humor, some misdirection and a suprise ending. Set in a vacationers village in Norfolk, it has many small characters and policemen, even policemen from Scotland Yard. The procedural part is mostly at the beginning of the book in the village where the serial murders take place. It flagged a little for me and then picked up. I liked the trial and its mid-twentieth century details at Old Bailey #1. That’s not the end either. There’s a suprise.
It has classic elements—a variety of characters, some humor, some misdirection and a suprise ending. Set in a vacationers village in Norfolk, it has many small characters and policemen, even policemen from Scotland Yard. The procedural part is mostly at the beginning of the book in the village where the serial murders take place. It flagged a little for me and then picked up. I liked the trial and its mid-twentieth century details at Old Bailey #1. That’s not the end either. There’s a suprise.
September 1, 2022
You will find this book on every list of classic mystery/thriller books from the golden age (1920-39)....or for that matter, any age. I am lucky enough to have a first edition (1931)
It seems like another of those tidy little books that you will like but not necessarily remember......wrong. It starts off with an unexpected murder and doesn't let up until the end. The setting is a small East Anglia village where nothing ever happens but oh my, there is a lot going on behind closed doors. Soon one murder turns into multiple murders and the chase is on. You will probably not guess the murderer but even if you do, that will not detract from the story or your enjoyment. Highly recommended.
It seems like another of those tidy little books that you will like but not necessarily remember......wrong. It starts off with an unexpected murder and doesn't let up until the end. The setting is a small East Anglia village where nothing ever happens but oh my, there is a lot going on behind closed doors. Soon one murder turns into multiple murders and the chase is on. You will probably not guess the murderer but even if you do, that will not detract from the story or your enjoyment. Highly recommended.
November 21, 2023
This stylish thriller has everything, multiple murders, extortion, illicit love, a double identity, a dramatice courtroom scene and, best of all, an absolute twist in its tail.
Set in an archetypal English seaside resort the tale is gripping from first page to last and deserves the accolade that was once handed to it by Vincent Starret as one of the 10 greatest detective novels of all time.
I wouldn't like to add much else or the tale will be given away, which the reader most certainly does not want in this spell-binding book.
Set in an archetypal English seaside resort the tale is gripping from first page to last and deserves the accolade that was once handed to it by Vincent Starret as one of the 10 greatest detective novels of all time.
I wouldn't like to add much else or the tale will be given away, which the reader most certainly does not want in this spell-binding book.
May 2, 2016
Wow, Classical mysteries are the best. it has the thrill, the twists, the mystery. If it weren't for the ending, I would give it 5. I mean, it wasn't the best ending, it was the second best to be precise.
Set in a small town, where a serious of hideous crimes starts to occur, and Scotland yard is summoned to solve it. However, the murderer is not an easy one to catch and you won't guess who is it till the end.
Set in a small town, where a serious of hideous crimes starts to occur, and Scotland yard is summoned to solve it. However, the murderer is not an easy one to catch and you won't guess who is it till the end.
March 26, 2021
For my full review click on the link below:
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
June 11, 2018
An absolute classic from the golden age of mysteries, this is a real gem of murder mysteries. Set in a remote English village on the northern coast, it has a large cast of characters and several stories within stories. At the height of tourist season, a series of spectacular murders take place that the local police are unable to solve and, after a wrongful arrest, the help of Scotland Yard is called in. Eventually, suspicion falls on a local resident who has an unknown but criminal past and he is arrested and tried. This is only the bare bones of a story that is compelling and twisty enough to keep you guessing until the end.
February 20, 2026
This is a competently written Golden Age mystery (originally published in 1930) with an abundance of plausible suspects. It focuses on Robert Eldridge, who in a previous phase of his life, and under a different name, committed a fraud that bankrupted numerous people. When some of his fraud victims start turning up dead in the town where he lives, to the reader he seems like the obvious suspect—but of course the regular reader of mysteries knows that the obvious suspect is rarely the perpetrator.
The author plays fair with the reader for the most part, giving us most of the clues needed to come to the solution. I did suspect that solution, but did not figure out how it would be revealed. It was quite an enjoyable mystery, though I fear I know longer enjoy mysteries very much.
The author plays fair with the reader for the most part, giving us most of the clues needed to come to the solution. I did suspect that solution, but did not figure out how it would be revealed. It was quite an enjoyable mystery, though I fear I know longer enjoy mysteries very much.
December 28, 2025
DNF (50%). This is OK, but hardly spectacular. Pronzini & Muller write: “ At one time Death Walks was regarded as one of the 10 greatest detective novels. Well, even mystery critics can make a slip once in a while.” Recommended only for those with mainly historical interests.
March 9, 2018
Evitabile.
Non so, muore un sacco di gente e non mi viene mai la curiosità di sapere chi è stato, il romanzo è infarcito di paragrafi inutili e noiosi, decolla troppo tardi e l'assassino sarebbe anche facilmente intuibile se non fosse che contravviene alle regole del giallo (secondo me).
Non so, muore un sacco di gente e non mi viene mai la curiosità di sapere chi è stato, il romanzo è infarcito di paragrafi inutili e noiosi, decolla troppo tardi e l'assassino sarebbe anche facilmente intuibile se non fosse che contravviene alle regole del giallo (secondo me).
May 2, 2021
A really suspenseful mystery that deserves the "Classic " moniker .There is twists,turns,high bodycount , great characterization(as much is needed for a book of this genre) and a particularly ruthless murderer prowling in a seaside town in the year of 1930 .This was that kind of book which once started ,it is very difficult to put down . Not being a true detective novel ,I think most people would guess the identity of the murderer at about the 140 page mark but that does not reduce the interest as there are other things like a wrong suspect and a particularly well done court sequence to keep you hooked .
All in all ,this was the most gripping and satisfying book I have read in a while .Highly recommended .
All in all ,this was the most gripping and satisfying book I have read in a while .Highly recommended .
September 30, 2022
Eastrepps is bucolic seaside village, populated during the summer months by tourists flocking to visit its sandy beaches, quaint shops and calm setting. That all changes when murder disrupts the village in the form of what an on-the-scene reporter dubs the Eastrepps Evil. The tourists soon depart and the locals stay inside at night...because that is when the Evil walks. The local constabulary - and Scotland Yard - are stymied, the newspapers sensationalize the murders and the chaos even causes a row in Parliament!
This is quite a suspenseful book, with plenty of twists and turns. I enjoyed the fact that its chapters were divided into many smaller sections, and each section is told from the point of view of a different character, either major or minor (the character doesn't narrate, but the focus is on his or her thoughts and actions). It kept the book fresh and provided depth to the setting and the characters (fair warning: don't get attached to any of them).
I will not-so-humbly brag that I solved this one about two thirds of the way through. It is a fine detective story, and was part of the very interesting Mystery League series of books. Francis Beeding was actually two authors writing under a pseudonym, and they were somewhat prolific. I plan on acquiring more of their work.
This is quite a suspenseful book, with plenty of twists and turns. I enjoyed the fact that its chapters were divided into many smaller sections, and each section is told from the point of view of a different character, either major or minor (the character doesn't narrate, but the focus is on his or her thoughts and actions). It kept the book fresh and provided depth to the setting and the characters (fair warning: don't get attached to any of them).
I will not-so-humbly brag that I solved this one about two thirds of the way through. It is a fine detective story, and was part of the very interesting Mystery League series of books. Francis Beeding was actually two authors writing under a pseudonym, and they were somewhat prolific. I plan on acquiring more of their work.
June 2, 2021
Corresponding to the regular clandestine visits of a man to a married woman, a serial killer appears to target the victims who lost money in a venture. The whole town becomes fearful with regular patrols of the street. On the night of one such venture, an up-and-coming Scotland Yard sergeant makes an arrest. The evidence, while circumstantial, appears solid to those reviewing the rest. While the man admits to other crimes, he denies the murders. I spotted the solution pretty early in the novel, but the author did a pretty good job at making readers who came to that conclusion second-guess themselves. This classic golden age mystery provides readers with an interesting case. (3.5 stars)
September 20, 2019
Non è frequente trovare assassini seriali, o serial killer come va di moda oggi, nei gialli della Golden Age. Qui ne abbiamo uno che sembra rispettare tutti i cliché del caso: agisce a scadenze fisse, le vittime sembrano scelte senza criteri precisi, il colpevole sembra troppo ovvio.
In realtà ho capito chi era il vero colpevole a pag. 117, prima della metà del romanzo. Questo non ha affatto disturbato o rovinato la lettura, anzi. E' stato affascinante andare a controllare se vi fossero indizi sparsi che portassero a lui e se il seguito della storia si adattava alla mia ipotesi. Cosa puntualmente verificatasi. L'indizio che mi ha portato a 'quel' nome è stato più di tipo psicologico/intuitivo che concreto, e non ultima anche un'analogia con un'opera di Agatha Christie, subito balzatami alla mente. Ma al di là delle intuizioni psicologiche, secondo me ci sono anche altri indizi e circostanze che, se letti attentamente, possono portare al colpevole.
Memorabile il capitolo del processo, che porta a una sentenza di morte alquanto discutibile, con una voluta critica al sistema da parte degli autori.
Il movente? Si potrebbe riassumere in una frase: dove può portare l'ambizione!
A questo proposito mi convinco sempre di più che la domanda che spesso mi sorge spontanea leggendo un giallo merita attenzione: "Perché l'autore qui fa parlare il dato personaggio in questa maniera?" o "Perché insiste su questo particolare apparentemente senza scopo?" Ecco, lì quasi sempre sta la risposta alle domande principali di un giallo: chi è il colpevole e qual è il movente.
In realtà ho capito chi era il vero colpevole a pag. 117, prima della metà del romanzo. Questo non ha affatto disturbato o rovinato la lettura, anzi. E' stato affascinante andare a controllare se vi fossero indizi sparsi che portassero a lui e se il seguito della storia si adattava alla mia ipotesi. Cosa puntualmente verificatasi. L'indizio che mi ha portato a 'quel' nome è stato più di tipo psicologico/intuitivo che concreto, e non ultima anche un'analogia con un'opera di Agatha Christie, subito balzatami alla mente. Ma al di là delle intuizioni psicologiche, secondo me ci sono anche altri indizi e circostanze che, se letti attentamente, possono portare al colpevole.
Memorabile il capitolo del processo, che porta a una sentenza di morte alquanto discutibile, con una voluta critica al sistema da parte degli autori.
Il movente? Si potrebbe riassumere in una frase: dove può portare l'ambizione!
A questo proposito mi convinco sempre di più che la domanda che spesso mi sorge spontanea leggendo un giallo merita attenzione: "Perché l'autore qui fa parlare il dato personaggio in questa maniera?" o "Perché insiste su questo particolare apparentemente senza scopo?" Ecco, lì quasi sempre sta la risposta alle domande principali di un giallo: chi è il colpevole e qual è il movente.
August 5, 2021
3.5. Classic old English village mystery. Well done and kept my interest.
November 25, 2024
Told in a very matter-of-fact manner, with no lead character and no deep characterizations. Yet very compelling throughout.
May 3, 2013
Un piccolo capolavoro
La portata di questo romanzo, straordinaria in tutti i sensi: trascende il romanzo di evasione ( quale poteva esserlo il romanzo poliziesco tipo “whodunnit”, passatempo snob per menti raffinate, negli anni trenta), e assume la veste di quello di critica sociale. Infatti “La morte cammina per Eastrepps”, se nell’ambito della critica poliziesca è già di per sé straordinariamente interessante, radunando in sé più generi (comincia come un Whodunnit, e poi prosegue come romanzo psicologico e finendo come thriller, con un finale spasmodico e catartico), lo è ancora di più se lo si inquadra nell’ambito di una critica sociale al sistema, forse voluto forse no, e alla sua espressione più terribile: la pena di morte. Raramente si trova in un romanzo giallo – il cui fine è quello apparente di scoprire una serie di misteri mettendo alla prova l’acume dell’investigatore, in una lotta diretta contro l’assassino e consegnarlo alla giustizia, in modo che paghi il suo fio (e talora godere della sua morte) – una tale critica alla pena di morte, un istituto che fallisce miseramente il suo scopo (se scopo mai esiste) nel momento in cui tra tanti criminali sopprime la vita di un innocente.
Articolo su questo romanzo a : http://lamortesaleggere.myblog.it/arc....
La portata di questo romanzo, straordinaria in tutti i sensi: trascende il romanzo di evasione ( quale poteva esserlo il romanzo poliziesco tipo “whodunnit”, passatempo snob per menti raffinate, negli anni trenta), e assume la veste di quello di critica sociale. Infatti “La morte cammina per Eastrepps”, se nell’ambito della critica poliziesca è già di per sé straordinariamente interessante, radunando in sé più generi (comincia come un Whodunnit, e poi prosegue come romanzo psicologico e finendo come thriller, con un finale spasmodico e catartico), lo è ancora di più se lo si inquadra nell’ambito di una critica sociale al sistema, forse voluto forse no, e alla sua espressione più terribile: la pena di morte. Raramente si trova in un romanzo giallo – il cui fine è quello apparente di scoprire una serie di misteri mettendo alla prova l’acume dell’investigatore, in una lotta diretta contro l’assassino e consegnarlo alla giustizia, in modo che paghi il suo fio (e talora godere della sua morte) – una tale critica alla pena di morte, un istituto che fallisce miseramente il suo scopo (se scopo mai esiste) nel momento in cui tra tanti criminali sopprime la vita di un innocente.
Articolo su questo romanzo a : http://lamortesaleggere.myblog.it/arc....
November 11, 2011
WOW, this book is one of the best murder/mystery books I have ever read. I think that this book beats some, if not all of the Agatha Christie novels.
In the start of the book, there is a murder within the first 30-50 pages. I thought that only one murder was going to occur in the story but I was wrong.... In fact there are 6 murders all happening in Eastrepps.
I thought the middle was really well written with lots of language to keep me (or the reader) engaded. I thought there were enough characters in the story that the story wasn't essentially about the chacters, I have read a lot of books that the characters take over the book.
The end (once again) was really well written and intersting, there are a lot of books that bore me when it comes to reading the end part. This book was once voted top ten best dectective novel of all time, and I see why!
I think that the chapters could have been more regular, but that's no reason to lose a star. I think that this thrilling page turner is one of my top ten NOVELS of all time!
In the start of the book, there is a murder within the first 30-50 pages. I thought that only one murder was going to occur in the story but I was wrong.... In fact there are 6 murders all happening in Eastrepps.
I thought the middle was really well written with lots of language to keep me (or the reader) engaded. I thought there were enough characters in the story that the story wasn't essentially about the chacters, I have read a lot of books that the characters take over the book.
The end (once again) was really well written and intersting, there are a lot of books that bore me when it comes to reading the end part. This book was once voted top ten best dectective novel of all time, and I see why!
I think that the chapters could have been more regular, but that's no reason to lose a star. I think that this thrilling page turner is one of my top ten NOVELS of all time!
April 13, 2023
This story of murders in a peaceful English seaside town is a page-turner. The main character Robert Eldridge- do we love him or hate him? - is an admitted crook and left many people penniless. Here he is having an illicit affair with a married woman, yet our sympathies are with them both. The deaths start to pile up (there are six), and Eldridge is arrested and brought into court entirely on circumstantial evidence.
The last quarter of the book is devoted to an accounting of the trial, in great detail. It reminds me of the courtroom dramas of Erle Stanley Gardner in the Perry Mason series.
A few items should be noted: The description of the how train alibi worked was confusing and took a while to figure out. The character Selby is sometimes John and sometimes James. There is an occasional use of terms for African-Americans which are unacceptable today, but were in common use at the time; likewise references to blackfaced minstrels.
The last quarter of the book is devoted to an accounting of the trial, in great detail. It reminds me of the courtroom dramas of Erle Stanley Gardner in the Perry Mason series.
A few items should be noted: The description of the how train alibi worked was confusing and took a while to figure out. The character Selby is sometimes John and sometimes James. There is an occasional use of terms for African-Americans which are unacceptable today, but were in common use at the time; likewise references to blackfaced minstrels.
February 18, 2016
I read this book when I was a kid and it knocked my socks off; when I saw it on the shelf at my local library I had to grab it. Things we loved when we were young don't often stand up too well, but this classic mystery from 1931 is still a pretty good read.
A serial killer stalks the streets of Eastrepps, a fictional seaside town in England, dispatching a random selection of residents, men and women. The local plods give it a shot but quickly call in the Yard; an arrest is made but the killings continue. A second arrest puts an end to it and sends a man to the gallows, but the story's not over.
It may not be as supremely thrilling as it was to my adolescent self, but it's not bad at all; it's neatly plotted and smoothly written and the the identity of the real killer is a shock. Good fun from the classic age of mystery.
A serial killer stalks the streets of Eastrepps, a fictional seaside town in England, dispatching a random selection of residents, men and women. The local plods give it a shot but quickly call in the Yard; an arrest is made but the killings continue. A second arrest puts an end to it and sends a man to the gallows, but the story's not over.
It may not be as supremely thrilling as it was to my adolescent self, but it's not bad at all; it's neatly plotted and smoothly written and the the identity of the real killer is a shock. Good fun from the classic age of mystery.
April 23, 2022
So much classic ‘golden age’ crime fiction seems very far removed from what we now understand by the term. This was the era of the detective novel as puzzle, and although there may be some elements of police procedural and psychological insight present, they very often take a back seat to the intellectual challenge of solving the mystery. Death Walks in Eastrepps, written by a prolific pair of authors under the pseudonym Francis Beeding, was first published in 1931, and is satisfying enough on the surface level of a puzzle to be solved, but like many other detective novels of the period suffers from lack of characterisation and believable motive. There is more to it than I’d anticipated, including a wrongful conviction and hanging, but, other than a certain period charm, it doesn’t have a great deal to offer the modern reader.
November 22, 2016
Eastrepps, a lovely seaside resort, is stunned by the murder of a local woman. The police are, of course, baffled. Even bringing Inspector Wilkins from Scotland Yard doesn't help as the killer strikes again, and again.
Very atmospheric, slightly dry but this book feels contemporary. This is partly due to the emphasis on the media coverage of the killings and the impact this has on the case. Inspector Wilkins seems a little bland, he's very much the token Inspector, rather than a lead character. As for whodunnit, well you'll see. The authors whip up a fair bit of suspense towards the end, partly due to the high body count - no one is safe in Eastrepps. A great read in a welcome series of re-issues.
Very atmospheric, slightly dry but this book feels contemporary. This is partly due to the emphasis on the media coverage of the killings and the impact this has on the case. Inspector Wilkins seems a little bland, he's very much the token Inspector, rather than a lead character. As for whodunnit, well you'll see. The authors whip up a fair bit of suspense towards the end, partly due to the high body count - no one is safe in Eastrepps. A great read in a welcome series of re-issues.
June 17, 2020
An English murder mystery from the early 1930's, this one has rightly become a classic of its genre. Set in a seaside town in Norfolk, it is a real page-turner as dead bodies are discovered. Meanwhile there is a secret love affair going on between someone with a past and a married woman estranged from her husband. And her cousin is blackmailing her. Inspector Wilkins from Scotland Yard is called in to head up the investigations. As I said, a real page-turner.
November 9, 2019
Not quite as good as I’d expected of a book from the golden age of crime fiction in that the murderer was rather easy to guess!
January 15, 2024
Some novels are comforting to my soul. Francis Beeding’s Death Walks in Eastrepps is a fine example. This 1931 story about a multiple murderer terrorizing a seaside town reminds me of a warm fire, a grilled-cheese sandwich with a piping hot bowl of soup, and daytime pajamas. Familiar but comforting. Besides, focusing on novelty is a foolish endeavor. The notes have all been played and for good reason; they work. We may as well enjoy the familiar when it is presented with competence and flair.
And make no mistake; Death Walks in Eastrepps is a well-worn story. The question isn’t if you’ll guess the killer but rather when. I did it about a third of the way, along with the motive and strategy. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed diving into this world.
One of the novel’s great strengths is its ease with shifting point of view. We get scenes with the main players in town. Their temperaments and problems are clear and concise, so we see them vividly. I know Miss Hewitt and she’s only in one chapter. The geography of Eastrepps is also adeptly established, sparing the reader from tedius minutiae.
The story begins on a train where one of our characters reveals that he has taken a false identity. He was once James Selby, an investor who swindled his clients out of their respective life savings. After years on the run, he returned to England with a new name (Robert Eldridge) and a new life. He’s now romancing a woman in Eastrepps, but he must remain vigilant about his identity. Several of his victims live there.
It isn’t long before the murders begin, and Eldridge’s presence (along with the devestation wrought by his past actions) are clearly at the center of things. The murders (save for 1) all take place on the same day at the same time. The victims (save for 1) are all found with a stab wound to the temple.
If you’re hoping for the manner of death to be revealed as a delicious clue, you’re going to be disappointed. It’s used off the page to link the killer. The cops find the murder weapon which obviously matched the wounds. That’s it. And let me say now that Francis Beeding (John Palmer and Hilary Saunders) doesn’t know how to plant a clue to save his life, or at least in this book he doesn’t. Near the end, one of the characters sees the final damning clue, the one that proves the identity of the killer. The clue’s existence is presented brilliantly. The character stops talking. Her mind begins racing. We know she’s seen something. And we know we must have seen it too. We can’t wait until we find out what it is. I love that feeling! And then….
We find out we hadn’t seen it. It was a visual clue and the only way we can know about it is for the character to describe it later. What a let down! I was so angry.
But then I reminded myself, “You have been enjoying this novel. Just forget about this shitty clue and finish the book on a good note.”
And I had been enjoying the novel. Look at the courtroom sequence. Beeding tells it through mulitple points of view in a relaxed and confident way. It was such a pleasure to read. I like the character flaws. I like the quiet moments when they watch the sun begin to fade and they ruminate on the killer. I love the stalking scenes.
So, would you read this book based on my review? It’s not a great investigation. It’s not a howdunnit at all. The clues are either obvious or non-existent. And you’ll guess whodunnit almost straight away.
But there are times when you’re in the mood for a book like this. Yesterday, the temperature in Chicago was -11 Fahrenheit. What else was I going to do but curl up and read a novel about murder in an English country town? If you’re in the mood for a warm, bloody hug, Eastrepps is a fine destination.
And make no mistake; Death Walks in Eastrepps is a well-worn story. The question isn’t if you’ll guess the killer but rather when. I did it about a third of the way, along with the motive and strategy. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed diving into this world.
One of the novel’s great strengths is its ease with shifting point of view. We get scenes with the main players in town. Their temperaments and problems are clear and concise, so we see them vividly. I know Miss Hewitt and she’s only in one chapter. The geography of Eastrepps is also adeptly established, sparing the reader from tedius minutiae.
The story begins on a train where one of our characters reveals that he has taken a false identity. He was once James Selby, an investor who swindled his clients out of their respective life savings. After years on the run, he returned to England with a new name (Robert Eldridge) and a new life. He’s now romancing a woman in Eastrepps, but he must remain vigilant about his identity. Several of his victims live there.
It isn’t long before the murders begin, and Eldridge’s presence (along with the devestation wrought by his past actions) are clearly at the center of things. The murders (save for 1) all take place on the same day at the same time. The victims (save for 1) are all found with a stab wound to the temple.
If you’re hoping for the manner of death to be revealed as a delicious clue, you’re going to be disappointed. It’s used off the page to link the killer. The cops find the murder weapon which obviously matched the wounds. That’s it. And let me say now that Francis Beeding (John Palmer and Hilary Saunders) doesn’t know how to plant a clue to save his life, or at least in this book he doesn’t. Near the end, one of the characters sees the final damning clue, the one that proves the identity of the killer. The clue’s existence is presented brilliantly. The character stops talking. Her mind begins racing. We know she’s seen something. And we know we must have seen it too. We can’t wait until we find out what it is. I love that feeling! And then….
We find out we hadn’t seen it. It was a visual clue and the only way we can know about it is for the character to describe it later. What a let down! I was so angry.
But then I reminded myself, “You have been enjoying this novel. Just forget about this shitty clue and finish the book on a good note.”
And I had been enjoying the novel. Look at the courtroom sequence. Beeding tells it through mulitple points of view in a relaxed and confident way. It was such a pleasure to read. I like the character flaws. I like the quiet moments when they watch the sun begin to fade and they ruminate on the killer. I love the stalking scenes.
So, would you read this book based on my review? It’s not a great investigation. It’s not a howdunnit at all. The clues are either obvious or non-existent. And you’ll guess whodunnit almost straight away.
But there are times when you’re in the mood for a book like this. Yesterday, the temperature in Chicago was -11 Fahrenheit. What else was I going to do but curl up and read a novel about murder in an English country town? If you’re in the mood for a warm, bloody hug, Eastrepps is a fine destination.
April 9, 2025
This story is set in the fictional seaside town of Eastrepps on the Norfolk Coast. It is, however, the thinly disguised town of Cromer which has, as its near neighbours, Northrepps and Southrepps, (so why not have an Eastrepps as well?). Cromer also had, in the 1930s, an area known as Suffield Park, which becomes Sheffield Park when transferred to Eastrepps.
One of the main characters, Robert Eldridge, travels by train from London but wishes, for reasons which later become apparent, to arrive in Eastrepps completely unnoticed. The plot therefore needs him to be able to leave the train, not at the station, but somewhere along the track. To do this without injury the train needs to come to a stop long enough for him to get down. The author seeks to achieve this in a highly implausible manner;
“The train always stopped for a moment at that spot before moving backwards into the station at Eastrepps, which stood on a branch line aside from the main track. Always it stopped in the same place, just opposite the holly hedge.”
Reversing a train, especially an express, into station would be highly irregular (and actually impossible for a North-bound train to do at Cromer!). After Eldridge hides behind the conveniently placed holly hedge, the train starts to reverse, the author actually compounds the felony by adding;
“Eldridge waited until the red lamp at the end was an Indian jewel on the bosom of the night.”
But, if the train was reversing into the station, how could he see the red light at the end? He would only see the white lights on the front of the locomotive as it moved away from him. I appreciate the need for him to arrive at Eastrepps unnoticed, but it would be more believable if he had got off the train at the immediately preceding station and walked across country to his destination.
It is often the case in detective stories of that era, that there is a need to determine which particular typewriter produced a particular document. Inevitably the machine concerned will have its own distinctive characteristics which aid its identification. However, when, in this case, an important document is discovered, no mention is made of any attempt to discover the machine concerned and thereby its author. Similarly, the document does not seem to have been tested for fingerprints.
Having said all that, this is a very readable book, despite being a little predicable at times. I thought the account of the trial, in the second half, was particularly well written. The climax was a little formulaic and the murderer’s confession seemed verbose and completely out of character to that put over in the earlier part of the book.
One of the main characters, Robert Eldridge, travels by train from London but wishes, for reasons which later become apparent, to arrive in Eastrepps completely unnoticed. The plot therefore needs him to be able to leave the train, not at the station, but somewhere along the track. To do this without injury the train needs to come to a stop long enough for him to get down. The author seeks to achieve this in a highly implausible manner;
“The train always stopped for a moment at that spot before moving backwards into the station at Eastrepps, which stood on a branch line aside from the main track. Always it stopped in the same place, just opposite the holly hedge.”
Reversing a train, especially an express, into station would be highly irregular (and actually impossible for a North-bound train to do at Cromer!). After Eldridge hides behind the conveniently placed holly hedge, the train starts to reverse, the author actually compounds the felony by adding;
“Eldridge waited until the red lamp at the end was an Indian jewel on the bosom of the night.”
But, if the train was reversing into the station, how could he see the red light at the end? He would only see the white lights on the front of the locomotive as it moved away from him. I appreciate the need for him to arrive at Eastrepps unnoticed, but it would be more believable if he had got off the train at the immediately preceding station and walked across country to his destination.
It is often the case in detective stories of that era, that there is a need to determine which particular typewriter produced a particular document. Inevitably the machine concerned will have its own distinctive characteristics which aid its identification. However, when, in this case, an important document is discovered, no mention is made of any attempt to discover the machine concerned and thereby its author. Similarly, the document does not seem to have been tested for fingerprints.
Having said all that, this is a very readable book, despite being a little predicable at times. I thought the account of the trial, in the second half, was particularly well written. The climax was a little formulaic and the murderer’s confession seemed verbose and completely out of character to that put over in the earlier part of the book.
January 8, 2021
Notevole
Francis Beeding è lo pseudonimo della coppia John Leslie Palmer e Hilary Aidan St. George Saunders, famosi anche per aver scritto The House of Dr. Edwardes da cui Hitchock ha tratto “Io ti salverò”
Nella cittadina di Eastrepps avvengono strani omicidi. La vicenda viene narrata dal punto di vista di Robert Eldridge, il quale si è arricchito con un’operazione finanziaria spregiudicata, una vera e propria truffa che ha rovinato parecchi piccoli risparmiatori, alcuni dei quali vivono proprio a Eastrepps. Quest’uomo vive a Londra ma alcune volte a settimana si reca a Eastrepps per incontrare la sua amante Margaret Withers. A causa della vicenda Eldridge avrebbe un valido movente per uccidere chi potrebbe riconoscerlo e denunciarlo, per di più gli omicidi avvengono proprio quando lui è a Eastrepps. Forse qualcuno lo vuole incastrare? Il mistero sembra dipanarsi a un certo punto, quando facciamo la conoscenza di un giovane squilibrato, di famiglia ricca, Alistair Rockingham. Ma le sorprese non finiscono qui, gli omicidi si susseguono, e l finale è degno dei grandissimi
Un bellissimo romanzo che fa un po’ da trait d’union fra il giallo della golden age e il thriller, con gli aspetti migliori di entrambi. Una soluzione forse intuibile al lettore (ma quando lo lessi parecchi anni fa non ci arrivai) che arriva dopo un crescendo di colpi di scena, e una fluidità di scrittura che tiene il lettore incollato alle pagine, immergendolo facilmente nell’atmosfera della di solito tranquilla cittadina marina inglese, improvvisamente sconvolta dalla paura.
Inoltre il finale stimola riflessioni sul tema della giustizia e della pena (le stesse riflessioni che una trentina di anni più tardi porteranno, giustamente, gli inglesi a ridurre fortemente fino a quasi far sparire, l’uso della pena capitale)
Possiamo considerarlo un serial killer come lo intendiamo oggi? Secondo me no, ma non posso dire di più per non fare spoiler
Francis Beeding è lo pseudonimo della coppia John Leslie Palmer e Hilary Aidan St. George Saunders, famosi anche per aver scritto The House of Dr. Edwardes da cui Hitchock ha tratto “Io ti salverò”
Nella cittadina di Eastrepps avvengono strani omicidi. La vicenda viene narrata dal punto di vista di Robert Eldridge, il quale si è arricchito con un’operazione finanziaria spregiudicata, una vera e propria truffa che ha rovinato parecchi piccoli risparmiatori, alcuni dei quali vivono proprio a Eastrepps. Quest’uomo vive a Londra ma alcune volte a settimana si reca a Eastrepps per incontrare la sua amante Margaret Withers. A causa della vicenda Eldridge avrebbe un valido movente per uccidere chi potrebbe riconoscerlo e denunciarlo, per di più gli omicidi avvengono proprio quando lui è a Eastrepps. Forse qualcuno lo vuole incastrare? Il mistero sembra dipanarsi a un certo punto, quando facciamo la conoscenza di un giovane squilibrato, di famiglia ricca, Alistair Rockingham. Ma le sorprese non finiscono qui, gli omicidi si susseguono, e l finale è degno dei grandissimi
Un bellissimo romanzo che fa un po’ da trait d’union fra il giallo della golden age e il thriller, con gli aspetti migliori di entrambi. Una soluzione forse intuibile al lettore (ma quando lo lessi parecchi anni fa non ci arrivai) che arriva dopo un crescendo di colpi di scena, e una fluidità di scrittura che tiene il lettore incollato alle pagine, immergendolo facilmente nell’atmosfera della di solito tranquilla cittadina marina inglese, improvvisamente sconvolta dalla paura.
Inoltre il finale stimola riflessioni sul tema della giustizia e della pena (le stesse riflessioni che una trentina di anni più tardi porteranno, giustamente, gli inglesi a ridurre fortemente fino a quasi far sparire, l’uso della pena capitale)
Possiamo considerarlo un serial killer come lo intendiamo oggi? Secondo me no, ma non posso dire di più per non fare spoiler
December 8, 2025
Death Walk in Eastrepps
, by Francis Beeding.
This landed on my shelves as a random grab is a book sale, so an original true strangers meeting. I’d never heard of this author and that’s fair because Francis Beeding is a pseudonym of a pair of writers taking advantage of each other’s strengths. John Palmer was good at characters and dialogue, and Hilary Saunders did narrative and description well. Together they wrote many books (including teaming up under the name David Pilgrim for historical fiction), and this one was published in 1931. So there are a couple of words we wouldn’t let old White English books casually print, and women, of course are good for only a couple of roles. Those warnings given, here goes.
This is a murder mystery. My first question was where the heck is Eastrepps. Answer: Doesn’t exist as the author doesn’t. Eastrepp is a fictional location on the Norfolk coast of England – it is surmised that they were aiming for something akin to Cromer, a non-fictional town on the Norfolk coast of England.
Before a reader gets too far in they are introduced to a bunch of local police, a Scotland Yarder who runs through their serial books named Inspector Wilkins, a number of ‘red shirts’ (those introducted to the narrative early that are the bodies corporeal who will soon die), a trial, hanging and. . .ok. I will leave you hanging there. . . .to prevent any spoilage.
I totally enjoy old mystery atmosphere, and this is full of it. (and the old book smell was totally present! Another bonus!)
This landed on my shelves as a random grab is a book sale, so an original true strangers meeting. I’d never heard of this author and that’s fair because Francis Beeding is a pseudonym of a pair of writers taking advantage of each other’s strengths. John Palmer was good at characters and dialogue, and Hilary Saunders did narrative and description well. Together they wrote many books (including teaming up under the name David Pilgrim for historical fiction), and this one was published in 1931. So there are a couple of words we wouldn’t let old White English books casually print, and women, of course are good for only a couple of roles. Those warnings given, here goes.
This is a murder mystery. My first question was where the heck is Eastrepps. Answer: Doesn’t exist as the author doesn’t. Eastrepp is a fictional location on the Norfolk coast of England – it is surmised that they were aiming for something akin to Cromer, a non-fictional town on the Norfolk coast of England.
Before a reader gets too far in they are introduced to a bunch of local police, a Scotland Yarder who runs through their serial books named Inspector Wilkins, a number of ‘red shirts’ (those introducted to the narrative early that are the bodies corporeal who will soon die), a trial, hanging and. . .ok. I will leave you hanging there. . . .to prevent any spoilage.
I totally enjoy old mystery atmosphere, and this is full of it. (and the old book smell was totally present! Another bonus!)
February 1, 2026
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
This is a well-written if slightly long-winded story of a serial killer stalking a coastal community. An obvious suspect is quickly apprehended, but the killings continue. Then a second suspect is arrested...have they caught the right person this time?
I enjoyed the range of personalities and felt that even the fairly minor characters were quite well rounded. The bustling seaside town gradually becomes deserted as holiday makers start to avoid the area, and I felt that this, and the subsequent anxiety among the shop owners, seaside entertainers and boarding house proprietors was well written. The impact that murder has on the surrounding community is not often considered in books from this era.
The book starts gently, almost placidly, but the tension gradually builds. It sags somewhat during the trial before the pace picks up again. The reason for the 3.5 star rating is that I felt the murderer was far too obvious from the beginning, and the whole case seemed very sloppily investigated.
This is a well-written if slightly long-winded story of a serial killer stalking a coastal community. An obvious suspect is quickly apprehended, but the killings continue. Then a second suspect is arrested...have they caught the right person this time?
I enjoyed the range of personalities and felt that even the fairly minor characters were quite well rounded. The bustling seaside town gradually becomes deserted as holiday makers start to avoid the area, and I felt that this, and the subsequent anxiety among the shop owners, seaside entertainers and boarding house proprietors was well written. The impact that murder has on the surrounding community is not often considered in books from this era.
The book starts gently, almost placidly, but the tension gradually builds. It sags somewhat during the trial before the pace picks up again. The reason for the 3.5 star rating is that I felt the murderer was far too obvious from the beginning, and the whole case seemed very sloppily investigated.
November 28, 2025
This golden age mystery starts out well. Eastrepps is a quiet English seaside town dependent on summer visitors. It has some predictable inhabitants: the retired colonel, the rose-fancier, the gruff fisherman. It also has people keeping very shady secrets.
Then the first murder happens. The police search fruitlessly for evidence or suspects . When it becomes clear that the second murder is a copy, the town begins to panic. Scotland Yard is called. There is a young man with signs of mental instability...
It's downhill from there, for the reader. We know who ISN'T guilty, so the murderer must be...
But we have to wade through looooong explanations and a trial in which we are "treated " to the opinions of everyone from the lawyers and witnesses to the jury and clerks. Finally--was Beeding being paid by the page?-- the murderer is unmasked.
Then the first murder happens. The police search fruitlessly for evidence or suspects . When it becomes clear that the second murder is a copy, the town begins to panic. Scotland Yard is called. There is a young man with signs of mental instability...
It's downhill from there, for the reader. We know who ISN'T guilty, so the murderer must be...
But we have to wade through looooong explanations and a trial in which we are "treated " to the opinions of everyone from the lawyers and witnesses to the jury and clerks. Finally--was Beeding being paid by the page?-- the murderer is unmasked.
October 28, 2018
Un romanzo piuttosto diverso dai classici gialli inglesi dell'epoca. Infatti, "La morte cammina per Eastrepps" sembra più un thriller moderno con tanto di misterioso serial killer. L'autore butta dentro anche molte critiche sociali dell'epoca (il sistema giudiziario, l'arrivismo a tutti i costi ed anche il neocapitalismo), che ne fanno certamente un romanzo piuttosto particolare da leggere. Senza spoilerare, dico solo che l'assassino non è complicato da scoprire, basta mettere insieme alcuni particolari ed il gioco è fatto...
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