The African Poison Murders

Inspector Vachell Mysteries #3

by Elspeth Huxley

Perhaps best known for THE FLAME TREES OF THIKA and OUT IN THE MIDDAY SUN, Elspeth Huxley is a versatile author whose range includes travel, history and suspense. THE AFRICAN POISON MURDERS is the story of a double murder set admist the sights and sounds of the vast land of jungles, mountains and wild beasts that Huxley knows so well. Superintendent Vachall, a Canadian national set adrift in the East African bureaucracy, follows a dead-end trail to a treacherous Nazi bund and a deadly African arrow poison.

Genres: Mystery, Africa, Kenya, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Detective

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1939

About the author

Elspeth Joscelin Huxley was an English writer, journalist, broadcaster, magistrate, environmentalist, farmer, and government adviser. She wrote over 40 books, including her best-known lyrical books, The Flame Trees of Thika and The Mottled Lizard, based on her youth in a coffee farm in British Kenya. Her husband, Gervas Huxley, was a grandson of Thomas Henry Huxley and a cousin of Aldous Huxley.

Reviews

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sadly, this is the second of only three books by Huxley featuring Inspector Vachell and, at the original date of this posting, I hadn't been able to obtain a copy of third at the local library. The stories are so much better written than those more popular mystery writers. I don't understand why she is not more widely read, at least by adults.

[Bev · Rating 3 out of 5]

Superintendent Vachell, a Canadian national working for the police force in East Africa, is persuaded by Janice West to investigate a series of horrific pranks that have been taking place in a farming community filled with British and German settlers. Crops have been trampled; pigeons have been killed (decapitated); and the Wests' prize setter is mutilated and dies. Tensions are high between the British community and a certain farmer by the name of Munson who has ties to the German Bund. Not only is there suspicion about his ties to the rising Nazi party, but the man is a thoroughly mean and nasty neighbor. It isn't surprising that one morning he's found dead, but Vachell is in for a difficult time to prove it was murder--one of those untraceable African poisons is the suspected method and everyone seems to have an alibi. Motive is something different--pretty much everyone seems to have one of those--from the Wests and the disputes with Munson over his cattle's trampling ways to Jolyot Antsey who also had fence line disputes to Herr Wendtland who had come to take over Munson's place with the Bund. There are also rumors of an affair between Janice West and Munson--but it seems hard to credit when you look at the characters involved. And, of course, there's Munson's nephew Edward Corcoran who inherits the farm when Munson dies.

But then Dennis West, a well-liked member of the community, follows his neighbor in death during a massive, sudden fire. And Vachell must find a motive that will explain both murders...and enough evidence to bring the crime home to the murderer. There's not a shred of proof that will stand up in court. He fears that another murder is still on the agenda and can only hope that he can catch the killer in the act without losing another member of the settlement.


I found it difficult to immerse myself in this mystery. Previous Huxley books did an excellent job of making the reader feel like they were really on the spot in Africa--from colonial life surrounding the Government House in Huxley's first book to the safari setting of her second. But this time, I really didn't get a good sense of the farming settlement. It was also difficult to see my way through the very tenuous motives to anything solid in the way of clues. When Vachell explains the clues and his thought processes at the end of the story, it all seems very reasonable, but I can't say that I said "Oh, yeah. So, that's what that meant." I didn't pick up on any of it at all. And I'm not completely sold on the solution--it seemed to be a lazy way to wrap it all up--especially after the build-up of certain other motives. I like the character of Vachell very much and I understood his difficulties in the keeping the investigation impersonal (no explanations...it might provide a spoiler...). He provides the most interesting portions of the story and his interactions with his second in command provide a bit of humor (though Inspector Prettyman doesn't seem to get the jokes quite a bit of the time). ★★ and 1/2 [rounded up here]

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

[Megs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book until the last 10 pages. The mystery was a little bit far fetched, but the book proved to be a well written and I always wanted to keep reading. The setting was a rural farm in Africa and the descriptions of place and people were interesting to take in. At the end of the book, the officer who solved the murder mystery threw himself at the woman of his lusting who was the widow of the man who had been killed two days prior. It was as if the author had tacked on the cheesiest ending possible to an otherwise really well written book. I admit I was disappointed.

[Lisa Brantly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I agree with the reviewer who said the last 10 pages ruined it. Good until the conclusion.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best known for her memoirs of growing up in Africa, Huxley also drew upon her experiences to craft several highly entertaining mysteries, of which The African Poison Murders is my favorite. Lots of local color, including a marauding leopard, a deadly bush fire, and an exotic poison. This one's been out of print for some time, I think, but mystery lovers who also enjoy tales of British East Africa might find it worthwhile to track down a used copy.

[Wendy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bad things happen to a dog by page 15. This upset me and I decided not to read anymore of this book.

[Victor · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8 out of 5 .have read the authors autobiographical “Flame trees of Thica” a few years ago and liked it . This detective novel is third in the series but this is the only one I could find over the net . The story is good but as a detective story is not very plausible .What merits the 4 star is that it is very readable and engrossing with its description of the African setting and its characters . The writing is literary and has that essential quality of taking the reader to the place and time being described .In the past 10 years or so ,I have probably read about 300 British and American mysteries but this is probably the only one that uses Africa as actual setting . I recall some books where little bit of Africa was involved but only as some characters mysterious and far away background but nothing like this ever came up before. the authors personal experience of being brought up and running a Kenyan farm made the setting so realistic .If the 2nd murder had not been so improbable , I would have rated this higher . I would love to seek out the other 2 and read them in future .I do wish someday these gets reprinted with the original covers …would be lovely to have it on my bookshelf .

[Lisa Kucharski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Third book (I get the feeling this could be the last with Vachell, but could be wrong) This one is very dark in terms of “human nature” and the killings. In this book she makes a reference to Edgar Wallace, Harvard studying the stars chemical make up with light wavelengths, and modern psychology- which I found really progressive actually.

So the story is Vachell is called to help investigate a range of odd events that seem more like one farmer is causing a lot of trouble for the rest of the farmers.... and while this is true to some degree there is something darker taking place (in more ways than one.)

In this book, there is a lot more focus on the people, and the fact that the one farmer is considered a leader in the bund (nazi) group in the area - which also references the up-coming war that will be breaking out and it’s reach all the way to Africa.

A nice read, but I felt the end was a bit too syrupy in the romance department... and could have been done better. But in terms of characters- well worth the read.

[Roberta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Superintendent Vachell is in the area investigating suspicious activity and is asked to look into the brutal killing of Janice and Dennis West's dog. He agrees and stays at the West's farm. Over the next few days, there are more animal attacks and two murders - one of them being the West's nearest neighbor, Karl Munson, who was disliked by almost everyone. But Vachell suspects that it was a romantic assignation that brought Munson to the place where he was killed. Vachell knows he can solve the crimes and get the evidence he needs to convict the killer if he waits for a third murder but he wants to stop the killer before that happens.

The last 4 pages should be ripped out of the book and burned, the ashes should be buried and the burial site should be declared an exclusion zone for 1000 years.

[Doug Frizzle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't recommend this penguin Edition, the font is too small.

[Kathy Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun book! Loved it.

[Gwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this. It was entertaining, the setting and characters were very vivid, and the plot and dialogue were very much like a good old noir film.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5. Slow moving. Ending was surprising though.

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

Superintendent Vachell is in the area to learn about Nazi operations and, specifically Karl Munson who is the group leader. While there, he is convinced by the neighbors to look into a series of brutal animal killings. He agrees and stays. Over the next few days, there are more animal attacks and two murders - one of them being Munson. Vachell is initially at a loss, as they are cleverly disguised as accidents but he continues on looking for a break.
Re-read in 2012 to rate and review. When I finished it, I found myself wondering how the Nazi plot line fit in to the story. Honestly, it wasn't until I started writing this and was looking at the first couple of pages that I saw how it was that that put him in the area to begin with. Somehow I'd read it and not taken it in. There was a lot of this that I found hard to follow and keep straight. I'm filing it with Kenya, only because Huxley grew up there - the place names in the book are all fictitious, although the setting is certainly Africa. Not one I'd put on a list of Africa reads to savor and read again and again.

[Carol Colfer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The hero of the story is Vachell, a police detective in some unnamed East African country during colonial times---just before WWII. It was published in 1939, and includes some German-English spying shenanigans, mixed in with a few ethnographic details about the local populace and lots on the life of the colonialists. The plot is complicated, with lots of potential murderers and several murders; and the ending is a surprise. A good read, which gets better as the story progresses. It was a little slow getting started, for my taste.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a big fan of Elspeth Huxley, but I thought this particular mystery was not as good as her others. Too many conflicts and undercurrents were left unresolved. However, Huxley does an excellent job of portraying how the colonial system distorted truth, how the parallel legal systems (one for blacks and another for whites) led to confusion and injustice. A quick read with some good description and food for thought.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This should appeal to fans of Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series.

[Deena · Rating 3 out of 5]

enh.

from my original reading notes:
"She [Huxley:] should have stopped with The Flame Trees of Thinka, but like story book murderers, once she had committed one she couldn't seem to stop.

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: aka Death of an Aryan. Pranks and tensions between German and English settlers in 1930s Africa end in murder; Vachell is needed.