Let Us Prey

Keith Calder #15

by Gerald Hammond

Called to the scene of a gamekeeper's death, legal solicitor Ralph Enterkin begins an investigation that unearths a series of strange facts involving a scheme to frame the gamekeeper's employer, Alec Deeley

Genres: Mystery

156 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1991

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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m rereading this series from the start, so I won’t explain the characters, as the series should really be begun with book one. For a change, Hammond has decided to use Ralph Enterkin as the protagonist in this book.

Spoilers ahead. Jim Broxburn, a baker and sometime, part-time gamekeeper for Mr Deeley, has been found dead. Deeley is a part-time farmer who is also a partner in a shooting syndicate. According to the book, some farms need to do this in order to survive. Enterkin is drawn into the case because he represents Deeley, who is being investigated by the police. It initially appears that Broxburn died accidentally while administering poison to raptors, which is illegal. The motive suggested is that raptors kill the prey birds needed by shooting syndicates for their customers. However, Deeley strongly denies ordering him to do this, and people who knew Broxburn also aver that he would never have done such a thing.

Enterkin contacts Broxburn’s next of kin, his sister Mrs Ferguson, who flies over from Canada. They go through his effects and find an insurance policy made out to Mrs Celia Fallow, who turns out to be Broxburn’s married paramour. When they contact her, the mystery really starts to unravel.

Instead of being friendly, she challenges Mrs Ferguson for Broxburn’s estate, claiming that he left everything to her in his (non-existent) will. This sets the tone for her role as an adversary to both Enterkin and Mrs Ferguson. The mystery of Broxburn’s death is finally resolved when they look more deeply into Fallow herself. (Mystery explained, really don't read this part unless you want it completely spoiled. Apparently Fallow and her husband had been illegally raising raptors to sell and Broxburn had found out about it. Broxburn had been found dead with a syringe and a bottle of poison and they thought he might have accidentally or suicidally injected himself with it but the actual MO was that Mr. Fallow had shot him with a tranquilizer dart filled with poison.)

This is a very short book, at just nine chapters. As usual, the author makes a point of noting that shooting and its associated ecology preserve wildlife better than anything else. We also learn a little about raptors along the way. Overall, it’s a nice, quick read.

[Rita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It has a great plot with lots of great detective work. I enjoyed the characters and how they related to each other. It was written in an unique way which I liked too. The book was easy to read and kept my attention throughout the book. I am going to look into more from this author too!