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Биг Бен удря единадесет
Нова криминална загадка от специалната селекция на Британската библиотека.
„В „Биг Бен удря единадесет“ Дейвид Магаршак демонстрира майсторство в изграждането на психологическо напрежение, като превръща криминалната интрига в размисъл за властта и нейната цена.“ - The Spectator
„Магаршак изгражда напрежението с хладна прецизност и морална дълбочина, които издигат романа над рамките на класическата криминална загадка.“ - The Times Literary Supplement
В духа на най-добрите образци от Златната епоха на британската криминална литература, „Биг Бен удря единадесет“ от Дейвид Магаршак излиза като част от специалната селекция на Британската библиотека – колекция, която възражда забравени шедьоври на класическия детективски роман.
В една гореща лондонска привечер тялото на сър Робърт Бонифейс е открито в собствената му лимузина. Смъртта на индустриалния и финансов магнат, бивш министър и човек с огромно влияние върху политическия и икономическия живот, разтърсва обществото. Един изстрел в слепоочието слага край на живота на мъж, държал в ръцете си съдбите на мнозина.
Близо до местопрестъплението е намерен портрет на сър Робърт – надупчен от куршуми. Авторът на портрета, местен художник, изчезва мистериозно малко след убийството.
Разследването е поверено на главен инспектор Муни – проницателен и безкомпромисен детектив, който бързо разбира, че случаят далеч не е просто политическо покушение. Следите водят към мрежа от измами, злоупотреба с власт и опасни зависимости. Под звъна на Биг Бен и в сянката на лондонските институции инспектор Муни е изправен не само пред загадката около едно убийство, но и пред морални въпроси за покваряващото влияние на властта.
„Биг Бен удря единадесет“ е интелигентно конструирана мистерия с плътна атмосфера, ярки персонажи и социална чувствителност. Романът съчетава класическата структура на криминалната загадка с критичен поглед към обществото и механизмите на властта. Часовникът отброява времето неумолимо, а всяка следа води към ново разкритие – докато истината не прозвучава с точността на единадесетия удар.
„В „Биг Бен удря единадесет“ Дейвид Магаршак демонстрира майсторство в изграждането на психологическо напрежение, като превръща криминалната интрига в размисъл за властта и нейната цена.“ - The Spectator
„Магаршак изгражда напрежението с хладна прецизност и морална дълбочина, които издигат романа над рамките на класическата криминална загадка.“ - The Times Literary Supplement
В духа на най-добрите образци от Златната епоха на британската криминална литература, „Биг Бен удря единадесет“ от Дейвид Магаршак излиза като част от специалната селекция на Британската библиотека – колекция, която възражда забравени шедьоври на класическия детективски роман.
В една гореща лондонска привечер тялото на сър Робърт Бонифейс е открито в собствената му лимузина. Смъртта на индустриалния и финансов магнат, бивш министър и човек с огромно влияние върху политическия и икономическия живот, разтърсва обществото. Един изстрел в слепоочието слага край на живота на мъж, държал в ръцете си съдбите на мнозина.
Близо до местопрестъплението е намерен портрет на сър Робърт – надупчен от куршуми. Авторът на портрета, местен художник, изчезва мистериозно малко след убийството.
Разследването е поверено на главен инспектор Муни – проницателен и безкомпромисен детектив, който бързо разбира, че случаят далеч не е просто политическо покушение. Следите водят към мрежа от измами, злоупотреба с власт и опасни зависимости. Под звъна на Биг Бен и в сянката на лондонските институции инспектор Муни е изправен не само пред загадката около едно убийство, но и пред морални въпроси за покваряващото влияние на властта.
„Биг Бен удря единадесет“ е интелигентно конструирана мистерия с плътна атмосфера, ярки персонажи и социална чувствителност. Романът съчетава класическата структура на криминалната загадка с критичен поглед към обществото и механизмите на властта. Часовникът отброява времето неумолимо, а всяка следа води към ново разкритие – докато истината не прозвучава с точността на единадесетия удар.
480 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1934
49 people are currently reading
174 people want to read
About the author
David Magarshack
75 books11 followersDavid Magarshack (1899 - 1977) was a Latvian translator and biographer of Russian authors, best known for his translations of Dostoevsky.
Magarshack was born in Riga, in present-day Latvia (Riga was then part of Russia), travelled to Britain in 1920 and became naturalised in 1931.
After graduating from University College London in English Language and Literature, he worked in Fleet Street and published a number of novels.
He was the biographer of Chekhov (1952, 1955 (US)), Gogol (1957), Dostoevsky (1962), Pushkin (1967), Stanislavsky (1951, 1976) and Turgenev (1954). Magarshack died in London in 1977.
Magarshack was born in Riga, in present-day Latvia (Riga was then part of Russia), travelled to Britain in 1920 and became naturalised in 1931.
After graduating from University College London in English Language and Literature, he worked in Fleet Street and published a number of novels.
He was the biographer of Chekhov (1952, 1955 (US)), Gogol (1957), Dostoevsky (1962), Pushkin (1967), Stanislavsky (1951, 1976) and Turgenev (1954). Magarshack died in London in 1977.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
February 17, 2024
Death of a Fascist…
Sir Robert Boniface, wealthy capitalist and ‘tween-wars Fascist, is shot dead in his car, which is left abandoned on the Vale of Health at Hampstead Heath. Suicide seems to be ruled out by the fact that the weapon is missing. But Sir Robert was an unpleasant man, unscrupulous in business, confrontational in politics and far from moral in his personal life, so there are plenty of suspects.
Three men quickly emerge as the main suspects. There’s Frank Littlewood, Sir Robert’s nephew, who until recently worked for him until they had a falling out for reasons unknown, and Frank was dismissed. In revenge, the rather unstable Frank has been threatening to go the papers with information that will destroy Sir Robert’s reputation. Benjamin Fuller also works for Sir Robert, rather oddly since Sir Robert has been having an affair with Fuller’s wife for many years. The two men had reached a “gentleman’s agreement” that there would be no divorce, since Sir Robert preferred that his wife shouldn’t learn of his affair. But now Fuller has met another woman and wants to divorce his wife after all. And there’s Matt Caldwell, an artist who painted Sir Robert’s portrait, but his warts and all portrayal led Sir Robert not only to reject the painting but to describe Caldwell’s talent as rubbish.
But although the police initially concentrate on these three, trying to see if they can place any of them at the scene at the right time, they have to consider other options, as does the reader. Could this be a political hit-job? Sir Robert was a fierce anti-Communist and they may have decided it was best to silence him. Or perhaps the motive lies in Sir Robert’s business dealings – he’s cheated plenty of people in his time, any of whom might hold a grudge. Or could it be Frank’s mother, protecting her son? Or another employee for reasons unknown? The pool is large and clues are few.
It’s up to Superintendent Mooney and Inspector Beckett to work their way through the evidence, check alibis, try to tease out motives and so find the killer. Beckett is a dogged and efficient man but with limited imagination. He is apt to accept things at face value too much, and that leads him to jump to conclusions and ignore anything that might tend to lead in another direction. Mooney seems to be the polar opposite – he doubts all evidence however clear it may appear, and relies more on imaginative leaps to formulate his theories.
There’s a lot to like in this one, on the surface. The plot is interesting and the possible motives are varied and credible. The two detectives are both quite likeable and the contrast in their methods and thought processes is a good way for the author to throw doubt on the evidence and generally muddy the waters. However, the book is very procedural, too much so, and it becomes a real drag in the middle as each tiny new piece of information is discussed and dissected to death. For ages the investigation circulates around the three main suspects, leaving me feeling that if it turned out to be one of them I was going to be annoyed that Magarshack had zoomed in on them too quickly, while if it turned out not to be one of them, I was going to be annoyed that we’d spent such an interminable length of time on investigating them and ignoring all the other possibilities. Lose-lose! Eventually, at about two-thirds of the way through, I lost patience, and jumped forward to the last couple of chapters. So I was interested enough to know the solution but not interested enough to wade any further through the investigation.
Not a great success for me, then, I’m afraid. But it’s well written, the characterisation is good and the whole thing might work better for people with a greater tolerance for this kind of highly detailed investigation. 2½ stars for me, so rounded up.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
Sir Robert Boniface, wealthy capitalist and ‘tween-wars Fascist, is shot dead in his car, which is left abandoned on the Vale of Health at Hampstead Heath. Suicide seems to be ruled out by the fact that the weapon is missing. But Sir Robert was an unpleasant man, unscrupulous in business, confrontational in politics and far from moral in his personal life, so there are plenty of suspects.
Three men quickly emerge as the main suspects. There’s Frank Littlewood, Sir Robert’s nephew, who until recently worked for him until they had a falling out for reasons unknown, and Frank was dismissed. In revenge, the rather unstable Frank has been threatening to go the papers with information that will destroy Sir Robert’s reputation. Benjamin Fuller also works for Sir Robert, rather oddly since Sir Robert has been having an affair with Fuller’s wife for many years. The two men had reached a “gentleman’s agreement” that there would be no divorce, since Sir Robert preferred that his wife shouldn’t learn of his affair. But now Fuller has met another woman and wants to divorce his wife after all. And there’s Matt Caldwell, an artist who painted Sir Robert’s portrait, but his warts and all portrayal led Sir Robert not only to reject the painting but to describe Caldwell’s talent as rubbish.
But although the police initially concentrate on these three, trying to see if they can place any of them at the scene at the right time, they have to consider other options, as does the reader. Could this be a political hit-job? Sir Robert was a fierce anti-Communist and they may have decided it was best to silence him. Or perhaps the motive lies in Sir Robert’s business dealings – he’s cheated plenty of people in his time, any of whom might hold a grudge. Or could it be Frank’s mother, protecting her son? Or another employee for reasons unknown? The pool is large and clues are few.
It’s up to Superintendent Mooney and Inspector Beckett to work their way through the evidence, check alibis, try to tease out motives and so find the killer. Beckett is a dogged and efficient man but with limited imagination. He is apt to accept things at face value too much, and that leads him to jump to conclusions and ignore anything that might tend to lead in another direction. Mooney seems to be the polar opposite – he doubts all evidence however clear it may appear, and relies more on imaginative leaps to formulate his theories.
There’s a lot to like in this one, on the surface. The plot is interesting and the possible motives are varied and credible. The two detectives are both quite likeable and the contrast in their methods and thought processes is a good way for the author to throw doubt on the evidence and generally muddy the waters. However, the book is very procedural, too much so, and it becomes a real drag in the middle as each tiny new piece of information is discussed and dissected to death. For ages the investigation circulates around the three main suspects, leaving me feeling that if it turned out to be one of them I was going to be annoyed that Magarshack had zoomed in on them too quickly, while if it turned out not to be one of them, I was going to be annoyed that we’d spent such an interminable length of time on investigating them and ignoring all the other possibilities. Lose-lose! Eventually, at about two-thirds of the way through, I lost patience, and jumped forward to the last couple of chapters. So I was interested enough to know the solution but not interested enough to wade any further through the investigation.
Not a great success for me, then, I’m afraid. But it’s well written, the characterisation is good and the whole thing might work better for people with a greater tolerance for this kind of highly detailed investigation. 2½ stars for me, so rounded up.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
December 20, 2024
Latvian-born David Magarshack is best known for his translations of Russian literature, particularly Fyodor Dostoevsky. But he also produced several mystery novels during the Golden Age, his first being Big Ben Strikes Eleven in 1934.
Chief Detective-Inspector Beckett and Superintendent Mooney have parallel ideas of who shot fascist (literally) industrialist Sir Robert Boniface in his blue limousine. Which of the two policemen has fingered the correct murderer? Is it the disgruntled, bohemian brute of a painter? Is it Boniface’s tightly wound Socialist nephew? What about the husband of Sir Robert’s mistress? Or the mistress herself? Or someone else?
Magarstack has been sadly forgotten, but I enjoyed this serviceable whodunit, and I’m so grateful that British Library Crime Classics and Poisoned Press for reissuing this little gem.
Chief Detective-Inspector Beckett and Superintendent Mooney have parallel ideas of who shot fascist (literally) industrialist Sir Robert Boniface in his blue limousine. Which of the two policemen has fingered the correct murderer? Is it the disgruntled, bohemian brute of a painter? Is it Boniface’s tightly wound Socialist nephew? What about the husband of Sir Robert’s mistress? Or the mistress herself? Or someone else?
Magarstack has been sadly forgotten, but I enjoyed this serviceable whodunit, and I’m so grateful that British Library Crime Classics and Poisoned Press for reissuing this little gem.
July 21, 2025
An interesting murder mystery, intricate and with a strong political undercurrent. The characters become a little stereotyped. Unscrupulous super-rich right wing entrepreneur, scheming lackey hovering behind him, liberal-minded scruffy artist waiting to be a suspect, working class, honest as the day is long, cockney witness, and two Metropolitan Police detectives forming what has become the usual team of senior cerebral chief who thinks before he acts and hard-working loyal subordinate always ready to jump to a conclusion.
The deeply unpleasant and generally unliked tycoon, Sir Robert Boniface, is discovered alone in his car, shot through the head. An immediate suspect appears in Matt Caldwell, an artist who had been commissioned by Boniface to paint his portrait. When he saw the finished work, and having an ego the size of Donald Trump's, Boniface refused to pay for it. Could that be enough of a motive to commit murder? Chief Detective Inspector Beckett of Scotland Yard is called in to investigate, with Superintendent Edward Mooney supervising such a high profile case.
The plot does not so much thicken as become increasingly dense as the police enter the world of 1930s international finance, corruption and politics. More suspects rise to the surface: the supercilious Miss Pritt, Sir Robert's ambitious private secretary, Frank Littlewood, Sir Robert's financially aggrieved nephew, and the mysterious Mr. Fuller, none of whom could be said to have been on easy terms with the deceased victim. Small clues are uncovered, a bullet tossed in a hedge, half a cinema ticket, some minor damage to the rear of Sir Robert's car. Mooney and Beckett must piece it all together to reach the murderer.
The detectives' methods are very well worked out with just the right amount of diversions and red herrings as the finger of guilt begins to point in one direction. Three things spoil the effectiveness of the plot. The intrusion of the author's moral viewpoint over money and power, his willingness to allow explanations of his views to cloud the practical issues, and the over-melodramatic suicidal ending when Big Ben strikes eleven.
An enjoyable read, often fascinating in its twists and turns, yet there is a tendency to become long-winded and easily distracted from the main plot of tracking down a cold-blooded killer.
The deeply unpleasant and generally unliked tycoon, Sir Robert Boniface, is discovered alone in his car, shot through the head. An immediate suspect appears in Matt Caldwell, an artist who had been commissioned by Boniface to paint his portrait. When he saw the finished work, and having an ego the size of Donald Trump's, Boniface refused to pay for it. Could that be enough of a motive to commit murder? Chief Detective Inspector Beckett of Scotland Yard is called in to investigate, with Superintendent Edward Mooney supervising such a high profile case.
The plot does not so much thicken as become increasingly dense as the police enter the world of 1930s international finance, corruption and politics. More suspects rise to the surface: the supercilious Miss Pritt, Sir Robert's ambitious private secretary, Frank Littlewood, Sir Robert's financially aggrieved nephew, and the mysterious Mr. Fuller, none of whom could be said to have been on easy terms with the deceased victim. Small clues are uncovered, a bullet tossed in a hedge, half a cinema ticket, some minor damage to the rear of Sir Robert's car. Mooney and Beckett must piece it all together to reach the murderer.
The detectives' methods are very well worked out with just the right amount of diversions and red herrings as the finger of guilt begins to point in one direction. Three things spoil the effectiveness of the plot. The intrusion of the author's moral viewpoint over money and power, his willingness to allow explanations of his views to cloud the practical issues, and the over-melodramatic suicidal ending when Big Ben strikes eleven.
An enjoyable read, often fascinating in its twists and turns, yet there is a tendency to become long-winded and easily distracted from the main plot of tracking down a cold-blooded killer.
January 4, 2024
It’s a good mystery just goes on too long and it’s a bit waffly. I found myself getting nearly bored by the whole thing, and that was mainly due to how plodding the plot was. It’s not that the writing is bad, it’s actually very good nor is it the mystery itself that too is quite a twisty turny plot. It’s just the length of the book and how much of it isn’t actually speech it’s all description and just ugh dull. It’s one to read if you want to fall asleep.
January 3, 2025
ARC | Telling, not showing | I'm sorry to say that this really dragged for me. I read classic Golden Age cozy mysteries all the time, so this should have been perfect for me, but it was so dull, right from the start. It usually takes me a couple of hours to read a book this genre and length, this took a month.
Advanced Reader Copy provided free of charge, which did not impact my review
Advanced Reader Copy provided free of charge, which did not impact my review
December 6, 2023
A jolly good read and maintained mystery throughout. Well constructed characters and has stood the test of time.
March 10, 2025
Woo boy was this a chore to get through! Reading the introduction is necessary to understand the fashion in which this novel was written (basically, in the vein of Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment), otherwise you would be even more put out with the drawn-out length and the absolutely unnecessary level of granular detail that labors across the page.
I clocked the killer on page 75, but had to spend 300+ pages with the detectives chasing their tails before arriving at the same conclusion. Inspector Beckett was maddening - he does not think before he acts - and Mooney, though more thoughtful, was just a bit too hesitant for my tastes. To say nothing of the other red herring suspects, or the entire side-trip that Matt Caldwell takes, terrible insta-love romance and all!
If the plot had been tightened up and the explanations a bit less plodding, this might've been a better read. Certainly 100 pages could've been lopped off with nothing of value lost. This novel was this author's only true success in the fiction world; he released two more before turning to translation instead. I certainly hope the British Library doesn't feel the need to inflict the other novels on us!
I clocked the killer on page 75, but had to spend 300+ pages with the detectives chasing their tails before arriving at the same conclusion. Inspector Beckett was maddening - he does not think before he acts - and Mooney, though more thoughtful, was just a bit too hesitant for my tastes. To say nothing of the other red herring suspects, or the entire side-trip that Matt Caldwell takes, terrible insta-love romance and all!
If the plot had been tightened up and the explanations a bit less plodding, this might've been a better read. Certainly 100 pages could've been lopped off with nothing of value lost. This novel was this author's only true success in the fiction world; he released two more before turning to translation instead. I certainly hope the British Library doesn't feel the need to inflict the other novels on us!
December 18, 2023
Like many a corpse in the golden age of mysteries, Sir Robert Boniface needed killing and there were no shortage of people with the means and motive to do it. From the husband of Sir Robert’s long-term mistress, to the nephew who Sir Robert fired, to the artist with a gun collection, to the Sir Robert’s alarmingly efficient secretary, to the business rivals Sir Robert had stiffed and swindled…there were plenty of people for Scotland Yard to suspect. Of course, they will find the real killer, but not until the last paragraph will anyone find out the reason behind this book’s title.
Simply a good, well organized bit of storytelling, ideally suited for audiobook. One and only flaw may be a somewhat too easy to guess killer.
Note — the opening chapter involves the thoughts and feelings of a loathsome character who will offend current sensibilities. Stick with the book —he’s gone soon enough.
Simply a good, well organized bit of storytelling, ideally suited for audiobook. One and only flaw may be a somewhat too easy to guess killer.
Note — the opening chapter involves the thoughts and feelings of a loathsome character who will offend current sensibilities. Stick with the book —he’s gone soon enough.
January 9, 2024
I ploughed through this book and was never really interested in discovering the murderer essentially because I didn’t like any of the characters including the victim. It’s a carefully plotted mystery but was of little interest to me
January 11, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of the reprinting of Big Ben Strikes Eleven.
2.5 stars to David Magarshack's Big Ben Strikes Eleven. This story begins with the discovery of Sir Robert Boniface, dead in his limousine. An important man in the business industry, and with a past in politics, Boniface has accrued many enemies over the years. The clues are few and the suspects are many in the search for the elusive murderer.
Though this story has an interesting premise, it was underwhelming and failed to be overly entertaining or memorable. The use of "telling" over "showing," as well as unnecessary attention to points unimportant to the plot, created a slow read that became something to work through rather than a story to enjoy.
2.5 stars to David Magarshack's Big Ben Strikes Eleven. This story begins with the discovery of Sir Robert Boniface, dead in his limousine. An important man in the business industry, and with a past in politics, Boniface has accrued many enemies over the years. The clues are few and the suspects are many in the search for the elusive murderer.
Though this story has an interesting premise, it was underwhelming and failed to be overly entertaining or memorable. The use of "telling" over "showing," as well as unnecessary attention to points unimportant to the plot, created a slow read that became something to work through rather than a story to enjoy.
September 15, 2025
One doesn't expect a selection of the British Library Crime Classics to be written by a man who achieved success translating Dostoevsky, but here we are, in this tale of the murder of prominent capitalist Sir Robert Boniface. The three immediate suspects are the artist whose portrait of Sir Robert he rejected, Sir Robert's nephew, who was recently fired from his secretarial job and who clearly bears a grudge against his uncle, and one of Sir Robert's assistants, who is being paid more than his salary for an unsavory reason. Inspector Beckett favors them as suspects in that order, but Superintendent Mooney finds them unconvincing, and is repeatedly drawn to someone who seems to have no motive--until the real truth is recognized.
December 10, 2023
“Big Ben Strikes Eleven” deals with the investigation of the murder of Sir Robert Boniface, one of those captains of finance and masters of dodgy business dealings so often featured in GAD fiction.
Despite what appears to be a fairly full description of someone larger than life, I found it quite hard to visualise the man who seemed to have inspired a vast amount of ill-feeling in most people who encountered him. I also felt , paradoxically, that the author attempted to conceal a rather substandard plot by over-doing the detail of the lives of the suspects.
The main weakness is, unfortunately, that the murderer and motive are obvious from too early on and no amount of obfuscation and relentless investigation of others’ whereabouts and possible motives could hide this. Despite their seeming efficiency,Inspector Beckett and Superintendent Mooney fail to follow up clues and leave unchallenged and unchecked statements made by one of the characters. Coincidence plays too large a part and the finale lacks tension or real drama.
A major criticism which might be made then is the opposite of that levelled at many 1930s detective novels as, for me, it has too much surface characterisation and too little puzzle. It is also inordinately long. The most interesting and well-fleshed characters, Matt Caldwell and Marjorie Trevor, would have provided material for another, rather different book, but are wasted here.
In his Introduction Martin Edwards draws parallels with Dostoyevsky in whose works David Magarshack immersed himself. These may be valid, but the connection does not necessarily make this an absorbing crime novel.
The writing is good but not good enough to lift the book from the overwhelming dullness and lack of mystification.
I wonder if either of the author’s other detective novels was inverted since it strikes me that with his interests and strengths in psychology and in character-creation, a structure in the Francis Iles mode might have worked better for him.
3.25 stars.
Despite what appears to be a fairly full description of someone larger than life, I found it quite hard to visualise the man who seemed to have inspired a vast amount of ill-feeling in most people who encountered him. I also felt , paradoxically, that the author attempted to conceal a rather substandard plot by over-doing the detail of the lives of the suspects.
The main weakness is, unfortunately, that the murderer and motive are obvious from too early on and no amount of obfuscation and relentless investigation of others’ whereabouts and possible motives could hide this. Despite their seeming efficiency,Inspector Beckett and Superintendent Mooney fail to follow up clues and leave unchallenged and unchecked statements made by one of the characters. Coincidence plays too large a part and the finale lacks tension or real drama.
A major criticism which might be made then is the opposite of that levelled at many 1930s detective novels as, for me, it has too much surface characterisation and too little puzzle. It is also inordinately long. The most interesting and well-fleshed characters, Matt Caldwell and Marjorie Trevor, would have provided material for another, rather different book, but are wasted here.
In his Introduction Martin Edwards draws parallels with Dostoyevsky in whose works David Magarshack immersed himself. These may be valid, but the connection does not necessarily make this an absorbing crime novel.
The writing is good but not good enough to lift the book from the overwhelming dullness and lack of mystification.
I wonder if either of the author’s other detective novels was inverted since it strikes me that with his interests and strengths in psychology and in character-creation, a structure in the Francis Iles mode might have worked better for him.
3.25 stars.
April 22, 2024
Rather slow
This had all the potential to be a really great novel. It's a terrific storyline, and I didn't get it until we were quite literally down to the last two suspects, even then I wasn't 100% sure for a while.
Great characters too, except that I still don't know what happened to ...... no spoilers now!
And, if it hadn't been so slow, bordering on turgid, this would be a really well written book.
I struggled.
This had all the potential to be a really great novel. It's a terrific storyline, and I didn't get it until we were quite literally down to the last two suspects, even then I wasn't 100% sure for a while.
Great characters too, except that I still don't know what happened to ...... no spoilers now!
And, if it hadn't been so slow, bordering on turgid, this would be a really well written book.
I struggled.
February 8, 2024
I enjoyed this, though it’s probably 100 pages longer than it needs to be, and the solution is a little straightforward.
July 23, 2024
I didn't enjoy this book and couldn't wait to finish it .
The only chapter worth reading is the last one because it put me out of my misery.
The only chapter worth reading is the last one because it put me out of my misery.
January 15, 2025
I continue to enjoy the British Library Crime Classic reprints of lesser known or forgotten golden age mysteries, I am coming up on 100 of these novels completed. Although a majority of these come from authors that are well known, there is the occasional mystery by an author who just has one or two novels to his/her credit. “Big Ben Strikes Eleven” falls into this category, written by David Magarshack, a well-known biographer of Russian authors but not a mystery writer.
As is usual in mysteries from the mid 1930’s, Sir Robert Boniface is a rich industrialist who is begging to be killed. He is haughty and highhanded with his family, ruthless and cutthroat in his business, condescending and dismissive to others around him. When his body is found shot in the back of his limousine, the police have a hard time narrowing down the suspect list since it seems everyone had a motive to kill this man.
But three main suspects emerge. There’s the nephew, Frank Littlewood, who was recently fired from his position working for Sir Robert, had threatened to go public with embarrassing information, and was an avowed communist while Sir Robert was an avowed fascist. Frank also had a fiancée and a mother, Sir Robert’s sister, who were always trying to protect Frank. Also on the suspect list is Matt Caldwell, a poor artist who was the first to identify the body. Matt had painted a portrait of Sir Robert, but Robert did not like the painting and returned it to Matt, refusing to pay for it. Although Matt was cooperative with the police at first, he had quickly vanished and was nowhere to be found. Suspicious, especially after it was discovered that it was his gun that fired the fatal bullet. And finally there’s Benjamin Fuller, an employee of Sir Robert’s, whose wife has been Sir Robert’s mistress for a very long time, years. Sir Robert never would allow for a divorce, but now Benjamin has met a woman who he wishes to marry, but Robert refuses to change the status quo.
There’s also others from the business world, including his secretary Marjorie Trevor, always kept under his thumb, and others who have forced Sir Robert out of certain ventures due to his recklessness and underhanded ways.
Into all of this plod Inspector Beckett and Superintendent Mooney, two policemen with completely contrasting approaches, trying to solve the murder. Becket jumps to conclusions and is quick to twist with each new piece of evidence, Mooney is the one with imagination, trying to understand the motives, the psychology behind the killing. They make for an enjoyable pair, moving through the evidence and following each clue to the end.
An enjoyable police procedural from the 1930’s, this is longer and more detailed than most stories from this era, with an action-packed conclusion. But be prepared for a procedural, not a deductive wizard solving crimes out of the blue.
I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. Thank you!
As is usual in mysteries from the mid 1930’s, Sir Robert Boniface is a rich industrialist who is begging to be killed. He is haughty and highhanded with his family, ruthless and cutthroat in his business, condescending and dismissive to others around him. When his body is found shot in the back of his limousine, the police have a hard time narrowing down the suspect list since it seems everyone had a motive to kill this man.
But three main suspects emerge. There’s the nephew, Frank Littlewood, who was recently fired from his position working for Sir Robert, had threatened to go public with embarrassing information, and was an avowed communist while Sir Robert was an avowed fascist. Frank also had a fiancée and a mother, Sir Robert’s sister, who were always trying to protect Frank. Also on the suspect list is Matt Caldwell, a poor artist who was the first to identify the body. Matt had painted a portrait of Sir Robert, but Robert did not like the painting and returned it to Matt, refusing to pay for it. Although Matt was cooperative with the police at first, he had quickly vanished and was nowhere to be found. Suspicious, especially after it was discovered that it was his gun that fired the fatal bullet. And finally there’s Benjamin Fuller, an employee of Sir Robert’s, whose wife has been Sir Robert’s mistress for a very long time, years. Sir Robert never would allow for a divorce, but now Benjamin has met a woman who he wishes to marry, but Robert refuses to change the status quo.
There’s also others from the business world, including his secretary Marjorie Trevor, always kept under his thumb, and others who have forced Sir Robert out of certain ventures due to his recklessness and underhanded ways.
Into all of this plod Inspector Beckett and Superintendent Mooney, two policemen with completely contrasting approaches, trying to solve the murder. Becket jumps to conclusions and is quick to twist with each new piece of evidence, Mooney is the one with imagination, trying to understand the motives, the psychology behind the killing. They make for an enjoyable pair, moving through the evidence and following each clue to the end.
An enjoyable police procedural from the 1930’s, this is longer and more detailed than most stories from this era, with an action-packed conclusion. But be prepared for a procedural, not a deductive wizard solving crimes out of the blue.
I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. Thank you!
January 22, 2025
I was aware of David Magarshack’s translations of Dostoevsky for Penguin Classics, but I didn’t know that he also wrote detective novels. The British Library have reissued his Big Ben Strikes Eleven in their Crime Classics series. When it was first published in 1934, it attracted praise from Dorothy L Sayers and other critics.
An important businessman, Sir Robert Boniface, has been murdered. His body is found in his car near a small hamlet on Hampstead Heath. There are only a few major characters in the book: Sir Robert’s wife, Lady Boniface; his sister, Mary Littlewood; her son, Frank; Matt Caldwell, an artist who recently painted Sir Robert’s portrait; two of Sir Robert’s employees, Miss Pritt and Benjamin Fuller; and two policemen: Chief Detective-Inspector Beckett and Superintendent Mooney. Other people come and go, but the narrative really follows those named.
The book shows how Superintendent Mooney tackles the murder investigation patiently and almost like a jigsaw. He will try a piece and, if it doesn’t fit the picture he has built so far, he puts it on one side and tries another. In theory, I should have enjoyed this book because it pushes all my buttons: it’s a Golden Age detective story set in England between the wars by an author not renowned for detective fiction. In practice, I was disappointed. I felt the characters’ behaviour was unrealistic - would the police really let an important witness get away with stating that they won’t disclose information about Sir Robert’s movements and business affairs because it’s nothing to do with his murder? There’s also a lot of tell, not show. Although that can advance the plot more quickly, the author misses an opportunity to let us see the characters in action and so they struggle to gain our interest.
There are a couple of interesting historic points. Firstly, the abuse of women is treated as, if not acceptable, then to be expected. Samuel Halstead “was used to beating his wife occasionally” and tries to hit his daughter, but she is bigger than him and he comes off second-best; Frank Littlewood says that a woman’s “loyalty actually increases if she is treated roughly.” Although the only physical violence we see if Agnes Halstead shaking her father like a rat (hurray!), I felt quite uncomfortable with some of the text. The second point that struck me is the police interview with a woman following the world’s oldest profession. The author is explicit about what she does; how much she got paid; where she takes her client; and other aspects of the transaction (but not the physical act itself). I was surprised that the author didn’t try to hide what she did with allusions – this must have been a raw text for the 1930s.
Magarshack’s translations are superb, but there were several points where I felt this was a mediocre novel by a second-rate author. Although it’s good to read some books like that in order to get a truer picture of 1930s detective fiction (most authors were not of the calibre of Christie, Sayers, etc.), I probably wouldn’t buy any other novels by him.
An important businessman, Sir Robert Boniface, has been murdered. His body is found in his car near a small hamlet on Hampstead Heath. There are only a few major characters in the book: Sir Robert’s wife, Lady Boniface; his sister, Mary Littlewood; her son, Frank; Matt Caldwell, an artist who recently painted Sir Robert’s portrait; two of Sir Robert’s employees, Miss Pritt and Benjamin Fuller; and two policemen: Chief Detective-Inspector Beckett and Superintendent Mooney. Other people come and go, but the narrative really follows those named.
The book shows how Superintendent Mooney tackles the murder investigation patiently and almost like a jigsaw. He will try a piece and, if it doesn’t fit the picture he has built so far, he puts it on one side and tries another. In theory, I should have enjoyed this book because it pushes all my buttons: it’s a Golden Age detective story set in England between the wars by an author not renowned for detective fiction. In practice, I was disappointed. I felt the characters’ behaviour was unrealistic - would the police really let an important witness get away with stating that they won’t disclose information about Sir Robert’s movements and business affairs because it’s nothing to do with his murder? There’s also a lot of tell, not show. Although that can advance the plot more quickly, the author misses an opportunity to let us see the characters in action and so they struggle to gain our interest.
There are a couple of interesting historic points. Firstly, the abuse of women is treated as, if not acceptable, then to be expected. Samuel Halstead “was used to beating his wife occasionally” and tries to hit his daughter, but she is bigger than him and he comes off second-best; Frank Littlewood says that a woman’s “loyalty actually increases if she is treated roughly.” Although the only physical violence we see if Agnes Halstead shaking her father like a rat (hurray!), I felt quite uncomfortable with some of the text. The second point that struck me is the police interview with a woman following the world’s oldest profession. The author is explicit about what she does; how much she got paid; where she takes her client; and other aspects of the transaction (but not the physical act itself). I was surprised that the author didn’t try to hide what she did with allusions – this must have been a raw text for the 1930s.
Magarshack’s translations are superb, but there were several points where I felt this was a mediocre novel by a second-rate author. Although it’s good to read some books like that in order to get a truer picture of 1930s detective fiction (most authors were not of the calibre of Christie, Sayers, etc.), I probably wouldn’t buy any other novels by him.
January 17, 2025
This was an intriguing and distinctive debut novel originally published in 1934 by an author who only wrote a few mysteries in his lifetime. The story begins with the discovery by a passer-by of the body of a famous captain of industry in his parked limousine. As the story unfolds, we see the events through the points of view of various characters who are connected to the case in some way. In the case of Superintendent Mooney and Inspector Beckett, this is a highly entertaining and illuminating approach. The inspector is diligent, thorough, practical, down-to-earth. His superior is intuitive, lateral-thinking, prone to whims and daydreams. Beckett is great at gathering evidence but can’t see the big picture. He doubts his boss’ whims and fancies. Mooney has the creative vision to put the pieces together as long as he has Beckett’s help to gather them.
This story is quirky enough to keep it from being dry and formulaic. The case turns on whether the dead man’s murder had a personal motive (the love triangle he was involved in), or a professional/political motive (as a tycoon, financial speculator, and Fascist sympathizer, he had a lot of enemies).
Part of the quirkiness is an interesting interlude of a few chapters where one of the suspects leaves town and has a bit of an adventure that is tangentially related to the case. This seemed almost like it could have become its own novel, and the characters and events in this section practically leap off the page.
For the last few chapters we return to the police Superintendent and Inspector. The final clues fall into place and the case is solved with a tense and fast-paced finale (more details would give too much away) at the chiming of eleven o’clock on a busy morning in London. Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book.
This story is quirky enough to keep it from being dry and formulaic. The case turns on whether the dead man’s murder had a personal motive (the love triangle he was involved in), or a professional/political motive (as a tycoon, financial speculator, and Fascist sympathizer, he had a lot of enemies).
Part of the quirkiness is an interesting interlude of a few chapters where one of the suspects leaves town and has a bit of an adventure that is tangentially related to the case. This seemed almost like it could have become its own novel, and the characters and events in this section practically leap off the page.
For the last few chapters we return to the police Superintendent and Inspector. The final clues fall into place and the case is solved with a tense and fast-paced finale (more details would give too much away) at the chiming of eleven o’clock on a busy morning in London. Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book.
December 28, 2023
Big Ben Strikes Eleven is a 1934 crime novel by David Magarshack and is the latest publication in the British Library Crime Classics series. This was the first of three crime novels published by Magarshack and by far his most successful. The novel drew rave reviews from Dorothy L. Sayers among others. Because of his lack of commercial success writing crime fiction, Magarshack shifted his focus to literary biographies. His fortunes would change in 1949 when he was approached by Penguin to translate Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment. He would go on to make a name for himself with his translations of Russian literature.
This novel is a police procedural. Sir Robert Boniface is found murdered in his limousine on Hampstead Heath. The novel follows the investigation by two Scotland Yard detectives into the murder. Everything we learn about the victim is told through the testimony of witnesses and acquaintances of the victim. Sir Robert was a leading London financier who has as many enemies as friends. Thus, the list of possible suspects is long and through dogged investigation our detectives must sort through the clues and identify the culprit.
It's a interesting novel mainly for its perspective on police procedure. Unlike many Golden Age novels, this crime is actually solved by the police. It's a very enjoyable book and an excellent addition to the British Library Crime Classics series. Once again, they have introduced me to an author I did not know. I am thankful that they continue to publish books that were one popular but since forgotten.
Thanks to the British Library for providing a copy of the book for this review. No other consideration was received in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own.
This novel is a police procedural. Sir Robert Boniface is found murdered in his limousine on Hampstead Heath. The novel follows the investigation by two Scotland Yard detectives into the murder. Everything we learn about the victim is told through the testimony of witnesses and acquaintances of the victim. Sir Robert was a leading London financier who has as many enemies as friends. Thus, the list of possible suspects is long and through dogged investigation our detectives must sort through the clues and identify the culprit.
It's a interesting novel mainly for its perspective on police procedure. Unlike many Golden Age novels, this crime is actually solved by the police. It's a very enjoyable book and an excellent addition to the British Library Crime Classics series. Once again, they have introduced me to an author I did not know. I am thankful that they continue to publish books that were one popular but since forgotten.
Thanks to the British Library for providing a copy of the book for this review. No other consideration was received in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own.
December 3, 2023
This is an exquisitely well put together mystery.
I adore retro detective stories and Big Ben Strikes Eleven is a shining example.
Like all good mysteries, you think you have things figured out as to why the murder happened and then something new comes along to blow open all possibilities. It’s like that with David Magarshack’s novel from start to finish as more elements and clues revolving round the mystery are introduced to us. I particularly enjoyed how it was the London Metropolitan Police on the case as opposed to the usual amateur sleuth, which helped to give the location of London a stronger presence.
At just over 300 pages it’s nicely digestible and keeps you guessing how things will turn out right up until the very end. Considering Magarshack eventually made his name as a translator, his detective fiction, particularly this book, is more than worth checking out.
Highly recommended.
I adore retro detective stories and Big Ben Strikes Eleven is a shining example.
Like all good mysteries, you think you have things figured out as to why the murder happened and then something new comes along to blow open all possibilities. It’s like that with David Magarshack’s novel from start to finish as more elements and clues revolving round the mystery are introduced to us. I particularly enjoyed how it was the London Metropolitan Police on the case as opposed to the usual amateur sleuth, which helped to give the location of London a stronger presence.
At just over 300 pages it’s nicely digestible and keeps you guessing how things will turn out right up until the very end. Considering Magarshack eventually made his name as a translator, his detective fiction, particularly this book, is more than worth checking out.
Highly recommended.
December 17, 2024
This British Library Crime Classics new-to-me author discovery made my day! I savor every Golden Age mystery I can find. Contemporary authors can be incredible but there's something timeless and special about the classics which draws me in, again and again.
In Big Ben Strikes Eleven, artist Matt Caldwell happens upon a corpse in a blue limousine one evening and recognizes tycoon Sir Robert Boniface. No love lost there. Others weren't exactly heartbroken about Sir Robert's fate, either. Likeable Superintendent Mooney heads the investigation and encounters lies around every corner. His empathy peeks out occasionally which endeared me to him.
I love the old-fashioned investigative techniques and problem solving, red herrings and quirky characters. Folks had scores to settle. The culprit is a good choice. The writing itself is bright and appealing with sparks of wit.
In Big Ben Strikes Eleven, artist Matt Caldwell happens upon a corpse in a blue limousine one evening and recognizes tycoon Sir Robert Boniface. No love lost there. Others weren't exactly heartbroken about Sir Robert's fate, either. Likeable Superintendent Mooney heads the investigation and encounters lies around every corner. His empathy peeks out occasionally which endeared me to him.
I love the old-fashioned investigative techniques and problem solving, red herrings and quirky characters. Folks had scores to settle. The culprit is a good choice. The writing itself is bright and appealing with sparks of wit.
November 26, 2024
Besides being a better-than-average police procedural of its day, the storyline also gives some insight into the politics and social mindsets of the police and others in 1930s London. The victim's business practices and wealth, not to mention his personality saw to it that he had no shortage of people who wanted him dead (including his own family). But who shot him dead in his car in the hot summer? And what happened to the gun?
I requested and received a free temporary uncorrected digital galley from Poisoned Pen Press, via NetGalley. Thank you!
Avail Jan 14, 2025 #BigBenStrikesEleven by David Magarshack #BritishLibraryCrimeClassics @PoisonedPenPress #BritishLibraryPublishing #Sourcebooks
I requested and received a free temporary uncorrected digital galley from Poisoned Pen Press, via NetGalley. Thank you!
Avail Jan 14, 2025 #BigBenStrikesEleven by David Magarshack #BritishLibraryCrimeClassics @PoisonedPenPress #BritishLibraryPublishing #Sourcebooks
January 4, 2025
Sir Robert Boniface’s body was discovered in his limousine and it was a toss up between murder or suicide. A leading industrialist he was a well known figure, but one who had plenty of enemies. He knew how to cut people down with biting talk, using his power to coerce those working for him or with him.
The story starts with a legion of suspects and then gets whittled down. Three main suspects and each gets handled differently by the two Detectives heading the case. The attention to detail as each piece of evidence is unearthed is rather tedious and you wish it could just be hurried along. The story set in the 1930s is classic vintage mystery and it evolves like that.
Characters are varied which add depth and interest to the story.
The story starts with a legion of suspects and then gets whittled down. Three main suspects and each gets handled differently by the two Detectives heading the case. The attention to detail as each piece of evidence is unearthed is rather tedious and you wish it could just be hurried along. The story set in the 1930s is classic vintage mystery and it evolves like that.
Characters are varied which add depth and interest to the story.
November 15, 2023
This was an absolutely riveting murder mystery, an exceptionally well crafted novel with fleshed out characters and unusually for a golden age of crime fiction novel the police are the detectives rather than some consulting amateur.
DM only wrote three crime novels and unfortunately they were not successful enough for him to continue, carnt speak for his other two but this should never have slipped into obscurity, i think it sits up there with Carr & Sayers easily.
An absolute corker, i would recommend
DM only wrote three crime novels and unfortunately they were not successful enough for him to continue, carnt speak for his other two but this should never have slipped into obscurity, i think it sits up there with Carr & Sayers easily.
An absolute corker, i would recommend
April 4, 2024
The book was a gift and not one I would have bought myself.
I more I got into the story the more I enjoyed reading about the characters and situations. It could have been an Agatha Christie with all the suspects wanting a different reason to see Sior Robert Boniface killed.
The author set up some nice scenarios and i imagined some lovely countryside where the action occurred.
There is a lovely twist at the end when the Superintendent and Inspector confront the perpetrator. An enjoyable read in Englands green and pleasant land.
I more I got into the story the more I enjoyed reading about the characters and situations. It could have been an Agatha Christie with all the suspects wanting a different reason to see Sior Robert Boniface killed.
The author set up some nice scenarios and i imagined some lovely countryside where the action occurred.
There is a lovely twist at the end when the Superintendent and Inspector confront the perpetrator. An enjoyable read in Englands green and pleasant land.
January 2, 2025
Unpleasant wealthy businessman Sir Robert Boniface is found dead in his limousine, shot. Presumed murdered. Very quickly three suspects emerge. Superintendent Mooney and Inspector Beckett, with contrasting styles of investigation are assigned the case.
An entertaining police procedural with a varied cast of characters though not all likeable.
First published in 1935
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
An entertaining police procedural with a varied cast of characters though not all likeable.
First published in 1935
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 26, 2023
Loved the way this mystery went off in different directions and didn’t turn out as initially expected. The title of the novel was intriguing and even once I had completed the book it felt rather a strange choice.
Nicely developed characters and a good plot line with clues along the way
Nicely developed characters and a good plot line with clues along the way
February 19, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader copy of this ebook, prior to the title's re-release. I enjoyed the mystery quite a bit, until it got to about 80/85% or so, when it started to get a bit boring.
February 15, 2024
Absorbing storyline with a strong narrative and intriguing characters. It is very well-paced and builds to an exciting conclusion.
September 21, 2024
Police investigate the murder of a millionaire found in his limousine. A little slow in the beginning, but it picked up a bit later, and I enjoyed it by the end.
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