Murder, London-New York

Inspector West #23

by John Creasey

Handsome West of Scotland Yard, investigates the killing of Margaret Roy, partner in a picture-dealing firm. When Margaret is found murdered with her face slashed, West fears for the life of her sister, Vanity. Then the killer strikes again, in New York.

Genres: Mystery

191 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1958

About the author

AKA 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.

Reviews

[Bev]

Margaret Roy, a beautiful young woman connected to the art world, is killed--her beauty ruined by the vicious, slashing attack. She and her cousins owned a gallery and business that shipped "old world" art to America. "Handsome" Roger West is assigned to the case and soon finds himself in the middle of an international case that has to do with art dealers, con men, and paid killers. When the elderly owner of the American gallery which handled the British firm's artwork is killed in a similar manner, West sets up an overseas partnership with Lieutenant Goodison of the NYPD. The men work as fast as possible tracking former employees, lovers, anyone who might have a grudge against the art dealers or who might have a stake in what's been going on at the galleries. But it takes time to track down leads and the person behind this is a ruthless killer who doesn't mind murdering anyone who gets in their way...

So...my last Inspector West book (The Beauty Queen Killer) had West dealing with a pretty full of himself, fairly insubordinate young police detective by the name of Turnbull and the murders involved beautiful young women. And wouldn't you know, seven books later, here we are watching West (just promoted to Superintendent) deal with the self-same, just as full of himself, coming back up through the ranks Turnbull. Turnbull bragged at the end of Beauty Queen that busting him back to sergeant wouldn't keep him down for long and, by golly, he was right. Oh...and the woman who is killed? She was a rare beauty with a sister almost as beautiful as she was.

I didn't care for Turnbull in my last read and he hasn't improved with age. He certainly hasn't learned any tact or how to control his insubordinate mouth/nature. He doesn't seem to have any regard for West at all, despite the fact that the Superintendent stuck his neck to prevent Turnbull from being drummed out of the force altogether the last time. And this episode ends pretty much as that last one did--Turnbull goes off on his own (after being explicitly told to do no such thing), gets injured, nearly gets an innocent person killed, and only the fact that West recognizes full well that his subordinate is doing his own thing again prevents there from being two more deaths added to the score.

Quite honestly, I was disappointed by the ending--not with the mystery. The mystery is fine, though tending more towards thriller than classic whodunnit. I enjoyed the parts with West and Goodison and thought their detective work quite good. But, for the life of me, I can't understand West's continued willingness to cover for Turnbull. The man's insubordination put an innocent person at risk and caused himself and others to be injured. West himself was in danger. And West is "happy" that he can arrange for Turnbull to resign from the force in good standing rather than be dismissed as he should be. The man plans on going off on his own--I assume to be a private detective where he doesn't have to answer to anyone. That ought to work out splendidly. ★★★--though I'm tempted to go lower simply because of Turnbull.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.

[Delores Alger]

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