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Jane and Dagobert Brown #1
She Shall Have Murder
Dagobert Brown’s always got a new hobby. He's been through Gregorian chant, wildflowers, sixteenth-century French poetry . . . But his latest hobby is murder—or at least, the murder mystery he wants Jane Hamish to write.
Jane is the practical one. She only has one weakness: Dagobert, who exasperates her and intrigues her in equal parts. “Dagobert is my hero,” she says, “but he persistently refuses to act like one.”
Mrs. Robjohn seems like the perfect victim for Jane’s book: a lonely, delusional spinster who haunts the law offices where Jane works, telling everyone who’ll listen that sinister men are following her. When Mrs. Robjohn’s found dead of gas poisoning in her flat, Dagobert won’t believe it’s an accident.
Dragging Jane with him through 1940s London, from pub to nightclub to deserted warehouse district, Dagobert throws himself enthusiastically—if eccentrically—into sleuthdom, determined to track down a real-life killer.
In their easy camaraderie and witty banter, Dagobert and Jane bring to mind Dashiell Hammett’s Nick and Nora, but Jane is every inch Dagobert’s intellectual equal and partner in detection.
A classic Golden Age mystery, She Shall Have Murder, the first in Delano Ames’s Dagobert and Jane Brown series, stands up to the best in its genre today. But its absorbing portrayal of life in London between the wars adds another dimension, highlighted in this annotated Manor Minor Press edition.
Jane is the practical one. She only has one weakness: Dagobert, who exasperates her and intrigues her in equal parts. “Dagobert is my hero,” she says, “but he persistently refuses to act like one.”
Mrs. Robjohn seems like the perfect victim for Jane’s book: a lonely, delusional spinster who haunts the law offices where Jane works, telling everyone who’ll listen that sinister men are following her. When Mrs. Robjohn’s found dead of gas poisoning in her flat, Dagobert won’t believe it’s an accident.
Dragging Jane with him through 1940s London, from pub to nightclub to deserted warehouse district, Dagobert throws himself enthusiastically—if eccentrically—into sleuthdom, determined to track down a real-life killer.
In their easy camaraderie and witty banter, Dagobert and Jane bring to mind Dashiell Hammett’s Nick and Nora, but Jane is every inch Dagobert’s intellectual equal and partner in detection.
A classic Golden Age mystery, She Shall Have Murder, the first in Delano Ames’s Dagobert and Jane Brown series, stands up to the best in its genre today. But its absorbing portrayal of life in London between the wars adds another dimension, highlighted in this annotated Manor Minor Press edition.
292 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1948
7 people are currently reading
999 people want to read
About the author
Delano Ames
36 books5 followersDelano Ames (May 29, 1906 – January 1987) was an American writer of detective stories. Ames was the author of some 20 books, many of them featuring a husband and wife detective team of amateurs named 'Dagobert and Jane Brown'. A later series of novels involved a character named Juan Lorca, of the Spanish Civil Guard, who solved local mysteries.
Born in Mt. Vernon, Ohio. Delano's father Benjamin worked for the local newspaper, but moved the family in 1917 to New Mexico.
Ames married Australian born writer, Maysie Greig (1901-1971) in Greenwich Village, New York City, in 1929. Greig was a prolific author of light-hearted romance novels. They divorced in 1937.
Ames lived in England for the next few years, where he married his second wife, Kit, and was assigned as a British intelligence officer during World War II. He also worked on anthologies on mythology and as a translator for Larousse in France. His last book was an introduction for a book of photography of Spain in 1971.
He died in Madrid, Spain, in January 1987.
Born in Mt. Vernon, Ohio. Delano's father Benjamin worked for the local newspaper, but moved the family in 1917 to New Mexico.
Ames married Australian born writer, Maysie Greig (1901-1971) in Greenwich Village, New York City, in 1929. Greig was a prolific author of light-hearted romance novels. They divorced in 1937.
Ames lived in England for the next few years, where he married his second wife, Kit, and was assigned as a British intelligence officer during World War II. He also worked on anthologies on mythology and as a translator for Larousse in France. His last book was an introduction for a book of photography of Spain in 1971.
He died in Madrid, Spain, in January 1987.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
January 20, 2015
Jane is a practical person. She is a legal secretary with a secret - she has a man in her life who is, unfortunately still married (albeit separated and in the throes of divorce) - most unacceptable in the 1940's, the period in which the book is set.
Dagobert does not have a job; in fact he seems to be quite allergic to work. Quite where he gets his income from remains a mystery.
Dagobert is prone to taking sudden fancies to ideas, and expects Jane to execute them. His latest idea is that Jane should write a murder mystery. He feels that in her job, she should have plenty of material to draw from.
Then one of the law firms most irritating clients dies. Is it accidental death - or a cleverly disguised murder? Dagobert feels sure it is murder (and there is no shortage of suspects) and sets out, with Jane, to prove it.
A lovely, intriguing, cozy murder mystery.
Dagobert does not have a job; in fact he seems to be quite allergic to work. Quite where he gets his income from remains a mystery.
Dagobert is prone to taking sudden fancies to ideas, and expects Jane to execute them. His latest idea is that Jane should write a murder mystery. He feels that in her job, she should have plenty of material to draw from.
Then one of the law firms most irritating clients dies. Is it accidental death - or a cleverly disguised murder? Dagobert feels sure it is murder (and there is no shortage of suspects) and sets out, with Jane, to prove it.
A lovely, intriguing, cozy murder mystery.
January 30, 2015
I was pleasantly surprised by this 1940s British cozy -- the author maintained the 'cozy' style (nonprofessional detective) without becoming too caught up in romance (a common flaw in many cozies). I felt the balance between Jane & Dagobert's personal life and the mystery was just right. Ames also managed to have several plausible motives within a fairly restricted circle of suspects.
March 11, 2018
Jane Hamish works at a law office, and thinks she'll write a mystery with that as a setting, encouraged by her boyfriend, Dagobert Brown. When one of the firm's clients dies, Dagobert--in the face of the evidence--insists that she was murdered. Then he discovers something that seems to point to one of the employees of Jane's firm. Post-war London setting includes rationing and shortages.
October 29, 2012
Originally published on my blog here in February 2001.
Delano Ames' series of detective novels featuring Dagobert Brown has been one I have enjoyed for many years, though they are quite difficult to find and this is only the fourth I have read. She Shall Have Murder is the very first one, and it sets the tone for the whole series, if perhaps in a slightly more self-conscious manner than the later novels.
Jane Hamish, Dagobert's girlfriend, works at solicitors Playfair and Son, and has begun a novel which is a thriller set at her workplace in which one of the clients is murdered. This suddenly becomes less than amusing when the particular elderly lady she has chosen as the victim dies, especially when Dagobert proves that this cannot have been the accident it appears to be.
The idea of writing a novel which turns into reality means that Ames has the opportunity to poke fun at some of the clichés of the crime genre. This is occasionally too self-conscious, but is generally amusing. Compared to the remainder of the series, it is not as accomplished; Dagobert is sometimes an annoying character rather than being as charming as he is meant to be.
Delano Ames' series of detective novels featuring Dagobert Brown has been one I have enjoyed for many years, though they are quite difficult to find and this is only the fourth I have read. She Shall Have Murder is the very first one, and it sets the tone for the whole series, if perhaps in a slightly more self-conscious manner than the later novels.
Jane Hamish, Dagobert's girlfriend, works at solicitors Playfair and Son, and has begun a novel which is a thriller set at her workplace in which one of the clients is murdered. This suddenly becomes less than amusing when the particular elderly lady she has chosen as the victim dies, especially when Dagobert proves that this cannot have been the accident it appears to be.
The idea of writing a novel which turns into reality means that Ames has the opportunity to poke fun at some of the clichés of the crime genre. This is occasionally too self-conscious, but is generally amusing. Compared to the remainder of the series, it is not as accomplished; Dagobert is sometimes an annoying character rather than being as charming as he is meant to be.
April 16, 2015
I love classic murder mysteries, however until I read this book, I had never heard of Delano Ames. I was also a little surprised that this book was originally written at just after the end of World War II. It was a fantastic classic mystery.
The characters were lots of fun. Dagobert had me chuckling throughout the whole book. The interaction between him and Jane was fun to read. They are a great couple and are now among my favorites in this genre. As far as the murderer goes, well, I suspected him on and off as I read the story. But, then I also suspected others as well. I was never really sure if I was on the right track with him, which is part of the fun of reading a mystery such as this one. After all, if you can positively figure out whodunit from the beginning then what's the point of reading further? And so when it came down to it, I was surprised that I was occasionally correct in assuming that the murderer was who I suspected from time to time. Although, his motive was not what I expected.
It was well written and I would love to read more in this series if I am able to find them. I will definitely be on the lookout for them. This was an enjoyable read and has earned four stars.
My review can be found on www.wordgurgle.blogspot.com
The characters were lots of fun. Dagobert had me chuckling throughout the whole book. The interaction between him and Jane was fun to read. They are a great couple and are now among my favorites in this genre. As far as the murderer goes, well, I suspected him on and off as I read the story. But, then I also suspected others as well. I was never really sure if I was on the right track with him, which is part of the fun of reading a mystery such as this one. After all, if you can positively figure out whodunit from the beginning then what's the point of reading further? And so when it came down to it, I was surprised that I was occasionally correct in assuming that the murderer was who I suspected from time to time. Although, his motive was not what I expected.
It was well written and I would love to read more in this series if I am able to find them. I will definitely be on the lookout for them. This was an enjoyable read and has earned four stars.
My review can be found on www.wordgurgle.blogspot.com
January 12, 2015
Miss Jane Hamish is a legal clerk in the offices of Playfair and Son, solicitors. Her fiancé, Dagobert Brown (yes, really) is a gentleman of leisure who is constantly taking up new enthusiasms. His latest is detection, and he tells Jane to write a mystery novel. Soon a lonely spinster who frequents the Playfair offices is found dead and Dagobert is the only person who realises her death is not accidental. Dagobert begins sleuthing in earnest, ably accompanied by Jane.
The novel was first published in 1948 and is set against the background of post war London. The social settings are very interesting with annotations in the Manor Minor Press edition providing information about some of the contemporary references. The tone of the novel is light and humorous, with some of Dagobert's interrogation techniques making me laugh. The plot is good, as usual I guessed the wrong murderer, and the story ends with the classic gathering together of all the suspects to reveal who done it.
I would recommend this novel to fans of the classic Golden Age style of English mysteries.
The novel was first published in 1948 and is set against the background of post war London. The social settings are very interesting with annotations in the Manor Minor Press edition providing information about some of the contemporary references. The tone of the novel is light and humorous, with some of Dagobert's interrogation techniques making me laugh. The plot is good, as usual I guessed the wrong murderer, and the story ends with the classic gathering together of all the suspects to reveal who done it.
I would recommend this novel to fans of the classic Golden Age style of English mysteries.
November 28, 2024
Manor Minor Press is resurrecting the Jane and Dagobert Brown mysteries. Delano Ames' comic series, originally published between 1948 and 1959, made a little money in its time but has mostly been forgotten. After reading the first book in the series, She Shall Have Murder, in a few hours packed with much laughter and marveling at Ames' technique, I wonder just how the remarkable amateur detectives managed to vanish...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.
May 13, 2015
Favorite quote: "There is nothing which so effectively revives one’s interest in a group of all-too-familiar people as the belief that one of them is a murderer."
Traditional mystery includes murder among the people who frequent a post-war London law office. Interesting, distinctive characters and amusing writing style. Authors seemed to write in a more clever style back then. Witty observations and clever turns of phrases make for a fun read. Small group of suspects gathered at the end for reveal. Will definitely read others in this series.
Traditional mystery includes murder among the people who frequent a post-war London law office. Interesting, distinctive characters and amusing writing style. Authors seemed to write in a more clever style back then. Witty observations and clever turns of phrases make for a fun read. Small group of suspects gathered at the end for reveal. Will definitely read others in this series.
April 23, 2016
I so enjoyed this book: the repartee, the narrator's view of her co-workers, her boy friend's extremely laid back life style, life in post-war London. The mystery was well done: within a small set of suspects suspicion passes from one to another as more facts are uncovered (the boy friend turns out to be surprisingly good at his new hobby), and the solution hold together very well. I'm looking forward to continuing the series and hope the publisher, Manor Minor Press, reprints them.
August 14, 2016
I'm a sucker for old mysteries from the Golden Age, and this one doesn't disappoint. Strong women characters, of course, are a must. And once I read one book by an author I like, naturally I have to read 'em all. Then, disappoint when I'm done because there are NO MORE!
But to the book. Love Dagobert and adore Jane. A clever little mystery from the good old days.
But to the book. Love Dagobert and adore Jane. A clever little mystery from the good old days.
September 10, 2017
A fun entertainingly written mystery. Full review at classicmystery.wordpress.com
March 18, 2021
For my full review click on the link below:
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
July 8, 2020
She shall have Murder by Delano Ames
Jane and Dagobert Brown
first print 1948
this book reprint 2014
4out of 5 stars
Jane works for a solicitors office but has time to start a novel - one of the things she starts is looking at the other people who work in the office with her and she starts seeing things she does not like about each of them.
There is a client Mrs Robjohn, who calls in to the office a lot and she seems to be seeing people following her and oft times is scared to walk out of the door. Other times she is sure everything is ok. Jane empathises feeling that Mrs Robjohn is just lonely.
After one of these visits the office is advised that Mrs Robjohn is dead. The gas has been left on during a cut out and when it comes back on the tap is still on and she dies.
Dagobert Brown starts asking questions and uses Jane to ask questions of the people in the office.
Emotions twist and flow around these people and then Mrs Robjohn's son arrives on the scene and unbeknown to all the boys father is there too.
One of the things that I liked was that the guilty party is not obvious throughout the story and not brought to the front till the end of the book. I have to say I hate books when I find out the culprit early on unless the mystery is in the finding of why but it has to be good.
This is a book that is aged and very correct for the time it is written in and this may not appeal to everyone but i found it worth a read. The first of the set about Jane and Dagobert Brown I will try the next one (if I can find it in print) and see how I get on with it.
Jane and Dagobert Brown
first print 1948
this book reprint 2014
4out of 5 stars
Jane works for a solicitors office but has time to start a novel - one of the things she starts is looking at the other people who work in the office with her and she starts seeing things she does not like about each of them.
There is a client Mrs Robjohn, who calls in to the office a lot and she seems to be seeing people following her and oft times is scared to walk out of the door. Other times she is sure everything is ok. Jane empathises feeling that Mrs Robjohn is just lonely.
After one of these visits the office is advised that Mrs Robjohn is dead. The gas has been left on during a cut out and when it comes back on the tap is still on and she dies.
Dagobert Brown starts asking questions and uses Jane to ask questions of the people in the office.
Emotions twist and flow around these people and then Mrs Robjohn's son arrives on the scene and unbeknown to all the boys father is there too.
One of the things that I liked was that the guilty party is not obvious throughout the story and not brought to the front till the end of the book. I have to say I hate books when I find out the culprit early on unless the mystery is in the finding of why but it has to be good.
This is a book that is aged and very correct for the time it is written in and this may not appeal to everyone but i found it worth a read. The first of the set about Jane and Dagobert Brown I will try the next one (if I can find it in print) and see how I get on with it.
December 17, 2023
After the first fifty pages the book finally got going. One should be prepared for character banter that comes off as fairly cliche by today's standards, without becoming noir-cool.
A secretary and her boyfriend investigate the death of client in the woman's office. This pair were the protagonists in a few books, but there's nothing about them that would make me seek out their other outings.
I found the many bosses in the secretary's office much more interesting because each was quirky and seemed to be hiding something.
The solution to the crime made sense, but when I was done I wasn't thrilled or disappointed. I just felt as though I had finished a story and was ready to move on to another.
A secretary and her boyfriend investigate the death of client in the woman's office. This pair were the protagonists in a few books, but there's nothing about them that would make me seek out their other outings.
I found the many bosses in the secretary's office much more interesting because each was quirky and seemed to be hiding something.
The solution to the crime made sense, but when I was done I wasn't thrilled or disappointed. I just felt as though I had finished a story and was ready to move on to another.
March 9, 2021
Written in 1948, Jane is a law clerk typing up a mystery novel, the latest “hobby” of her lover, Dagobert Brown. He is the third son of an aristocratic family and seems guided by his whims. He is fascinated by the goings on of Jane’s law firm. When an aged client dies accidentally, Brown is convinced it’s murder. Through imposture, charm, and Jane’s curiosity, they pursue a complicated situation.
I was utterly charmed, fooled, and enthralled. Twisty. I thought I knew and was wrong. Looking forward to the next. Golden age mystery delight
I was utterly charmed, fooled, and enthralled. Twisty. I thought I knew and was wrong. Looking forward to the next. Golden age mystery delight
February 22, 2021
Oh, this book just hit the spot!! A clever, amusing, and well-written 1949 detective novel starring law clerk Jane Hamish and her hilarious, exasperating fiancé Dagobert Brown. I was led to the book by crossexamingcrime blogger, who wrote a wonderful review that I can't improve on. So here it is:
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
I just went online and ordered as many as I could find of the rest of the series.
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
I just went online and ordered as many as I could find of the rest of the series.
May 5, 2017
I believe this is supposed to be a British take on the Nick and Nora type mystery. Unfortunately, either something was lost in the translation, or the author just plain didn't understand it. The murder method and discovery were interesting, but nothing else.
Read
February 8, 2020I'm really not sure this book is for me. I found it difficult to get into the rhythm of the wording and the rapport between Jane and Dagobert was more cutsie than humorous. I found the foreword by Peter N. Walker much more interesting. Think I'll look up some of his titles to read instead.
March 9, 2020
Odd that I hadn't heard of this author. Set in London during rationing, a law clerk and boy friend start writing a mystery that becomes too real. Clues involve the use of coin operated gas meters. Written in 1949 and reprinted in 1983, this is a little gem.
Want to read
October 5, 2018Synopsis: Dagobert's latest hobby is getting Jane to write a mystery. When spinster Mrs. Robjohn dies, he's sure it's murder.
June 7, 2020
This does not age well. Language is very stilted.
October 5, 2021
I found the characters well written and the plot beautifully twisty. The ending was not what I expected which is a rare thing in a mystery novel.
October 7, 2023
Great fun!
October 12, 2023
Clever mystery that nicely reflects its era (late 1940s) and locale (London). The two lead characters are witty and charming.
May 1, 2015
Possible spoilers may lurk within this review.
This was an enjoyable example of the "detecting couple" school of mysteries examplified by Mr. and Mrs. North (by the Lockridges) and Tommy and Tuppence Beresford (by Agatha Christie). Dagobert and Jane, not yet married but on the way there, live in London in 1948. Dagobert has no visible means of support (but he's a younger son of an aristocrat) and Jane is a clerk in a solicitor's office (similar to a modern-day paralegal). Dagobert's manner is highly reminiscent of Lord Peter Wimsey or Albert Campion in their "silly-ass" personas, which the latter two take on at will as protective coloration. Dagobert, in many ways, really is a silly ass, and the exigencies of life in post-WWII Britain do not deal kindly with him. He's lucky to have Jane, who, though just as gently reared, is much more adapted to modern life and the necessity of earning one's living.
Another Golden Age writer this book calls to mind is Patricia Wentworth. Although Jane and Dagobert are as unlike Miss Silver as possible, one of the elements of the Miss Silver books was that any romance should end happily unless one of the parties was an obvious cad. This plays out in She Shall Have Murder.
I read this for an online discussion group, and some readers had a lot of trouble with the gender roles of Dagobert and Jane (and the status of women in general). (The book was written at the time it was set). Although Dagobert is a WWII veteran, he behaves like an irresponsible undergraduate most of the time, and seems to take for granted Jane's almost maternal caretaking of him. Yet at the end of the book he remarks that when they are married she will of course quit working and he will have to get a job. It would be worth reading the next volume in the series just to see how that all works out!
The characters in this book were (for the most part) likable in spite of being stereotypes, and the setting in 1948 England, with rationing still in force, was well described. I didn't have any problems with the plot. But, this book just didn't quite measure up to Sayers or Allingham, nor to Raymond Chandler's The Lady in the Lake which was our previous selection. I don't know that I'd go out of my way to get a copy if I were you; but if you found it in a summer cottage or even a library shelf it might be a fun way to spend a couple of hours.
This was an enjoyable example of the "detecting couple" school of mysteries examplified by Mr. and Mrs. North (by the Lockridges) and Tommy and Tuppence Beresford (by Agatha Christie). Dagobert and Jane, not yet married but on the way there, live in London in 1948. Dagobert has no visible means of support (but he's a younger son of an aristocrat) and Jane is a clerk in a solicitor's office (similar to a modern-day paralegal). Dagobert's manner is highly reminiscent of Lord Peter Wimsey or Albert Campion in their "silly-ass" personas, which the latter two take on at will as protective coloration. Dagobert, in many ways, really is a silly ass, and the exigencies of life in post-WWII Britain do not deal kindly with him. He's lucky to have Jane, who, though just as gently reared, is much more adapted to modern life and the necessity of earning one's living.
Another Golden Age writer this book calls to mind is Patricia Wentworth. Although Jane and Dagobert are as unlike Miss Silver as possible, one of the elements of the Miss Silver books was that any romance should end happily unless one of the parties was an obvious cad. This plays out in She Shall Have Murder.
I read this for an online discussion group, and some readers had a lot of trouble with the gender roles of Dagobert and Jane (and the status of women in general). (The book was written at the time it was set). Although Dagobert is a WWII veteran, he behaves like an irresponsible undergraduate most of the time, and seems to take for granted Jane's almost maternal caretaking of him. Yet at the end of the book he remarks that when they are married she will of course quit working and he will have to get a job. It would be worth reading the next volume in the series just to see how that all works out!
The characters in this book were (for the most part) likable in spite of being stereotypes, and the setting in 1948 England, with rationing still in force, was well described. I didn't have any problems with the plot. But, this book just didn't quite measure up to Sayers or Allingham, nor to Raymond Chandler's The Lady in the Lake which was our previous selection. I don't know that I'd go out of my way to get a copy if I were you; but if you found it in a summer cottage or even a library shelf it might be a fun way to spend a couple of hours.
September 2, 2012
SHE SHALL HAVE MURDER, made into a movie on British television in 1950, introduces Jane Hamish, a pretty young executive in the law firm Daniel Playfair and Son, and Dagobert Brown, Jane's lover and a researcher/writer who is so absorbed in the thriller he and Jane are concocting around the law firm's staff, that he is astonished when the wrong victim dies. Said victim is Mrs. Robjohn, the least favorite client of the firm, thanks to her frequent calls, letters and visits and unwavering paranoid belief that the mysterious "they" are out to get her.
SHE SHALL HAVE MURDER was labeled as "Detection with Wit" when first published in 1948, an apt description of the characters of Jane, always the common-sense, down-to-earth narrator, and her other half Dagobert, whose eccentricities and passing fads often leave Jane alternatively delighted and driven to despair ("Dagobert is my hero, but he persistently refuses to behave like one.") One of Dagobert's primary pursuits is amateur sleuthing that he puts to good use as he resorts to disguises, charm and insightful detection as he tries to prove Mrs. Robjohn was murdered.
Jane makes a delightful narrator, as in this bit about her thoughts on her potential novel-writing career at the start of the story: "On the other hand, thrillers have nowadays become an accepted art-form; bishops and minor poets read practically nothing else, and the New Statesman reviews them....The beginning of a book is always the tricky part. It should arrest. A shot should ring out in the night, or if you prefer, a rod should cough or a Roscoe belch forth destruction. Personally, I like to meet my corpse on page one, and I like him (or her) to be very dead."
In Peter Walker's foreword to the Black Dagger edition of SHE SHALL HAVE MURDER, he notes that the novel is a time capsule of post-World War II life, with utility clothing, conscription, rationing, listening to the wireless, putting lavender in the clothes closet, feeding gas meters with shillings and girls who resemble Rita Hayworth. But the writing sparkles over 60 years later and is far from dated in its ability to entertain.
SHE SHALL HAVE MURDER was labeled as "Detection with Wit" when first published in 1948, an apt description of the characters of Jane, always the common-sense, down-to-earth narrator, and her other half Dagobert, whose eccentricities and passing fads often leave Jane alternatively delighted and driven to despair ("Dagobert is my hero, but he persistently refuses to behave like one.") One of Dagobert's primary pursuits is amateur sleuthing that he puts to good use as he resorts to disguises, charm and insightful detection as he tries to prove Mrs. Robjohn was murdered.
Jane makes a delightful narrator, as in this bit about her thoughts on her potential novel-writing career at the start of the story: "On the other hand, thrillers have nowadays become an accepted art-form; bishops and minor poets read practically nothing else, and the New Statesman reviews them....The beginning of a book is always the tricky part. It should arrest. A shot should ring out in the night, or if you prefer, a rod should cough or a Roscoe belch forth destruction. Personally, I like to meet my corpse on page one, and I like him (or her) to be very dead."
In Peter Walker's foreword to the Black Dagger edition of SHE SHALL HAVE MURDER, he notes that the novel is a time capsule of post-World War II life, with utility clothing, conscription, rationing, listening to the wireless, putting lavender in the clothes closet, feeding gas meters with shillings and girls who resemble Rita Hayworth. But the writing sparkles over 60 years later and is far from dated in its ability to entertain.
December 12, 2015
I got She Shall Have Murder as a Goodreads Giveaway, a slightly different giveaway as it was originally published in 1948 and the author himself passed away a long time ago.
I love my cozy mystery books every now and then, I love the light entertainment and brainwork. Somehow She Shall Have Murder might have been just a tad too light for me though. The characters aren't taking any threat seriously and don't seem too concerned with anything really.
Jane and Dagobert's relationship is a weird one, and although I can fully appreciate the book being written in the 1940s I still don't get why someone as sensible and hard-working as Jane would consider giving up her own life and activities for someone like Dagobert. He might be fun and entertaining but not exactly husband material, especially if you have to devote your life to him after marriage.
The mystery part of the book was OK I suppose. I wasn't fully engrossed in the story and sometimes had to push myself to keep turning the page. But even though the mystery didn't go anywhere at times it was still well worth a read for when you're looking to turn your worrying brain off for a bit and concentrate on some light thinking completely different from your real life.
I love my cozy mystery books every now and then, I love the light entertainment and brainwork. Somehow She Shall Have Murder might have been just a tad too light for me though. The characters aren't taking any threat seriously and don't seem too concerned with anything really.
Jane and Dagobert's relationship is a weird one, and although I can fully appreciate the book being written in the 1940s I still don't get why someone as sensible and hard-working as Jane would consider giving up her own life and activities for someone like Dagobert. He might be fun and entertaining but not exactly husband material, especially if you have to devote your life to him after marriage.
The mystery part of the book was OK I suppose. I wasn't fully engrossed in the story and sometimes had to push myself to keep turning the page. But even though the mystery didn't go anywhere at times it was still well worth a read for when you're looking to turn your worrying brain off for a bit and concentrate on some light thinking completely different from your real life.
January 24, 2015
I very much enjoyed reading this amateur sleuth mystery from the Golden Age of British mysteries. Besides the writing, I particularly enjoyed Jane, the narrator's, views of writing a mystery book, her office colleagues, and her boyfriend's life-style, although he could sometimes be a little irritating.
Set in post-war Britain, references to rationing,clothing, feeding gasmeters, amusements and entertainers of the period were true to the period. The murder, small collection of interesting suspects and their motives were all credible, as was the outcome which was revealed with the timeless classic gathering of all suspects together.
Written with wit and the clever style of the 1950s amateur sleuth mysteries, this was a most enjoyable and entertaining read. Even 60+ years on, it has lost none of it's charm. I don't know how I've not come across this author before now, but I shall certainly look out for further titles in the series.
Thank you to Manor Minor Press for making the e-book available to me.
Set in post-war Britain, references to rationing,clothing, feeding gasmeters, amusements and entertainers of the period were true to the period. The murder, small collection of interesting suspects and their motives were all credible, as was the outcome which was revealed with the timeless classic gathering of all suspects together.
Written with wit and the clever style of the 1950s amateur sleuth mysteries, this was a most enjoyable and entertaining read. Even 60+ years on, it has lost none of it's charm. I don't know how I've not come across this author before now, but I shall certainly look out for further titles in the series.
Thank you to Manor Minor Press for making the e-book available to me.
April 13, 2015
Written in 1948, shortly after WWII, this is a funny mystery that gives an interesting view of postwar Britain and introduces two characters that Ames liked well enough to continue through a total of twelve books. And I liked well enough to know that I want more of Dagobert (!) and Jane.
from the Book Description: Dagobert Brown’s always got a new hobby. He's been through Gregorian chant, wildflowers, sixteenth-century French poetry . . . But his latest hobby is murder—or at least, the murder mystery he wants Jane Hamish to write.
Jane is the practical one. She only has one weakness: Dagobert, who exasperates her and intrigues her in equal parts. “Dagobert is my hero,” she says, “but he persistently refuses to act like one.”
I have to admit that this book surprised me with its humor and modern edge, and I'm eager to read more of this amateur detective series!
A Garden Carried in the Pocket
NetGalley/Manor Minor Press
Mystery/Detective Fiction. 1948; 2014. Print length: 299 pages.
from the Book Description: Dagobert Brown’s always got a new hobby. He's been through Gregorian chant, wildflowers, sixteenth-century French poetry . . . But his latest hobby is murder—or at least, the murder mystery he wants Jane Hamish to write.
Jane is the practical one. She only has one weakness: Dagobert, who exasperates her and intrigues her in equal parts. “Dagobert is my hero,” she says, “but he persistently refuses to act like one.”
I have to admit that this book surprised me with its humor and modern edge, and I'm eager to read more of this amateur detective series!
A Garden Carried in the Pocket
NetGalley/Manor Minor Press
Mystery/Detective Fiction. 1948; 2014. Print length: 299 pages.
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