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The Groote Park Murder
From a murder in South Africa to the tracking down of a master criminal in northern Scotland, this is a true classic of Golden Age detective fiction by one of its most accomplished champions.
When a signalman discovers a mutilated body inside a railway tunnel near Groote Park, it seems to be a straightforward case of a man struck by a passing train. But Inspector Vandam of the Middeldorp police isn’t satisfied that Albert Smith’s death was accidental, and he sets out to prove foul play in a baffling mystery which crosses continents from deepest South Africa to the wilds of northern Scotland, where an almost identical crime appears to have been perpetrated.
The Groote Park Murder was the last of Freeman Wills Crofts’ standalone crime novels, foreshadowing his iconic Inspector French series and helping to cement his reputation (according to his publishers) as ‘the greatest and most popular detective writer in the world’. Like The Cask, The Ponson Case and The Pit-Prop Syndicate before it, here were a delightfully ingenious plot, masterly handling of detail, and an overwhelming surprise ‘curtain’ from a masterful crime writer on the cusp of global success.
This Detective Club classic is introduced with an essay by Freeman Wills Crofts, unseen since 1937, about ‘The Writing of a Detective Novel’.
When a signalman discovers a mutilated body inside a railway tunnel near Groote Park, it seems to be a straightforward case of a man struck by a passing train. But Inspector Vandam of the Middeldorp police isn’t satisfied that Albert Smith’s death was accidental, and he sets out to prove foul play in a baffling mystery which crosses continents from deepest South Africa to the wilds of northern Scotland, where an almost identical crime appears to have been perpetrated.
The Groote Park Murder was the last of Freeman Wills Crofts’ standalone crime novels, foreshadowing his iconic Inspector French series and helping to cement his reputation (according to his publishers) as ‘the greatest and most popular detective writer in the world’. Like The Cask, The Ponson Case and The Pit-Prop Syndicate before it, here were a delightfully ingenious plot, masterly handling of detail, and an overwhelming surprise ‘curtain’ from a masterful crime writer on the cusp of global success.
This Detective Club classic is introduced with an essay by Freeman Wills Crofts, unseen since 1937, about ‘The Writing of a Detective Novel’.
314 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1923
116 people are currently reading
174 people want to read
About the author
Freeman Wills Crofts
139 books88 followersBorn in Dublin of English stock, Freeman Wills Crofts was educated at Methodist and Campbell Colleges in Belfast and at age 17 he became a civil engineering pupil, apprenticed to his uncle, Berkeley D Wise who was the chief engineer of the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway (BNCR).
In 1899 he became a fully fledged railway engineer before becoming a district engineer and then chief assistant engineer for the BNCR.
He married in 1912, Mary Bellas Canning, a bank manager's daughter. His writing career began when he was recovering from a serious illness and his efforts were rewarded when his first novel 'The Cask' was accepted for publication by a London publishing house. Within two decades the book had sold 100,000 copies. Thereafter he continued to write in his spare time and produced a book a year through to 1929 when he was obliged to stop working through poor health.
When he and his wife moved to Guildford, England, he took up writing full time and not surprisingly many of his plots revolved around travel and transport, particularly transport timetables and many of them had a Guildford setting.
In retirement from engineering, as well as writing, he also pursued his other interests, music, in which he was an organist and conductor, gardening, carpentry and travel.
He wrote a mystery novel almost every year until his death and in addition he produced about 50 short stories, 30 radio plays for the BBC, a number of true crime works, a play, 'Sudden Death', a juvenile mystery, 'Young Robin Brand, Detective', and a religious work, 'The Four Gospels in One Story'.
His best known character is Inspector Joseph French, who featured in 30 detective novels between 1924 and 1957. And Raymond Chandler praised his plots, calling him "the soundest builder of them all".
Gerry Wolstenholme
May 2010
In 1899 he became a fully fledged railway engineer before becoming a district engineer and then chief assistant engineer for the BNCR.
He married in 1912, Mary Bellas Canning, a bank manager's daughter. His writing career began when he was recovering from a serious illness and his efforts were rewarded when his first novel 'The Cask' was accepted for publication by a London publishing house. Within two decades the book had sold 100,000 copies. Thereafter he continued to write in his spare time and produced a book a year through to 1929 when he was obliged to stop working through poor health.
When he and his wife moved to Guildford, England, he took up writing full time and not surprisingly many of his plots revolved around travel and transport, particularly transport timetables and many of them had a Guildford setting.
In retirement from engineering, as well as writing, he also pursued his other interests, music, in which he was an organist and conductor, gardening, carpentry and travel.
He wrote a mystery novel almost every year until his death and in addition he produced about 50 short stories, 30 radio plays for the BBC, a number of true crime works, a play, 'Sudden Death', a juvenile mystery, 'Young Robin Brand, Detective', and a religious work, 'The Four Gospels in One Story'.
His best known character is Inspector Joseph French, who featured in 30 detective novels between 1924 and 1957. And Raymond Chandler praised his plots, calling him "the soundest builder of them all".
Gerry Wolstenholme
May 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
March 24, 2023
Walking home, the night shift station master in Middledorp, South Africa, made a gruesome discovery. He discovered the body of a man by the side of the track, apparently run over by a train some hours earlier. He and the attending physician believed it to be an accident or perhaps a suicide. As the title of this book includes the word murder, readers can expect a different conclusion.
Why do we mostly only know about the women Golden Age authors? Christie, Sayers, Marsh, Allingham, Tey - those are the ones that come first to mind. Sadly, many very fine authors are not so well known and Freeman Wills Crofts is one of them. Crofts was one of the founding members of the Detection Club, a group which began in the 1930s and still exists. For me, the best of them were writing and publishing in the 1920s through the late 1960s - that Golden Age of mystery writing.
This is my first by Crofts, a stand alone and not one of his Inspector French series. It was probably a good place to be introduced to this author. I thought the mystery itself quite good. As with so many, I thought I knew who was the perpetrator and again, as with so many, the ending was a definite twist. The writing is above average for the genre. There was enough characterization to carry the novel, but nothing extraordinary.
I managed to pick up two others by Crofts and I look forward to putting them on my quarterly list. I found this good enough that I'll give it 4-stars, but I admit that is perhaps because the author is new to me, so fresh.
Why do we mostly only know about the women Golden Age authors? Christie, Sayers, Marsh, Allingham, Tey - those are the ones that come first to mind. Sadly, many very fine authors are not so well known and Freeman Wills Crofts is one of them. Crofts was one of the founding members of the Detection Club, a group which began in the 1930s and still exists. For me, the best of them were writing and publishing in the 1920s through the late 1960s - that Golden Age of mystery writing.
This is my first by Crofts, a stand alone and not one of his Inspector French series. It was probably a good place to be introduced to this author. I thought the mystery itself quite good. As with so many, I thought I knew who was the perpetrator and again, as with so many, the ending was a definite twist. The writing is above average for the genre. There was enough characterization to carry the novel, but nothing extraordinary.
I managed to pick up two others by Crofts and I look forward to putting them on my quarterly list. I found this good enough that I'll give it 4-stars, but I admit that is perhaps because the author is new to me, so fresh.
May 16, 2020
Quite a twisted but still interesting mystery from the early 20s. Freeman Wills Crofts, an Irish writer and engineer who once worked for the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway, has taken his experiences on the railroad and used it as the introductory setting for this story set in South Africa.
The setting and the working of a train station are laid out before the reader discovers the heart of the story: a mangled body found by the railway tracks and the local police discover is not suicide or accident but murder. From there is an in depth investigation to find out the dead man's last hours and those people who had cause to harm him. Middeldorp Police Detective-Inspector Vandam does a masterful and very detailed investigation and while he was learning toward two suspects he eventually brings in his man for the death of Albert Smith.
But two trials set the suspect free to begin a new life in Scotland. But the mystery and the story don't end there. There is more afoot. And while the tale seemed to drag a bit for us modern readers, it's well worth staying with the tale to the very end. It's not hard to imagine why Wills Crofts is seen as one of the classic writers of modern crime fiction. This is a true detective story.
The setting and the working of a train station are laid out before the reader discovers the heart of the story: a mangled body found by the railway tracks and the local police discover is not suicide or accident but murder. From there is an in depth investigation to find out the dead man's last hours and those people who had cause to harm him. Middeldorp Police Detective-Inspector Vandam does a masterful and very detailed investigation and while he was learning toward two suspects he eventually brings in his man for the death of Albert Smith.
But two trials set the suspect free to begin a new life in Scotland. But the mystery and the story don't end there. There is more afoot. And while the tale seemed to drag a bit for us modern readers, it's well worth staying with the tale to the very end. It's not hard to imagine why Wills Crofts is seen as one of the classic writers of modern crime fiction. This is a true detective story.
July 9, 2018
This is my seventh review of a Crofts book. This book conforms to all the usually comments about Crofts writing style namely that he is heavily dependant on alibi busting and timetables and makes tiresome reiterations about the facts. This novel is divided into two parts of about equal length - the first is set in South Africa & involves a possible suicide that quickly turns out to be a murder - investigated by Inspector Vandam - this part of the story is mediocre and some what slow paced - and is mostly taken up in the intricate details about police procedure (routine investigation). The assumed murderer is not convicted of the crime and so it becomes a unsolved crime. About three years pass in which little or nothing happens until a chance encounter between the accused murderer (who was acquitted) & his former fiancee in Edinburgh. This leads into the second part of the book which is set in Scotland and another event leads to a further investigation this time by Inspector Ross (Inspector French does not appear in this book). Inspector Ross like French is prone to offer money in return for information and also to gain access to private rooms under false pretences and search them for evidence - which even in the 1920s would be considered reckless. The second part is mostly taken up with alibi busting and timetables and very repetitive scheduling of events and borders on the boring & confusing - this story could also do with some editing downwards as it is too long. Most avid readers of classical crime will guess who the murderer is quite easily - early in the book - only the final twist in the denouement might come as a surprize (it might not?) and even Inspector Ross didn't know this until the last minute. If you want to read enjoyable clever books by Mr. Crofts then I would recommend The Box Office Murders & The Hogback Mystery from the books I have read so far. Lastly I am reading from this newly re-issued version of the book which has quite a few typos in it (these may have been in the original?) I would give this book 5 out of 10.
May 8, 2013
A fast-moving thriller set in the South African town of Middledorp with the action later moving to Scotland, 'The Groote Park Murder' is obsessive reading.
A body is found close to a railway line adjacent to Groote Park. Is it an accident? It would appear so but when Inspector Vandam begins investigations, he suspects foul play.
He begins an investigation that centres on the Hope Bros store and its employees in Mees Street. There appears to be a number of suspects but before they can be fully investigated, some of them disappear.
The investigation looks as though it will flounder but then a lead points to a particular suspect. He is arrested and tried, twice, but eventually is released.
When a couple of the suspects leave South Africa for Scotland, the action transfers to Glasgow and its environs where Inspector Ross eventually takes over the investigation.
And in surprising twists and turns the perpetrator of the crime is eventually apprehended in a tale that is spell-binding from start to finish.
A body is found close to a railway line adjacent to Groote Park. Is it an accident? It would appear so but when Inspector Vandam begins investigations, he suspects foul play.
He begins an investigation that centres on the Hope Bros store and its employees in Mees Street. There appears to be a number of suspects but before they can be fully investigated, some of them disappear.
The investigation looks as though it will flounder but then a lead points to a particular suspect. He is arrested and tried, twice, but eventually is released.
When a couple of the suspects leave South Africa for Scotland, the action transfers to Glasgow and its environs where Inspector Ross eventually takes over the investigation.
And in surprising twists and turns the perpetrator of the crime is eventually apprehended in a tale that is spell-binding from start to finish.
October 20, 2020
Another really nice British Golden Age mystery by an author not familiar to me. I guess this would be characterized as a police procedural in that it follows the efforts of two different detectives several years apart, one in Scotland the other in South Africa, to unravel murders that seem to be (and are) related to each other. There is little character development. Instead the focus is on how the detectives in question follow up on trails of analysis, many leading nowhere, to get to the complicated truth. They are both all too human - the first mishandles evidence in a way that obliterates clues (fingerprints, if there should have been any) - but careful in how they approach the facts and dogged in their pursuit of the truth. Easy to read and delightfully well written, I am batting 1000 on these Golden Age treasures. Very much recommended and full of twists and surprises to the last pages.
January 10, 2024
An enjoyable pre-French novel from FWC, with the same careful and methodical police work. One of the interesting things about this book is the way the action is split across two locations - the first crime committed in South Africa, and then the second in Scotland. The first part of the solution was a bit disappointing but the second part was very clever. I do enjoy a good bit of Crofts.
May 30, 2020
Chalk this one up as part of my continuing quest to read early twentieth century British popular fiction. I am beginning to conclude that while much of it inspired better, more famous, contemporary works, much of it also is bland by today's standards.
This is a fairly compelling mystery spanning South Africa and the British Isles that gets bogged down in (from what I have come to learn) is the author's penchant for false alibis and the minutia of time tables and schedules.
As always it is good to visit the early twentieth century if only to discover what an entirely different world it was. Paper maps, the rarity of telephones, the novelty of motor cars and aeroplanes, telegraphs, and the absence of electronic media of any sort make this a very personal world in which direct human interaction is the norm for all transactions and conversations. Manners therefore and standards of decent behavior are not only expected, but necessary for the smooth functioning of society.
And tobacco. That is everywhere.
This is a fairly compelling mystery spanning South Africa and the British Isles that gets bogged down in (from what I have come to learn) is the author's penchant for false alibis and the minutia of time tables and schedules.
As always it is good to visit the early twentieth century if only to discover what an entirely different world it was. Paper maps, the rarity of telephones, the novelty of motor cars and aeroplanes, telegraphs, and the absence of electronic media of any sort make this a very personal world in which direct human interaction is the norm for all transactions and conversations. Manners therefore and standards of decent behavior are not only expected, but necessary for the smooth functioning of society.
And tobacco. That is everywhere.
November 7, 2011
Freeman Wills Crofts had worked as a railway engineer and when he turned to writing detective fiction this background became very important. He was fascinated by the minutiae of railway timetables and in his plots timing is everything. The Groote Park Murder, published in 1923, illustrates this to perfection.
A man is found dead next to a railway line in South Africa. It is assumed that he has been the unfortunate victim of a tragic accident, or possibly suicide. Inspector Vandam is not entirely easy in his mind about this case and it’s not long before he uncovers evidence that points to murder.
There are several promising suspects but the problem is that the most likely suspects have watertight alibis. Suspicion naturally shifts towards those suspects whose alibis turn out to be less than rock-solid. Inspector Vandam accumulates sufficient evidence to make an arrest but the case will soon present the first of its major surprises.
Two years later a crime is committed in Scotland, a crime that appears to be linked to that earlier South African murder, and that also appears to involve many of the same players. Detective Inspector Ross is in charge of the Scottish investigation and once again the questions of timing and of alibis dominate the case.
Alibis can be vital evidence to a detective but they can mislead as well.
Crofts constructs his book in the same way that his detectives conduct their investigations - by a patient accumulation of evidence. That might sound a little dull but his plotting is skillful enough to make it work.
This is a rare example of a detective novel with two detectives working completely independently of each other, in different countries and at different times.
This is classic golden age detective fiction, entirely plot-driven but done extremely well.
A man is found dead next to a railway line in South Africa. It is assumed that he has been the unfortunate victim of a tragic accident, or possibly suicide. Inspector Vandam is not entirely easy in his mind about this case and it’s not long before he uncovers evidence that points to murder.
There are several promising suspects but the problem is that the most likely suspects have watertight alibis. Suspicion naturally shifts towards those suspects whose alibis turn out to be less than rock-solid. Inspector Vandam accumulates sufficient evidence to make an arrest but the case will soon present the first of its major surprises.
Two years later a crime is committed in Scotland, a crime that appears to be linked to that earlier South African murder, and that also appears to involve many of the same players. Detective Inspector Ross is in charge of the Scottish investigation and once again the questions of timing and of alibis dominate the case.
Alibis can be vital evidence to a detective but they can mislead as well.
Crofts constructs his book in the same way that his detectives conduct their investigations - by a patient accumulation of evidence. That might sound a little dull but his plotting is skillful enough to make it work.
This is a rare example of a detective novel with two detectives working completely independently of each other, in different countries and at different times.
This is classic golden age detective fiction, entirely plot-driven but done extremely well.
December 29, 2020
The Groote Park Murder is a spectacular work of whodunit genre from the golden age of detective fiction.
The book tells an engaging mystery set during early 20th century and details on the themes of the period. The old school setting perfectly complements the style of slow storytelling and the pace of events that unfold. Through the narrative, the book showcases archaic tactics utilized by the law enforcement agencies from the respective era to solve cases.
Unlike a traditional detective fiction, this book has two main detectives both of whom are protagonists with a time lag. The two inspectors are shown to possess sharp judgmental acumens that help understand the events leading to both the crimes.
The story kicks off in the wilds of South Africa and the mystery is presented during the initial few lines.
Discovery of a mutilated dead body found by the railway tracks one morning in South Africa kick starts the tale and at this point, Inspector Vandam takes the stage and begins investigation only to reach a wrong conclusion in first half.
Midway through the book, the setting changes and characters concerned with the case move to Scotland where a similar crime takes place. The second protagonist, Inspector Ross, is assigned the case and he succeeds in connecting the dots thereby solving both the mysteries.
The author cleverly conducts the transition of the setting from South Africa to Scotland and summarizes the entire period of over two years in one single chapter.
The novel is packed with countless twists and turns which help maintain suspense and compel the reader to keep the pages turning.
Narrators of the story keep on changing time and again but still there is never a dull moment.
Though progress on the case stalls at certain points and smaller events, that seem irrelevant to the story, take place however, they prove to be vital to the case later on in the book.
The engaging writing style of the author coupled with the arresting yet simple story creates a captivating tale for readers as they keep guessing the culprit.
Just when the reader is certain that the case is finally resolved and all pieces seem to fall in place, the story takes one final turn and reveals a surprise during the last chapter.
Unlike other books, this story fails to diminish the interest of the reader despite the two-year leap taken midway and fast paced story telling keeps the reader enticed in the tale.
While the first part points to one clear suspect, the reader becomes certain of his innocence as the story progresses. The author does a great job of wrapping up the story with no questions remaining.
Freeman Wills Crofts was part of the renowned detection club alongside Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers.
The book tells an engaging mystery set during early 20th century and details on the themes of the period. The old school setting perfectly complements the style of slow storytelling and the pace of events that unfold. Through the narrative, the book showcases archaic tactics utilized by the law enforcement agencies from the respective era to solve cases.
Unlike a traditional detective fiction, this book has two main detectives both of whom are protagonists with a time lag. The two inspectors are shown to possess sharp judgmental acumens that help understand the events leading to both the crimes.
The story kicks off in the wilds of South Africa and the mystery is presented during the initial few lines.
Discovery of a mutilated dead body found by the railway tracks one morning in South Africa kick starts the tale and at this point, Inspector Vandam takes the stage and begins investigation only to reach a wrong conclusion in first half.
Midway through the book, the setting changes and characters concerned with the case move to Scotland where a similar crime takes place. The second protagonist, Inspector Ross, is assigned the case and he succeeds in connecting the dots thereby solving both the mysteries.
The author cleverly conducts the transition of the setting from South Africa to Scotland and summarizes the entire period of over two years in one single chapter.
The novel is packed with countless twists and turns which help maintain suspense and compel the reader to keep the pages turning.
Narrators of the story keep on changing time and again but still there is never a dull moment.
Though progress on the case stalls at certain points and smaller events, that seem irrelevant to the story, take place however, they prove to be vital to the case later on in the book.
The engaging writing style of the author coupled with the arresting yet simple story creates a captivating tale for readers as they keep guessing the culprit.
Just when the reader is certain that the case is finally resolved and all pieces seem to fall in place, the story takes one final turn and reveals a surprise during the last chapter.
Unlike other books, this story fails to diminish the interest of the reader despite the two-year leap taken midway and fast paced story telling keeps the reader enticed in the tale.
While the first part points to one clear suspect, the reader becomes certain of his innocence as the story progresses. The author does a great job of wrapping up the story with no questions remaining.
Freeman Wills Crofts was part of the renowned detection club alongside Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers.
July 10, 2020
These old mysteries are quite intriguing and mostly well done. This one is quite the ambitious story. Having read this novel nearly 100 years after it was written probably puts me at a bit of a disadvantage to the overall grandness there in. I liked the story, but I didn’t overly enjoy the often outdated details that made up so much of the important portions of the investigation. I found the language, however, to be charming and not as outdated as the concepts it represented.
The author opened this edition of his book with an introduction he wrote in 1937, long after this book was first published in 1923. In these opening pages, he gives himself away and explains his thought process as a writer of detective fiction. While not giving away anything at all about the story to follow, it felt more like watching a behind the scenes documentary on how Industrial Light and Magic brings Star Wars to life before watching any of the movies. It doesn’t spoil the plot, but it’s not necessary or required to enjoy what follows it. I almost wish I hadn’t read that first.
From here, the author will go on to create Inspector French and involve him in 6 adventures. I’ll probably try to find the first one. I’m curious about how Inspector French will differ from the Inspector in this novel. Many times it felt more like I was reading a story involving the famous private investigator Nick Carter rather than an actual detective. But that may be less to do with the writing style and more to do, again, with the age of the story.
The author opened this edition of his book with an introduction he wrote in 1937, long after this book was first published in 1923. In these opening pages, he gives himself away and explains his thought process as a writer of detective fiction. While not giving away anything at all about the story to follow, it felt more like watching a behind the scenes documentary on how Industrial Light and Magic brings Star Wars to life before watching any of the movies. It doesn’t spoil the plot, but it’s not necessary or required to enjoy what follows it. I almost wish I hadn’t read that first.
From here, the author will go on to create Inspector French and involve him in 6 adventures. I’ll probably try to find the first one. I’m curious about how Inspector French will differ from the Inspector in this novel. Many times it felt more like I was reading a story involving the famous private investigator Nick Carter rather than an actual detective. But that may be less to do with the writing style and more to do, again, with the age of the story.
April 26, 2020
I was at four stars, until that ending.
It seems the author had some of his best plots early...The Groote Park Murder, The Ponson Case, and the first Inspector French book. Alas, The Pit-Prop Syndicate is rather a dud, IMO; and as for the author’s debut, The Cask, which out-sold The Mysterious Affair At Styles the year they both arrived on the scene, it’s an entertaining first novel but I don’t expect, or maybe even want, an author’s first book to be his or her best when I’m evaluating them - and it’s my thought that Crofts improved his craft a few books in past The Cask. Then things were upsy-downsy with the succession of Inspector French novels, before Crofts himself felt things were getting stale, and switched over to some revitalizing ‘Inverted’ Mysteries.
I do have a weird problem: this book reminds me, in a trick or two, of a later book by Crofts - Inspector French And The Sea Mystery - which I already gave 5 stars. I’m not saying the books are clones...but now, do they both deserve 5 stars? If only one does, really, it would be The Groote Park Murder, because it came earlier. I’ll leave both topped-up star-ratings alone for now, because my memory says the books are ultimately different enough that I’m not just rewarding the author twice for dazzling me with one particular trick. Anyone else checking out Crofts’ books may not want to read Groote Park and Sea Mystery too close together.
It seems the author had some of his best plots early...The Groote Park Murder, The Ponson Case, and the first Inspector French book. Alas, The Pit-Prop Syndicate is rather a dud, IMO; and as for the author’s debut, The Cask, which out-sold The Mysterious Affair At Styles the year they both arrived on the scene, it’s an entertaining first novel but I don’t expect, or maybe even want, an author’s first book to be his or her best when I’m evaluating them - and it’s my thought that Crofts improved his craft a few books in past The Cask. Then things were upsy-downsy with the succession of Inspector French novels, before Crofts himself felt things were getting stale, and switched over to some revitalizing ‘Inverted’ Mysteries.
I do have a weird problem: this book reminds me, in a trick or two, of a later book by Crofts - Inspector French And The Sea Mystery - which I already gave 5 stars. I’m not saying the books are clones...but now, do they both deserve 5 stars? If only one does, really, it would be The Groote Park Murder, because it came earlier. I’ll leave both topped-up star-ratings alone for now, because my memory says the books are ultimately different enough that I’m not just rewarding the author twice for dazzling me with one particular trick. Anyone else checking out Crofts’ books may not want to read Groote Park and Sea Mystery too close together.
May 10, 2020
4.4 stars.
Another shining example of Crofts craftsmanship . Devilish ingenuity on the part of the murderer .The first part set in South Africa is less captivating than the Second part set in Scotland .The two reasons being the SA location is fictitious and thinly sketched while Scotland section was vivid, and Vandam was not exactly likable .
While rating Crofts books I am always in a dilemma between 4 and 5 stars. I have liked all those I have read almost equally...All of them were gripping and entertaining .This one is at par with Hogs Back ,Channel and Magill even without French .
I am now a confirmed fan of Crofts ... Nobody constructs puzzlers like he did . There are no plot holes ,no foolhardiness from the murderer, no wild guesses from the detective but only devious and detailed planning and meticulous and tedious fact checking by the police detective . If the reader is of the sort who can stand pages of domestic tripe and illogical actions passed of in the name of childhood trauma and whatnot, then they are very likely to hate Crofts because of the alibi busting routine .But if the reader is intrigued more by the puzzle and logic, then he\she is bound to gate hooked and stay hooked till the end .
Its not that Crofts does not sketch characters at all, but he keeps it to a minimum and does not waste pages describing the morning routine of the detective before he goes out to detect .Works for me .
Another shining example of Crofts craftsmanship . Devilish ingenuity on the part of the murderer .The first part set in South Africa is less captivating than the Second part set in Scotland .The two reasons being the SA location is fictitious and thinly sketched while Scotland section was vivid, and Vandam was not exactly likable .
While rating Crofts books I am always in a dilemma between 4 and 5 stars. I have liked all those I have read almost equally...All of them were gripping and entertaining .This one is at par with Hogs Back ,Channel and Magill even without French .
I am now a confirmed fan of Crofts ... Nobody constructs puzzlers like he did . There are no plot holes ,no foolhardiness from the murderer, no wild guesses from the detective but only devious and detailed planning and meticulous and tedious fact checking by the police detective . If the reader is of the sort who can stand pages of domestic tripe and illogical actions passed of in the name of childhood trauma and whatnot, then they are very likely to hate Crofts because of the alibi busting routine .But if the reader is intrigued more by the puzzle and logic, then he\she is bound to gate hooked and stay hooked till the end .
Its not that Crofts does not sketch characters at all, but he keeps it to a minimum and does not waste pages describing the morning routine of the detective before he goes out to detect .Works for me .
January 19, 2023
First published in 1923, this was the last of four standalones before Crofts embarked on his Inspector French series.
Two sets of crimes, two main locations, and two lead detectives are featured and, additionally, there is a solution with a neatly-sprung surprise.
Although the initial murder investigation in a curiously unatmospheric South African town is rather leisured, the pace hots up a bit when the scene changes to Scotland and Inspector Ross takes charge.
There are alibis to be checked and double-checked, lots of journeys to be made by road and rail and connections to be made with earlier events.
It is all most enjoyable, with some light romance and a solution with elements which hark back to an earlier era. Ross in some ways foreshadows French with his meticulous attention to detail and journeyings which stretch from Fort William to London and many places between.
3.5 stars.
Two sets of crimes, two main locations, and two lead detectives are featured and, additionally, there is a solution with a neatly-sprung surprise.
Although the initial murder investigation in a curiously unatmospheric South African town is rather leisured, the pace hots up a bit when the scene changes to Scotland and Inspector Ross takes charge.
There are alibis to be checked and double-checked, lots of journeys to be made by road and rail and connections to be made with earlier events.
It is all most enjoyable, with some light romance and a solution with elements which hark back to an earlier era. Ross in some ways foreshadows French with his meticulous attention to detail and journeyings which stretch from Fort William to London and many places between.
3.5 stars.
October 20, 2021
A Detective-Inspector Vandam mystery in the northern South African town of Middeldorp. About 1000 miles by railroad from Cape Town. A "Golden Age of British mysteries" written in 1919.
At the town's railroad deport near the Groote Park railroad tunnel, the mangled led body of Albert Smith is discovered in the tunnel and initially believed to be the result of being hit by a train. However, Detective-Inspector Vandam senses foul play. Thus, begins an investigation which takes the case from the hinterlands of South Africa to northern Scotland, where a near-identical crime has been perpetrated before the Middeldorp murder is solved. In Scotland, Edinburgh Detective Scott takes over the case when incidents involving people who were involved in the Middeldorp case happen.
At the town's railroad deport near the Groote Park railroad tunnel, the mangled led body of Albert Smith is discovered in the tunnel and initially believed to be the result of being hit by a train. However, Detective-Inspector Vandam senses foul play. Thus, begins an investigation which takes the case from the hinterlands of South Africa to northern Scotland, where a near-identical crime has been perpetrated before the Middeldorp murder is solved. In Scotland, Edinburgh Detective Scott takes over the case when incidents involving people who were involved in the Middeldorp case happen.
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September 21, 2024Who murdered the man whose body was found on a railway line in South Africa? A police procedural set in the 1920s, when forensics was in its infancy, bobbies patrolled their beats and the detectives had to book a car if they needed one. The second half of the novel investigates a linked crime in Scotland whose shocking denouement throws new light of the first murder.
A classic whodunnit from the golden days of detective fiction written by one of the masters of the genre in his time, now sadly unrecognised.
As was common in those days, the Jewish diamond merchant is portrayed with the usual anti-Semitic stereotyping; casual racism is also to be found in the portrayal of the 'negro' witness.
A classic whodunnit from the golden days of detective fiction written by one of the masters of the genre in his time, now sadly unrecognised.
As was common in those days, the Jewish diamond merchant is portrayed with the usual anti-Semitic stereotyping; casual racism is also to be found in the portrayal of the 'negro' witness.
February 13, 2020
Dated, but Fun
How the world changed in less than a century! Imagine a time and place when there were directories where one could make a telephone call, where the call was logged. Or where, in a South African town, one could walk to and from work or to a public park in twenty minutes.
Other reviewers commented on the repetition of details and the plodding pace. Yet I preferred to read this clever mystery as a mirror of its time.
The digital world we as know it was imaginable ninety years ago, but criminals then had fewer tricks available, and the opportunity for subterfuge perhaps greater.
A pleasant read in a rainy day, and at $.99 at Amazon, a bargain.
How the world changed in less than a century! Imagine a time and place when there were directories where one could make a telephone call, where the call was logged. Or where, in a South African town, one could walk to and from work or to a public park in twenty minutes.
Other reviewers commented on the repetition of details and the plodding pace. Yet I preferred to read this clever mystery as a mirror of its time.
The digital world we as know it was imaginable ninety years ago, but criminals then had fewer tricks available, and the opportunity for subterfuge perhaps greater.
A pleasant read in a rainy day, and at $.99 at Amazon, a bargain.
September 27, 2020
First published in 1923, this case is so complicated and the murderer so clever that it takes two detectives to solve. In South Africa, a man is found struck by a train. Suspecting that it was not an accident, Detective Inspector Vandam investigates and gathers enough evidence to make an arrest. The plot continues in Scotland, where Detective Inspector Ross is drawn into a case involving some of the same characters. A must-read for lovers of classic detective stories.
June 20, 2023
It seems like I've been reading this for weeks, but it's only been a couple of days. I keep looking at the percent read and it's only 52%. I was tempted to skip further down but after seeing some of the reviews, it looks like there are many more surprises ahead, so I'll be patient and not skip forward. I like Golden Age mysteries very much and this one is supposed to have many twists and surprises and the reviews are saying they go to Scotland from South Africa!
August 26, 2020
Nice cozy mystery
Interesting story. You know something is up when the crime,investigation and trial are concluded before the book is half over. The end is a surprise and provides additional information to make the loose ends of the story come together. Unfortunately coincidental play an important role in the plot.
Interesting story. You know something is up when the crime,investigation and trial are concluded before the book is half over. The end is a surprise and provides additional information to make the loose ends of the story come together. Unfortunately coincidental play an important role in the plot.
May 18, 2024
The writing is a bit antiquated, but for a book that is 100 years old this as stood up against the test of time. The mystery is entertaining with a great twist at the end. The writing takes a very scientific investigative approach to solving the mystery without any filler, which I appreciated. Would like to see a modern interpretation of the plot.
November 28, 2017
"The Groote Park Murder" by Freeman Wills Crofts disappointed me. The shift to Scotland marked the beginning of the end for my interest in this mystery. We lose an interesting police inspector and gain an odd Scottish melodrama. Too bad.
June 15, 2019
A story in 2 halves, the first is rather dull and lacks depth. The second half, set in Scotland is excellent, full of vivid descriptions and characters. This book is well worth reading, don't give up on it too early.
June 16, 2020
From the Golden Age of British Mysteries
An elegant police procedural. Carefully plotted with the action flowing directly from the characters of those involved. An elegant solution, with some lovely Scottish scenery long the way.
An elegant police procedural. Carefully plotted with the action flowing directly from the characters of those involved. An elegant solution, with some lovely Scottish scenery long the way.
July 27, 2022
3.5 stars. This is a stand alone mystery and does not feature Inspector French. I liked the settings of South Africa and Scotland It took the first third of the book before I was truly invested in the story. After that it picks up.
December 10, 2022
Might be my favorite of all of FWC's works. We get the usual painstaking investigation, but the interest is kept up beautifully and the solution is one of Croft's best and also one of his less technical ones.
May 22, 2017
very dated compared to modern detective stories although it was written in the 1920's
December 19, 2019
Slow reading. Not very interesting to me
August 28, 2020
Interesting as an mystery from an earlier generation, and its South African setting. But complete with the racism and misogyny that implies.
November 6, 2020
Convoluted police procedural
At times a bit confusing, but quite entertaining. Good read for mystery/detective story lovers. Recommend. Will be reading more of Crofts's novels.
At times a bit confusing, but quite entertaining. Good read for mystery/detective story lovers. Recommend. Will be reading more of Crofts's novels.
January 9, 2021
Large print edition. Enjoyable read but very old fashioned and not the South Africa I know!
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