Il picco delle streghe

Abercrombie Lewker #6

by Glyn Carr

Chiusa da poco la fortunata stagione teatrale con il suo "Riccardo III", l'attore shakespeariano, nonché detective dilettante, Abercrombie Lewker, è in procinto di trascorrere una vacanza tranquilla con la moglie Georgina in un pittoresco villaggio tra i monti del Cumberland. Ma, non appena messo piede in paese, la coppia viene subito coinvolta in un'indagine per omicidio. Pochi giorni prima un giovane scalatore è morto precipitando da una falesia, ma le strane ferite riportate inducono la polizia locale a ritenere che non si sia trattato di un incidente. E ora un'altra giovane scalatrice è scomparsa e qualcosa di oscuro e malvagio sembra abitare questi monti senza tempo. Serviranno l'abile fiuto e le capacità di arrampicata di Abercrombie Lewker, infiltratosi sotto copertura in un ostello della gioventù, per dipanare una trama fitta di intricati rapporti personali, leggende celtiche, stregoneria e false identità. Un caso difficile che il nostro anomalo detective affronterà con tutto il suo perspicace e stentoreo stile.

Genres: Mystery

252 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1952

About the author

A pseudonym used by Showell Styles.

Author of the Abercrombie Lewker series.

Reviews

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Abercrombie Lewker, Shakespearean actor and manager, and his wife Georgina are off to the Cumberland fells for a holiday. They hope to enjoy the scenery and maybe make a climb or two (Abercrombie). They don't expect to be drawn into a series of murders almost as soon as they get into the small village of Birkerdale. One climber falling to their death a few weeks earlier with only a killing blow to the back of the head and no other injuries is unlikely...but just possible. A second climber falling in the same place with an identical injury is nigh on impossible. But Lewker is still ready to let a ruling of death by misadventure stand until his old comrade-in-arms Detective-Inspector Grimmett arrives and has suspicions about the deaths.

To help the investigation along, Lewker takes up residence at the Cauldmoor Youth Hostel--where both the victims had stayed. He meets an eclectic group of young people who may or may not have information about the deaths. Most of them seem to have alibis for either one of murders...or both. But each of them, including the interim warden of the hostel, seem to have a few secrets to hide. One is pretending to be a Welshman. Another has a strange interest in witchcraft. A third has a hasty, sometimes violent temper and had previously attacked another man. There are others to keep an eye on as well--Ben Truby, a local shepherd who insists the "Old Ones" are behind the deaths, and George Roughten, the owner of the local pub who studiously avoids talking about some of the hikers. But it isn't until a third death, under slightly different circumstances, that Lewker gets the final pieces of the puzzle that will allow him and Grimmett to capturer the murderer.

This was a fun and easy read. The necessary climbing information is given to the reader without burdening the narrative with boring facts. And we get a very good sense of the climbing terrain and beautiful scenery around the hostel. Carr also does a very good job handling all of the characters involved from Lewker & his wife to the the eight residents of the hostel to the members of the Birkerdale community. There are a lot of people to keep track of, but it is very easy to do so. I think this is the strongest part of Carr's work. Red herrings and mystification of the reader--not nearly as much. I figured out the main who and why long before Lewker ever gets round to telling us. In fact, it seems to me that Carr rather hits us over the head with two of the major pointers--but maybe that was just me. A nice, comfortable vintage mystery. ★★★ and a half. [rounded up here]

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

[Ron Kerrigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half stars: An innocuous murder mystery that is easy to read, short and to the point, and features some interesting rock climbing background. The inclusion of a map of the terrain helps a lot in following the action.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actor-manager Abercrombie Lewker and his charming wife Georgina are vacationing in a remote corner of Cumberland when Lewker, who rather misses his spying adventures in World War II, is called on to help find a missing climber. Something about the circumstances--and local reports of a similar incident in the recent past--make Lewker wonder what's amiss. Both victims had been staying in the local hostel, so Lewker spends several nights there too, eventually reaching a shocking conclusion. (Although I did see it coming!) Not as much about rock climbing as I've read in some other books with this kind of setting.