From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

Death in Captivity

Michael Gilbert

Start date: March 1, 2020

Finish date: March 31, 2020

Discussion: Group reads

Why we're reading this: This classic mystery was winner of the poll for our March read.
[close] This classic mystery was winner of the poll for our March read.

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Group reads

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What Members Thought

Feb 21, 2020 Susan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Published in 1952, this novel straddles a, straight-forward, Prisoner of War escape adventure, with a mystery. The book is set in 1943, in a prisoner-of-war camp for British officers in Northern Italy. Half of the prisoners are idly sitting out the war – arranging amateur theatricals, playing rugby or cricket, and giving lectures. The other half, even if also engaged in some of these activities, are far more interested in escaping. Attempts to jump the fence, or tunnel their way out abound. It i ...more

13 likes · Like · see review

Mar 26, 2019 Tracey rated it it was amazing

Shelves: british-library-crime-classics

An excellent read. A locked room murder set in a POW escape tunnel. This book gives a fascinating insight into life in, and trying to escape, a POW camp.

5 likes · Like · see review

Jan 05, 2020 Amy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020

Simply wonderful! The Great Escape meets Lord Peter Wimsey. I'm researching more Michael Gilbert books to read because I'm his newest fan. ...more

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Mar 12, 2020 Susan in NC rated it liked it · review of another edition

3.5 stars for this interesting WWII thriller set in a POW camp For British officers in Italy. I read this with the Reading the Detectives group, and one of our members summed this unique setting up as the British prisoners trying to recreate their public school experiences through activities like amateur theater productions and sports. It wasn’t the POW experience of Bridge over the River Kwai, or Hogan’s Heroes, that’s for sure!

Author Gilbert was a POW and did escape, so I’m assuming his descri 3.5 stars for this interesting WWII thriller set in a POW camp For British officers in Italy. I read this with the Reading the Detectives group, and one of our members summed this unique setting up as the British prisoners trying to recreate their public school experiences through activities like amateur theater productions and sports. It wasn’t the POW experience of Bridge over the River Kwai, or Hogan’s Heroes, that’s for sure!

Author Gilbert was a POW and did escape, so I’m assuming his descriptions of POW life were accurate, and he does relate more brutal POW experiences through his plot. But the almost summer camp-type activities were a surprise to me, and frankly didn’t really hold my interest until about two-thirds of the way through the book.

The plot sounded intriguing- an unpopular prisoner found dead in an escape tunnel, and another prisoner asked to investigate as the Italian jailers are attempting to pin the murder on one of the British officers.

I thought it sounded like a classic locked room (tunnel?) mystery, in a particularly dangerous setting with very high stakes. Instead, while some POWs put on a theater production, others play sports, or work on their tans; true, a hardened group, the escape committee crowd, continue their escape efforts, but the contrast from every POW movie I ever saw was kind of jarring. Action finally picked up in the last third or so (no spoilers), but we really don’t find out the traitor until the very end - it was exciting (don’t want to give it away), but didn’t feel like much of a mystery, more of a thriller.

Gilbert went on to write several mysteries, some in series, and other stand-alone books. The Reading the Detectives group is planning to read his Smallbone Deceased, I look forward to seeing how he writes a more traditional mystery, set in peacetime London, and if he brings his understated humor to that book as well. I will probably read, rather than listening to an audiobook; I listened to this book, and while the narrator was good, it was rather difficult to follow the scene shifts and changes present through the subsections in many of the chapters. ...more

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Apr 10, 2023 Teri-K rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-mystery, zz-2023-bought, mystery, z-permanent-bookshelf

It's always bad news when I buy a book because I love the cover, but maybe this time will be different. Also, I found this pristine copy at my local used bookstore for only $3, so it's worth a try...

And the verdict? I loved it! In fact it was so good I couldn't stay away from it and finished it in one day - and that's something I haven't done with a book in a while. This story works on so many levels, as an historical book set in an Italian POW camp near the end of WWII, a spy thriller and as a ...more

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May 05, 2019 Annarella rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, historical-mystery, edelweiss

This is not the usual British Library Crime Classics, it's a thriller with a locked room aspect.
I liked the book because of the unusual setting, the great description of the life in a POW camp and the fast pace.
It's a book that aged well, with a great mystery, fast paced and challenging.
I look forward to reading other books by this author as this one was great.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine. ...more

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