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Robert Macdonald #26
Murder by Matchlight
"A man who played about on the fringes of the Black Market, who had fought for Sinn Fein, who lived by his wits - and who finally became dangerous to somebody and was knocked over the head in the blackout. It may prove to be a sordid story, but I certainly find it an interesting one."
London, 1945. The capital is shrouded in the darkness of the blackout, and mystery abounds in the parks after dusk.
During a stroll through Regent's Park, Bruce Mallaig witnesses two men acting suspiciously around a footbridge. In a matter of moments, one of them has been murdered; Mallaig's view of the assailant but a brief glimpse of a ghastly face in the glow of a struck match.
The murderer's noiseless approach and escape seems to defy all logic, and even the victim's identity is quickly thrown into uncertainty. Lorac's shrewd yet personable C.I.D. man MacDonald must set to work once again to unravel this near-impossible mystery.
With an introduction by Martin Edwards
London, 1945. The capital is shrouded in the darkness of the blackout, and mystery abounds in the parks after dusk.
During a stroll through Regent's Park, Bruce Mallaig witnesses two men acting suspiciously around a footbridge. In a matter of moments, one of them has been murdered; Mallaig's view of the assailant but a brief glimpse of a ghastly face in the glow of a struck match.
The murderer's noiseless approach and escape seems to defy all logic, and even the victim's identity is quickly thrown into uncertainty. Lorac's shrewd yet personable C.I.D. man MacDonald must set to work once again to unravel this near-impossible mystery.
With an introduction by Martin Edwards
254 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1945
132 people are currently reading
648 people want to read
About the author
E.C.R. Lorac
74 books177 followersEdith Caroline Rivett (who wrote under the pseudonyms E.C.R. Lorac, Carol Carnac, Carol Rivett, and Mary le Bourne) was a British crime writer. She was born in Hendon, Middlesex (now London). She attended the South Hampstead High School, and the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London.
She was a member of the Detection Club. She was a very prolific writer, having written forty-eight mysteries under her first pen name, and twenty-three under her second. She was an important author of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction.
She was a member of the Detection Club. She was a very prolific writer, having written forty-eight mysteries under her first pen name, and twenty-three under her second. She was an important author of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 218 reviews
July 9, 2021
This novel of the Robert MacDonald series is a cleverly written murder-mystery by Lorac, perhaps the most cleverly written one that I've read so far. I'm truly becoming a fan of this series. I like Lorac's style which is different from what I normally see in murder-mystery novels. She blends both the mystery and the atmosphere so well and produces such an interesting story that reading it is so much an enjoyable experience.
The plot of the mystery is quite uncommon. It is based on a clever premise. The crime and the following mystery had an animated and dramatic effect. Lorac has taken pain to stifle the identity of the criminal through some twists and turns although I was fairly accurate in my suspicion. Lorac plays her game fairly and I like that a lot about her. The motive, however, was another story. For once I couldn't come anywhere near guessing it right. :) The ending was a bit of a letdown given the overall effort the author has employed to create a plausible and intriguing story.
The possible suspects were drawn from diverse backgrounds, and we meet a mixture of an interesting set of characters. I personally enjoyed the lot here more than those I've met in her other books. As always, I enjoyed the role played by Chief Inspector Robert MacDonald. His meticulous method of investigation, his patience, and perseverance to bring out justice unfailingly is commendable.
The mystery was set amidst the London blitz and blackouts and I was very much thankful for this firsthand account of a historically significant time in the past. This setting also enhanced the eerie atmosphere that was already set up by the murder mystery.
I enjoyed this story and thought this was the best mystery by her so far. Lorac is certainly improving on her skills and quality as a steady author of detective fiction. No comparisons are made, but personally, she is becoming an author quite as dear as Agatha Christie to me.
The plot of the mystery is quite uncommon. It is based on a clever premise. The crime and the following mystery had an animated and dramatic effect. Lorac has taken pain to stifle the identity of the criminal through some twists and turns although I was fairly accurate in my suspicion. Lorac plays her game fairly and I like that a lot about her. The motive, however, was another story. For once I couldn't come anywhere near guessing it right. :) The ending was a bit of a letdown given the overall effort the author has employed to create a plausible and intriguing story.
The possible suspects were drawn from diverse backgrounds, and we meet a mixture of an interesting set of characters. I personally enjoyed the lot here more than those I've met in her other books. As always, I enjoyed the role played by Chief Inspector Robert MacDonald. His meticulous method of investigation, his patience, and perseverance to bring out justice unfailingly is commendable.
The mystery was set amidst the London blitz and blackouts and I was very much thankful for this firsthand account of a historically significant time in the past. This setting also enhanced the eerie atmosphere that was already set up by the murder mystery.
I enjoyed this story and thought this was the best mystery by her so far. Lorac is certainly improving on her skills and quality as a steady author of detective fiction. No comparisons are made, but personally, she is becoming an author quite as dear as Agatha Christie to me.
July 3, 2024
Rounded up to 3.5
I love the Poisoned Pen Press which re-releases classic British mystery books for the modern audience and I am a great fan of the Golden Age of that genre.
This little book was written by E.R.Lorac (Edith Rivett) who was very popular but is somewhat forgotten today. It features her continuing character Scotland Yard Inspector MacDonald who is a likeable and intelligent man but seems to have no personal life.
The story is set in London during the Blitz and the life of the residents is well presented. A young man is sitting in a park during a blackout when he hears something odd and goes to investigate. Of course he finds a dead man and gets a glimpse of the murderer by the light of a match that the victim had just lit; thus the title of the story.
MacDonald investigates and ends up in a house converted to flats which has a curious collection of inhabitants who become suspects. The plot is a bit confusing and somewhat far-fetched but you will never guess the murderer (or at least I didn't).
It is a good bedtime read.
I love the Poisoned Pen Press which re-releases classic British mystery books for the modern audience and I am a great fan of the Golden Age of that genre.
This little book was written by E.R.Lorac (Edith Rivett) who was very popular but is somewhat forgotten today. It features her continuing character Scotland Yard Inspector MacDonald who is a likeable and intelligent man but seems to have no personal life.
The story is set in London during the Blitz and the life of the residents is well presented. A young man is sitting in a park during a blackout when he hears something odd and goes to investigate. Of course he finds a dead man and gets a glimpse of the murderer by the light of a match that the victim had just lit; thus the title of the story.
MacDonald investigates and ends up in a house converted to flats which has a curious collection of inhabitants who become suspects. The plot is a bit confusing and somewhat far-fetched but you will never guess the murderer (or at least I didn't).
It is a good bedtime read.
December 16, 2015
I received this book from Net Galley. Thank you.
This is a Golden Age mystery book originally written in 1945. It perfectly captures the setting of war time in England. The descriptions of the bombing and the shelters were realistic probably because it was written in that time. I loved Chief Inspector Macdonald and would like to read more with him. I'll have to check and see if there are more books featuring him.
First of all, I really needed this book. After reading two books that featured gruesome deaths by pigs, I liked a gentler murder where the guy just gets conked on the head. Macdonald's investigation leads him to the victim's boarding house full of theater people. What fun it was to read about these people's vaudeville acts. I have never read a cast of so many intriguing characters from the housekeeper who gets a crush on the Inspector to the illusionist with a trick bicycle.
There were a lot of twists and turns that kept me reading. Most importantly it was fun. This is a wonderful easy read and good for when you just want to relax.
This is a Golden Age mystery book originally written in 1945. It perfectly captures the setting of war time in England. The descriptions of the bombing and the shelters were realistic probably because it was written in that time. I loved Chief Inspector Macdonald and would like to read more with him. I'll have to check and see if there are more books featuring him.
First of all, I really needed this book. After reading two books that featured gruesome deaths by pigs, I liked a gentler murder where the guy just gets conked on the head. Macdonald's investigation leads him to the victim's boarding house full of theater people. What fun it was to read about these people's vaudeville acts. I have never read a cast of so many intriguing characters from the housekeeper who gets a crush on the Inspector to the illusionist with a trick bicycle.
There were a lot of twists and turns that kept me reading. Most importantly it was fun. This is a wonderful easy read and good for when you just want to relax.
August 22, 2024
This may be my favorite so far of Lorac's London-during-wartime Chief Inspector Robert Macdonald mysteries. The crime itself is unique and rather curious and I thought the side characters were fantastic. The red herring suspect was a little more obvious in this than in her other novels, but he was such a great character that I didn't really mind. Macdonald is one of my favorite detectives. He's so smart and so cool-headed when he's in the middle of investigating but he is always observing human behavior and being amused by human quirks. He has a sense of humor but it's not glaring on the surface. It's got a depth and weight to it that can stand up to the hard things he witnesses in his job and as an active citizen of London during WWII. I noted this in one of my reading updates, but I think that Macdonald is a George Knightley kind of character. He's thoroughly upright and kind-hearted, and he cares that people act morally. He walks a fine line between never forgetting a murderer's humanity and treating the crime with the moral seriousness it deserves.
I think I do still prefer the countryside Macdonald mysteries but that's just a personal preference.
I think I do still prefer the countryside Macdonald mysteries but that's just a personal preference.
November 27, 2018
Maybe it’s because they are Londoners...
It’s a cold winter in London during World War 2, with the blackout in full force and the population living with the constant spectre of bombing raids. One night, young Bruce Mallaig is sitting on a bench in Regent’s Park thinking romantic thoughts of the girl he loves, when he sees – or mostly hears due to the pitch darkness – two men near the little footbridge, one on the bridge, the other standing below it. While he ponders what they might be up to, the man on the bridge lights a match and Mallaig catches a glimpse of a face looming behind him. The match goes out and there’s a thud as of someone falling. By the time Mallaig fumbles his torch alight, the man on the bridge is dead...
Of course, this is the story he tells the police, but is it true? There was another witness too, the man under the bridge, whose story sounds less likely but possible. Inspector MacDonald of the Yard will have to decide if either of these witness could have done the deed, or had a fourth person been there in the darkness, unseen except for that brief glimpse Mallaig caught in the matchlight? But first MacDonald will have to identify the victim before he can try to discover the motive for the crime.
This is the third of ECR Lorac’s books that the British Library has re-issued and she’s now become one of my firm favourites. MacDonald is a likeable detective – a moral man but with the ability to make allowances for the moral weaknesses of others. He’s thoughtful and kind, Oxford-educated but doesn’t live in an ivory tower. He’s as likely to go to see the latest variety show at the music-hall as to attend the newest production of Shakespeare, and this stands him in good stead in this investigation, since it soon turns out the victim lived in a boarding-house full of variety performers.
The plot is very good, with plenty of motives to provide red herrings, and an investigation that relies on MacDonald getting to the truth the old-fashioned way – by interviewing the various suspects both formally and informally, while his team carry out the painstaking work of checking alibis and tracking people’s movements. That’s one of the things I like most about these books – Lorac makes it clear that policing is a team sport. While MacDonald has the intuition and insight to make assumptions about who might be lying or telling the truth, he relies on his hard-working and competent subordinates to get the evidence to support or negate his theories.
One of Lorac’s chief skills is in developing her settings with a great feeling of authenticity. This one takes us to the heart of the capital city during the bombings, and gives a wonderful depiction of the dogged Londoners picking themselves up and carrying on, with the kind of defiant resilience that was the hallmark of London’s (and Britain’s) war-time attitude. But she doesn’t shy away from showing that this spirit wasn’t universal – many people were scared, while some took advantage of the confusion caused by the destruction in less than legal ways. In fact, Lorac uses this confusion as part of her plot and gives a real picture of the bombed out areas of the city and the disruption which that caused, with people dispersed from their old communities so that suddenly neighbours no longer knew neighbours in the way they had before the war, allowing the unscrupulous to “disappear” into new lives, even new identities.
I also love her characterisation. The most vivid characters here are the variety performers, and as you would expect they can be a bit larger than life, and their quirky skills again play a part in the plotting. She doesn’t overdo it, though, so they still feel credible. But it’s the “ordinary” people she does so well – the old caretaker who looks after the boarding-house and does a bit of cleaning on the side, Mallaig, MacDonald’s subordinates. This is back in the period when authors used to assume that people who weren’t the baddies were good, and this is emphasised more here because, written in 1945, consciously or unconsciously it plays into the story Londoners told themselves to keep their chins up in the face of adversity: a story of plucky cheerfulness, neighbourliness and acts of heroism – a story they told so convincingly it became their reality. A heinous crime has been committed, with a motivation that might feel somewhat out-dated now, but would have resonated strongly at the time. But, despite the crime and the bombs, all will be well because London and Londoners will never allow Hitler the satisfaction of thinking he can give more than they can take. And with men like MacDonald in charge, London is in safe hands.
Strong plot, good characterisation, plenty of mild humour to lift the tone – all-in-all, an excellent read that gives a real insight into the war on the Home Front, and the patriotic spirit that carried London through. Great stuff!
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, the British Library.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
It’s a cold winter in London during World War 2, with the blackout in full force and the population living with the constant spectre of bombing raids. One night, young Bruce Mallaig is sitting on a bench in Regent’s Park thinking romantic thoughts of the girl he loves, when he sees – or mostly hears due to the pitch darkness – two men near the little footbridge, one on the bridge, the other standing below it. While he ponders what they might be up to, the man on the bridge lights a match and Mallaig catches a glimpse of a face looming behind him. The match goes out and there’s a thud as of someone falling. By the time Mallaig fumbles his torch alight, the man on the bridge is dead...
Of course, this is the story he tells the police, but is it true? There was another witness too, the man under the bridge, whose story sounds less likely but possible. Inspector MacDonald of the Yard will have to decide if either of these witness could have done the deed, or had a fourth person been there in the darkness, unseen except for that brief glimpse Mallaig caught in the matchlight? But first MacDonald will have to identify the victim before he can try to discover the motive for the crime.
This is the third of ECR Lorac’s books that the British Library has re-issued and she’s now become one of my firm favourites. MacDonald is a likeable detective – a moral man but with the ability to make allowances for the moral weaknesses of others. He’s thoughtful and kind, Oxford-educated but doesn’t live in an ivory tower. He’s as likely to go to see the latest variety show at the music-hall as to attend the newest production of Shakespeare, and this stands him in good stead in this investigation, since it soon turns out the victim lived in a boarding-house full of variety performers.
The plot is very good, with plenty of motives to provide red herrings, and an investigation that relies on MacDonald getting to the truth the old-fashioned way – by interviewing the various suspects both formally and informally, while his team carry out the painstaking work of checking alibis and tracking people’s movements. That’s one of the things I like most about these books – Lorac makes it clear that policing is a team sport. While MacDonald has the intuition and insight to make assumptions about who might be lying or telling the truth, he relies on his hard-working and competent subordinates to get the evidence to support or negate his theories.
One of Lorac’s chief skills is in developing her settings with a great feeling of authenticity. This one takes us to the heart of the capital city during the bombings, and gives a wonderful depiction of the dogged Londoners picking themselves up and carrying on, with the kind of defiant resilience that was the hallmark of London’s (and Britain’s) war-time attitude. But she doesn’t shy away from showing that this spirit wasn’t universal – many people were scared, while some took advantage of the confusion caused by the destruction in less than legal ways. In fact, Lorac uses this confusion as part of her plot and gives a real picture of the bombed out areas of the city and the disruption which that caused, with people dispersed from their old communities so that suddenly neighbours no longer knew neighbours in the way they had before the war, allowing the unscrupulous to “disappear” into new lives, even new identities.
I also love her characterisation. The most vivid characters here are the variety performers, and as you would expect they can be a bit larger than life, and their quirky skills again play a part in the plotting. She doesn’t overdo it, though, so they still feel credible. But it’s the “ordinary” people she does so well – the old caretaker who looks after the boarding-house and does a bit of cleaning on the side, Mallaig, MacDonald’s subordinates. This is back in the period when authors used to assume that people who weren’t the baddies were good, and this is emphasised more here because, written in 1945, consciously or unconsciously it plays into the story Londoners told themselves to keep their chins up in the face of adversity: a story of plucky cheerfulness, neighbourliness and acts of heroism – a story they told so convincingly it became their reality. A heinous crime has been committed, with a motivation that might feel somewhat out-dated now, but would have resonated strongly at the time. But, despite the crime and the bombs, all will be well because London and Londoners will never allow Hitler the satisfaction of thinking he can give more than they can take. And with men like MacDonald in charge, London is in safe hands.
Strong plot, good characterisation, plenty of mild humour to lift the tone – all-in-all, an excellent read that gives a real insight into the war on the Home Front, and the patriotic spirit that carried London through. Great stuff!
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, the British Library.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
August 11, 2024
8/2024 reread, up to 5 stars. On this reread, after becoming more familiar with Lorac’s writing through several more of her excellent reissued GA mysteries, I can appreciate even more her intricate plotting and the diligence of CID man Macdonald and his team. The wartime setting is so evocative, the characters so interesting-and I’d totally forgotten whodunnit and the exciting climax! Very enjoyable and entertaining.
2019: 4.5 stars, excellent, atmospheric police procedural, which made excellent use of WWII London - blackout conditions, air raids, identity cards, etc. This is the second Golden Age mystery I’ve read by Lorac, and I hope more of her books become available as re-issues soon.
In this case, the action is off to a quick start - as the book opens, a young man is wandering Regent’s Park during the blackout on a raw, dark November night; he was to meet his fiancée for dinner, but her leave was canceled. Rather than dine alone, he takes a walk through the park - and witnesses a murder on a footbridge - illuminated only by the momentary light of the victim’s match.
Lorac’s intrepid Scotland Yard Inspector Macdonald is soon on the case; the victim appears to be a “negative” - no personal effects in his rented room, using a fake name, no apparent friends or relations. Macdonald meets some fascinating characters at the victim’s boardinghouse: several interesting vaudevillians, a very sharp elderly landlady, and a scholarly gentleman who takes an interest in his fellow tenants. The more Macdonald digs, the more confusing and complex the mystery (and possible motives) around the murder becomes...
I really enjoyed this - getting to know the cool, collected Macdonald better, the realistic portrayal of the wartime London conditions, and making the acquaintance of such wonderful, almost Dickensian characters as the wise, cheerful, resilient landlady Mrs. Maloney, along with Mr. Ramses, the brilliant mimic and illusionist. I will look for more of Lorac’s books; she deserves a wider readership for her satisfying puzzles, great characters and wonderful detective!
2019: 4.5 stars, excellent, atmospheric police procedural, which made excellent use of WWII London - blackout conditions, air raids, identity cards, etc. This is the second Golden Age mystery I’ve read by Lorac, and I hope more of her books become available as re-issues soon.
In this case, the action is off to a quick start - as the book opens, a young man is wandering Regent’s Park during the blackout on a raw, dark November night; he was to meet his fiancée for dinner, but her leave was canceled. Rather than dine alone, he takes a walk through the park - and witnesses a murder on a footbridge - illuminated only by the momentary light of the victim’s match.
Lorac’s intrepid Scotland Yard Inspector Macdonald is soon on the case; the victim appears to be a “negative” - no personal effects in his rented room, using a fake name, no apparent friends or relations. Macdonald meets some fascinating characters at the victim’s boardinghouse: several interesting vaudevillians, a very sharp elderly landlady, and a scholarly gentleman who takes an interest in his fellow tenants. The more Macdonald digs, the more confusing and complex the mystery (and possible motives) around the murder becomes...
I really enjoyed this - getting to know the cool, collected Macdonald better, the realistic portrayal of the wartime London conditions, and making the acquaintance of such wonderful, almost Dickensian characters as the wise, cheerful, resilient landlady Mrs. Maloney, along with Mr. Ramses, the brilliant mimic and illusionist. I will look for more of Lorac’s books; she deserves a wider readership for her satisfying puzzles, great characters and wonderful detective!
May 8, 2020
Oh, this one had me stumped right up to the end. But the author played fair, all of the clues were there. I was just so wrapped up in the story that I failed to add them up properly.
Well done, Inspector MacDonald. Well done, Ms Lorac.
Besides a clever murder mystery, the author gives us a vivid picture of London during the war. The scene in the air raid shelter was very effective--I could almost hear the bombers and the anti-aircraft guns.
Well done, Inspector MacDonald. Well done, Ms Lorac.
Besides a clever murder mystery, the author gives us a vivid picture of London during the war. The scene in the air raid shelter was very effective--I could almost hear the bombers and the anti-aircraft guns.
December 7, 2015
2.5 stars
I received the Kindle version of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is the first time I read this author, and no surprise. The novel was first published in 1945. It belongs to the Golden Age of British detective fiction, but I wasn’t impressed. The writing was mediocre, the story faintly boring, the editing dismal, and the characters flat. Let me elaborate.
Writing
The author’s language was very dry, with no emotional subtext, not in the story and not in the characters. The number of misspells was staggering. For example, there is a witness in the story called Claydon. At various times he is spelled as ‘Claydon’, ‘Clay-don’ or ‘Clay don’. I think (that is just my speculation) that when this novel was being prepared for its current digital reissue, they just scanned the old text and didn’t proofread it. Unfortunately, scanners make mistakes. I’m not usually picky about spelling lapses – everyone is human after all, and we all make mistakes – but the sheer number of them in one short book was irritating.
Plot
The plot was a standard whodunit. Someone got killed in a park in London during blackout. Chief Inspector MacDonald of Scotland Yard investigated the murder. There were witnesses and suspects, and the story reads like the detective’s schedule of tasks. He went to see this witness and that. He asked questions about the victim, trying to picture together the unknown man, when he had been alive, and thus arrive at his murderer. A timetable was involved but no psychological insights. The story didn’t touch me or intrigue me, and I didn’t care for anyone in it.
Characters
Chief Inspector Macdonald was supposed to be the protagonist. According to the GR database, this novel is #25 in the author’s series about him. Maybe that’s why he feels like a manikin, empty of humanity. After 24 previous books (which I didn’t read) he appears wooden. Everything about him has already been said in the previous novels. Maybe he was interesting and alive in novels #2 or #7, but not in #25. He talks, but no feelings of his or of anyone else’s manifested in the story. It’s all cerebral, with logic but no heart. And all the other characters were just as bland. On the surface, they should’ve been interesting. There are vaudevillians among them. In practice, blah.
And as a side issue – all the female characters in the story were strictly secondary, flavoring for their male counterparts. The entire book was firmly male-dominated. Yuck!
History
The only aspect that saved this book from being a total loss was historical. I’ve never before read an account of the London blitz written by an eyewitness. The blackout and the bombing came alive for me, unlike the insipid plot. There was no gore or blood in the book, but it was obvious that the writer knew what she was writing about. The Londoners’ stoic attitude, their suffering, and their quiet courage awed me. They kept on living in the face of the Nazis’ nightly bombing. The theatres kept the shows running. The businesses kept open. Britain defied all Hitler’s attempts to cow or conquer her without flashy gestures or bombastic declarations. It was all the more impressive because it was written with the same dry voice as the rest of the book. My metaphorical hat is off to you, guys.
I received the Kindle version of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is the first time I read this author, and no surprise. The novel was first published in 1945. It belongs to the Golden Age of British detective fiction, but I wasn’t impressed. The writing was mediocre, the story faintly boring, the editing dismal, and the characters flat. Let me elaborate.
Writing
The author’s language was very dry, with no emotional subtext, not in the story and not in the characters. The number of misspells was staggering. For example, there is a witness in the story called Claydon. At various times he is spelled as ‘Claydon’, ‘Clay-don’ or ‘Clay don’. I think (that is just my speculation) that when this novel was being prepared for its current digital reissue, they just scanned the old text and didn’t proofread it. Unfortunately, scanners make mistakes. I’m not usually picky about spelling lapses – everyone is human after all, and we all make mistakes – but the sheer number of them in one short book was irritating.
Plot
The plot was a standard whodunit. Someone got killed in a park in London during blackout. Chief Inspector MacDonald of Scotland Yard investigated the murder. There were witnesses and suspects, and the story reads like the detective’s schedule of tasks. He went to see this witness and that. He asked questions about the victim, trying to picture together the unknown man, when he had been alive, and thus arrive at his murderer. A timetable was involved but no psychological insights. The story didn’t touch me or intrigue me, and I didn’t care for anyone in it.
Characters
Chief Inspector Macdonald was supposed to be the protagonist. According to the GR database, this novel is #25 in the author’s series about him. Maybe that’s why he feels like a manikin, empty of humanity. After 24 previous books (which I didn’t read) he appears wooden. Everything about him has already been said in the previous novels. Maybe he was interesting and alive in novels #2 or #7, but not in #25. He talks, but no feelings of his or of anyone else’s manifested in the story. It’s all cerebral, with logic but no heart. And all the other characters were just as bland. On the surface, they should’ve been interesting. There are vaudevillians among them. In practice, blah.
And as a side issue – all the female characters in the story were strictly secondary, flavoring for their male counterparts. The entire book was firmly male-dominated. Yuck!
History
The only aspect that saved this book from being a total loss was historical. I’ve never before read an account of the London blitz written by an eyewitness. The blackout and the bombing came alive for me, unlike the insipid plot. There was no gore or blood in the book, but it was obvious that the writer knew what she was writing about. The Londoners’ stoic attitude, their suffering, and their quiet courage awed me. They kept on living in the face of the Nazis’ nightly bombing. The theatres kept the shows running. The businesses kept open. Britain defied all Hitler’s attempts to cow or conquer her without flashy gestures or bombastic declarations. It was all the more impressive because it was written with the same dry voice as the rest of the book. My metaphorical hat is off to you, guys.
February 1, 2024
Very enjoyable. I would have rated it 3.5 but I'd rather round up than down since I like MacDonald and the other characters. I had a little trouble keeping up with the end and ideally I'd like to read it again to see how she got there but I'm ultimately okay with not.
MbM takes place during World War II and one of my favorite scenes is the blitz--I found the scene exciting and it made the historical time more real than anything else in the story.
MbM takes place during World War II and one of my favorite scenes is the blitz--I found the scene exciting and it made the historical time more real than anything else in the story.
February 22, 2023
Murder by Matchlight is my first exposure to the mystery writing of British crime writer E.C.R. Lorac. It was the 26th mystery of the CID Inspector MacDonald series. The first book was written in 1931 and the last in 1959. This 26th story was published in 1945 and is set during the German bombings of London during WWII. I have to say I enjoyed the story very much. They reminded me of police procedurals of crime writer Michael Gilbert.
A young man, Bruce Mallaig, whose dinner date was cancelled finds himself wandering around London during the blackout. While sitting in a park, he hears noises that sound like a struggle and seeing a body and what appears to be another gentleman trying to flee, he tackles the other man, at the same time shouting for the police.
The uniformed bobby takes over, calls for an Inspector, who asks for assistance from CID, thereby bringing Inspector MacDonald into action. Thus begins a neat little mystery investigation that will provide you with a satisfying mystery as well as a group of fascinating characters (suspects?).
Inspector MacDonald is a very likable, intelligent detective. His methods are methodical and keep adding information to the case. He has a team of capable officers assisting him and also even some of the 'suspects' who provide information the more they are questioned and also prove to be very useful in providing him with clues.
It's just an excellent, satisfying story; well written, with an interesting portrayal of WWII London, peopled by intelligent personalities. The case was resolved most satisfactorily. In this edition, there is even a quick short story of about 10 pages, with a different case involving uniformed policeman, Lind. It provides a nice little aperitif after the excellent main story. (4.0 stars)
A young man, Bruce Mallaig, whose dinner date was cancelled finds himself wandering around London during the blackout. While sitting in a park, he hears noises that sound like a struggle and seeing a body and what appears to be another gentleman trying to flee, he tackles the other man, at the same time shouting for the police.
The uniformed bobby takes over, calls for an Inspector, who asks for assistance from CID, thereby bringing Inspector MacDonald into action. Thus begins a neat little mystery investigation that will provide you with a satisfying mystery as well as a group of fascinating characters (suspects?).
Inspector MacDonald is a very likable, intelligent detective. His methods are methodical and keep adding information to the case. He has a team of capable officers assisting him and also even some of the 'suspects' who provide information the more they are questioned and also prove to be very useful in providing him with clues.
It's just an excellent, satisfying story; well written, with an interesting portrayal of WWII London, peopled by intelligent personalities. The case was resolved most satisfactorily. In this edition, there is even a quick short story of about 10 pages, with a different case involving uniformed policeman, Lind. It provides a nice little aperitif after the excellent main story. (4.0 stars)
January 1, 2019
Last read of 2018! “Real” review to come in the new year.
September 5, 2022
"It's a fantastic story--but fantastic stories do happen in London."
It is a fantastic story. It's a story of a young chemist by the name of Bruce Mallaig whose fiancée is down with 'flu takes a walk through Regent's Park on a damp November evening in wartime London. He's feeling a bit at loose ends and sits down on a bench near a familiar footbridge. While he's considering "the advantages of a fair-sized flat in Dolphin Square as against a single-room one in Trinity Court" as a married couple's abode, he observes a stranger walk onto the bridge, flash a torch briefly in the wartime dark, and then hears him scramble over the railing and drop to the ground below the bridge.
Mallaig is puzzling over this odd behavior when another figure comes along and stops on the bridge to smoke a cigarette. The chemist supposes the second man to have an assignation--perhaps with a young lady--and is prepared to warn the young lovers about the man lurking below when the man on the bridge strikes another match which briefly lights up a face slightly above and behind his own. The match goes out and Mallaig hears a thud and the sound of a body falling. He grabs a man he hears scrambling over the railing and hollers for the police. But when the police arrive it seems--if both are telling the truth--that neither Mallaig nor the man he stopped (the man from under the bridge) could be the killer. How did a third man arrive and leave without either of them hearing a sound?
That's one of the many questions that Scotland Yard's Chief Inspector Robert Macdonald must answer as he looks for the killer of the man on the bridge. And the man on the bridge is a puzzle himself. He has been living in a boarding house under the name of John Ward, but investigations seem to indicate that he picked up that persona when a German air raid destroyed his previous lodgings. Has someone killed "John Ward" because of who he is now? Or has someone found out that he used to be Timothy O'Farrell and that was why he was killed? That's another item for Macdonald and his team to figure out.
The only evidence at the bridge site is a set of bicycle tracks that come to an abrupt end. The suspects include the non-descript witness Mallaig, the unemployed laborer lurking under the bridge, a well-known London doctor, a screenwriter who knows his antiques, a garrulous landlady, a variety show actress, a vaudeville husband and wife team specializing in illusions, and a chorus girl. When Macdonald discovers that the victim wasn't above a spot of blackmail--either as Ward or O'Farrell, it becomes a matter of determining which of his blackmail targets stood to lose the most if their secret was spilled.
I have a definite soft spot for Murder by Matchlight. It was the first Lorac book that I discovered back in my twenties when I was just getting back to reading large numbers of mysteries again. It was the only Lorac book that our local library carried at the time and set me on a hunt for the Lorac name whenever I visited a used bookstore. I didn't find another until about fifteen years later. When I had some birthday money to spend and was hunting on Ebay for likely purchases, I was excited to find a Unicorn Mystery Book Club 4-in-1 anthology with Matchlight in it. And now I get to revisit it and see if it holds up.
And..it does. In fact, if anything, I think I enjoyed it more since I plan on giving it a bump in star value from my previous rating. I especially enjoyed the wartime background. The war and the blackouts that accompanied it are integral to the story and Lorac deftly works the war into the story providing atmosphere and depth to the mystery. Macdonald is at his best--good interview techniques and very humane interactions with all and sundry. I positively enjoyed his interactions with all of the residents at the boarding house--especially Mrs. Maloney, the landlady. I had my eye on two suspects from the beginning, though I must admit that I missed the clues which should have told me that my second choice absolutely could have done it. The method the killer uses to be on the spot without revealing his presence too soon was really quite nice. Overall, an excellent read.
Read as part of a 4-in-1 Unicorn Mystery Book Club edition. First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. Thanks.
It is a fantastic story. It's a story of a young chemist by the name of Bruce Mallaig whose fiancée is down with 'flu takes a walk through Regent's Park on a damp November evening in wartime London. He's feeling a bit at loose ends and sits down on a bench near a familiar footbridge. While he's considering "the advantages of a fair-sized flat in Dolphin Square as against a single-room one in Trinity Court" as a married couple's abode, he observes a stranger walk onto the bridge, flash a torch briefly in the wartime dark, and then hears him scramble over the railing and drop to the ground below the bridge.
Mallaig is puzzling over this odd behavior when another figure comes along and stops on the bridge to smoke a cigarette. The chemist supposes the second man to have an assignation--perhaps with a young lady--and is prepared to warn the young lovers about the man lurking below when the man on the bridge strikes another match which briefly lights up a face slightly above and behind his own. The match goes out and Mallaig hears a thud and the sound of a body falling. He grabs a man he hears scrambling over the railing and hollers for the police. But when the police arrive it seems--if both are telling the truth--that neither Mallaig nor the man he stopped (the man from under the bridge) could be the killer. How did a third man arrive and leave without either of them hearing a sound?
That's one of the many questions that Scotland Yard's Chief Inspector Robert Macdonald must answer as he looks for the killer of the man on the bridge. And the man on the bridge is a puzzle himself. He has been living in a boarding house under the name of John Ward, but investigations seem to indicate that he picked up that persona when a German air raid destroyed his previous lodgings. Has someone killed "John Ward" because of who he is now? Or has someone found out that he used to be Timothy O'Farrell and that was why he was killed? That's another item for Macdonald and his team to figure out.
The only evidence at the bridge site is a set of bicycle tracks that come to an abrupt end. The suspects include the non-descript witness Mallaig, the unemployed laborer lurking under the bridge, a well-known London doctor, a screenwriter who knows his antiques, a garrulous landlady, a variety show actress, a vaudeville husband and wife team specializing in illusions, and a chorus girl. When Macdonald discovers that the victim wasn't above a spot of blackmail--either as Ward or O'Farrell, it becomes a matter of determining which of his blackmail targets stood to lose the most if their secret was spilled.
I have a definite soft spot for Murder by Matchlight. It was the first Lorac book that I discovered back in my twenties when I was just getting back to reading large numbers of mysteries again. It was the only Lorac book that our local library carried at the time and set me on a hunt for the Lorac name whenever I visited a used bookstore. I didn't find another until about fifteen years later. When I had some birthday money to spend and was hunting on Ebay for likely purchases, I was excited to find a Unicorn Mystery Book Club 4-in-1 anthology with Matchlight in it. And now I get to revisit it and see if it holds up.
And..it does. In fact, if anything, I think I enjoyed it more since I plan on giving it a bump in star value from my previous rating. I especially enjoyed the wartime background. The war and the blackouts that accompanied it are integral to the story and Lorac deftly works the war into the story providing atmosphere and depth to the mystery. Macdonald is at his best--good interview techniques and very humane interactions with all and sundry. I positively enjoyed his interactions with all of the residents at the boarding house--especially Mrs. Maloney, the landlady. I had my eye on two suspects from the beginning, though I must admit that I missed the clues which should have told me that my second choice absolutely could have done it. The method the killer uses to be on the spot without revealing his presence too soon was really quite nice. Overall, an excellent read.
Read as part of a 4-in-1 Unicorn Mystery Book Club edition. First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. Thanks.
January 24, 2020
Had a surprisingly modern feel. Set in London during WWII, the police can't let blackouts and air raids stop them from exposing a murderer. The blackout is as much a character as the people, women weren't stereotyped, and the police were competent investigators. Reminded me a little of Foyle's War but actually written in 1945. Plus a bonus short story. I'll seek out more by this author.
November 10, 2022
It's so lovely to find a new-to-me golden age mystery, and one that almost lives up to favorites of its era. Murder by Matchlight – which I received through Netgalley, thanks very much – is a Dover reissue of a book originally published in 1945, the story of a murder in a park in London as the war continues to rage across the Channel.
And it was wonderfully enjoyable. The mystery is a lovely puzzle, with the wartime setting, some fun and exotic elements, and sheer happenstance combining into just a whole lot of fun. One suspect says:
"If I’d wanted to kill Johnnie Ward—which I didn’t—I shouldn’t have done it in a way that would have brought Scotland Yard to my door next morning. Oh, no. If I’d done it, no one would have been any the wiser. I may be a clown, but I’m an efficient clown."
Which is a wonderful defense, isn't it?
I loved the characterizations. The victim was terrific – lovable, in his way, so that the reader can find room for regret at his death … but he also had plenty of truly exasperating ways and habits, and inspired lots of lovely motives. The police refused to follow the "official detectives are always idiots" school of thought, and the young hero-suspect declined to over-involve himself in the case and become an improbable sleuth. And the theatrical folk of the boarding house where the victim (and a bunch of the suspects) lived were marvelous.
(Also: there is a character named Tracey. Mr. Tracey. Heh.)
The setting is equally enjoyable. Set in 1944 and published in 1945, this is a London where nearly every able-bodied man is either at war or on his way, and where the civilians left home are in almost as much danger as their loved ones in actual battle as bombs rain down with alarming regularity. It's a setting in which a murder investigation – especially, in a way, this investigation – feels almost irrelevant.
"It seems to me that the fact that one ne’er-do-well has met a violent end is not a matter of supreme importance in a world which is in the throes of a convulsion which may destroy civilization itself before we’re through."
I was almost afraid to click on the author's name to see his – oh, no, sorry: HER other books. So often I read something by an author new to me, fall in love, and then find that there's little (or nothing) else out in the world by that writer. But! According to her Goodreads author profile: "She was a very prolific writer, having written forty-eight mysteries under her first pen name, and twenty-three under her second." Pardon me while I do a bit of a happy dance.
The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.
And it was wonderfully enjoyable. The mystery is a lovely puzzle, with the wartime setting, some fun and exotic elements, and sheer happenstance combining into just a whole lot of fun. One suspect says:
"If I’d wanted to kill Johnnie Ward—which I didn’t—I shouldn’t have done it in a way that would have brought Scotland Yard to my door next morning. Oh, no. If I’d done it, no one would have been any the wiser. I may be a clown, but I’m an efficient clown."
Which is a wonderful defense, isn't it?
I loved the characterizations. The victim was terrific – lovable, in his way, so that the reader can find room for regret at his death … but he also had plenty of truly exasperating ways and habits, and inspired lots of lovely motives. The police refused to follow the "official detectives are always idiots" school of thought, and the young hero-suspect declined to over-involve himself in the case and become an improbable sleuth. And the theatrical folk of the boarding house where the victim (and a bunch of the suspects) lived were marvelous.
(Also: there is a character named Tracey. Mr. Tracey. Heh.)
The setting is equally enjoyable. Set in 1944 and published in 1945, this is a London where nearly every able-bodied man is either at war or on his way, and where the civilians left home are in almost as much danger as their loved ones in actual battle as bombs rain down with alarming regularity. It's a setting in which a murder investigation – especially, in a way, this investigation – feels almost irrelevant.
"It seems to me that the fact that one ne’er-do-well has met a violent end is not a matter of supreme importance in a world which is in the throes of a convulsion which may destroy civilization itself before we’re through."
I was almost afraid to click on the author's name to see his – oh, no, sorry: HER other books. So often I read something by an author new to me, fall in love, and then find that there's little (or nothing) else out in the world by that writer. But! According to her Goodreads author profile: "She was a very prolific writer, having written forty-eight mysteries under her first pen name, and twenty-three under her second." Pardon me while I do a bit of a happy dance.
The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.
January 7, 2025
This is my second novel by E.C.R. Lorac, and it was even better than Fire in the Thatch!
Set in London during the blackout nights of World War II, the novel follows Inspector Robert MacDonald of Scotland Yard’s CID as he investigates the eponymous murder by matchlight of one John Ward. Except the MacDonald soon discovers that the victim had stolen someone else’s identity and wasn’t John Ward at all! So who was he really? And who had a reason to want him dead?
Edith Caroline Rivett (pen name: E.C.R. Lorac) lards Murder by Matchlight with lots of twists and turns, and she plays fair by laying out all of the clues. Even so I never guessed the villain’s identity. I highly recommend this five-star Golden Age mystery.
Set in London during the blackout nights of World War II, the novel follows Inspector Robert MacDonald of Scotland Yard’s CID as he investigates the eponymous murder by matchlight of one John Ward. Except the MacDonald soon discovers that the victim had stolen someone else’s identity and wasn’t John Ward at all! So who was he really? And who had a reason to want him dead?
Edith Caroline Rivett (pen name: E.C.R. Lorac) lards Murder by Matchlight with lots of twists and turns, and she plays fair by laying out all of the clues. Even so I never guessed the villain’s identity. I highly recommend this five-star Golden Age mystery.
August 1, 2021
Lorac’s well-drawn characters and unvarnished writing style always make for a pleasant read, and this mystery set in London during World War II was no exception. Unfortunately, for me the story didn’t really hang together in retrospect.
The scene opens on a dingy artist’s studio—the artist sketching his sitter, a man dressed in cardinal’s robes; another pair of men playing a game of chess; and the artist’s sister acting as general dogsbody. Of the group the sister has the most promising personality: she is an artist in her own right but sets her own ambitions aside for the time being to cook and clean and try to keep the studio from falling into complete squalor; without losing any force of character or succumbing to bitterness she subsumes her interests into her brother’s. (This is a strength of mind I have never been able to rise to.) During wartime there’s precious little either can do to earn a penny, so she cooks to save the cost of prepared food and keeps an eye on the blackout curtains to keep them from getting fined.
Their landlord lives immediately next door (in fact the studio sits in his garden), and soon he is dead, with a volunteer policeman (a “Special”) apprehending his nephew on suspicion. The inhabitants of the studio are drawn in as potential witnesses and Macdonald, Lorac’s regular detective, comes in to investigate.
Those of us who have never had war on our doorsteps will find the day-to-day business of living in a city that is constantly being bombed interesting to read about, and the hunger, impoverishment, and peril of the war years are all woven into the narrative. A certain matter-of-factness about death has come over everyone so little is made of loss of life, though the detectives go doggedly about their business of seeking justice. Londoners have been brutalized for so long that everyone has a crust of apathy.
The story is a bit slight—I was nearly to the end before I felt fully immersed—and the resolution came swiftly and didn’t really hold together logically. A few more interesting characters simply dropped off the map and others died without anyone really turning a hair. The author felt the need for a scene in which the crime was (inadequately) explained, and the setting of that scene—the very room where a murder had happened scant hours before—underlined the pervasive atmosphere of indifference.
I enjoyed the story well enough as I was going along, but the wrap-up left a bad taste in my mouth.
The scene opens on a dingy artist’s studio—the artist sketching his sitter, a man dressed in cardinal’s robes; another pair of men playing a game of chess; and the artist’s sister acting as general dogsbody. Of the group the sister has the most promising personality: she is an artist in her own right but sets her own ambitions aside for the time being to cook and clean and try to keep the studio from falling into complete squalor; without losing any force of character or succumbing to bitterness she subsumes her interests into her brother’s. (This is a strength of mind I have never been able to rise to.) During wartime there’s precious little either can do to earn a penny, so she cooks to save the cost of prepared food and keeps an eye on the blackout curtains to keep them from getting fined.
Their landlord lives immediately next door (in fact the studio sits in his garden), and soon he is dead, with a volunteer policeman (a “Special”) apprehending his nephew on suspicion. The inhabitants of the studio are drawn in as potential witnesses and Macdonald, Lorac’s regular detective, comes in to investigate.
Those of us who have never had war on our doorsteps will find the day-to-day business of living in a city that is constantly being bombed interesting to read about, and the hunger, impoverishment, and peril of the war years are all woven into the narrative. A certain matter-of-factness about death has come over everyone so little is made of loss of life, though the detectives go doggedly about their business of seeking justice. Londoners have been brutalized for so long that everyone has a crust of apathy.
The story is a bit slight—I was nearly to the end before I felt fully immersed—and the resolution came swiftly and didn’t really hold together logically. A few more interesting characters simply dropped off the map and others died without anyone really turning a hair. The author felt the need for a scene in which the crime was (inadequately) explained, and the setting of that scene—the very room where a murder had happened scant hours before—underlined the pervasive atmosphere of indifference.
I enjoyed the story well enough as I was going along, but the wrap-up left a bad taste in my mouth.
September 27, 2015
Classic British mysteries always put me in mind of the great Agatha Christie. This wasn't quite that strong, but entertaining enough in its own right. A charming, but reprobate scoundrel gets himself killed during a blackout in the 1944 London and it's up to Chief Inspector MacDonald to solve the crime. Suspicion's net falls on a pretty interesting cast of characters, from circus performers to professors. It's sort of a locked building mystery if you will and at that it is quite Christielike. Kudos to MacDonald for solving a crime so obscenely politely and courteously as only a British detective of bygone days would and all while dodging bombs and generally being in the darkness, more literally than figuratively for a change. WWII setting was conveyed in all its claustrophobic glory and the writing itself is notably not as dated as one might expect from a book of its age. Fine example of why the era was referred to as the Golden Age of Mystery. The story does get a tad muddled toward the end, but overall it's a good fun, not predictable and oh so very quaint. Almost too quaint at times, but certainly makes one contemplate the way manners are becoming endangered species in their own right. Mystery fans would love this one. Thanks Netgalley.
December 27, 2019
This was my first mystery written by E.C.R. Lorac and I was very impressed!
Although this is an old fashioned mystery, the book was easy to read and in some respects didn’t seem as dated as I would have expected. It was a police procedural set in London during WW2 and the author's descriptions of that time added a great sense of atmosphere to this novel. The mystery itself was very well plotted and the novel was eloquently written. The characters were brilliantly drawn and all were pretty likeable. I loved the surprising and perfectly plausible ending.
I would recommend this engaging and very enjoyable vintage mystery.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
Although this is an old fashioned mystery, the book was easy to read and in some respects didn’t seem as dated as I would have expected. It was a police procedural set in London during WW2 and the author's descriptions of that time added a great sense of atmosphere to this novel. The mystery itself was very well plotted and the novel was eloquently written. The characters were brilliantly drawn and all were pretty likeable. I loved the surprising and perfectly plausible ending.
I would recommend this engaging and very enjoyable vintage mystery.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
October 13, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed Murder by Matchlight. I’ve read two other books by E C R Lorac, Bats in the Belfry and Fire in the Thatch, both of which I enjoyed, but I think this is my favourite of the three.
The setting is London in 1945, in the darkness of the blackout as the bombs are still falling. A murder takes place in almost complete darkness in Regent’s Park, witnessed by Bruce Mallaig who heard it happen and briefly saw both the victim and his assailant by the light of a struck match. It is not only darkness that shrouds the mystery – who is the victim? He carried an identity card, but it seems it was not his – so who is he and who is the other man Bruce glimpsed on the bridge, a ‘dark flushed heavy-jowled chap’? In addition there are two other witnesses – a man standing below the bridge and a doctor who was walking his dog in the park and heard the noise and came to see what had happened. Chief Inspector Robert Macdonald is put in charge of the investigation.
The victim’s address on the identity card he carried was a house in Notting Hill Gate that had been divided into six self-contained flats, with a resident caretaker. The other tenants were colourful characters mostly variety performers, including Mr and Mrs Rameses who were conjurers and illusionists. None of them knew much about the victim, who appeared to have been a loner, with no friends or family and when the police searched his room they couldn’t find anything to help identify him. So, the police have to rely on the witness statements, checking alibis and a reconstruction of the crime scene.
Murder by Matchlight has a tightly constructed and intricate plot, full of twists and turns and red herrings before Macdonald can ease out all the strands to discover the identity of the murderer and the culprit’s motivation. It is a quick read, but I didn’t find it easy to work out the solution. One of Lorac’s strengths is her descriptive writing and in this book I was struck by the detail it gives of life during the Second World War for the people at home, their spirit despite the destruction and at the same time the opportunities for crime the blackout provided.
Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for a review copy via NetGalley.
The setting is London in 1945, in the darkness of the blackout as the bombs are still falling. A murder takes place in almost complete darkness in Regent’s Park, witnessed by Bruce Mallaig who heard it happen and briefly saw both the victim and his assailant by the light of a struck match. It is not only darkness that shrouds the mystery – who is the victim? He carried an identity card, but it seems it was not his – so who is he and who is the other man Bruce glimpsed on the bridge, a ‘dark flushed heavy-jowled chap’? In addition there are two other witnesses – a man standing below the bridge and a doctor who was walking his dog in the park and heard the noise and came to see what had happened. Chief Inspector Robert Macdonald is put in charge of the investigation.
The victim’s address on the identity card he carried was a house in Notting Hill Gate that had been divided into six self-contained flats, with a resident caretaker. The other tenants were colourful characters mostly variety performers, including Mr and Mrs Rameses who were conjurers and illusionists. None of them knew much about the victim, who appeared to have been a loner, with no friends or family and when the police searched his room they couldn’t find anything to help identify him. So, the police have to rely on the witness statements, checking alibis and a reconstruction of the crime scene.
Murder by Matchlight has a tightly constructed and intricate plot, full of twists and turns and red herrings before Macdonald can ease out all the strands to discover the identity of the murderer and the culprit’s motivation. It is a quick read, but I didn’t find it easy to work out the solution. One of Lorac’s strengths is her descriptive writing and in this book I was struck by the detail it gives of life during the Second World War for the people at home, their spirit despite the destruction and at the same time the opportunities for crime the blackout provided.
Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for a review copy via NetGalley.
September 8, 2024
Another good story by this author, but I wouldn't call it one of her best, as the Introduction does. (BTW, don't read the Intro to the BLCC* version before you read the book for the first time. It spoils a lot of the plot.) The mystery was puzzling, there were plenty of suspects, and I didn't figure out who dunnit. However, the solution is pretty convoluted and turns on an idea that I can only call outdated, one I doubt any modern reader would think of or agree with.
The best part of this book is the sense of London during WWII. We see the different ways ordinary people react to the bombing, and there are some great scenes of an air raid that's both melodramatic and ordinary - probably a lot how they felt at the time. This book was published in 1945, which makes the war immediate and integral to the plot and our experience as readers. I give this book 3.5 stars, but I'm not rounding up, as she has written books I consider solid four star reads.
NB - BLCC refers to the British Library Crime Classic reprint edition.
Of what I've read so far I consider her best books to be Checkmate to Murder and Two-Way Murder, but there are many I haven't read yet.
The best part of this book is the sense of London during WWII. We see the different ways ordinary people react to the bombing, and there are some great scenes of an air raid that's both melodramatic and ordinary - probably a lot how they felt at the time. This book was published in 1945, which makes the war immediate and integral to the plot and our experience as readers. I give this book 3.5 stars, but I'm not rounding up, as she has written books I consider solid four star reads.
NB - BLCC refers to the British Library Crime Classic reprint edition.
Of what I've read so far I consider her best books to be Checkmate to Murder and Two-Way Murder, but there are many I haven't read yet.
July 12, 2025
I am enjoying Inspector Macdonald more, each time I read about him. This book was especially enjoyable thanks to its provenance--I picked it up at Waterstones Picadilly, where they had an entire wall of British Library Classic Mysteries (and also PG Wodehouse). Set in London during WWII, and with an image of St. Paul's on the cover, this was an easy choice.
Books make the best souvenirs.
Books make the best souvenirs.
September 22, 2024
Well written like all books by the author, but a weak solution.
March 13, 2019
Murder by Matchlight features Scotland Yard’s imperturbable Chief Inspector Robert MacDonald, who is tasked with finding the killer of the man on the bridge. His only evidence: a set of bicycle tracks that come to an abrupt end. His suspects: a colorful cast that includes the shy, soft-spoken witness, a respected London physician, a screenwriter, an unemployed laborer, and a vaudevillian specializing in illusions.
This is the first of Lorac’s MacDonald mysteries I’ve read. MacDonald is a good character, smart, kind, a gentleman. He’s got several cops who work for him who have their own characteristics. But they are all honest and good at their jobs.
The job is not easy. The dead man lived in a boarding house along with several “theater” people. The suspects are definitely more interesting than the detective.
What makes Murder by Matchlight stand out is the war time London setting. The blackout restrictions and Nazi bombings are integral to the plot. It’s neat to see how normal life goes on during wartime. The theater stays open, the cops keep investigating, the restaurants continue serving, but you try to save your silk stocking when your building catches on fire because it’s nigh impossible to get new ones. Most mysteries I read from the era don’t show us quite as detailed a picture of how normal, everyday people were affected.
This is the first of Lorac’s MacDonald mysteries I’ve read. MacDonald is a good character, smart, kind, a gentleman. He’s got several cops who work for him who have their own characteristics. But they are all honest and good at their jobs.
The job is not easy. The dead man lived in a boarding house along with several “theater” people. The suspects are definitely more interesting than the detective.
What makes Murder by Matchlight stand out is the war time London setting. The blackout restrictions and Nazi bombings are integral to the plot. It’s neat to see how normal life goes on during wartime. The theater stays open, the cops keep investigating, the restaurants continue serving, but you try to save your silk stocking when your building catches on fire because it’s nigh impossible to get new ones. Most mysteries I read from the era don’t show us quite as detailed a picture of how normal, everyday people were affected.
April 13, 2021
Belfort Grove had the same quality as every other London street in the blackout: it seemed completely blank and dead, as though it were impossible that cheerful normal human beings could live and move behind the dead facade of blackened houses.
Set in wartime London in 1944, published in 1945, this mystery novel uses the nighttime blackout as a dramatic stage set for a murder. This is the third mystery by E.C.R. Lorac that I’ve read, and I really enjoy her style.
They lived in the flat on the first floor and the door was opened by a plump highly coloured lady dressed in a puce-coloured, wadded silk dressing-gown and jade green mules garnished with dispirited ostrich tips. Macdonald had much ado to keep his eyes from studying the intricacies of her hair curling arrangements, for the coils and adjustments and spring-like contrivances reminded him of a dismembered wireless set.
Set in wartime London in 1944, published in 1945, this mystery novel uses the nighttime blackout as a dramatic stage set for a murder. This is the third mystery by E.C.R. Lorac that I’ve read, and I really enjoy her style.
They lived in the flat on the first floor and the door was opened by a plump highly coloured lady dressed in a puce-coloured, wadded silk dressing-gown and jade green mules garnished with dispirited ostrich tips. Macdonald had much ado to keep his eyes from studying the intricacies of her hair curling arrangements, for the coils and adjustments and spring-like contrivances reminded him of a dismembered wireless set.
March 18, 2025
This is my first British crime classic that isn't a Christie. Penned by another Lady of Crime, Lorac undoubtedly falls short of Christie, however, that may be an unfair comparison to begin with.
The setting is London, WWII, and the war is everywhere. Conducting an investigation while bombs are falling is gruesome and a harrowing reminder of what we endured in Europe.
The mystery itself is pretty solid, even though I didn't find the chief investigator to be very memorable. As most readers, I also missed most of the clues about the murderer. Regardless, what I enjoy most about last century British writing is the eloquence of language, the old-fashioned sentiments, and the utter Britishness of it all, so solving the mystery has always been secondary to me. 3/5!
The setting is London, WWII, and the war is everywhere. Conducting an investigation while bombs are falling is gruesome and a harrowing reminder of what we endured in Europe.
The mystery itself is pretty solid, even though I didn't find the chief investigator to be very memorable. As most readers, I also missed most of the clues about the murderer. Regardless, what I enjoy most about last century British writing is the eloquence of language, the old-fashioned sentiments, and the utter Britishness of it all, so solving the mystery has always been secondary to me. 3/5!
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December 13, 2023Guess I'm in the minority with all the reviews in that I did not like this book. I found it confusing trying to keep the cast of characters straight, felt it was slow going and I'm not sure I completely understood some of the situations presented in the story. So all in all I struggled to get as far as I did then decided there are many more books I could be reading for enjoyment so this one was put aside.
March 29, 2023
I really enjoyed this book, which I accidently requested the CD version of. The story is intriguing, and the audio version is hilarious, Mark Elsob does a fabulous variety of very distinct voices, and there are elements of farce to the story, some to the murder, and also to various re-enactments and to the descriptions of interviews taking place in a house that is being bombed in the blitz.
Warning though, a star gets deducted for racism against Irish, sexism (the elderly female landlady trope) and the way that someone who does not want to fight in the war gets described.
Warning though, a star gets deducted for racism against Irish, sexism (the elderly female landlady trope) and the way that someone who does not want to fight in the war gets described.
February 18, 2019
Murder by Matchlight is a cleverly plotted, old-fashioned police procedural set in London during the Blitz. Bravo to Martin Edwards and the Poisoned Pen Press for resuscitating these old books, which remain very satisfying 75 years after their initial publication.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
December 25, 2025
I have enjoyed listening to several books by this author. The narrator is excellent. I was not familiar with Lorac (a pseudonym), who was an important author of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. The plots are well developed and this one in particular offers a vivid picture of London during the Blitz.
August 15, 2020
Atmospheric wartime whodunnit! I’m really enjoying Lorac’s books, I don’t think I’ve read many golden age detective stories where you get a better sense of time and place!
A clever story, and a great read.
A clever story, and a great read.
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