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Inspector West #5
Holiday for Inspector West
The murder of a Member of Parliament puts an end to Inspector West s holiday. His wife is naturally annoyed, but West nevertheless hastens back to Scotland Yard so as to take charge of the case. However, the murder turns out to be far more complicated than he expected, with many different mysteries to solve, and there is real danger as he gets closer to the truth."
- GenresMystery
173 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1946
6 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
John Creasey
704 books78 followersAKA Gordon Ashe, M E Cooke, Norman Deane, Robert Caine Frazer, Patrick Gill, Michael Halliday, Charles Hogarth, Brian Hope, Colin Hughes, Kyle Hunt, Margaret Lisle, Abel Mann, Peter Manton, J.J. Marric, Richard Martin, Rodney Mattheson, Anthony Morton, Jeremy York, Henry St. John Cooper and Margaret Cooke.
John Creasey (September 17, 1908 - June 9, 1973) was born in Southfields, Surrey, England and died in New Hall, Bodenham, Salisbury Wiltshire, England. He was the seventh of nine children in a working class home. He became an English author of crime thrillers, published in excess of 600 books under 20+ different pseudonyms. He invented many famous characters who would appear in a whole series of novels. Probably the most famous of these is Gideon of Scotland Yard, the basis for the television program Gideon's Way but others include Department Z, Dr. Palfrey, The Toff, Inspector Roger West, and The Baron (which was also made into a television series). In 1962, Creasey won an Edgar Award for Best Novel, from the Mystery Writers of America, for Gideon's Fire, written under the pen name J. J. Marric. And in 1969 he was given the MWA's highest honor, the Grand Master Award.
John Creasey (September 17, 1908 - June 9, 1973) was born in Southfields, Surrey, England and died in New Hall, Bodenham, Salisbury Wiltshire, England. He was the seventh of nine children in a working class home. He became an English author of crime thrillers, published in excess of 600 books under 20+ different pseudonyms. He invented many famous characters who would appear in a whole series of novels. Probably the most famous of these is Gideon of Scotland Yard, the basis for the television program Gideon's Way but others include Department Z, Dr. Palfrey, The Toff, Inspector Roger West, and The Baron (which was also made into a television series). In 1962, Creasey won an Edgar Award for Best Novel, from the Mystery Writers of America, for Gideon's Fire, written under the pen name J. J. Marric. And in 1969 he was given the MWA's highest honor, the Grand Master Award.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 18, 2020
“What do you make of the Riddel business, West?” Roger smiled. “I don’t know much about it, but I read the story in the Evening News.” “It’s on your beat, isn’t it?” “If I were on duty I’d probably be detailed to it,” Roger admitted, “and between ourselves I wish I could go back to Town, but I daren’t suggest it. This is our first real holiday for years.” “Pity,” said Kell. “I mean, a pity you can’t get back to Town. It isn’t often one gets a chance of finding out who killed a Member of Parliament. Did you know Riddel?” “Slightly.” “Nasty piece of work, wasn’t he?” asked Kell. “Some people thought so,” said Roger. “They made a thorough job of him,” said Kell, fingering his bristly moustache. “Beat his face until it was almost unrecognizable and then pretty well severed his head from his body. I bet there’ll be some sparks flying before this job is over. Riddel was on some select committees, wasn’t he?” “I only know what I’ve read,” Roger assured him. The music stopped, and he took out cigarettes. “Mum’s the word, I don’t want my wife to think I’m hankering after the office. We’ve ten days to go yet.” “It wouldn’t surprise me if you’re recalled,” Kell remarked. They stood up as Janet and Kell’s son a tall, amiable youngster, joined them.
Roger sat back, recalling all that he knew of Jonathan Riddel who was returned for a Midland constituency at the General Election, only a few months after he had married lovely Cynthia Plomley. The wedding had caused quite a flutter in society circles. A wealthy man who had inherited most of his money from an uncle, Riddel was always in the public eye, a fact which contributed to the many rumours concerning him. He was said to be a tyrannical employer, mean and greedy.
”There is, too, the fact that Riddel was doing special Government work, on a Committee. Did you know that?” “I’ve no details,” Roger said. Chatworth went on: “Here are the bald facts. A Government committee has been set up to inquire into the workings of certain combines and trusts. There were rumours that some-of these were evading the new company regulations. Lord Plomley is on the Board of Directors of one of the trusts which is being investigated. Riddel’s wife is Plomley’s third daughter. None of this had become public knowledge yet, but it almost certainly will soon. It has the makings of a first-class scandal. One obvious theory is that Riddel discovered some tricky business in the Plomley Trust, and threatened disclosure. By that, I mean that he gave his father-in-law warning that the disclosure would be made, and so was murdered. The fact that his wife is behaving mysteriously lends colour to that theory.”
Roger sat back, recalling all that he knew of Jonathan Riddel who was returned for a Midland constituency at the General Election, only a few months after he had married lovely Cynthia Plomley. The wedding had caused quite a flutter in society circles. A wealthy man who had inherited most of his money from an uncle, Riddel was always in the public eye, a fact which contributed to the many rumours concerning him. He was said to be a tyrannical employer, mean and greedy.
”There is, too, the fact that Riddel was doing special Government work, on a Committee. Did you know that?” “I’ve no details,” Roger said. Chatworth went on: “Here are the bald facts. A Government committee has been set up to inquire into the workings of certain combines and trusts. There were rumours that some-of these were evading the new company regulations. Lord Plomley is on the Board of Directors of one of the trusts which is being investigated. Riddel’s wife is Plomley’s third daughter. None of this had become public knowledge yet, but it almost certainly will soon. It has the makings of a first-class scandal. One obvious theory is that Riddel discovered some tricky business in the Plomley Trust, and threatened disclosure. By that, I mean that he gave his father-in-law warning that the disclosure would be made, and so was murdered. The fact that his wife is behaving mysteriously lends colour to that theory.”
August 28, 2025
One of the great virtues of Creasey's writing is the pace he injects and this tale of the murder of a politician and a complicated extortion plot really movies at a terrific lick.
I'm not sure all the various plot strands and developments hold up or gel without some reliance on coincidence and convenience, but Creasey takes the reader on an exciting and entertaining ride all the same.
I'm not sure all the various plot strands and developments hold up or gel without some reliance on coincidence and convenience, but Creasey takes the reader on an exciting and entertaining ride all the same.
January 3, 2026
3.5 ⭐️ easy short read, extremely well detailed making it easy to imagine all different elements of the story :)
December 7, 2010
Many say this is Creasey’s finest series. I occasionally read one and wonder why. The major characters are bland, the minor characters interchangeable, the story uneven with intermittent bits of pulp. It was a long, long series and I may not have found the best books. To be fair, Creasey grew as a writer in the fifties and sixties. Too his credit, Creasey revised some of his earlier books because he realized they should have been better. This book was first published in 1945.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews