I Could Murder Her

Robert Macdonald #35

by E.C.R. Lorac

Muriel Farrington is a domineering woman who, unfortunately for them, has her entire family living with her in her stately home. She tries, often successfully, to run the lives of her children, her stepchildren, her in-laws, and her husband, and she seems to be despised by all except her husband and one son.
When she is found dead one morning in her bed, the family doctor, who is old, ill, and hasn’t been very able for years, is unable to attend and bestow a certificate, which he would have done without investigation or thought.
A younger, more able and perceptive doctor has to be called in, to the shock of whoever the murderer was, and he does not find the death natural.
A hypodermic puncture in her arm leads him to believe, correctly as it turns out, that someone has injected insulin into the woman. Since she was not suffering from diabetes, death was the inevitable result.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Golden Age Mystery, Ebooks, British Literature, 20th Century

231 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1951

About the author

Edith 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.

Reviews

[Anissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I typed an entire fantastic review & then shut down my laptop accidentally. All gone. So, here's the short version because I just can't all over again:

I have become a fan of Lorac's writing. Her Inspector MacDonald is a pleasure, with no tics, ego issues, personality quirks or maladjusted ways. As much as I love a dysfunctional detective, sleuth or inspector, I can appreciate MacDonald and his quiet method. He's a keen observer and listener. I very much enjoy following along and trying to solve the puzzle.

In this case, I happened upon this on Kindle Unlimited and given the author and its dual-title: Murder of a Martinet/ I Could Murder Her, I couldn't really pass it up. We don't get to know the murder victim very well before she's dispatched from this mortal coil but it is clear that she has fostered discontent in her family and her cloying ways have made her children's ability to have lives of agency mainly impossible. I had great sympathy for most of them (including the killer) as the story unfurled and the murderer became apparent. I had a clear idea of who I thought did it but I think it was very much because I had read another of Lorac's works and the mechanism of misdirection was similar (thanks Bats in the Belfry: A London Mystery ). I think that if not for that, I could have missed it. Even so, it was a good close-in look at a dysfunctional family and the ruin and sadness that can result.

Whether you read her as Lorac or Carol Carnac, I recommend her books. I don't know if this will be one of the reissues by the British Library Crime Classics but if so, I'll certainly get a copy because the forwards by Martin Edwards are always worth reading.

Recommended.

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muriel Farrington is an updated, 1951 version of Cinderella's nasty stepmother. Except she doesn't limit her nasty behavior to her stepdaughter, Madge. While she does expect Madge to toil in true Cinderella fashion--cooking, cleaning, and general housekeeping drudgery, she also dominates her own children and behaves in a thoroughly selfish manner. In fact, her behavior has practically the whole household muttering I Could Murder Her. The only person in E. C. R. Lorac's mystery novel (originally published as Murder of a Martinet in Britain) who doesn't seem to want her dead is her mild-mannered, thoroughly devoted husband. And only one person actually makes the action suit the muttering.

After a particularly tiring morning of exerting her will over Madge, Muriel takes to her bed with "heart palpitations," demands attention from the elderly doctor who dances attendance whenever she has a "turn," and winds up under the influence of a sleeping pill. The next morning finds her dead. It's a bit of shock--no one but her husband actually believed she actually had trouble with her heart--but everyone is now prepared to accept that she did and succumbed to it.

Unfortunately for the murderer, Dr. Baring had a motoring accident on the way home from the Farrington's and is in no condition to examine the deceased and provide the anticipated no-questions-asked death certificate. Baring's young colleague, Dr. Scott, who had examined Muriel once, also did not believe there was a thing wrong with her heart. He doesn't accept that as a cause of death--particularly when he spots a fresh hypodermic puncture in the dead woman's arm. He refuses to sign the certificate and that calls for a postmortem which reveals that the deceased fell victim to a dose of insulin (and she wasn't diabetic).

Enter Inspector MacDonald of the Yard. MacDonald is a quiet, normal detective who sets to work smoothly and efficiently. None of the eccentricities of some Golden Age detectives and none of the angst and personal issues of many modern policemen. Just an intelligent man doing his job. He quickly discovers that everyone had a motive--from the overworked Madge to Muriel's own children who all resented their mother's interference in and domination over their own lives to Mrs. Pinks, the daily help. Madge, who has been employed as a nurse in the past, is an obvious suspect since she would know the effects of insulin upon a non-diabetic. But most of the suspects seem to be just as well-informed. Even Mrs. Pinks--whose husband is a diabetic.

This is a very interesting study of post-War Britain. It focuses on the reduced circumstances that followed and shows how families who formerly would have had several servants were forced to make do with daily women and sometimes had to do for themselves (or guilted their less fortunate relations into slaving away...). It also spotlights the tensions found when family members who don't care for one another are forced to live in close proximity due to those reduced circumstances. Life would have been much healthier for the Farringtons if all of the adult children (and spouses) could have afforded homes of their own. But then we wouldn't have a murder to solve, would we?

I thoroughly enjoy Lorac's character studies and descriptions of the post-War era. MacDonald may not be a charismatic detective, but he is a thorough one who misses nothing and keeps no clues to himself. The reader can easily follow the thread that leads to culprit (and may, in fact, spot the killer before all is revealed). It is more interesting to watch MacDonald gather up all the loose ends and explain them all. Quite good vintage mystery.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.

[Daniel Myatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tyrannical matriarch runs her household with fear but soon is found dead!

Who is the culprit? Anyone who knew her it appears....

Another great Lorac mystery! Well written, wonderful characters and always Macdonald is on hand to get to the bottom of it all.

[Kusaimamekirai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muriel Farrington is the wealthy, domineering, passive aggressive, manipulative, elderly matriarch of a large estate with a husband, a daughter and her husband, twins, a son and his wife, and an occasional cockney maid all living under one roof. That they all live on separate floors seemingly does little to quell the tension they have toward each other and Mrs. Farrington in particular who is referred to by some as ICMH, or the title of this book, “I Could Murder Her”.
For the sake of the story, someone obligingly does just that, which cues the arrival of one of my favorite detectives, DI MacDonald who in typical Lorac fashion, arrives well after we have established relationships between the suspects and any animosities they may have against each other.
MacDonald may lack the eccentricities of other fictional detectives in that he isn’t neurotic, emotionally tortured, dependent on drugs or alcohol, or in any way particularly unique. Rather he is as one character refers to him “relentlessly impartial”, a keen observer of people, and particularly tight lipped even with his colleagues until he is sure he has the case worked out. His, for lack of a better word nondescriptness, is what gets suspects to talk to him and what makes him so interesting for the reader.
When he finally solves the case, he assures us that he knew early on who the murderer was, as I nod my head and wonder how I could have missed the solution being anything other than the one he figured out pages ago. Without providing the reader with the slightest hint of course that this is where he was heading.
This is another really fun Lorac mystery with a surprising amount of depth into family relationships and motivations. Not every unhappy family of course will resort to murder, but if they do, they can only hope that DI MacDonald doesn’t knock on their door.

[Lady Wesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the first few chapters, the identity of the murderer is so obvious that I skipped to the end to confirm. That is something that I almost never do because I usually have no idea.

This is an interesting character study of life among the post WWII “not so wealthy anymore" class though, and some readers may not become as impatient as I did. It’s just that I read mysteries for the mystery of it all.

I’ve been on a bit of a Lorac binge and enjoyed her books and will continue to binge away.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I thought the plot was fairly weak and the perpetrator fairly easy to spot, I did thoroughly enjoy this one. As always, the authors descriptive power was brilliant, especially the dialogue between the evil old matriarch and her stepdaughter. Never openly threatening but the underlying menace was palpable; so cleverly written. Mrs Pinks, the very likeable charlady also had brilliant dialogue and was one of a few strong female characters. Macdonald's humanity and decency shone through.

Four stars may be a bit generous but it was so well written that I forgave her for the shortcomings of the plot.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Both families of Mrs Muriel Farrington live in the house that belongs to her. Each with their own floor. But who is the guilty party when she is found dead. Detective Macdonald investigates
An entertaining mystery
AKA Death Of a Martinet
Originally published in 1941

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murielle Farrington is the matriarch from hell! She owns the incredibly large home in which she, her second husband, her children & a couple of their spouses, and her step-daughter live. The money, and there is a lot of it, is all hers. She is a master of manipulation, well skilled in the art of sticking the knife in someone while calling them dear and saying sweet things. Her husband has never stood up to her. She drove her step-daughter into a nervous breakdown and has used that illness ever since to turn the woman into a servant, much overworked and abused. "The twins", unexpected (i.e. change of life) babies are bat-shit crazy. Almost everyone in the house has motive to kill her. So when she turns up murdered in her bed, who did it?

This is a delightful "who done it?" and much fun to read.

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: Muriel Farrington was a domineering, selfish old woman who smashed lives. When she was found murdered in her bed, many panicked.

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh FFS I BLOODY KNEW IT.

And because I picked the who, why and howdunit well before the 50% mark when I'm usually a bit of a dunce at these things, I'm docking it a star. Entertaining read, though.

[Calum Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

B:

Very strong on characterisation and strong enough a mystery to warrant recommendation.

The drawbacks? Lorac doesn't give the reader enough credit to be able to establish the culprit from an early point. She also could make more of whether the doctor's death may have been manufactured?

Good, but a missed opportunity to be 5-star stuff.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice post-WWII mystery dealing with domestic conflict and its aftermath.

Muriel Farrington rules the roost in her big, beautiful and comfortable house, where her extended family lives together in total lack of harmony. She treats her stepdaughter as an unpaid drudge, favors her biological son, and has totally given up trying to manage her younger twins. Her doting husband is vaguely aware of her tyrannical behavior (always suitably covered up with self-effacing statements about ill health and self-sacrifice). When Muriel is found murdered in her bed, nobody seems particularly shocked or full of grief. But murder it is, and the police investigation reveals many of the uncomfortable secrets that this household has managed to accumulate.

I found this book interesting because it dealt with some of the post-war issues : housing shortage, the difficulties in finding domestic help to run the big houses of an earlier age, and the burgeoning desire for independence of young women. There were some interesting characters as well, such as the stepdaughter, who finally decides to defy her stepmother and carve out a life for herself.

[John Keeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent Mystery By This Author

A very interesting mystery. Although I saw several reader reviews saying the reader fairly quickly zeroed in on who the murderer was I have to admit that I was truly at a lost as to who it might be. There were so many possibilities. However as the Agatha Christie fanatic that I am, you would have thought I would have known. I loved this book and highly recommend it.

[Verity W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh this is really good. A horrible matriarch is murdered in the house where all her family live. If it wasn’t for the indisposition of the old family doctor, it might have gone down as natural causes, but as soon as it doesn’t MacDonald is called in to try and figure out what on Earth happened in a house full of tensions and rivalries. I liked it a lot.

[Chavi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Alright, I so hated the direction this one took. It started with Anne Strange, who felt such a passionate character that I was looking forward to more of her. But what did we get?
A drab, pathetic damsel in Marge. And no, all her composed and calm behavior didn't impress me in the least.
Plus, the mystery was entirely too guessable. Everyone and their parents know that it's always, always, always the spouse.
Which-in fiction- always, always, always seem a cop-out.
Even more so in this one, where it felt certain as the book progressed that Lorac wasn't going to have the guts to upset the readers and choose a likeable character to be the murderer, cue Marge or Mrs Pink or that little dancer girl or even the young doc whose insistence on insulin test should have made him suspect too in some convoluted mystery meant to throw suspicion elsewhere.

The suicide ending has happened quite a lot, in both mysteries in general, and MacDonald's books in particular too.
For once I would like an officer, a detective who puts his oaths and job above commonplace feelings. Let us feel, and let the inspector do his job, which is to prevent a murderer from escape and prevent crime. When you allow the culprit to commit suicide, you allow a murderer to get away and also allow a crime to take place.
Doesn't matter at all whether the murderer deserves your sympathy or not.
You are supposed to be an impartial detective-in Lorac's own writing that claim has been made.
Then prove so by preventing crime and being impartial, and doing your duty rather than practising humanity.
Save that for after the fact rather than before.

I have no sympathy for Marge or Mrs Pinks or anyone at all in this narrative except for Anne who did make an impression in the first chapter and I almost hate Lorac for letting the character go to waste.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘She was selfish and domineering and intolerably inquisitive. At one time we had a gag in this house. I.C.M.H. - I could murder her.’ When Mrs Farrington died suddenly, it soon became apparent that someone had done exactly that - but who? One member of the family was the obvious suspect - but were they too obvious or cleverly double-bluffing? Or could it have been someone who was no relation at all?
This isn’t the first time that Lorac uses the trope of the big house with the family crowded together under the thumb of the domineering senior member who holds the purse strings, and as ever she is conflicted about the beauty and history of such houses and their unsuitability for postwar life. Murder in these books becomes a working-out of the question, is it better for this way of life to die off entirely, and what is the effect on others of trying to sustain it?
This has some interesting twists though, with an obvious suspect and equally obvious reasons why they might be framed, rather than an open field. Lorac unfolds the characters and their relationships in a way that makes the reader’s sympathies and suspicions oscillate. In the end, as Inspector Macdonald says, looked at logically there is only one possible culprit, but Lorac does a great job of complicating matters emotionally and practically to prevent the reader from working this out for themselves.

[Anna Katharine · Rating 5 out of 5]

After two MacDonald mysteries set in the fells, it was fun to return to the more traditional stately home mystery. Muriel Farrington is the overbearing matriarch of a mixed family, with children, step-children, and half-siblings all living in separate suites in one house. Stepdaughter Madge serves as cook, housemaid, nurse and all-around dogsbody in this post-WWII era where servants are scarce and finances tight, mostly to please her kindly but dominated father- but also through a secret Muriel holds over her. The reader first enters the story through Madge's sister-in-law, who has married into the family via Madge's half-brother and is utterly frustrated with the whole set-up. When martinet Muriel is found dead after what should have been a routine doctor's visit, suspicion falls first on the doctor- who died in a somewhat suspicious car accident on the way home- and then on various of the beleaguered siblings and in-laws. Family tensions were drawn adroitly and with great nuance, making me wonder about Lorac's own relations. The puzzle is well done and I found the murderer to be unexpected. An excellent look at post WWII life, and a well-plotted story.

[Estott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Late in the book the detective says this:“To my mind, there was never any doubt at all as to who was responsible for Mrs. Farrington’s death, but the ‘build-up,’ the accumulation of detail concerning human behaviour, made it much more interesting than many of the more spectacular cases we’ve had.” That pretty much sums up my feeling - not very far in I had a strong suspicion of who the murderer was, but this was so beautifully handled that I felt quite satisfied. There wasn't a wasted chapter. Even the character who supplies light comic relief is a well realized and important part of the plot. For the Fair Play reader here's a caution- one last minute bit of evidence is hinted at but not explained until the very end.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nice "easy read" for a time when my mental capacities are not up to heavy tomes. The characters are distinct and the motives and clues good enough to keep the detection and the reader going.

By maybe halfway through I heavily suspected the murderer . . . although not from internal evidence so much as from the manner in which the narrative treated that person. I kept wondering whether the author was using the heavy misdirect I noted or whether there was something more subtly layered going on. I was hoping for a different ending, but nonetheless, it was interesting to consider how different personalities deal with a hated, domineering woman and the circumstances of her murder.

[David C Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unhappy families. . .A nasty and domineering (plus passive aggressive - never the nicest of traits) matriarch to a wealthy family keeps her married children under her thumb and fair tortures her unmarried step daughter. Very claustrophobic with a lot of damaged and unpleasant people. MacDonald figures things out and prevents further damage. The characterization is excellent but it’s not very satisfying as a mystery because there’s no evidence or showdown with the murderer.
Also: as with Christie and Allingham, Lorac could have used better titles.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first Lorac I read and it led me to buy all the books I could find in ebook form. I think I have 24. I haven’t read them all yet, but I know I will. Her detective, MacDonald, seemed like such a warm, intelligent and kind person, setting aside his able investigative skills. I wanted more of him. Having read Murder by Matchlight and Post After Postmortem, there are books I’ve loved even better than I Could Murder Her, but I’m grateful to this one for the doors it opened.

[Nadine Gardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, very enjoyable.

Inspector MacDonald is a very attractive and interesting character as always, and solves a very complex case with intelligence and care. Once again the author offers up a complex situation with exciting and unexpected results. Totally unexpected ending.

[Fiona Bureau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable whodunit, a real page-turner. Lorac writes well in a fluid style which I find very entertaining, even though in this case I guessed the murderer well before the end. It's not great literature but it's good for when you're tired of the heavy stuff!

[Laurel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good tead

I really enjoy Lorac's writing. This was no exception. Lorac's vivid words draw the reader in to the story. I read for pleasure, and found the plot engrossing and for me not predictable. Excellent

[Deborah Gunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Golden Age Mystery

This was a very enjoyable read. The victim was a thoroughly disagreeable woman, whose death relieved a lot of suffering. The main characters were well described and their actions and words true to character. The perpetrator was realistic.

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the Inspector in this one. He has a way of interrogation that works. I didn't like the victim who was a selfish, vindictive woman. There are so many people in the family who might have wanted to do her in. Frankly, she was one of those who deserved it.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, but too long and confusing for me. The extended family members not a very likeable lot, each getting consideration as a suspect. MacDonald comes off a bit more human than other Lorac stories I've read. Wouldn't start here if you're new to her.

[Ann McTaggart · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read.

The characterisation was clear and not too two dimensional. The plot was well crafted. The solution wasn’t madly outlandish - a thing that I find exasperating in many golden age crime books.

I enjoyed it!

[Kacper Nedza · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4.5 stars) This one exceeded my expectations. Rich characterization and deft plotting.

[Allison Henle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The murderer was relatively obvious, and some of the people in the house were totally ignored by the narrative. Not my favorite in the series.