From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

Tragedy at Law (Francis Pettigrew, #1)

Cyril Hare

Start date: April 1, 2022

Finish date: April 30, 2022

Discussion: Group Challenges

Why we're reading this: Next title in our Detection Club challenge.
[close] Next title in our Detection Club challenge.

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Group Challenges

* Sept 25: The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928) by Agatha Christie
By Susan · 17 posts · 20 views

last updated Sep 25, 2025 01:00PM

* Sept 25: The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928) - SPOILER Thread
By Susan · 13 posts · 22 views

last updated Sep 16, 2025 12:58PM

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What Members Thought

May 02, 2022 Carolien rated it liked it · review of another edition

Mr Justice Barber is on circuit court duty in the south of England and travelling from town to town to hear cases in the company of his wife and various functionaries. One evening he is involved in an accident which injures a musician and then a series of threats arrive. Francis Pettigrew is a lawyer representing various parties on the circuit and becomes involved in the case. A fascinating look at the English justice system until the system of assizes was phased out in the 1970s. Well-written, ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Aug 26, 2022 Daniy ♠ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I'm finally finished, I really felt like I read read read and read and didnt make any progresss even tho the book is like 200 pages.

This book would make a perfect TV show, because nothing actually happens (in the murder mystery sense) until the end.

Its basicaly a series of things leading up to the murder, It would be perfect for a TV show.

Even tho It wasnt really what I expected (a detective solving a murder trough the book) It was still engaging, and I wasnt bored at all just following the Life ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Apr 09, 2018 Leslie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: owned, mysteries

Review pending

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Mar 11, 2022 Jill rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: cyril-hare

Finished this book, and it was quite cleverly thought out, but I found it a long slog getting through it. It did keep me guessing as to who would be the threatening murderer, as there were a couple of people I suspected. I would have suspected Francis Pettigrew, but knew from the books that this was the first book he has in mysteries under his name. That then left me with two possible suspects. I was expecting more from Inspector Mallet, but he plays a very minor roll in the story. We were told ...more

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