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The Chianti Flask
An enigmatic young woman named Laura Dousland stands on trial for murder, accused of poisoning her elderly husband Fordish. It seems clear that the poison was delivered in a flask of Chianti with supper, but according to the couple’s servant in the witness-box, the flask disappeared the night Fordish died and all attempts to trace it have come to nothing. The jury delivers its verdict, but this is just the end of the beginning of Marie Belloc Lowndes’ gripping story. First published in 1934, this exquisitely crafted novel blends the tenets of a traditional mystery with an exploration of the psychological impact of death, accusation, guilt and justice in the aftermath of murder.
241 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1935
32 people are currently reading
245 people want to read
About the author
Marie Belloc Lowndes
251 books65 followersMarie Adelaide Elizabeth Rayner Lowndes, née Belloc (5 August 1868 – 14 November 1947), was a prolific English novelist.
Active from 1898 until her death, she had a literary reputation for combining exciting incident with psychological interest. Two of her works were adapted for the screen.
Born in Marylebone, London and raised in La Celle-Saint-Cloud, France, Mrs Belloc Lowndes was the only daughter of French barrister Louis Belloc and English feminist Bessie Parkes. Her younger brother was Hilaire Belloc, whom she wrote of in her last work, The Young Hilaire Belloc (published posthumously in 1956). Her paternal grandfather was the French painter Jean-Hilaire Belloc, and her maternal great-great-grandfather was Joseph Priestley. In 1896, she married Frederick Sawrey A. Lowndes (1868–1940). Her mother died in 1925, 53 years after her father.
She published a biography, H.R.H. The Prince of Wales: An Account of His Career, in 1898. From then on, she published novels, reminiscences, and plays at the rate of one per year until 1946. In the memoir, I, too, Have Lived in Arcadia (1942), she told the story of her mother's life, compiled largely from old family letters and her own memories of her early life in France. A second autobiography Where love and friendship dwelt, appeared posthumously in 1948.
She died 14 November 1947 at the home of her elder daughter, Countess Iddesleigh (wife of the third Earl) in Eversley Cross, Hampshire, and was interred in France, in La Celle-Saint-Cloud near Versailles, where she spent her youth.
(from Wikipedia)
Active from 1898 until her death, she had a literary reputation for combining exciting incident with psychological interest. Two of her works were adapted for the screen.
Born in Marylebone, London and raised in La Celle-Saint-Cloud, France, Mrs Belloc Lowndes was the only daughter of French barrister Louis Belloc and English feminist Bessie Parkes. Her younger brother was Hilaire Belloc, whom she wrote of in her last work, The Young Hilaire Belloc (published posthumously in 1956). Her paternal grandfather was the French painter Jean-Hilaire Belloc, and her maternal great-great-grandfather was Joseph Priestley. In 1896, she married Frederick Sawrey A. Lowndes (1868–1940). Her mother died in 1925, 53 years after her father.
She published a biography, H.R.H. The Prince of Wales: An Account of His Career, in 1898. From then on, she published novels, reminiscences, and plays at the rate of one per year until 1946. In the memoir, I, too, Have Lived in Arcadia (1942), she told the story of her mother's life, compiled largely from old family letters and her own memories of her early life in France. A second autobiography Where love and friendship dwelt, appeared posthumously in 1948.
She died 14 November 1947 at the home of her elder daughter, Countess Iddesleigh (wife of the third Earl) in Eversley Cross, Hampshire, and was interred in France, in La Celle-Saint-Cloud near Versailles, where she spent her youth.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
April 19, 2022
Started so slowly I was contemplating giving up, but then it started getting really interesting, and I was hooked until the end! I don't think it was ever really about who committed the crime, as that was pretty obvious throughout, but moreover the reasons why things played out the way they did. I'd like to read another of her works if possible (I do have 'The Lodger' somewhere upstairs...)
July 20, 2021
The aftermath of justice…
Laura Dousland is being tried for the murder of her elderly, miserly husband, Fordish. The whole case hinges on a Chianti flask – the couple’s Italian servant says he put a half-full flask on the tray for his master’s supper before going out for his evening off; Laura says there was no wine on the tray when she took it up to her husband later that evening. Whoever is telling the truth, the fact is that the Chianti flask could not be found the next day and has never turned up. Laura is a demure middle-class Englishwoman of good birth and education. Angelo is an Italian of the servant class, whose English (while considerably better than Laura’s Italian, I imagine) is clumsy enough to cause laughter in court. Naturally, the jury believes Laura and she is acquitted.
This is in the nature of prologue and all happens in the first few pages, in case you think I’ve just spoiled the story. The mystery of the missing Chianti flask hangs over the book, but lightly. The bulk of the book is set after the acquittal, and is mostly a psychological study of the effect on Laura of having to live with the notoriety of having been an accused woman. While public sympathy is generally on her side and accepts her innocence, there are still some who think she’s a murderer. Her friends remain totally loyal, sure that she could never have done such a thing, but they can’t understand why she now shuns society and prefers solitude to company. Then young Dr Mark Scrutton falls in love with her, but can Laura bring herself to try for happiness again, and can she bear the idea that her notoriety may come to drive a wedge between them in time?
Although there is a mystery within this, it would be hard to categorise it fully as a mystery novel. The question of Laura’s innocence has been officially settled so there’s no legal jeopardy hanging over her. It’s more about the social mores of the time – the stigma of scandal and how it affects women in particular. There’s an undoubted feminist undertone to it, subtly done, showing first how Laura’s straightened circumstances pressured her into marriage with an elderly man and then how little power she had within the relationship once they were married. Lowndes shows how the husband has full control over money and household arrangements, and of course sex. This particular husband seems to have treated Laura as an unpaid servant, denying her even the money to join a lending library. (Gasps of justified horror from all book lovers!) But we suspect his cruelty may have run even deeper in more intimate matters.
Lowndes also shows, however, that it’s not only husbands who hold disproportionate power over penniless young women. Laura had previously worked as a governess for several years, and her employer had come to look on her as a friend. But her kindness to Laura is of the controlling kind – she expects Laura to follow her advice and basically do what she’s told, as a dependant should. At the other end of the scale is the true kindness of Mark’s elderly parents, shocked that their one beloved son has fallen for a scandalous woman but willing to put their concerns aside if they can convince themselves that Laura is necessary to his happiness.
It’s an interesting one, no doubt, and very readable, although I must admit I think the ending lets it down quite a bit. I also found it a little irritating that, presumably because of the time of writing, Lowndes was so obscure about the sexual issues she hints at. Not that I’m keen on graphic sex stuff in books, but I really couldn’t decide if Fordish was doing terrible things or if it was that Laura had simply developed a disgust for her elderly husband’s normal (for the time) sexual demands. In other words, was Lowndes saying that Fordish was cruel in particular, or was she making the wider point that a system that gives a husband full sexual power over a wife is cruel in general? Perhaps this would have been clearer to contemporaneous readers who may have been more familiar with how such matters were “coded” in the time before they were considered acceptable for more open discussion. However, the obscurity made me think harder about the issues as I attempted to interpret her full meaning, so perhaps it served its purpose.
An interesting one that disproves again the idea of the mystery novel genre as being formulaic. First published in 1934, it feels very much ahead of its time in terms of its in-depth look at the psychology of the impact of crime and justice on those caught up in them, whether guilty or innocent.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, the British Library.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
Laura Dousland is being tried for the murder of her elderly, miserly husband, Fordish. The whole case hinges on a Chianti flask – the couple’s Italian servant says he put a half-full flask on the tray for his master’s supper before going out for his evening off; Laura says there was no wine on the tray when she took it up to her husband later that evening. Whoever is telling the truth, the fact is that the Chianti flask could not be found the next day and has never turned up. Laura is a demure middle-class Englishwoman of good birth and education. Angelo is an Italian of the servant class, whose English (while considerably better than Laura’s Italian, I imagine) is clumsy enough to cause laughter in court. Naturally, the jury believes Laura and she is acquitted.
This is in the nature of prologue and all happens in the first few pages, in case you think I’ve just spoiled the story. The mystery of the missing Chianti flask hangs over the book, but lightly. The bulk of the book is set after the acquittal, and is mostly a psychological study of the effect on Laura of having to live with the notoriety of having been an accused woman. While public sympathy is generally on her side and accepts her innocence, there are still some who think she’s a murderer. Her friends remain totally loyal, sure that she could never have done such a thing, but they can’t understand why she now shuns society and prefers solitude to company. Then young Dr Mark Scrutton falls in love with her, but can Laura bring herself to try for happiness again, and can she bear the idea that her notoriety may come to drive a wedge between them in time?
Although there is a mystery within this, it would be hard to categorise it fully as a mystery novel. The question of Laura’s innocence has been officially settled so there’s no legal jeopardy hanging over her. It’s more about the social mores of the time – the stigma of scandal and how it affects women in particular. There’s an undoubted feminist undertone to it, subtly done, showing first how Laura’s straightened circumstances pressured her into marriage with an elderly man and then how little power she had within the relationship once they were married. Lowndes shows how the husband has full control over money and household arrangements, and of course sex. This particular husband seems to have treated Laura as an unpaid servant, denying her even the money to join a lending library. (Gasps of justified horror from all book lovers!) But we suspect his cruelty may have run even deeper in more intimate matters.
Lowndes also shows, however, that it’s not only husbands who hold disproportionate power over penniless young women. Laura had previously worked as a governess for several years, and her employer had come to look on her as a friend. But her kindness to Laura is of the controlling kind – she expects Laura to follow her advice and basically do what she’s told, as a dependant should. At the other end of the scale is the true kindness of Mark’s elderly parents, shocked that their one beloved son has fallen for a scandalous woman but willing to put their concerns aside if they can convince themselves that Laura is necessary to his happiness.
It’s an interesting one, no doubt, and very readable, although I must admit I think the ending lets it down quite a bit. I also found it a little irritating that, presumably because of the time of writing, Lowndes was so obscure about the sexual issues she hints at. Not that I’m keen on graphic sex stuff in books, but I really couldn’t decide if Fordish was doing terrible things or if it was that Laura had simply developed a disgust for her elderly husband’s normal (for the time) sexual demands. In other words, was Lowndes saying that Fordish was cruel in particular, or was she making the wider point that a system that gives a husband full sexual power over a wife is cruel in general? Perhaps this would have been clearer to contemporaneous readers who may have been more familiar with how such matters were “coded” in the time before they were considered acceptable for more open discussion. However, the obscurity made me think harder about the issues as I attempted to interpret her full meaning, so perhaps it served its purpose.
An interesting one that disproves again the idea of the mystery novel genre as being formulaic. First published in 1934, it feels very much ahead of its time in terms of its in-depth look at the psychology of the impact of crime and justice on those caught up in them, whether guilty or innocent.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, the British Library.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
May 15, 2021
It is quite difficult to classify and to rate this novel. It really does not fit into the detection slot, nor is it a thriller. It does however deal with a mystery: what happened to the Chianti flask?
There is a death, which has taken place before the book opens, there is a trial, and a verdict, which some accept and some do not. The bulk of the book is a narration of the consequences of the verdict and its effect on the lives of some of those involved in the trial and those close to them.
A love story takes up much of the plot and, while the psychological slant appears quite modern, the writing style, attitudes, and much of the morality, is redolent of an earlier age than the 1930s in which the book was first published.
The police do not really figure and the modern reader wonders about their seeming lack of involvement.
An interesting oddity.
3.5 stars.
There is a death, which has taken place before the book opens, there is a trial, and a verdict, which some accept and some do not. The bulk of the book is a narration of the consequences of the verdict and its effect on the lives of some of those involved in the trial and those close to them.
A love story takes up much of the plot and, while the psychological slant appears quite modern, the writing style, attitudes, and much of the morality, is redolent of an earlier age than the 1930s in which the book was first published.
The police do not really figure and the modern reader wonders about their seeming lack of involvement.
An interesting oddity.
3.5 stars.
July 8, 2022
I give it three as it was a compelling read, but I admit I like mysteries where one searches for the murderer etc... In this case you see a woman go through the last bits of a murder trial and the following aftermath and its effects upon her and others.
While the story hugs quite tight to the woman, and her thoughts, you get to see how someone caught in the spotlight is treated by people - mistreated and used. (Not so different from today.) You also get to see how she got stuck in a marriage to a guy who was really a creep.
Are there reveals yes, is there love, yes, if you like psychological suspense stories this is certainly for you. I would have been happier if a couple of the characters were shamed in public or broke a leg or something.
While the story hugs quite tight to the woman, and her thoughts, you get to see how someone caught in the spotlight is treated by people - mistreated and used. (Not so different from today.) You also get to see how she got stuck in a marriage to a guy who was really a creep.
Are there reveals yes, is there love, yes, if you like psychological suspense stories this is certainly for you. I would have been happier if a couple of the characters were shamed in public or broke a leg or something.
June 29, 2023
What a fun, hidden gem of a book this was! "The Chianti Flask" is a British mystery that until recently had been long out of print. Plot: Woman is on trial for poisoning her husband with a chianti flask that has disappeared. We start the story near the end of the trial...but the story is just getting warmed up.
I honestly loved this book! It felt more like Jane Austin than Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It was a character study in obsession, feminism, and independence. The author understood society and their version of social media 100 years ahead of time.
I got so wrapped up on the relationships and fantastic writing that I forgot all about the mystery...until it all comes into focus near the end.
A wonderful change of pace for any mystery readers out there.
I honestly loved this book! It felt more like Jane Austin than Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It was a character study in obsession, feminism, and independence. The author understood society and their version of social media 100 years ahead of time.
I got so wrapped up on the relationships and fantastic writing that I forgot all about the mystery...until it all comes into focus near the end.
A wonderful change of pace for any mystery readers out there.
August 27, 2021
A tale of agony
This is a clever examination of post traumatic stress. The language is good but long winded. It is also an excellent study of middle class English prejudice and the power of convention.
Not a quick read but interesting.
This is a clever examination of post traumatic stress. The language is good but long winded. It is also an excellent study of middle class English prejudice and the power of convention.
Not a quick read but interesting.
January 16, 2023
I have to wonder what this book is doing in the otherwise excellent British Library Mystery series. Are they running out of great mysteries in the classic puzzle tradition to publish? This book starts as a courtroom drama and ends as melodrama. A young woman is accused of having poisoned her miserly, cruel husband by putting rat poison in his daily Chianti (much is made of the fact that this Englishman loved all things Italian, including such exotic foods as "spaghetti with tomatoes" - itself an indicator of an unstable character in those insular times, I guess). The Chianti flask has disappeared, and it seems that either Laura or the Italian servant must have made it disappear. No matter. She is exonerated and immediately has a mental breakdown, but fortunately a young doctor can support her with his devotion, which turns to love. That's about it. The ending was so abrupt that I checked the pages 2 or 3 times to make sure they weren't sticking together.
If you're looking for an enjoyable mystery for a rainy or snowy day, this is not it.
If you're looking for an enjoyable mystery for a rainy or snowy day, this is not it.
June 25, 2023
This book was different than most of the British Library Crime Classics; there is no detective, and the story opens at the end of a young woman's trial for the murder of her husband. It was much more psychological, and after the initial becoming acquainted with the characters I was very engrossed in the story. Maybe it was just that the main character's name is Laura, but the whole vibe reminded me of the film of that name. There's a sense of tragedy hanging over the whole thing. I saw the author had several books made into films, and I think this would make a good one, too. It felt very film noir.
October 9, 2023
This is a very good and engaging book, but it's not a crime story. I mean, it is, in the sense that it's a story about a crime, but it's not one where the crime happens at the beginning, and then a detective or amateur sleuth wanders in and solves it. When the book starts, the crime has already happened and the victim's wife is on trial for the murder. She's found innocent, but she's still the woman who was at the centre of a major trial, and nobody is going to let her forget that. And that is what the book is about. And it does it well. However, if you go into this, expecting a typical mystery novel, you will be disappointed.
September 16, 2022
Chiefly interesting as a study of a guilty soul who is found innocent by the legal system at the start of the story. Lowndes has a deeply sympathetic and well-rounded picture of the characters involved, and even a surprise ending to make us aware that even the classic era of British crime fiction could serve up a twist when one was called for. Elegant and clever, this book is well worth the read, if the basic outline of the story is never in doubt.
January 3, 2022
This entry in the British Library Crime Classics series dates from 1935. As Martin Edwards notes in his introduction for this edition, Belloc was more interested in 'why-dun-its' than 'who-dun-its,' which sets her apart from other mystery/crime writers of her time (Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, etc.). -- As the book opens, Laura Dousland is on trial for the murder (by rat poison, placed in the title flask of wine, which has completely vanished) of her considerably older husband Fordish. Previous to her marriage, Laura had been governess to the two daughters of the Haywards (John and Alice) of Loverslea; in fact, Alice -- who had become a friend as well as her employer -- persisted in urging Laura to make the marriage. Alice is called to testify at the trial, as is the young doctor Mark Scrutton, who had spoken to the Douslands about the rat poison. Principal witness for the prosecution is the Douslands' Italian servant Angelo Terugi, who testifies with certainty that there was a flask on the dinner tray he made for his master, an allegation the defendant refutes once she is called to the witness stand (she avers that Terugi has made an honest mistake). Much to the relief of her friends and many in the cathedral town of Silchester, Laura is acquitted. But the trial has taken a toll on her physically and emotionally; she wants to be alone, but the Haywards whisk her off toe Loverslea, where Dr. Scrutton is in constant attendance. Once Mark and Laura discover that they have fallen in love, potential complications arise almost immediately: Can she ever live down this harrowing experience? Will the scandal forever taint her relationship with Mark? How will his parents react to the romance of their only child? -- This is quite a remarkable book, with its excellent characterizations and realistic presentation of how a murder charge -- whether the accused is convicted or acquitted -- holds the potential to affect relationships. Then, too, there are the conflicting emotions of a doting mother and father who might wish to choose differently for their beloved son, but who see how totally devoted he has become to his lady-love. All is explained toward the very end of the book -- with a twist I did not see coming! Highly recommended!
July 15, 2022
Are you a woman?
Are you married?
Is your husband considerably older than you, domineering, jealous, controlling, unlovable, eccentric and difficult?
Why not try poisoning him?
Murder isn't a victimless crime but when a wife murders her husband there's generally a fair amount of sympathy for the wife and, although I know I shouldn't really say it, it should probably happen a bit more often than it does. It seems my mind is wandering, but it does actually have something to do with this book. There's a murder.
The wife is accused of it.
I chose this book for a couple of reasons:
1. It was written by a woman whose brother was a bit more famous for his writing. She was just as good but didn't get anywhere near the recognition he did only because she had different private parts.
Marie Belloc Lowndes was a fiercely independent advocate for women doing whatever the hell career they wanted. For her this was journalism at a time when there were few female journalists. She was also a staunch suffragette and so her colleagues thought she was mentally unbalanced - what do women want the vote for anyway?
2. I chose this book because it involved a nice juicy murder and was written at a golden age of female crime writing. Think Agatha Christie (first husband a total bastard), Dorothy Sayers (fiance turned out to be already married and left her when she was pregnant)... come to think of it, there's a bit of a pattern forming.
So, books about murdering husbands written by talented female crime writers with bastard men in their lives... why wouldn't you have a bit of empathy for the wives?
Killed your husband?
Good on you. Have a lovely rest of your life and hope you find a lovely chap who's a bit less selfish.
Pity it's only in a book.
DISCLAIMER: I am in no way an advocate of domestic violence unless it involves murdering particularly obnoxious husbands.
Are you married?
Is your husband considerably older than you, domineering, jealous, controlling, unlovable, eccentric and difficult?
Why not try poisoning him?
Murder isn't a victimless crime but when a wife murders her husband there's generally a fair amount of sympathy for the wife and, although I know I shouldn't really say it, it should probably happen a bit more often than it does. It seems my mind is wandering, but it does actually have something to do with this book. There's a murder.
The wife is accused of it.
I chose this book for a couple of reasons:
1. It was written by a woman whose brother was a bit more famous for his writing. She was just as good but didn't get anywhere near the recognition he did only because she had different private parts.
Marie Belloc Lowndes was a fiercely independent advocate for women doing whatever the hell career they wanted. For her this was journalism at a time when there were few female journalists. She was also a staunch suffragette and so her colleagues thought she was mentally unbalanced - what do women want the vote for anyway?
2. I chose this book because it involved a nice juicy murder and was written at a golden age of female crime writing. Think Agatha Christie (first husband a total bastard), Dorothy Sayers (fiance turned out to be already married and left her when she was pregnant)... come to think of it, there's a bit of a pattern forming.
So, books about murdering husbands written by talented female crime writers with bastard men in their lives... why wouldn't you have a bit of empathy for the wives?
Killed your husband?
Good on you. Have a lovely rest of your life and hope you find a lovely chap who's a bit less selfish.
Pity it's only in a book.
DISCLAIMER: I am in no way an advocate of domestic violence unless it involves murdering particularly obnoxious husbands.
June 5, 2022
Definitely a quick read. Is there a movie? Started out rather slow, but picked up towards the middle and I couldn’t put it down.
Ending is quite thrilling.
Ending is quite thrilling.
September 6, 2023
Spellbinding
Keeps you enthralled until the last page , not a who done it but a did she do it. Highly recommended.
Keeps you enthralled until the last page , not a who done it but a did she do it. Highly recommended.
February 15, 2022
This intriguing novel was first published in 1934 from the prolific pen of a writer who has produced a ”book (which is) in essence a psychological study written from a feminist perspective” as Martin Edwards points out in his informative Intoduction to this British Library Crime Classic reprint. It picks an unusual perspective for a crime novel. The poisoning is past, a man is dead, and the book opens with the trial of his quiet widow for murder. This book not only records the latter part of the trial, but also the aftermath for those who were most concerned in the matter. It combines a mystery which seems to revolve around a flask of wine and its whereabouts, a woman for whom life seems to be fated to constant interest despite or maybe because of her reserved nature, and the nature of friendship and love. I was very pleased to have the opportunity to read and review this unusual Golden Age of Crime novel.
The trial in which Laura Dousland stands accused of murdering her older husband Fordish seems to hang on the evidence of an Italian servant Angelo Terugi. Brought in as the latest whim of the exacting Fordish, he is unhappily closely questioned on what exactly happened to a Chianti flask which once held the wine that his master insisted on accompanying his evening meal on a tray. The servant admits that he had designs on the contents as enjoying the wine himself, but that he cannot account for what happened to the missing twenty fourth bottle that went unreturned to the supplier. The importance of the wine bottle is that it is generally supposed to have contained the poison that killed the man. Throughout the trial Laura has sat quietly, almost impassively, as if the very real danger of a guilty verdict and the gallows did not concern her. Fortunately she has an able and experienced representative in Sir Joseph Molloy, who has many skills in terms of strong cross questioning and selecting witnesses who are well prepared to say helpful things in the defence of his client. From the account of the trial Fordish emerges as a jealous man, aggressive towards any visitor, and of whom even his personal servant says “Yes, sir, for my master he love money very, very much”. The first doctor on the scene at the discovery of the death is of no help to the defence, but a second doctor, a younger man of medical research, reveals how the deceased seemed to be fascinated with the nature of the poison which was in fact used. Thus the very real possibility of sucicide is raised. Further evidence is brought in support of Laura; her ex employer and great friend Alice Hayward speaks of Laura’s character and how she had at first refused Fordish’s offer of marriage despite her lonely situation and unexciting prospects. Alice in fact states that she had “strongly advised her to accept his offer of marriage”, despite the fact that she admits him to be eccentric, and he had threatened suicide if Laura did not agree to marry him. The trial proceeds to its conclusion, and in some respects the novel begins from that point.
This book has much to say on the marriage at the centre of the mystery, but also other relationships which influence the eventual outcomes. I found the small details, like that Laura had to spend her own money on housekeeping in the early days of her marriage, and that subsequently was refused money even to pay her circulating library subscription. The settings in which the characters find themselves in has much to offer in the tone of the novel, from the house and garden stuffed with auction finds by the miserly husband, to the opulence of a bedroom in which one of the characters fails to find sanctuary. This is an unusual novel which has much to say about women and their expectations of life at the time, while concealing a mystery of a vital piece of evidence. It is subtle, clever, and certainly an alternative to male dominated novels of detection of the time.
The trial in which Laura Dousland stands accused of murdering her older husband Fordish seems to hang on the evidence of an Italian servant Angelo Terugi. Brought in as the latest whim of the exacting Fordish, he is unhappily closely questioned on what exactly happened to a Chianti flask which once held the wine that his master insisted on accompanying his evening meal on a tray. The servant admits that he had designs on the contents as enjoying the wine himself, but that he cannot account for what happened to the missing twenty fourth bottle that went unreturned to the supplier. The importance of the wine bottle is that it is generally supposed to have contained the poison that killed the man. Throughout the trial Laura has sat quietly, almost impassively, as if the very real danger of a guilty verdict and the gallows did not concern her. Fortunately she has an able and experienced representative in Sir Joseph Molloy, who has many skills in terms of strong cross questioning and selecting witnesses who are well prepared to say helpful things in the defence of his client. From the account of the trial Fordish emerges as a jealous man, aggressive towards any visitor, and of whom even his personal servant says “Yes, sir, for my master he love money very, very much”. The first doctor on the scene at the discovery of the death is of no help to the defence, but a second doctor, a younger man of medical research, reveals how the deceased seemed to be fascinated with the nature of the poison which was in fact used. Thus the very real possibility of sucicide is raised. Further evidence is brought in support of Laura; her ex employer and great friend Alice Hayward speaks of Laura’s character and how she had at first refused Fordish’s offer of marriage despite her lonely situation and unexciting prospects. Alice in fact states that she had “strongly advised her to accept his offer of marriage”, despite the fact that she admits him to be eccentric, and he had threatened suicide if Laura did not agree to marry him. The trial proceeds to its conclusion, and in some respects the novel begins from that point.
This book has much to say on the marriage at the centre of the mystery, but also other relationships which influence the eventual outcomes. I found the small details, like that Laura had to spend her own money on housekeeping in the early days of her marriage, and that subsequently was refused money even to pay her circulating library subscription. The settings in which the characters find themselves in has much to offer in the tone of the novel, from the house and garden stuffed with auction finds by the miserly husband, to the opulence of a bedroom in which one of the characters fails to find sanctuary. This is an unusual novel which has much to say about women and their expectations of life at the time, while concealing a mystery of a vital piece of evidence. It is subtle, clever, and certainly an alternative to male dominated novels of detection of the time.
July 28, 2025
I first discovered Marie Belloc Lowndes via the audiobook version of The Lodger, a sort of Jack the Ripper story about a couple who take in a peculiar tenant whose late-night activities seem to coincide with the murders taking place around the city. Lowndes creates a mounting sense of unease that has stayed with me vividly. To my great dismay, the film by Hitchcock absolutely wrecked this book. Changed the plot, lost the tension. As a standalone, it's okay, but putting "based on a novel by" is a desecration. The novel is perfect. He shredded it.
Ahem.
Finding out that the Classic Library folks have republished a work of hers long out of print, I had to have it.
And no disappointment!
I should say that for a reader who requires ACTION and drama, this probably won't work. It's slow and wordy. The story's central character is a young woman who was coerced into marriage with a man thirty years older, a man who turned out to be miserly and cruel. She is the primary suspect but is exonerated. What follows is a slow-burning psychological mystery--an outsider might think she'd be free and happy, but she is not. We get lots of introspection and back story and some terrific characters whose motives are examined. Particularly, her "best friend" who spoke on her behalf at the trial. Lowndes is expert at examining how a person can struggle under social pressures, how they should be versus how they really are.
For me, and I confess, I tend to love the old-fashioned, long-winded kind of yarn that many modern readers find tedious, this was a marvelous, steady, creeping doubt kind of novel. I'll be hunting up more Lowndes for sure.
Ahem.
Finding out that the Classic Library folks have republished a work of hers long out of print, I had to have it.
And no disappointment!
I should say that for a reader who requires ACTION and drama, this probably won't work. It's slow and wordy. The story's central character is a young woman who was coerced into marriage with a man thirty years older, a man who turned out to be miserly and cruel. She is the primary suspect but is exonerated. What follows is a slow-burning psychological mystery--an outsider might think she'd be free and happy, but she is not. We get lots of introspection and back story and some terrific characters whose motives are examined. Particularly, her "best friend" who spoke on her behalf at the trial. Lowndes is expert at examining how a person can struggle under social pressures, how they should be versus how they really are.
For me, and I confess, I tend to love the old-fashioned, long-winded kind of yarn that many modern readers find tedious, this was a marvelous, steady, creeping doubt kind of novel. I'll be hunting up more Lowndes for sure.
March 10, 2022
As others have said, this is a difficult book to classify. It's not a whodunit, and the only detective who appears has done almost no detecting. It's moderately obvious from the first who the murderer is, although I was very briefly seduced by am idea for an alternate killer, but only because I was convinced it couldn't be as straightforward a solution as it turned out to be.
The tension comes from Laura's experience of what we would now term PTSD, and the damage caused by her well meaning ex-employer and others. The examination of psychological motivations and reservations feels much more modern than one might expect. This sits uncomfortably sometimes alongside middle clsss conventions and attitudes that often feel they belong to an even earlier period than the 1930s.
The author swaps between different characters' viewpoints, which works well, although I found it difficult to tell whether I was seeing implied comment on them that the author intended, or if it was the lens of my own contemporary attitudes. Laura's friend, particularly, read to my eyes as a monstrous, manipulative and selfish harridan, when she was probably only a generous but conventional woman.
I found the ending a bit disappointing. The journey was more interesting than the destination, if indeed we arrived.
The tension comes from Laura's experience of what we would now term PTSD, and the damage caused by her well meaning ex-employer and others. The examination of psychological motivations and reservations feels much more modern than one might expect. This sits uncomfortably sometimes alongside middle clsss conventions and attitudes that often feel they belong to an even earlier period than the 1930s.
The author swaps between different characters' viewpoints, which works well, although I found it difficult to tell whether I was seeing implied comment on them that the author intended, or if it was the lens of my own contemporary attitudes. Laura's friend, particularly, read to my eyes as a monstrous, manipulative and selfish harridan, when she was probably only a generous but conventional woman.
I found the ending a bit disappointing. The journey was more interesting than the destination, if indeed we arrived.
March 8, 2022
Not one of my favorites in the British Crime Classics series, a mid 1930's look at the aftermath of a murder trial.
The story opens with the trial of Laura Dousland, accused of poisoning her husband Fordish. The Italian servant Angelo Terugi's testimony about the missing Chianti flask is the crux of the trial, flask is never found, but did it ever exist? As Laura is acquitted, the rest of the novel tells of the aftermath of a sensational trial, the demands placed by friends and enemies alike, the psychological trauma Laura lives through as she tries to put the past behind her. Can she find peace and love in the end?
Difficult to peg into a category - not really a mystery, not much investigation, this is more like a study of the effect of trauma on an individual.
The story opens with the trial of Laura Dousland, accused of poisoning her husband Fordish. The Italian servant Angelo Terugi's testimony about the missing Chianti flask is the crux of the trial, flask is never found, but did it ever exist? As Laura is acquitted, the rest of the novel tells of the aftermath of a sensational trial, the demands placed by friends and enemies alike, the psychological trauma Laura lives through as she tries to put the past behind her. Can she find peace and love in the end?
Difficult to peg into a category - not really a mystery, not much investigation, this is more like a study of the effect of trauma on an individual.
July 10, 2025
First published in 1935 this is an unusual book. The book starts with Laura Dousland on trial for the murder of her husband and then moves on from there.
Is this a crime novel, it's in the British Library Crime Classics series? But the crime, was Fordish Dousland murdered or did he commit suicide, happens before the book starts.
I found the main characters unsympathetic and wanted to give most of them a slap. I couldn't really work out the motivations for most of the leads. For me there are only two characters that i liked, the Doctor's parents, the rest I couldn't work out.
The author's brother is possibly the best known author of the family for me anyway, Hilaire Belloc. I can't see myself rushing to buy more from this author.
Is this a crime novel, it's in the British Library Crime Classics series? But the crime, was Fordish Dousland murdered or did he commit suicide, happens before the book starts.
I found the main characters unsympathetic and wanted to give most of them a slap. I couldn't really work out the motivations for most of the leads. For me there are only two characters that i liked, the Doctor's parents, the rest I couldn't work out.
The author's brother is possibly the best known author of the family for me anyway, Hilaire Belloc. I can't see myself rushing to buy more from this author.
June 30, 2021
Marie Belloc Lowndes wrote an alternate take on crime fiction as "The Chianti Flask" starts with the trial of Laura Dousland who is accused of poisoning her husband Fordish. The key issue is a missing Chianti flask which believe held the poison. When Laura is found not guilty she now has deal with being a Cause Célèbre. It's in this state the only way for Laura is to fall into the arms of Dr Mark Strutton. It's easy to see why British Library Crime Classics chose to re-publish this book as it is doesn't fall in line with more popular contemparies like Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers and Gladys Mitchell. While not a real page turner it's very well worth reading.
May 25, 2023
Dame Agatha Christie and Her Peers
A 1934 British Library Crime Classic
Cast - 2 stars: Rather forgettable once you've closed the book.
Atmosphere - 2 stars: We are given not one but two English Country Manors. Sadly, I couldn't see/picture either one of them.
Crime - 3 stars: A husband has died. Suicide or murder? I really liked that this novel opens with the trail though, nice twist. Who hid the chianti in which the poison may have been administered.
Investigation - 2 stars - Much internal melodrama, hysterics, a rather silly romance.
Resolution - 3: A sort of twist.
Summary - 2.4: More of a melodrama than a murder mystery.
A 1934 British Library Crime Classic
Cast - 2 stars: Rather forgettable once you've closed the book.
Atmosphere - 2 stars: We are given not one but two English Country Manors. Sadly, I couldn't see/picture either one of them.
Crime - 3 stars: A husband has died. Suicide or murder? I really liked that this novel opens with the trail though, nice twist. Who hid the chianti in which the poison may have been administered.
Investigation - 2 stars - Much internal melodrama, hysterics, a rather silly romance.
Resolution - 3: A sort of twist.
Summary - 2.4: More of a melodrama than a murder mystery.
April 26, 2022
This beautifully crafted story is typically gentle yet disturbing of its kind. First published in 1934, it tells of an enigmatic young woman who finds herself in the unfortunate position of standing trial for the murder of her elderly husband. The case surrounds the fact that the poison was delivered in a flask of Chianti with supper, but according to the couple’s servant, the flask disappeared the night his master died. This really is a gripping psychological portrait of the accused woman that is impossible to read and not be affected by.
March 31, 2022
DNF, however, loved the courtroom drama at the beginning (which is weird because I usually hate courtroom dramas), but after that it’s mostly just the main character feeling sorry for herself. Also, I could only read about ten pages and then I’d fall asleep. Not a good sign lol. I might try The Lodger, though, as it seems to be Lowndes’ most popular work (plus it was made into an early Hitchcock movie?!?!).
July 15, 2022
I gave up on it two-thirds of the way through. At the beginning we are told way too often that the protagonist has a lonely mystery about her without it either adding to her character, or those around her, or progressing the plot in any way. This builds up slowly into a breathy romance. I got as far as: "Now, for the first time since his love, nay his absorbing passion, for Laura had filled his being…" and called it quits.
September 30, 2022
Strange novel. It's well written, a story whose characters and developments hold the reader's interest, as much a psychological study as a murder mystery. The pivotal figure is a woman on trial for the murder of her husband, and there's a lot to show how an intelligent woman in the England of the 1930s could be trapped by social circumstance. Of course we're all trapped by social circumstance in one or more ways. Here we see many of the particular details of that time and place.
August 14, 2025
This book was very well written and very compelling. I did become emotionally invested in ways I didn’t anticipate and felt provoked by the ending although it was also very well written and correct with true reality.
I feel like a full review would reveal too much and the main point I can consider is the importance of truly loving someone means not forcing them to do what we think is good for them, because we might be blind to something which could ruin everything.
I feel like a full review would reveal too much and the main point I can consider is the importance of truly loving someone means not forcing them to do what we think is good for them, because we might be blind to something which could ruin everything.
July 6, 2021
Maybe two and a half stars.
A strange sort of book. Very Edwardian in style (rather florid, definitely not a 30s feel) and no detection in it. I wonder whether it would have made a better novella than a full novel (it did feel rather long at times). Also, I felt that the solution to the murder was rather obvious.
A strange sort of book. Very Edwardian in style (rather florid, definitely not a 30s feel) and no detection in it. I wonder whether it would have made a better novella than a full novel (it did feel rather long at times). Also, I felt that the solution to the murder was rather obvious.
July 10, 2021
The Chianti Flask by Marie Belloc Lowndes is an old fashioned British classic novel, written in the early twentieth century. It is a murder mystery, where the wife has already been accused in court of the murder of her elderly husband and been found ‘Not Guilty’. She cannot be tried again.
A fascinating read of a classic crime novel.
A fascinating read of a classic crime novel.
May 26, 2021
Bit overwrought for me.
Want to read
June 17, 2021Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.
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