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Joan Kahn-Harper #5
The Plot Against Roger Rider
Stated First U.S. Edition. A very good copy in a very good, price-clipped dust jacket. The half-title page has been clipped at its upper right corner. Small bumps to the corners. The dust jacket is soiled.
202 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1973
About the author
Julian Symons
259 books68 followersJulian Gustave Symons is primarily remembered as a master of the art of crime writing. However, in his eighty-two years he produced an enormously varied body of work. Social and military history, biography and criticism were all subjects he touched upon with remarkable success, and he held a distinguished reputation in each field.
His novels were consistently highly individual and expertly crafted, raising him above other crime writers of his day. It is for this that he was awarded various prizes, and, in 1982, named as Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America - an honour accorded to only three other English writers before him: Graham Greene, Eric Ambler and Daphne Du Maurier. He succeeded Agatha Christie as the president of Britain's Detection Club, a position he held from 1976 to 1985, and in 1990 he was awarded the Cartier Diamond Dagger from the British Crime Writer.
Symons held a number of positions prior to becoming a full-time writer including secretary to an engineering company and advertising copywriter and executive. It was after the end of World War II that he became a free-lance writer and book reviewer and from 1946 to 1956 he wrote a weekly column entitled "Life, People - and Books" for the Manchester Evening News. During the 1950s he was also a regular contributor to Tribune, a left-wing weekly, serving as its literary editor.
He founded and edited 'Twentieth Century Verse', an important little magazine that flourished from 1937 to 1939 and he introduced many young English poets to the public. He has also published two volumes of his own poetry entitled 'Confusions about X', 1939, and 'The Second Man', 1944.
He wrote hie first detective novel, 'The Immaterial Murder Case', long before it was first published in 1945 and this was followed in 1947 by a rare volume entitled 'A Man Called Jones' that features for the first time Inspector Bland, who also appeared in Bland Beginning.
These novles were followed by a whole host of detective novels and he has also written many short stories that were regularly published in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. In additin there are two British paperback collections of his short stories, Murder! Murder! and Francis Quarles Investigates, which were published in 1961 and 1965 resepctively.
His novels were consistently highly individual and expertly crafted, raising him above other crime writers of his day. It is for this that he was awarded various prizes, and, in 1982, named as Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America - an honour accorded to only three other English writers before him: Graham Greene, Eric Ambler and Daphne Du Maurier. He succeeded Agatha Christie as the president of Britain's Detection Club, a position he held from 1976 to 1985, and in 1990 he was awarded the Cartier Diamond Dagger from the British Crime Writer.
Symons held a number of positions prior to becoming a full-time writer including secretary to an engineering company and advertising copywriter and executive. It was after the end of World War II that he became a free-lance writer and book reviewer and from 1946 to 1956 he wrote a weekly column entitled "Life, People - and Books" for the Manchester Evening News. During the 1950s he was also a regular contributor to Tribune, a left-wing weekly, serving as its literary editor.
He founded and edited 'Twentieth Century Verse', an important little magazine that flourished from 1937 to 1939 and he introduced many young English poets to the public. He has also published two volumes of his own poetry entitled 'Confusions about X', 1939, and 'The Second Man', 1944.
He wrote hie first detective novel, 'The Immaterial Murder Case', long before it was first published in 1945 and this was followed in 1947 by a rare volume entitled 'A Man Called Jones' that features for the first time Inspector Bland, who also appeared in Bland Beginning.
These novles were followed by a whole host of detective novels and he has also written many short stories that were regularly published in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. In additin there are two British paperback collections of his short stories, Murder! Murder! and Francis Quarles Investigates, which were published in 1961 and 1965 resepctively.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 3, 2014
A friend of mine has forever been raving about Julian Symons' classic British mysteries so I decided to try one, to lighten my mood after finishing J.M. Coetzee's "Elizabeth Costello". Quite randomly, I chose "The Plot Against Roger Rider". Unfortunately, I find the novel rather disappointing. It is totally unexceptional - average in writing, slightly above average in characterization, and below average in plot development. Maybe I chose the wrong book out of about 30 mysteries by Mr. Symons. One day, I will give him another chance.
Roger Rider and Geoffrey Paradine have been friends since their youth. Roger was a big boy who protected the smaller Geoffrey from bullying at school. Now Geoffrey works for Roger, who has become a tycoon. However, when Roger hires a detective to spy on his wife, he learns it is the timid Geoffrey that his wife sleeps with. This is just the beginning of a complicated plot that includes disappearances and murders, and which takes place in early 1970s in the UK and Spain.
The three aspects of the novel that I like are occasional sharp observations of motives of human behavior, the well presented portrayal of how politics influences police work in Franco's Spain, and the Sheila and James' thread. The major weakness of the book is that the plot development depends on several major coincidences. Sure, coincidences happen in real life, but in mystery novels they signify sloppy design. There are also three major "twists" at the end of the novel, and I find the last one strained and contrived.
Two stars.
Roger Rider and Geoffrey Paradine have been friends since their youth. Roger was a big boy who protected the smaller Geoffrey from bullying at school. Now Geoffrey works for Roger, who has become a tycoon. However, when Roger hires a detective to spy on his wife, he learns it is the timid Geoffrey that his wife sleeps with. This is just the beginning of a complicated plot that includes disappearances and murders, and which takes place in early 1970s in the UK and Spain.
The three aspects of the novel that I like are occasional sharp observations of motives of human behavior, the well presented portrayal of how politics influences police work in Franco's Spain, and the Sheila and James' thread. The major weakness of the book is that the plot development depends on several major coincidences. Sure, coincidences happen in real life, but in mystery novels they signify sloppy design. There are also three major "twists" at the end of the novel, and I find the last one strained and contrived.
Two stars.
August 10, 2019
I thought this was mostly average going and then with about 30 pages left I thought I twigged what the twist was going to be, or at least I came up with a twist and hoped that the book was leading that way (Geoffrey Paradine and Amanda contrive to murder Roger for revenge and his money but make it look like Roger has faked his own death. The body in the water is actually Roger but they had Hubert break into the dentist office in Australia and put Rider's dental charts in Summers' file and make some other paperwork disappear. The police are lead to believe that Roger is on the run after faking his death and go down that investigation, leaving Geoffrey and Amanda to get away scot free.)
There are some scenes that wouldn't make sense with that twist - Amanda breaking up with Geoffrey for one - but I liked my idea better. The reveal of the culprit was disappointing in the end.
There are some scenes that wouldn't make sense with that twist - Amanda breaking up with Geoffrey for one - but I liked my idea better. The reveal of the culprit was disappointing in the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2017
Well plotted and fast paced. Many machinations within.
Want to Read
February 17, 2020Synopsis: Roger and Geoffrey knew each other for years. Geoffrey was tired of being picked on and slept with Roger's wife. Murder followed.
September 28, 2021
Welease Wodger.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews