The Craig Poisoning Mystery: A Chief Inspector Pointer Mystery

Chief Inspector Pointer #9

by A.E. Fielding

A nice little country murder. When Ronald Craig succumbed after a short illness it came as a surprise, but when a specialist called down to consult declares the death as due to chronic arsenic poisoning it proves even more of a puzzle. There are plenty of suspects, the ex-wife, the reluctant fiance, the governess who doesn't care for children, the widow of the dead-man's cousin, the attending physician, his sister, each with a motive, and each lacking an alibi. There are plenty of clues as well, footprints in the garden, the curious tea, the torn wrapping of the package never sent to name but a few. All in all, quite a tangle. No wonder then that Chief Constable was only too happy to turn the investigation over to Chief Inspector Pointer of Scotland Yard who fortuitously was in the neighborhood on another matter. But is even Inspector Pointer up to solving . . The Craig Poisoning Mystery!"

Genres: Mystery

270 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1930

About the author

A. Fielding (also known as Archibald Fielding or A.E. Fielding) was a pseudonym of Dorothy Feilding.

Reviews

[Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

What would mystery writers of the 1930s have done without arsenic? Tasteless, colorless, odorless.. so eminently suitable for foul play! In this country house mystery we have quite an unusually rich selection of suspects. The aunt who would benefit from Craig's death. The ex-wife whose new matrimonial plans with a rich Catholic might not come off. The fiancee who could barely hide her dislike for her husband-to-be. The country doctor who was in love with the afore-mentioned fiancee. Even the children's governess and the nurse!

It was all good fun in its way, and I commend the author for an original way of administering poison. The puzzle aspects of the book fit together well, but the psychology made no sense. The ex-wife who abandons her children for years, then tries to get them back, the university woman who allows herself to be dragged into a custody fight. And, of course, some incomprehensible foreigners (in this case : White Russians) given to flights of dramatic emotion and unpractical plans (the idea of a puppet show based on the Pilgrim's Progress touring England to elevate spirits and bring about world peace....hehehehe!).