From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

Information Received (The Bobby Owen Mysteries, #1)

E.R. Punshon

Start date: June 15, 2018

Finish date: July 10, 2018

Discussion: Buddy reads

Why we're reading this: The first in the E.R. Punshon series has kept missing out in polls, so we have decided to do a repeat bud…more
[close] The first in the E.R. Punshon series has kept missing out in polls, so we have decided to do a repeat buddy read!

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 468 topics — 9,055 comments total

Buddy reads

* Starting/joining in with buddy reads
By Judy · 1342 posts · 372 views

last updated 3 hours, 39 min ago

* White Nights by Ann Cleeves (Shetland #2) (August/Sept 25)
By Susan · 29 posts · 12 views

last updated Sep 04, 2025 12:17PM

showing 10 of 12 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Jun 12, 2018 Susan rated it really liked it

Published in 1933, this is the first in the series, featuring Constable Bobby Owen. Bobby Owen is a young man who emerged from Oxford in the depression of the early thirties and, looking for a career, has joined the police force. Disappointingly, so far, he has been mainly helping old ladies cross the road, or giving directions. However, he finds himself on the spot when Sir Christopher Clarke is found murdered in his London home - while his safe has been robbed. Just that day, Sir Christopher h ...more

33 likes · Like · see review

Feb 06, 2020 Bev rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: vintage-mystery, mystery, police-procedural, british-mystery, bought-2015, mount-tbr-2020

...when you have got the truth, everything fits. I think that's the main test of truth. It fits, it makes a harmony, one pattern all through. (Bobby Owen; p. 241)
Information Received (1933) by E. R. Punshon

Constable Bobby Owen is three years in the force and getting a bit bored with the routine duties of walking a beat. But all that is about to change as he waits about on a Hampstead street for his sergeant to meet up with him. In quick succession, the butler of "the Cedars," the imposing home o ...when you have got the truth, everything fits. I think that's the main test of truth. It fits, it makes a harmony, one pattern all through. (Bobby Owen; p. 241)
Information Received (1933) by E. R. Punshon

Constable Bobby Owen is three years in the force and getting a bit bored with the routine duties of walking a beat. But all that is about to change as he waits about on a Hampstead street for his sergeant to meet up with him. In quick succession, the butler of "the Cedars," the imposing home of Sir Christopher Clarke, comes out and tells him to watch out for elderly, grey-whiskered man with a grudge against Clarke; a sandy-bearded gent comes along and evinces great interest in the Cedars; a ruckus erupts in the neighboring yard when a young man goes running through (initially thought to be an apple thief); and then a man comes out of the French window at Sir Christopher's house and cries "Murder!"

Owens enters the billiard room and finds that Sir Christopher himself has been shot twice in the chest...and the weapon is nowhere to be found. At the other end of the house, Sir Christopher's safe is found wide open and a bundle of easily-negotiated securities and a cache of diamonds is missing. Are the two things related? It seems unreasonable that the thief would have come all the way through the house to try and escape after the robbery, run into Sir Christopher, and decided to shoot him? But, then, is it reasonable to think that a robbery and a murder just happened to occur at practically the same time in the same house? To further complicate the case, the securities that are missing had just come home with Sir Christopher that day. They were the bulk of a trust fund that Clarke was a trustee for...and his lawyers had held the funds. It seems that there may have been some hanky-panky going on with the accounts and rumors of fraud are running amok. Perhaps Clarke was killed to prevent the fraud from being discovered? And who has been sending Sir Christopher tickets to the latest revival of Shakespeare's Hamlet (three sets of tickets over several days)? And why did the sight of them make Clarke so afraid?

Owens secures the scene of the murder and reports to his superiors and soon Superintendent Mitchell from Scotland Yard is on the case. He takes a shine to the young constable and the two begin gathering information about Sir Christopher's relations--Jennie and Brenda, his daughter and step-daughter, respectively, and their young men: Peter Carsley, who not only is a partner in the law firm in question but who is also secretly married to Jennie (quite against her father's wishes--thus the secret), and Mark Lester, who is Brenda's approved suitor. They also take an interest in various others, like Basil Marsden, the other partner in the law firm, who initially admits to Carsley that there has been a bit of fraud going on but then denies it categorically after the murder. There's Doctor Gregory, Clarke's doctor, who had "just happened" to stop by the Cedars on the night of the murder and discovered the body. Not to mention the two mysterious gentlemen who had been loitering in the neighborhood as well. Oh...and what became of Mr. Belfort, the man to whom Clarke was going to turn over the trust securities that very night?

After a great deal of dogged footwork on the part of Owens (some sanctioned and some not--though Mitchell appreciates a man with initiative) and Mitchell looking into all the things he declares "will bear some looking into," the two men solve half the puzzle. But it isn't until the right Information has been Received that all the pieces fall into place.

This was the first E. R. Punshon novel I've ever read and an excellent debut novel for Bobby Owens. Punshon tells a right good story and he put things over on me good and proper. I was absolutely certain that I knew who the culprit was as soon as they walked on scene for a goodish bit. I was sortof right, but Punshon takes the story and gives it a good shake and it wound up that I had the right answer to the wrong question. If only I had picked up on that one clue that was staring me in the face throughout the entire book.

I thoroughly enjoyed the relationship between Owen and Mitchell. The Superintendent takes the younger man under his wing--without him really knowing it. He wants to test him to see if he's got the stuff good detectives are made of, but Bobby is never sure if the test is working out until the very end. It's interesting to watch the young detective tentatively stand up for his ideas but never sure if he's being well-received. At one point he's given 24-hours leave--reportedly for the hard work of the previous few days, but he's not sure it isn't to get him out of the super's hair. But his detective's instincts drive him to go check into things on his own and he's surprised to find that Mitchell expected him to all along. And Mitchell's pleased about it though he tries to cover it under his sardonic humor.

Overall, an excellent beginning to the series...now I just need to get my hands on the next one.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting review content. Thanks. ...more

9 likes · Like · see review

Jun 06, 2018 Leslie rated it liked it

Shelves: kindle, mysteries

3.5*

5 likes · Like · see review

Feb 19, 2019 Susan in NC rated it liked it

Likable characters, good mystery, just went on a bit too long and I lost interest. I skimmed ahead over the last few chapters to the end. I will read further books in the series, though, as I really enjoyed the interplay between the young Constable Owen and Inspector Mitchell.

4 likes · Like · see review

Feb 15, 2016 Jill rated it really liked it

Shelves: e-r-punshon

Thought this was well written and enjoyed the characters. The relationship between Bobby and Mitchell was superb, just what was expected between the ranks in the force. Will be reading more of this author's books. ...more

2 likes · Like · see review