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A Case of Conspiracy in Clerkenwell (Freddy Pilkington-Soames Adventures #3)

Clara Benson

Start date: October 15, 2022

Finish date: November 6, 2022

Discussion: Buddy reads

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What Members Thought

Sep 28, 2022 Susan rated it really liked it

This is the third in the Freddy Pilkington-Soames series. Like the others, this is a light, but fun mystery featuring Freddy becoming involved in two movements that share a hall in Clerkenwell. Both were popular movements at the time - the temperance movement and communism. The redoubtable Miss Olive Stapleton, of the temperance side, believes that the communists are up to something and is then found dead.

Freddy finds himself caught up in intelligence, a possible assassination and demonstrations ...more

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Sep 17, 2022 Susan in NC rated it really liked it

Shelves: tbr-with-gr-groups, audiobook

Always enjoy an adventure with Freddy - this time, our favorite reporter is investigating a Communist plot to stir up labor trouble.

As the book opens, Freddy runs into a rather oafish old school chum at a demonstration. St. John was involved in insurrection activities at one time, but has now settled into relatively harmless work putting out an ineffective Communist rag, hardly circulating, rarely read. British Intelligence agents report Freddy, and he quickly finds himself talking to Henry Jame ...more

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May 09, 2017 Robin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017

A Case of Conspiracy in Clerkenwell is the 3rd book in the Freddy Pilkington-Soames series by Clara Benson. The story is set in the late 1920s or early 1930s in London. Freddy is a sort of ne'er do well, upper-class Englishman, who tries to work as a newspaper reporter. He was first introduced to readers in Benson's Angela Marchmont series.

Clerkenwell Central Hall is the meeting place of two disparate organization on the same evening - the Young Women's Abstinence Association and the East Londo A Case of Conspiracy in Clerkenwell is the 3rd book in the Freddy Pilkington-Soames series by Clara Benson. The story is set in the late 1920s or early 1930s in London. Freddy is a sort of ne'er do well, upper-class Englishman, who tries to work as a newspaper reporter. He was first introduced to readers in Benson's Angela Marchmont series.

Clerkenwell Central Hall is the meeting place of two disparate organization on the same evening - the Young Women's Abstinence Association and the East London Communist Alliance. Freddy has been asked by Henry Jameson, of British Intelligence (who we previously met in an Angela Marchmont book,) to help watch Freddy's friend, St. John Bagshawe. St. John is a member of the Communists and has started a Communist newspaper. Freddy attends a meeting of the Communists and runs into his friend, Mildred Starkweather, who is a member of the Temperance organization. Mildred introduces him to some of the other members, including Miss Stapleton, who is the very militant leader of the Temperance group. The morning after the meeting, Miss Stapleton is found murdered in the meeting hall. Freddy is determined to find Miss Stapleton's murderer and to foil an unknown threat from the Communist organization leaders.

Benson has tried to write her books in the style of a Golden Age novel, and I believe she succeeds admirably. She doesn't feel the need to point out things that someone who was writing in that period would point out, but that many historical novel writers feel compelled to mention. For instance, she doesn't mention types of clothing or hats or cars or those types of things that are found so often in the descriptions of many historical books, but that a writer in that age might not necessarily mention. The story moves along very well; there is not a lot of extra detail to detract from the main plot. She gives enough clues that one might figure out the solution to the mystery, but they are not obvious clues. As in many Golden Age mysteries, the author does not spend much time fleshing out the major characters, but we get to know them well enough to be interested. The primary purpose of books like this is the fun of "whodunit" not getting into the characters' heads.

Freddy reminds me a little of Dorothy Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey or Margery Allingham's Albert Campion, except that Freddy is perhaps not quite as intelligent - or perhaps he hides his intelligence a little better. He seems to bumble along, sometimes getting into trouble, but then is somehow intelligent enough to get himself and others out of a bad situation. I enjoy Freddy - I enjoyed his character in the Angela Marchmont series, and I'm glad he has his own series now. He is fun to read about and I find myself rooting for him.

The one thing that bothered me a little about the plot was how willing the Intelligence service was to trust Freddy, and how much information was shared with him. That seemed a little unbelievable to me, but perhaps since it is still years before WWII, security was not as tight as it was later to become. It was mentioned that Intelligence also had a person on the inside of the Communist organization, and I was a bit amazed by how much information they still needed Freddy to get. However, closer to the end of the book, this point was wrapped up to my satisfaction.

Although this is part of a series, it could easily be enjoyed as a stand-alone.

If you enjoy mysteries in the style of the Golden Age, I think you will enjoy this book. ...more

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Oct 18, 2022 Jill rated it really liked it

Shelves: clara-benson

The Third in the Freddy Pilkington-Soames series, and maybe not quite as good as the two before. In this Freddy is reporting on a public meeting of the Communist Party, where also, at the same venue, a meeting of the Temperance Party is being held. There is friction between these two groups, as the woman running the temperance meeting is convinced that the Communists are up to no good. Unfortunately, the woman is later found dead and robbed of her party's funds. Freddy has been at both meetings ...more

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