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Death at Crane's Court: An Irish Mystery
Told with gentle wit and charm, this first detective novel by a renowned Irish writer of children’s and literary fiction was originally published in 1953 and was followed by two others before she gave up crime writing for good.
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1953
18 people are currently reading
75 people want to read
About the author
Eilís Dillon
58 books38 followersEilís Dillon (1920-1994) was born in Galway, in the West of Ireland. Her father, Thomas Dillon, was Professor of Chemistry at University College Galway. Her mother, Geraldine Plunkett, was the sister of the poet Joseph Mary Plunkett, one of the seven signatories of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic, who was executed in Kilmainham Gaol at the end of the 1916 Easter Rising.
Eilís was educated at the Ursuline Convent in Sligo, and was sent to work in the hotel and catering business in Dublin. In 1940, at the age of 20, she married a 37-year-old Corkman. Her husband, Cormac Ó Cuilleanáin, became Professor of Irish at University College Cork. Eilís had always written poetry and stories, and in the intervals of bringing up three children and running a student hostel for the university, she developed her writing into a highly successful professional career. At first she wrote children's books in Irish and English, then started to write novels and detective stories. Over twenty of her books were published by Faber and Faber, winning critical acclaim and a wide readership. Her work was translated into fourteen languages.
In the 1960s, her husband's poor health prompted early retirement and a move to Rome. He died in 1970. Eilís Dillon's large historical novel about the road to Irish independence in the 19th and early 20th centuries, Across the Bitter Sea, was published in 1973 by Hodder & Stoughton in London, and Simon & Schuster in New York. It became an instant bestseller.
In 1974 Eilís married Vivian Mercier, Professor of English in the University of Colorado at Boulder. They moved to California when Vivian was appointed to a chair in the University of California, Santa Barbara. They spent each winter in California until Vivian's retirement in 1987, returning to Ireland for the spring and summer.
Eilís Dillon was active in a number of public and cultural bodies. She served on the Arts Council, the International Commission for English in the Liturgy, the Irish Writers' Union and the Irish Writers' Centre. She was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and a member of Aosdána, the State academy of writers, artists and composers. She had long argued for the establishment of such a body.
Vivian's death in 1989 was followed by the death in 1990 of Eilís's daughter Máire, who was a violinist with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Despite these blows, and her own declining health, Eilís kept writing until the last months of her own life. An honorary doctorate was conferred on her by University College Cork in 1992. Her last two published works were Children of Bach (1993), a children's novel set in Hungary at the time of the Holocaust, and her edition of Vivian Mercier's posthumous Modern Irish Literature: Sources and Founders (Oxford, 1994). Her scholarly work on this book meant that her own last novel remained unfinished.
Eilís Dillon died on 19 July 1994. Of her fifty books, ten are now in print and others will shortly be republished. A special prize, the Eilís Dillon Award, is given each year as part of the Bisto Book Awards. She herself had won the main Bisto Book of the Year award in 1989 with The Island of Ghosts.
Eilís was educated at the Ursuline Convent in Sligo, and was sent to work in the hotel and catering business in Dublin. In 1940, at the age of 20, she married a 37-year-old Corkman. Her husband, Cormac Ó Cuilleanáin, became Professor of Irish at University College Cork. Eilís had always written poetry and stories, and in the intervals of bringing up three children and running a student hostel for the university, she developed her writing into a highly successful professional career. At first she wrote children's books in Irish and English, then started to write novels and detective stories. Over twenty of her books were published by Faber and Faber, winning critical acclaim and a wide readership. Her work was translated into fourteen languages.
In the 1960s, her husband's poor health prompted early retirement and a move to Rome. He died in 1970. Eilís Dillon's large historical novel about the road to Irish independence in the 19th and early 20th centuries, Across the Bitter Sea, was published in 1973 by Hodder & Stoughton in London, and Simon & Schuster in New York. It became an instant bestseller.
In 1974 Eilís married Vivian Mercier, Professor of English in the University of Colorado at Boulder. They moved to California when Vivian was appointed to a chair in the University of California, Santa Barbara. They spent each winter in California until Vivian's retirement in 1987, returning to Ireland for the spring and summer.
Eilís Dillon was active in a number of public and cultural bodies. She served on the Arts Council, the International Commission for English in the Liturgy, the Irish Writers' Union and the Irish Writers' Centre. She was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and a member of Aosdána, the State academy of writers, artists and composers. She had long argued for the establishment of such a body.
Vivian's death in 1989 was followed by the death in 1990 of Eilís's daughter Máire, who was a violinist with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Despite these blows, and her own declining health, Eilís kept writing until the last months of her own life. An honorary doctorate was conferred on her by University College Cork in 1992. Her last two published works were Children of Bach (1993), a children's novel set in Hungary at the time of the Holocaust, and her edition of Vivian Mercier's posthumous Modern Irish Literature: Sources and Founders (Oxford, 1994). Her scholarly work on this book meant that her own last novel remained unfinished.
Eilís Dillon died on 19 July 1994. Of her fifty books, ten are now in print and others will shortly be republished. A special prize, the Eilís Dillon Award, is given each year as part of the Bisto Book Awards. She herself had won the main Bisto Book of the Year award in 1989 with The Island of Ghosts.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 25, 2013
According to the write-up on Eilis Dillon on the Rue Morgue Press site, I've read her three mystery novels out of order. It is suggested that the reader start with Death at Crane's Court move on to Sent to His Account and finish up with Death in the Quadrangle. I'm afraid that I'm just a rebel--I've done it in reverse order. Not on purpose. It's just the way of things. I came across Death in the Quadrangle quite some time ago. And was delighted to add another academic-oriented mystery to my collection. And a quite nice little snapshot of academic life it was too. When I discovered that Ms. Dillon had two more mysteries up her sleeve, I immediately put them on the TBF/O (To Be Found/Owned) list and acquired and read them in the order described. I was a bit disappointed to find that Sent to His Account didn't feature Professor Daly (of Quadrangle fame), but found it to be an equally delightful mystery set in a quiet Irish village.
When I most I found Death at Crane's Court, I thought that Dillon must have written stand-alone novels only. The back cover gives no clue whatsoever that Professor Daly was once again waiting for me:
Life seems to have ended for George Arrow. Still in his early thirties, he discovers that he is afflicted with a heart ailment that will make him an invalid for the rest of his life. So he forsakes his native Dublin and moves to a remote residential hotel-spa on the Irish coast, and there prepares to finish out his days in quiet and relative solitude.
Then one evening the owner is found murdered in his room. The events that follow are hectic and ultimately horrifying, and they put Arrow's nerves to so extreme a test that several observers--the local police included--begin to wonder if there isn't something more than meets the eye in George's story of heart disease.
So, I was pleasantly surprised to find Professor Daly residing among the cranky elderly residents at Crane's Court, a seaside hotel that provides a place for invalids, elderly relatives, and part-time residents to let all their idiosyncrasies hang out. We have the Queen-bee and her entourage who determinedly keep the part-time residents and short-term holiday-goers out of the best tea room. There is the crazy cat lady who has an unique method of keeping her cat population in check and her flowers flourishing...and who has interesting conversations with the hotel's ghost. And the Major who monopolizes the bath. His wife the domineering gardener. And the shy bird-watcher who would rather look at a beaks and wings than socialize. Their little world has run like clockwork until the hotel's owner, Mr. Murray dies, apparently of natural causes.
Upon Murray's death his odious nephew inherits the hotel and threatens the status quo. The residents had hoped for Murray's niece to take over and keep things as they have always been. But with the advent of John Burden's ownership, the Queen-bee's reign looks to be at an end. The Major will have to pay extra for extra time in the bath. The Major's wife loses her small plot of garden. And Murray has just begun to make changes. But not to worry. Someone decides that a change is not as good as a rest and puts an end to the changes....and Burden.
But who did it? Was the it Mrs. Robinson (aka the Queen-bee) who declared "off with his head"? Was it the cook who had already threatened him with a knife not too unlike the one found sticking out of the corpse? Maybe Mrs. Fennell (the cat lady) wasn't going to allow Burden to have the mental hospital try to put her away. Perhaps the Major couldn't stand having his bath-time curtailed? Or maybe it was George Arrow...killing to ensure that his lady-love would finally inherit the hotel?
Dillon writes a very nice mystery with lots of red herrings. The quirky characters are fun and it was very nice to have my academic Professor Daly on the scene again to give the police a hand. A most enjoyable, four-star read.
This was first posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks!
When I most I found Death at Crane's Court, I thought that Dillon must have written stand-alone novels only. The back cover gives no clue whatsoever that Professor Daly was once again waiting for me:
Life seems to have ended for George Arrow. Still in his early thirties, he discovers that he is afflicted with a heart ailment that will make him an invalid for the rest of his life. So he forsakes his native Dublin and moves to a remote residential hotel-spa on the Irish coast, and there prepares to finish out his days in quiet and relative solitude.
Then one evening the owner is found murdered in his room. The events that follow are hectic and ultimately horrifying, and they put Arrow's nerves to so extreme a test that several observers--the local police included--begin to wonder if there isn't something more than meets the eye in George's story of heart disease.
So, I was pleasantly surprised to find Professor Daly residing among the cranky elderly residents at Crane's Court, a seaside hotel that provides a place for invalids, elderly relatives, and part-time residents to let all their idiosyncrasies hang out. We have the Queen-bee and her entourage who determinedly keep the part-time residents and short-term holiday-goers out of the best tea room. There is the crazy cat lady who has an unique method of keeping her cat population in check and her flowers flourishing...and who has interesting conversations with the hotel's ghost. And the Major who monopolizes the bath. His wife the domineering gardener. And the shy bird-watcher who would rather look at a beaks and wings than socialize. Their little world has run like clockwork until the hotel's owner, Mr. Murray dies, apparently of natural causes.
Upon Murray's death his odious nephew inherits the hotel and threatens the status quo. The residents had hoped for Murray's niece to take over and keep things as they have always been. But with the advent of John Burden's ownership, the Queen-bee's reign looks to be at an end. The Major will have to pay extra for extra time in the bath. The Major's wife loses her small plot of garden. And Murray has just begun to make changes. But not to worry. Someone decides that a change is not as good as a rest and puts an end to the changes....and Burden.
But who did it? Was the it Mrs. Robinson (aka the Queen-bee) who declared "off with his head"? Was it the cook who had already threatened him with a knife not too unlike the one found sticking out of the corpse? Maybe Mrs. Fennell (the cat lady) wasn't going to allow Burden to have the mental hospital try to put her away. Perhaps the Major couldn't stand having his bath-time curtailed? Or maybe it was George Arrow...killing to ensure that his lady-love would finally inherit the hotel?
Dillon writes a very nice mystery with lots of red herrings. The quirky characters are fun and it was very nice to have my academic Professor Daly on the scene again to give the police a hand. A most enjoyable, four-star read.
This was first posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks!
February 4, 2019
Eilis Dillon was a most interesting author who wrote three detective novels in the early 1950's. This is the first. Set in a Galway hotel populated by a fascinating array of well-delineated characters, it is a beautifully written tale of murder, blackmail and secrets.
This is not one for those who like complex puzzles. The murderer is not too difficult to spot but the motive is less obvious. The joy of the book is in the fine writing and the careful characterisation. There are some good portraits of strong women and the main investigator, Inspector Kenny, is just introspective enough.
Highly recommended.
This is not one for those who like complex puzzles. The murderer is not too difficult to spot but the motive is less obvious. The joy of the book is in the fine writing and the careful characterisation. There are some good portraits of strong women and the main investigator, Inspector Kenny, is just introspective enough.
Highly recommended.
June 13, 2017
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October 13, 2020
George Arrow is living the perfect bachelor life when, out of the blue he learns he that he has a life-threatening heart condition. In order to avoid any strain in his life he moves to Crane’s Court, a residential hotel on the Bay of Galway. En route to his new home, Arrow chances to meet the hotel’s new owner, John Burden, who has just inherited the property following the death of his uncle. Burden has plans to make some significant changes at the hotel. His changes don’t include catering to the many elderly long-time residents, who soon have all sorts of plots to bring him down. Is it any wonder when someone stabs him through the heart, or that the Garda are having a hard time finding anyone who didn’t want him dead?
I had a hard time regarding this one. Initially I enjoyed all of the idiosyncratic characters with and the sardonic wit. Who doesn’t get a kick out of a murder over soggy sprouts, or dotty old women whose gardening secret is cat fertilizer—and I’m not talking about the pooh. But sometimes, characters can only take you so far, especially as, over time, there was less to laugh at, and more to pity. Characters such as Mrs. Robinson, labeled “Queen-bee”, whose life of being the real ruler of the Court comes to an end when Burden takes over. Then there is her retinue of harpies, and the men they haven’t yet eaten, who have lives that revolve following Mrs. Robinson’s lead to overthrow the new management. But, as I read further I found myself straining not to find them, well pitiable, in their attempts to hold onto their small pleasures—and territory.
All may have been well if Dillon had played nicely with her mystery. Just about anyone could be the murderer, and I mean anyone, but the information needed to sort out who might from who did was is sorely lacking. Dillon was very generous with red herrings. In addition to Robinson and Co., there is a ghost, a cat lover who flits everywhere, an excitable chef with sharp knives, a receptionist who makes a habit of being on the brink of engagement with hotel owners who then end up dead, a pretty widow who should have inherited, and even our protagonist George. But the problem is, she pretty much omitted all of the clues. We see very little investigation. Professor Daly, who is purported to be the amateur sleuth here, speculates quite a bit. The interviews done by Inspector Kenny reveal that everyone met with the suspect just prior to his murder, which gives him a timeline. That’s about it—unless I missed something? Yet I still picked out the culprit, who because they were the most innocuous inhabitant, stuck out like a sore thumb.
There’s the shell of a great puzzle here, but it falls flat as the author becomes too involved with showcasing the sad foibles of her quirky characters.
I had a hard time regarding this one. Initially I enjoyed all of the idiosyncratic characters with and the sardonic wit. Who doesn’t get a kick out of a murder over soggy sprouts, or dotty old women whose gardening secret is cat fertilizer—and I’m not talking about the pooh. But sometimes, characters can only take you so far, especially as, over time, there was less to laugh at, and more to pity. Characters such as Mrs. Robinson, labeled “Queen-bee”, whose life of being the real ruler of the Court comes to an end when Burden takes over. Then there is her retinue of harpies, and the men they haven’t yet eaten, who have lives that revolve following Mrs. Robinson’s lead to overthrow the new management. But, as I read further I found myself straining not to find them, well pitiable, in their attempts to hold onto their small pleasures—and territory.
All may have been well if Dillon had played nicely with her mystery. Just about anyone could be the murderer, and I mean anyone, but the information needed to sort out who might from who did was is sorely lacking. Dillon was very generous with red herrings. In addition to Robinson and Co., there is a ghost, a cat lover who flits everywhere, an excitable chef with sharp knives, a receptionist who makes a habit of being on the brink of engagement with hotel owners who then end up dead, a pretty widow who should have inherited, and even our protagonist George. But the problem is, she pretty much omitted all of the clues. We see very little investigation. Professor Daly, who is purported to be the amateur sleuth here, speculates quite a bit. The interviews done by Inspector Kenny reveal that everyone met with the suspect just prior to his murder, which gives him a timeline. That’s about it—unless I missed something? Yet I still picked out the culprit, who because they were the most innocuous inhabitant, stuck out like a sore thumb.
There’s the shell of a great puzzle here, but it falls flat as the author becomes too involved with showcasing the sad foibles of her quirky characters.
December 16, 2019
Excellent
My first ever Eilis Dillon book featuring Inspector Kenny and I found it to be an excellent read. The book starts with George Arrow being informed by his Doctor that his heart is very weak and although still a young man he should spend his remaining days in an hotel called Cranes Court where a number of elderly residents are looked after. After settling his affairs in Dublin he is travelling to Galway Bay on the train and the only other passenger happens to be John Burden the new owner of Cranes Court. During the journey they strike up a conversation and George immediately takes a dislike to John Burden as he boasts of the changes he intends to make to the hotel where George is headed. Certainly worth reading for a whodunnit as there are lots of twists and turns.
My first ever Eilis Dillon book featuring Inspector Kenny and I found it to be an excellent read. The book starts with George Arrow being informed by his Doctor that his heart is very weak and although still a young man he should spend his remaining days in an hotel called Cranes Court where a number of elderly residents are looked after. After settling his affairs in Dublin he is travelling to Galway Bay on the train and the only other passenger happens to be John Burden the new owner of Cranes Court. During the journey they strike up a conversation and George immediately takes a dislike to John Burden as he boasts of the changes he intends to make to the hotel where George is headed. Certainly worth reading for a whodunnit as there are lots of twists and turns.
June 2, 2017
This is the first of a 3 book mystery series by Dillon. Since there are recurring characters it's probably better to read them in order, but I didn't find it mattered. The characters are fairly interesting, but odd. The detective, Mike Kenny, frets a good deal, is overwhelmed and wearied by the task of solving the crime. Repeatedly. George Arrow, who kicks the story off, is a fuss-budget, who takes it to a whole new level. There are a couple of hysterics, one looney, a bunch of nasties and a scattering of hostiles. This might account for Mike's weariness. The story, setting, and writing are quite good, so it's too bad they aren't host to a more congenial lot of characters. OTOH there are those laugh out loud moments.
February 6, 2025
Enjoyable, well written but I took issue with the way the mystery was depicted. I think it has more in common with the cozy mystery than any thriller, but truly it was not a mystery novel. It felt like a depiction of life at the hotel filled with eccentric’s where a murder had just happened to take place. Stylistically it feels like the mystery novel conventions were tacked on with the weakest of adhesives. With that out of the way I can say I enjoyed the characters and the world in which they lived. I smiled at many of the passages but never quite chuckled. I plan on reading the next one, but don’t feel a rush.
April 1, 2024
This classic mystery from 1953 is set in Galway, Ireland, at a hotel that has both long-term and short-term guests. Most of the long-term guests are eccentric senior citizens. When a murder takes place there, Inspector Mike Kenny doesn't know exactly where to start. The victim was unpopular, and a number of the hotel's colorful clientele had means, motive, and opportunity to commit the murder.
This story is well-told, with well-drawn characters. I'm glad it has been reprinted as an ebook. A biographical sketch of the author is included. Sadly, she only wrote three mysteries.
This story is well-told, with well-drawn characters. I'm glad it has been reprinted as an ebook. A biographical sketch of the author is included. Sadly, she only wrote three mysteries.
December 1, 2019
When George Arrow, 36, is diagnosed with a weak heart he decides to leave Dublin and live at a hotel recommended by his doctor, Crane's Court in the Bay of Galway. On the train he meets the obnoxious John Burden who coincidentally is the new owner of the hotel.
George is not the only person at the hotel who objects to Burden so when he is found dead Inspector Kenny has quite a few suspects to eliminate before finding the guilty party.
An enjoyable murder mystery originally written in 1953.
George is not the only person at the hotel who objects to Burden so when he is found dead Inspector Kenny has quite a few suspects to eliminate before finding the guilty party.
An enjoyable murder mystery originally written in 1953.
August 19, 2019
I was disappointed in this. I have loved Eilis Dillon's children's books. They have wonderful characters and a great sense of place. This was a nice cozy mystery, but nothing special. I enjoyed it. I had hoped for more based on her earlier books. If you like a good cozy mystery this one is okay.
October 21, 2024
A captivating mystery! I found immense enjoyment in this book. The enigma is compelling, and the depiction of Ireland's scenery is vivid. It's free from profanity, graphic violence, or sexual content.
Read
September 22, 2019This was my first Dillon book, and I loved it. It moved quickly. The characters were interesting and quirky, and the story was enjoyable.
January 20, 2012
Murder strikes at a hotel on the Galway Bay in this witty Irish Mystery by Eilis (aye-lish) Dillon. Published in 1953 this is the first of three mysteries by this wonderful Irish writer. What a loss to the genre that she didn't write more mysteries among her 50 published books!
Eilis was born in Galway Ireland into a family deeply involved in the events of the Irish War of Independence. Her great uncle Joseph Mary Plunkett was one of the seven signatories of the Proclamation of Independence and was executed by firing squad following the Rebellion of Easter Week 1916. Her father and mother were both in jail at various times for political reasons. For more info on Eilis Dillon see her website here.
Book description from back cover of Rue Morgue edition:
George Arrow is a bachelor of independent means who, when diagnosed with a weak heart, is urged to live out his days at Crane's Court, a comfortable hotel on the Bay of Galway. On the train he chances to meet the hotel's new owner, John Burden, who has just inherited the property and announces his intentions to shake things up a bit. and so he does. He quickly makes enemies of all the guests and staff, except for Eleanor Keane, the ambitious office manager who means to marry him. Meanwhile George makes friends with the amiable Professor Daly, one of the many old people who reside permanently on the premises. When Burden is stabbed through the heart, Daly's old friend Inspector Mike Kenny soon discovers that practically everybody at the hotel has good reason to want him dead, particularly Barbara Henry, the previous owner's widowed niece who now stands to inherit Crane's court. And it turns out that her uncle may have been murdered as well. Told with gentle wit and charm, this first detective novel by a renowned Irish writer of children's and literary fiction was originally published in 1953 and was followed by two others before she gave up crime writing for good.
Ms. Dillon has a way with words. An example from chapter 2:
'The veranda was still full of people when George reached the glass door and looked in. He was not a timid man, but he quailed a little before the barrage of eyes turned towards him. It was like looking into an aquarium full of ancient carp, he thought. for most of the people were old, and they all stared with the intense single-mindedness and lack of embarrassment of the aged.
He opened the door, marched in and looked about him, a little truculently, for a vacant table. There was dead silence. There was no vacant table. The old people were grinning fiendishly now, and one or two had begun to comment audible, though favorably, on his appearance. His knees wavered. Then a voice beside him said, in an undertone: "You had better sit here with me, Mr. Arrow, till the excitement dies down."'
I can just see those 'old carp staring fiendishly, can't you?
Death at Crane's Court is a character driven story and oh what characters they are!
George Arrow - Thinks he is dying of a bad heart and has come here to live out his days in relative quiet and peace. Afraid to do anything strenuous or get stressed out. He falls in love with Mrs. Henry
John Burden - The odious new owner of the Court who wastes no time in making sure everyone wants to bump him off.
Professor Daly - An elderly professor of English literature with a secret...
Mrs. Robinson - Dubbed the 'Queen-bee' she knows how to get what she wants! And watch out for her greasy son Horace!
Colonel Waters - He has never really been a colonel, but he is certainly henpecked.
Mrs. Fennell - Very old and not quite right in the head, she lives in a small cottage on the grounds where she keeps a dozen cats and tends to her luxuriant flower garden. How do the cats equate into the lushness of her gardens?
and of course the Ghost of Sir Rodney the first owner of Crane's Court and seen only by Mrs. Fennell.
Just to name a few! and Professor Daly and Inspector Mike Kenny re-appear in the third book, Death in the Quadrangle!
I did not have an inkling who the murderer was right up until it was revealed. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Crane's Court and really hated to come to the end of the book. I did hurry and order copies of the other two mysteries though and am looking forward to reading them soon. Mystery lovers - Read this!
Eilis was born in Galway Ireland into a family deeply involved in the events of the Irish War of Independence. Her great uncle Joseph Mary Plunkett was one of the seven signatories of the Proclamation of Independence and was executed by firing squad following the Rebellion of Easter Week 1916. Her father and mother were both in jail at various times for political reasons. For more info on Eilis Dillon see her website here.
Book description from back cover of Rue Morgue edition:
George Arrow is a bachelor of independent means who, when diagnosed with a weak heart, is urged to live out his days at Crane's Court, a comfortable hotel on the Bay of Galway. On the train he chances to meet the hotel's new owner, John Burden, who has just inherited the property and announces his intentions to shake things up a bit. and so he does. He quickly makes enemies of all the guests and staff, except for Eleanor Keane, the ambitious office manager who means to marry him. Meanwhile George makes friends with the amiable Professor Daly, one of the many old people who reside permanently on the premises. When Burden is stabbed through the heart, Daly's old friend Inspector Mike Kenny soon discovers that practically everybody at the hotel has good reason to want him dead, particularly Barbara Henry, the previous owner's widowed niece who now stands to inherit Crane's court. And it turns out that her uncle may have been murdered as well. Told with gentle wit and charm, this first detective novel by a renowned Irish writer of children's and literary fiction was originally published in 1953 and was followed by two others before she gave up crime writing for good.
Ms. Dillon has a way with words. An example from chapter 2:
'The veranda was still full of people when George reached the glass door and looked in. He was not a timid man, but he quailed a little before the barrage of eyes turned towards him. It was like looking into an aquarium full of ancient carp, he thought. for most of the people were old, and they all stared with the intense single-mindedness and lack of embarrassment of the aged.
He opened the door, marched in and looked about him, a little truculently, for a vacant table. There was dead silence. There was no vacant table. The old people were grinning fiendishly now, and one or two had begun to comment audible, though favorably, on his appearance. His knees wavered. Then a voice beside him said, in an undertone: "You had better sit here with me, Mr. Arrow, till the excitement dies down."'
I can just see those 'old carp staring fiendishly, can't you?
Death at Crane's Court is a character driven story and oh what characters they are!
George Arrow - Thinks he is dying of a bad heart and has come here to live out his days in relative quiet and peace. Afraid to do anything strenuous or get stressed out. He falls in love with Mrs. Henry
John Burden - The odious new owner of the Court who wastes no time in making sure everyone wants to bump him off.
Professor Daly - An elderly professor of English literature with a secret...
Mrs. Robinson - Dubbed the 'Queen-bee' she knows how to get what she wants! And watch out for her greasy son Horace!
Colonel Waters - He has never really been a colonel, but he is certainly henpecked.
Mrs. Fennell - Very old and not quite right in the head, she lives in a small cottage on the grounds where she keeps a dozen cats and tends to her luxuriant flower garden. How do the cats equate into the lushness of her gardens?
and of course the Ghost of Sir Rodney the first owner of Crane's Court and seen only by Mrs. Fennell.
Just to name a few! and Professor Daly and Inspector Mike Kenny re-appear in the third book, Death in the Quadrangle!
I did not have an inkling who the murderer was right up until it was revealed. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Crane's Court and really hated to come to the end of the book. I did hurry and order copies of the other two mysteries though and am looking forward to reading them soon. Mystery lovers - Read this!
July 30, 2016
An entertaining mystery set in a hotel in Ireland in the 1950s. George Arrow, a bachelor of independent means, is dismayed to hear that he's has a fatal heart disease. Determined to stretch his life span as long as possible by leading a pampered, stress-free life, he decamps to Crane's Court, a luxurious hotel/spa with a permanent clientele of elderly folks. In the train bringing him to Crane's Court, he meets an unpleasant, vulgar fellow called John Burden, who, it turns out, is the brand-new owner of the hotel. Burden immediately sets himself out to be as offensive as possible to the elderly and sometimes eccentric guests of Crane's Court, and to ally himself with the gold-digging Miss Keane. The senior citizens fight back by any means at their disposal, and there is very little pretense of shock and regret when Burden is found with a knife in his chest.
The book was fun to read both because of the Irish turn of phrase and because of the characters. George Arrow is essentially the straight man (straight as an Arrow, hahaha) in a cast of eccentrics. A temperamental cook, an old lady who sees ghosts, an eloquent former professor of English... it's all good fun.
The book was fun to read both because of the Irish turn of phrase and because of the characters. George Arrow is essentially the straight man (straight as an Arrow, hahaha) in a cast of eccentrics. A temperamental cook, an old lady who sees ghosts, an eloquent former professor of English... it's all good fun.
January 23, 2017
Here is a nice little vintage novel. Although set in Ireland, the location doesn't play much of a role here. I would not have complained if it played a stronger role, honestly. Crane's Court is a "hotel" (older meaning of the term) near Galway. The hotel has a new owner and he arrives via train with one of the new residents of the hotel. The new owner is found murdered not much more than a month after his arrival and the suspects are multiple since the majority of the residents are: hunters/sportsmen, senile and crazed, invalids/infirm.
I wanted to like this one a whole lot more than I did. There are a number of red herrings, but the clues are slim. All of the characters are recklessly unique and some of them are charming. But throughout, I felt any one of them could turn and reveal their hidden maniacal side. I was never sure when each character really was cleared of suspicion. I think this falls somewhere between a 3 and 4 star rating. I rated low when this happens.
Fans of vintage mysteries and easy reads won't be let down.
I wanted to like this one a whole lot more than I did. There are a number of red herrings, but the clues are slim. All of the characters are recklessly unique and some of them are charming. But throughout, I felt any one of them could turn and reveal their hidden maniacal side. I was never sure when each character really was cleared of suspicion. I think this falls somewhere between a 3 and 4 star rating. I rated low when this happens.
Fans of vintage mysteries and easy reads won't be let down.
October 18, 2012
BOTTOM LINE: Genteel murder at a posh residential hotel in Galway amid a plethora of Suspects With Attitude.
When George Arrow learns he must take life extremely easy due to a heart condition, he moves into highly recommended Crane's Court, once a beautiful manor house just outside Galway and now a quiet upscale residential hotel on the edges of that beautiful Irish city. Filled with cranky elderly long-time patrons, he feels too young and too healthy to belong there, but soon comes to realize how entertaining the soap-opera qualities of the different classes and cliques of guests can be, and once he meets the late owner's lovely niece the die is cast. Unfortunately there's a snake in this Eden, her cousin - the vituperative nephew who inherited the hotel. He's got plans, as do several other people, some quite deadly.
[full review at Reviewing The Evidence http://reviewingtheevidence.com/revie... ]
When George Arrow learns he must take life extremely easy due to a heart condition, he moves into highly recommended Crane's Court, once a beautiful manor house just outside Galway and now a quiet upscale residential hotel on the edges of that beautiful Irish city. Filled with cranky elderly long-time patrons, he feels too young and too healthy to belong there, but soon comes to realize how entertaining the soap-opera qualities of the different classes and cliques of guests can be, and once he meets the late owner's lovely niece the die is cast. Unfortunately there's a snake in this Eden, her cousin - the vituperative nephew who inherited the hotel. He's got plans, as do several other people, some quite deadly.
[full review at Reviewing The Evidence http://reviewingtheevidence.com/revie... ]
August 5, 2016
When the owner of Crane's Court, an expensive hotel in Galway, leaves the place to his boorish nephew John Burden, the elderly permanent residents are upset. But when Burden is found stabbed to death, Guards Inspector Michael Kenny has inside help--his friend, retired English professor Daly, is on the scene already. There are too many suspects to count, and Kenny must work fast before there are more deaths.
December 27, 2013
Very enjoyable short mystery taking place in Ireland at Crane's Court, a first class beautiful and restful hotel and for retires and and infirmed who are permanent residents and for hunters who come seasonally. I liked Dillon's descriptions of the place and people.
This is one of three murder mysteries she rose before she moved on to historical novels and children's books.
This is one of three murder mysteries she rose before she moved on to historical novels and children's books.
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