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Untimely Guest
When Bridie, the youngest daughter of a strict Irish Catholic family, returns home after spending ten years in a convent, her arrival stirs up old loves, hates, and motives for murder
- GenresMystery
188 pages, Hardcover
First published July 12, 1976
About the author
Marian Babson
60 books90 followersMarian Babson, a pseudonym for Ruth Stenstreem, was born in Salem, Massachusetts, but lived in London for the greater part of her life.
She worked as a librarian; managed a campaign headquarters; was a receptionist, secretary, and den mother to a firm of commercial artists; and was co-editor of a machine knitting magazine, despite the fact that she can’t knit, even with two needles.
A long sojourn as a temp sent her into the heart of business life all over London, working for architects, law firms, the British Museum, a Soho club, and even a visiting superstar.
She also served as secretary to the Crime Writers’ Association. She became a full-time writer whose many interests included theatre, cinema, art, cooking, travel, and, of course, cats, which feature in many of her mystery books. Her first published work was 'Cover-Up Story' in 1971 and 'Only the Cat' (2007) was her 44th novel.
The publisher's tagline for her style is "Murder Most British," a style reflected in each of her novels. Any violence is not graphically described and the sleuths are usually amateurs.
She re-used certain characters, such as the publicity firm Perkins & Tate, and a couple of ageing actresses, her books all stand-alone and can be read in any order.
Gerry Wolstenholme
September 2010
She worked as a librarian; managed a campaign headquarters; was a receptionist, secretary, and den mother to a firm of commercial artists; and was co-editor of a machine knitting magazine, despite the fact that she can’t knit, even with two needles.
A long sojourn as a temp sent her into the heart of business life all over London, working for architects, law firms, the British Museum, a Soho club, and even a visiting superstar.
She also served as secretary to the Crime Writers’ Association. She became a full-time writer whose many interests included theatre, cinema, art, cooking, travel, and, of course, cats, which feature in many of her mystery books. Her first published work was 'Cover-Up Story' in 1971 and 'Only the Cat' (2007) was her 44th novel.
The publisher's tagline for her style is "Murder Most British," a style reflected in each of her novels. Any violence is not graphically described and the sleuths are usually amateurs.
She re-used certain characters, such as the publicity firm Perkins & Tate, and a couple of ageing actresses, her books all stand-alone and can be read in any order.
Gerry Wolstenholme
September 2010
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 8, 2023
This mystery opens with a death from a fall down steep stairs. Then, from the perspective of a suffering in-law, an account of events set in motion among a family of Irish Catholics with their bigoted matriarch from hell. Quite believable.
January 7, 2011
The bulk of this book is about family drama in a large mostly Irish Roman Catholic family (living in Britain). There's a lot of back and forth about Eleanor who's a Protestant. Most of the drama revolves around Mam, who is presented as an overbearing matriarch and a mean bat of a woman, and her daughter Bridie, who was sent away to a nunnery after her sister Dee Dee ended up married and later divorced to the man she was engaged to. Dee Dee is a constant source of embarrassment for Mam, and to make matters worse Mam and Terrence (the ex-husband and lodger in Mam's house) refuse to recognize the divorce.
In the first chapter we see Dee Dee pushed down the stairs and she dies, then we are given the events leading up to said death with a repeat of the death scene, and finally the resolution. Although the ending was unexpected, it is not particularly surprising given the general dysfunction of this family who is overly concerned about their appearances to their neighbors over pursuing the truth. A lot of the sensibilities are outdated, but I think some will enjoy the religious discussions. Fans of Jerry Springer and murder mysteries: this is your book.
The reviewer is the author of the blog A Librarian's Life in Books.
In the first chapter we see Dee Dee pushed down the stairs and she dies, then we are given the events leading up to said death with a repeat of the death scene, and finally the resolution. Although the ending was unexpected, it is not particularly surprising given the general dysfunction of this family who is overly concerned about their appearances to their neighbors over pursuing the truth. A lot of the sensibilities are outdated, but I think some will enjoy the religious discussions. Fans of Jerry Springer and murder mysteries: this is your book.
The reviewer is the author of the blog A Librarian's Life in Books.
December 4, 2015
Very atmospheric ....sense of dread palpable....dysfunctional family of really scary folks....plot got bogged down with endless arguments about changes in Roman Catholic church and Irish troubles that were probably a bigger deal back in 1976 when the book first came out.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews