From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

The Draycott Murder Mystery

Molly Thynne

Start date: April 1, 2020

Finish date: April 30, 2020

Discussion: Group reads

Why we're reading this: Winner of the poll for our April group read. The group has already enjoyed other books by Molly Thynne.
[close] Winner of the poll for our April group read. The group has already enjoyed other books by Molly Thynne.

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What Members Thought

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

First published in 1928, this was the first crime novel by Molly Thynne, a member of the aristocracy and well placed to write a Golden Age mystery.

John Leslie has returned to the country after four years of war, to settle down to farming. He has a row with Lady Cynthia Bell, whose mother opposes their marriage, and stomps off for a long walk. When he returns home, there is the body of a woman, shot dead, in his house. She is the ne’er do well sister of Miss Allen, with a long history of mischief ...more

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Jun 04, 2020 Kavita rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: uk, mystery, golden-age-mystery

This was quite a tedious read. I have read hundreds of murder mysteries and I especially love golden age mysteries. Rarely do I find them tedious, even if I rate them low for political reasons. The Draycott Murder Mystery is Molly Thyme's first mystery and second novel. I am not surprised she isn't better known. She is no competition with most other golden age writers.

A young man finds the body of a woman in his farmhouse and is arrested. Everyone around him believes him to be innocent and try t ...more

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Dec 08, 2023 Lady Clementina ffinch-ffarowmore rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, murder, golden-age, molly-thynne

Molly Thynne, who came from an aristocratic background, was the author of six murder mysteries originally published between 1928 and 1933, having also written a novel some years earlier. Three it appears were standalones and the other three featured a common detective, Dr Constantine. Thynne is among the ‘lost’ or lesser-known Golden Age authors that Dean Street Press have brought back into print (and kindle, the edition I read) and this was my first time reading a book by her.

The Draycott Murde Molly Thynne, who came from an aristocratic background, was the author of six murder mysteries originally published between 1928 and 1933, having also written a novel some years earlier. Three it appears were standalones and the other three featured a common detective, Dr Constantine. Thynne is among the ‘lost’ or lesser-known Golden Age authors that Dean Street Press have brought back into print (and kindle, the edition I read) and this was my first time reading a book by her.

The Draycott Murder Mystery (1928), Thynne’s first novel, is set in the country and there is a country home but it isn’t your typical country house mystery. In an eerie and quite enticing opening, we find ourselves witnessing events on what appears to be an isolated farm, as there are movements amidst the dark and silence and mysterious goings on. To this a young man, John Leslie, the owner of the farm as we later find, returns to find the body of a woman at a desk in his home—shot through the head. As the scene shifts, he has run to the village Constable Gunnet to report his find, but circumstances are such that he is suspected and arrested for the murder, and committed to trial. The victim was a Mrs Draycott who had recently been staying at the Staveleys’ country home, and was now visiting her sister Miss Allen who also lived in the village. Lady Cynthia Bell, Leslie’s fiancée and Miss Allen the victim’s sister are convinced John has nothing to do with it (as are others who know him) and Cynthia’s friend Lady Sybil Keen concerned for her friend soon brings in her husband, a leading barrister Sir Edward Keen and her childhood friend ‘Hatter’ Fayre, only recently back from India. While they do engage the services of a solicitor, Mr Grey who is young and enthusiastic and works for his client, it is essentially Hatter and to an extent Cynthia who undertake the investigation.

This involves Hatter riding a ramshackle bicycle across the village to many (rather, most) people’s amusement, and a slow (not just because of the bicycle) journey in which some helpful information is revealed but nothing of great significance. Cynthia too pitches in as such as she can, while also bearing with her mother’s strong disapproval of Leslie. This is a mystery where things seem almost to crawl, with bits of information and clues being found but no links emerging between them and Hatter at times on dead-end paths, but towards the later part the reader does begin to see what might be involved.

The Draycott Murder Mystery was a nicely done little mystery, which may have felt a little slow paced but was fun to follow all the same. I loved the opening scene which would have done excellently for the screen, where one could have had lots of shadows and noises and creaking doors (the windy/stormy evening providing the perfect backdrop). As we move into the mystery proper, this flavour does lessen but it was still interesting to follow Hatter and his investigations. He uncovers some relevant information early on but then fixes his attention on one suspect, who certainly has much to hide, but is the person the murderer?

There were some aspects that might rankle with modern readers, such as the attempts to ‘protect’ Cynthia from things, or give her tasks so as to keep her away from the ‘important’ work (she does, however manage to uncover important information on her own all the same). The other aspect was more one of amusement than annoyance—the perception of age with Lady Sybil (of course she is suffering from prolonged illness and heart trouble) at 40 being perceived as old (though ‘still beautiful’).

On the other, there were some encouraging portrayals too, with Hatter for one able to see the plight of a ‘tramp’ who is involved in the matter (‘he had only just begun to understand how peculiarly helpless the class to which this man belonged must be’), something people of his class and standing wouldn’t have ordinarily realised. There is also, besides the romance of Cynthia and Leslie, a thread of romance between an older couple which was nice to see.

The mystery itself turned out an interesting, though somewhat tragic one, with the reader able to at least put some things together based on what Hatter finds. The full picture, one of course, gets only at the end, when all is explained.

While not extraordinary as a mystery, this was a good one all the same, after reading which I would want to read more of Thynne.
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Apr 02, 2020 Susan in NC rated it liked it · review of another edition

3.5 stars, I really enjoyed this one, a challenge read with the Reading the Detectives group, and my first mystery by this author. I enjoyed her style, she made her characters very human and relatable, impressive for an early Golden Age mystery (1928).

I must confess I was chugging along, enjoying the plot, but getting distracted by pandemic news. I got frustrated about halfway through, after the likable amateur detective confronts the obvious suspect, and he vehemently denies it! This made me su ...more

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Jul 08, 2020 Jan C rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, gr-group-read

This was my third Molly Thynne book but I hadn't realized that I was reading out of order since this seems to be her first mystery, and not her third. I'll have to try and get back on track here. The other two featured Professor Constantine and this one features an amateur sleuth, Hatter Fayre, recently returned from most of a lifetime in India.

I found this enjoyable, but lengthy at times.

Found a new word, at least one I wasn't acquainted with - "agley". I came close to a definition from its usa ...more

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May 07, 2019 ShanDizzy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This was an intense and dramatic mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed.

1 like · Like · see review

Sep 18, 2020 Jenn Estepp rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sleuths-and-gumshoes, kindling, pandemic-and-aftermath

I thought this one was pretty slow and *spoiler* it seemed like awfully paltry evidence to so quickly convict a guy to hang. And it was pretty easy to figure out the true killer, although it took a little longer to suss out the reason. It wasn't bad, per se - I have a couple of other Thynne's checked out and I'm sure I'll read through them - but it's also not something I'd highly recommend. ...more

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Jul 31, 2024 Lynnie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: golden-age-mystery, read-in-2024, dean-street-press

3.5 stars rounded up because the opening chapter really set the scene. Although I did guess the culprit very early on so it wasn't so exciting for me, also I didn't warm to the sleuth, I still found it an enjoyable mystery. ...more

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