From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

Missing or Murdered

Robin Forsythe

Start date: July 1, 2016

Finish date: July 31, 2016

Discussion: Group reads

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Group reads

* Nominations for November 2025 group read
By Judy · 18 posts · 21 views

last updated Sep 05, 2025 03:20PM

* Sept 25: Lonesome Road (#3 Miss Silver Mysteries) by Patricia Wentworth
By Susan · 13 posts · 11 views

last updated Sep 03, 2025 12:03PM

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What Members Thought

May 29, 2016 Susan rated it really liked it

First published in 1929, this is an excellent addition to the many Golden Age novels which are being re-discovered and re-published, to the great thanks of devotees of this genre. Henry Darnell, Lord Bygrave, a successful Minister (the Ministry remains un-named) has gone missing. Arriving at an inn for a fortnight in the country, he goes for a walk and fails to re-appear. Is he simply missing, or has he been murdered? On the case is Detective-Inspector Heather of Scotland Yard and Mr Algernon Ve ...more

20 likes · Like · see review

Jan 15, 2017 Jan C rated it liked it

Shelves: mystery, 2017, england

Engaging Golden Age mystery. Robin Forsythe is a story unto himself. A civil servant nabbed for theft and started his first mystery while in prison.

Here, Lord Bygrave disappears, apparently after learning his ward plans to marry someone he considers undesirable and either plans to or does change his will.

Plenty of suspects to go around.

I can't help but think that Forsythe violates several of Ronald Knox/The Detection Club's rules of mystery writing. And, no, it is not the Chinaman rule.

But, a ...more

5 likes · Like · see review

Jul 09, 2016 CatBee rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery-crime, golden-age-mystery

It does not follow a typical mystery formula, which annoys some readers, but I enjoyed the rich and eccentric characters and the broader cultural context of a different time and place. I would read more from this author.

2 likes · Like · see review

May 03, 2016 Jill rated it really liked it

Very well written book. Really liked the friendship between the policeman and Vereker, even though I doubt very much that this would have happened.

1 like · Like · see review

Dec 30, 2022 Jenn Estepp rated it liked it

Shelves: sleuths-and-gumshoes, kindling

2 1/2, rounded up because lets end the year with some kindness and generosity.

Pretty ho-hum. The amateur sleuth introduced here really irked, although I'm not quite sure. He's very much a dilettante, and not a particularly charming one. There's some good banter, but the book is pretty wordy and convoluted and it doesn't exactly "play fair" with the reader.

That said, I have at least a few others in the (short) series on my Kindle already, because I am willing to give Dean Street Press the benef ...more

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