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Inspector Chucky
A Ring of Roses
"SWEETHEART DISAPPEARS"
The nation's darling had vanished. Beautiful and innocent, yet destined to remain physically and mentally a child forever, she had captured the imagination and sympathy of the world. But now she had disappeared from the remote country retreat where she was kept unknown, unseen and sheltered from the public eye. Her mother and her strange Svengali-like manager, Bunny Paul, were distraught. For this to happen on the return of the child's father must be more than mere coincidence...
But why had none of her public ever been allowed to see Sweetheart? Who was responsible for her mysterious disappearance? And where was she now?
The nation's darling had vanished. Beautiful and innocent, yet destined to remain physically and mentally a child forever, she had captured the imagination and sympathy of the world. But now she had disappeared from the remote country retreat where she was kept unknown, unseen and sheltered from the public eye. Her mother and her strange Svengali-like manager, Bunny Paul, were distraught. For this to happen on the return of the child's father must be more than mere coincidence...
But why had none of her public ever been allowed to see Sweetheart? Who was responsible for her mysterious disappearance? And where was she now?
157 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1977
About the author
Christianna Brand
107 books135 followersChristianna Brand (December 17, 1907 - March 11, 1988) was a crime writer and children's author. Brand also wrote under the pseudonyms Mary Ann Ashe, Annabel Jones, Mary Roland, and China Thomson.
She was born Mary Christianna Milne in 1907 in Malaya and spent her early years in India. She had a number of different occupations, including model, dancer, shop assistant and governess.
Her first novel, Death in High Heels, was written while Brand was working as a salesgirl. In 1941, one of her best-loved characters, Inspector Cockrill of the Kent County Police, made his debut in the book Heads You Lose. The character would go on to appear in seven of her novels. Green for Danger is Brand’s most famous novel. The whodunit, set in a World War 2 hospital, was adapted for film by Eagle-Lion Films in 1946, starring Alastair Sim as the Inspector. She dropped the series in the late 1950s and concentrated on various genres as well as short stories. She was nominated three times for Edgar Awards: for the short stories "Poison in the Cup" (EQMM, Feb. 1969) and "Twist for Twist" (EQMM, May 1967) and for a nonfiction work about a Scottish murder case, Heaven Knows Who (1960). She is the author of the children's series Nurse Matilda, which Emma Thompson adapted to film as Nanny McPhee (2005).
Her Inspector Cockrill short stories and a previously unpublished Cockrill stage play were collected as The Spotted Cat and Other Mysteries from inspector Cockrill's Casebook, edited by Tony Medawar (2002).
Series:
* Nurse Matilda
* Inspector Charlesworth
* Inspector Chucky
* Inspector Cockrill
She was born Mary Christianna Milne in 1907 in Malaya and spent her early years in India. She had a number of different occupations, including model, dancer, shop assistant and governess.
Her first novel, Death in High Heels, was written while Brand was working as a salesgirl. In 1941, one of her best-loved characters, Inspector Cockrill of the Kent County Police, made his debut in the book Heads You Lose. The character would go on to appear in seven of her novels. Green for Danger is Brand’s most famous novel. The whodunit, set in a World War 2 hospital, was adapted for film by Eagle-Lion Films in 1946, starring Alastair Sim as the Inspector. She dropped the series in the late 1950s and concentrated on various genres as well as short stories. She was nominated three times for Edgar Awards: for the short stories "Poison in the Cup" (EQMM, Feb. 1969) and "Twist for Twist" (EQMM, May 1967) and for a nonfiction work about a Scottish murder case, Heaven Knows Who (1960). She is the author of the children's series Nurse Matilda, which Emma Thompson adapted to film as Nanny McPhee (2005).
Her Inspector Cockrill short stories and a previously unpublished Cockrill stage play were collected as The Spotted Cat and Other Mysteries from inspector Cockrill's Casebook, edited by Tony Medawar (2002).
Series:
* Nurse Matilda
* Inspector Charlesworth
* Inspector Chucky
* Inspector Cockrill
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 31, 2017
Ho scoperto che i gialli classici di Christianna Brand mi piacciono davvero tanto. La scrittrice britannica, che ha studiato in un convento francescano, prima di approdare alla narrativa gialla, ha lavorato come governante, ballerina, modella, segretaria. Varie esperienze che, in un modo o nell'altro, sono finite nei suoi numerosi romanzi e racconti polizieschi, caratterizzati da uno stile brillante e da ingegnosi intrecci, che risultano sempre sorprendenti, accattivati, avvincenti.
L’ispettore Cockrill è il suo personaggio più noto, ma in IL GIARDINO DELLE ROSE a condurre l'indagine è l’ispettore Chucky.
L'attrice Estella Devigne è molto popolare, non perché sia brava ed abbia talento, ma perché ha una figlia. Sweetheart è nata da una relazione turbolenta con un gangster che sta scontando una condanna in un carcere americano. La bambina è zoppa e vive nascosta in una villetta con un giardino di rose, quella del titolo del romanzo, che si trova in un angolo segreto del Galles.
Questa bambina tanto sfortunata è la protagonista di una rubrica settimanale nella quale la madre, l'attrice Estella, riporta pensieri e poesie della figlia in una sorta di diario. Il pubblico ignora che, a scrivere, inventandosi tutto, è la segretaria dell’attrice, Bunny Paul.
Quella che è soltanto una messinscena può, improvvisamente, sgretolarsi quando il gangster viene scarcerato e pretende di vedere la figlia, l’ormai famosa Sweetheart.
Questa è la premessa alla base di un omicidio che si rivela un vero e proprio rompicapo per l’ispettore Chucky.
La narrazione procede con uno stile scorrevole e ricco di colpi di scena. Ottimo poliziesco da non lasciarsi sfuggire.
L’ispettore Cockrill è il suo personaggio più noto, ma in IL GIARDINO DELLE ROSE a condurre l'indagine è l’ispettore Chucky.
L'attrice Estella Devigne è molto popolare, non perché sia brava ed abbia talento, ma perché ha una figlia. Sweetheart è nata da una relazione turbolenta con un gangster che sta scontando una condanna in un carcere americano. La bambina è zoppa e vive nascosta in una villetta con un giardino di rose, quella del titolo del romanzo, che si trova in un angolo segreto del Galles.
Questa bambina tanto sfortunata è la protagonista di una rubrica settimanale nella quale la madre, l'attrice Estella, riporta pensieri e poesie della figlia in una sorta di diario. Il pubblico ignora che, a scrivere, inventandosi tutto, è la segretaria dell’attrice, Bunny Paul.
Quella che è soltanto una messinscena può, improvvisamente, sgretolarsi quando il gangster viene scarcerato e pretende di vedere la figlia, l’ormai famosa Sweetheart.
Questa è la premessa alla base di un omicidio che si rivela un vero e proprio rompicapo per l’ispettore Chucky.
La narrazione procede con uno stile scorrevole e ricco di colpi di scena. Ottimo poliziesco da non lasciarsi sfuggire.
February 20, 2018
Good story, the murdered is easy to discover since there are just four characters involved in the situation. However the book is readable and interesting. Inspector Chucky appears just in two Christianna Brand stories, I wonder why she did not continue Inspector Cockrill series, there were better built than Cat and Mouse and this one.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews