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Baron #27
Help from the Baron
The Fioras' jewels are missing and Francesca Lisle, one of John Mannering’s (aka ‘The Baron’) neighbours, is mysteriously asked by her father to retrieve a leather holdall from underneath the floorboards and take it to him at Waterloo station. Francesca is kidnapped, however, and ends up in the River Thames.
Meanwhile, Joy Lessing, is also kidnapped, or so it would seem ... Mannering is unwittingly involved and sets off to investigate, but cannot tell the police everything he discovers and so acting almost alone must somehow outwit the other players in a complex plot of deceit and duplicity, including having to deal with the notorious Ephraim Scoby.
Meanwhile, Joy Lessing, is also kidnapped, or so it would seem ... Mannering is unwittingly involved and sets off to investigate, but cannot tell the police everything he discovers and so acting almost alone must somehow outwit the other players in a complex plot of deceit and duplicity, including having to deal with the notorious Ephraim Scoby.
- GenresMystery
188 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1955
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 6, 2017
Out of the many Saint ripoffs created by John Creasey, I think I like The Baron the best.
The coppers pull a girl's body out of a river. She's not quite dead, but she's carrying some antique jewels. This pulls The Baron into the case. He's always nosing around jewels.
Very light reading. The ending and the solution to the mystery really make no sense whatsoever.
The coppers pull a girl's body out of a river. She's not quite dead, but she's carrying some antique jewels. This pulls The Baron into the case. He's always nosing around jewels.
Very light reading. The ending and the solution to the mystery really make no sense whatsoever.
October 6, 2018
After watching a few episodes of the 60s television series The Baron, I decided to check out one of the novels the series was based on. I wasn't disappointed, John Creasey capturing the essence of mid-fifties London as former thief turned antiques dealer and armchair detective John Mannering becomes involved in a case of missing diamonds, the near fatal drowning of a young woman and murder.
The main difference from the series, aside from the earlier setting of post war London, is that Mannering is married to an accomplished painter named Lorna who helps keep him on an even keel and is a sounding board for his thoughts on a case. Mannering also has a friend and adversarial relationship with Scotland Yard detective Bristow, who bristles at help from the dealer, only to come to rely on his experience in catching the killer.
The novel moves right along and the chapters each have titles, much like Ian Fleming's James Bond books, and the style of writing is different from more modern mysteries and is a welcome change, at least for me. I recommend this book to any mystery fan and I'm looking forward to seeing out more adventures of The Baron.
The main difference from the series, aside from the earlier setting of post war London, is that Mannering is married to an accomplished painter named Lorna who helps keep him on an even keel and is a sounding board for his thoughts on a case. Mannering also has a friend and adversarial relationship with Scotland Yard detective Bristow, who bristles at help from the dealer, only to come to rely on his experience in catching the killer.
The novel moves right along and the chapters each have titles, much like Ian Fleming's James Bond books, and the style of writing is different from more modern mysteries and is a welcome change, at least for me. I recommend this book to any mystery fan and I'm looking forward to seeing out more adventures of The Baron.
July 1, 2014
creasey's baron
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews