Death of an alderman

Inspector Kentworthy #1

by John Buxton Hilton

The murder of the most hated and powerful man in a small town causes great commotion but offers few clues. The only evidence Kenworthy has is the murder weapon--an antique luger pistol. And the only help he gets is from a spunky 15-year-old girl whose knowledge reaches far beyond her years.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1968

About the author

John Buxton Hilton was a British crime writer. After his war service in the army he became an Inspector of schools, before retiring in 1970 to take up full-time writing.

He wrote the Superintendent Simon Kenworthy series and the Inspector Thomas Brunt series, as well as the Inspector Mosley series under the pseudonym John Greenwood. Hilton died in Norwich.

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Edward Barson was one of the most powerful men in town. And the most hated. Who didn't have a motive to kill him? The suspects were many, the clues were few, and the weapon a museum piece. Quite a big mystery for such a small town. But Inspector Kenworthy had an unlikely helper, a spunky little miss who seemed to know everybody's dirty little secrets ...

"With a pipe in his hand and a trick or two up his sleeve, Inspector Kenworthy is Scotland Yard's consummate master of investigation. Big, bearish, and sometimes bullying, he makes his sergeants quake and culprits tremble -- for Kenworthy's keen eye for spotting 'whodunnit' lets no one get away with murder."
~~back cover

I do like this older style of English cozy, but this one was just a bit too complicated with only a meager scattering of clues: too much and not enough, all at the same time, for my taste. Still worth reading though, if only for the enjoyment of a well-written and well-crafted mystery.

[Eugene · Rating 2 out of 5]

Found in a local used bookshop (another endangered species!) As a mystery fan, had to try a new to me series, esp. as its #1. Alas and alack, it may be a while before I assay another. Inspector Kenworthy it appears, is a bloviator on a world class level, issuing oracular pronunciamentos of observation which no one may untangle. Sergeant Wright is the poor sap who must attempt to discern what it all means and take an approriate action thereto. He has my sympathy.
Here, Kenworthy and Wright arrive by train(!) to the village of Fellaby, after a local alderman is found murdered. Unfortunately, Edward Barson was both a man on the rapid track for political advancement and at the same time quite possibly the most hated man in town, evidently with good reason. Kenworthy is prone to leaving the scene for mysterious assignations of his own, leaving Wright to do the actual investigative chores, and at the same time bring the local constabulary into the picture without alienating them. After much argy-bargy, Kenworthy announces he’s solved the crime, and has Wright procure tickets for their train back to London, insisting Chief Superintendent Grayling, commander of the Fellaby police, accompany them one stop on the ride, during which short period he’ll make all plain and “solve the case.”
In the English village mystery genre, but not a good example of same…

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a good book to read when you're having a long soak in the bathtub.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite a good mystery as Inspector Kenworthy keeps everything under his hat. It ends quickly with no summing up at the end. I was hampered a little by all the British slang and colloquial terms.

[Damaskcat · Rating 3 out of 5]

DS Kenworthy is called in to investigate the murder of a local councillor in a northern town. His sidekick, D S Wright goes with him. Between them they soon uncover rather more about the town than the pillars of the community really want revealed.

I did like the police characters in this interesting police procedural but I found the plot not at all easy to follow. Kenworthy is a bit too much prone to make enigmatic statements which leave both DS Wright and this reader floundering.

The book did keep me entertained for a couple of evenings but I’m not sure that I will go on and read the rest of the series.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish there were a half star rating system here. I would give this one a 2 and a half. it was intricate and well-written in some ways. Maybe it was more of a man's mystery. It felt a little dated - think it was written in the '60's. I found Kenworthy a bit irritating. And the ending felt odd with the murdered being revealed at the last paragraph or page. I did want to finish it, but I won't read another in the series.

[Nicholas George · Rating 3 out of 5]

An efficient little puzzler about the murder of a much-loathed civic official in rural England. Detective Kenworthy is a distinctive character, one of those brilliant-and-knows-it chaps that stretch back to Sherlock Holmes. The mystery's resolution, alas, sort of came out of nowhere, but it's a fun read.

[Marci · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a little difficult to read only because I am from the current US. I had a bit of a time understanding some of the 1960 terminology and some of the English references and terminology. But overall I liked the story. I'm sure that I will get the hand of the rest.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

all in all pretty good.will search for more from this author.