The Executor

Keith Calder #10

by Gerald Hammond

Robin Winterton, an old gentleman gun collector who has named Keith Caldor the executor of his estate, is murdered and as Caldor investigates, he discovers skeletons in the Winterton family closet

Genres: Mystery

173 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1987

About the author

Gerald Hammond, (Gerald Arthur Douglas Hammond) son of Frederick Arthur Lucas (a physician) and Maria Birnie (a nursing sister) Hammond; married Gilda Isobel Watt (a nurse), August 20, 1952; children: Peter, David, Steven. Education: Aberdeen School of Architecture, Dip. Arch., 1952. He served in the British Army, 1944-45. Although born in Bournemouth, Hampshire, England, he worked in and retired to the country he most loved, Scotland.

He also writes under the names of Arthur Douglas and Dalby Holden. He was an architect for thirty years before retiring to write novels full-time in 1982. He has written over 50 novels since the late 1960s.

His novels center around guns, shooting, hunting, fishing, and dog training.

Reviews

[Viva]

Spoilers ahead. An elderly customer of Calder's, Robin Winterton has been killed in a home break in. Calder is his executor because most of his assets is in his £500k antique gun collection which includes 2 priceless Scottish snaphaunce muskets. Unfortunately it seems that a couple of days after his death, his widow unknowingly sold them to a door to door knocker for only £200. As the widow did not have permission to dispose of items from the estate, it's now Calder's self appointed duty to get the collection back before they vanish into unscrupulous collectors' hands.

The first clue is the identity of the knocker, and he's quickly identified but he's murdered before anyone can get to him. Further muddling up the situation is the appearance of Danny Bruce a well known fence who is involved in this somehow. Calder has to fend off Bruce's tough as well as members of Winterton's extended family, all of whom want to get their hands on the money, including the widow.

This is a super short book, only about 12-13 chapters and I finished it in a day.

[Evonne Hutton]

Gerald Hammond's mysteries never fail to intrigue and enthrall! This one is no different.
Keith is named as executor to a friends estate. Before he could start his duty a valuable part of the inheritance disappears.
And the fun begins!
A tightly woven story with exceptional characters.