Last Laugh For The Toff

Toff #31

by John Creasey

Richard Rollison - The "Toff" to the underworld and Scotland Yard alike - was disliked but respected by those on the wrong side of the law. Lady Luck seemed always to smile his way, and the smart crook would stay out of his path. But his family considered him nothing more than a silly playboy, and not quite respectable - until the unhappy day when the family found itself deep in an evil mess of blackmail, drugs and perhaps murder!

Genres: Mystery

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1954

About the author

AKA Gordon Ashe, M E Cooke, Norman Deane, Robert Caine Frazer, Patrick Gill, Michael Halliday, Charles Hogarth, Brian Hope, Colin Hughes, Kyle Hunt, Margaret Lisle, Abel Mann, Peter Manton, J.J. Marric, Richard Martin, Rodney Mattheson, Anthony Morton, Jeremy York, Henry St. John Cooper and Margaret Cooke.

John Creasey (September 17, 1908 - June 9, 1973) was born in Southfields, Surrey, England and died in New Hall, Bodenham, Salisbury Wiltshire, England. He was the seventh of nine children in a working class home. He became an English author of crime thrillers, published in excess of 600 books under 20+ different pseudonyms. He invented many famous characters who would appear in a whole series of novels. Probably the most famous of these is Gideon of Scotland Yard, the basis for the television program Gideon's Way but others include Department Z, Dr. Palfrey, The Toff, Inspector Roger West, and The Baron (which was also made into a television series). In 1962, Creasey won an Edgar Award for Best Novel, from the Mystery Writers of America, for Gideon's Fire, written under the pen name J. J. Marric. And in 1969 he was given the MWA's highest honor, the Grand Master Award.

Reviews

[ShanDizzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sal was safe but hysterical. Grice was pretending to be hostile, actually allowing him a lot of rope. A grisly bear of a man had been on the rampage - why had he gone to see Micky Ogilvie? Ogilvie had been attacked by men with knives, who might have meant murder, but also might have meant only to disfigure, to maim, or to frighten. Leah of the throaty, voluptuous voice was nursing him, and - always remember - a plump country maid had been strangled. Why? Would Sal know? Was she frightened because of what had happened to the maid?

[John Peel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Toff is asked by his young and pretty cousin to help her out. Her boyfriend is in trouble at the local fair, which seems to be run by the lovely Leah Sharp. But Leah seems to be involved with drug smuggling, which the police have traced to the fair. There's also a huge strongman named Ivan, who has a grudge against the Toff and would cheerfully murder him. But it's the not Toff who is found dead...

Amiable nonsense with (as usual) an overly-complicated plot. A decent if not compelling read.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much. It was a pure escapism. It had mystery and adventure along with some humor. I would recommend this book to readers who like mysteries from the past.

[Nancy]

I'd been "reading" this mystery for about a month without making it half way through so I decided to trade it with my sister. That way we would both have fresh mysteries for our plane rides home from visiting our parents. Somehow I couldn't get traction with it though I can't pinpoint anything specificially wrong with the first 1/3 of the book.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

from 1968 - lots of fun, sort of like Ian Fleming's Bond books, where you knew you liked the character and could have a good read without a lot of deep involvement.

[Bettie · Rating 3 out of 5]

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[Starla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read these when I was 13. They were a light fun mix of modern day robin hood, mystery, and adventure.

[Delores Alger · Rating 4 out of 5]

toff