From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

So Pretty a Problem (Mordecai Tremaine #5)

Francis Duncan

Start date: July 1, 2024

Finish date: July 31, 2024

Discussion: Group reads

Why we're reading this: Winner of our July group read poll.
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What Members Thought

Jul 03, 2024 Susan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is the fifth book in the Mordecai Tremaine series, published in 1950. I have not read all the books yet, having come across these mysteries rather haphazardly, but I would like to go back and read them in order. The central character, Mordecai Tremaine, is a typical Golden Age amateur sleuth. He is a rather romantic, older gentleman, who has found himself assisting and being befriended by the police.

There are certain things which come up again and again in GA fiction - the theatre, univers ...more

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Jun 17, 2024 Susan in NC rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, kindle

3.5 stars, good to catch up with amateur detective Mordecai Tremaine, I’ve read one other of the Golden Age series, and find him interesting and likable.

This outing has him visiting the Cornish coast with his Scotland Yard friend, Inspector Boyce, who has been ill and needs to recuperate. The two are staying with Boyce’s sister and her husband. Tremaine becomes friendly with a group revolving around a rather infamous London artist and his wife. When the artist is found dead by a gunshot wound, 3.5 stars, good to catch up with amateur detective Mordecai Tremaine, I’ve read one other of the Golden Age series, and find him interesting and likable.

This outing has him visiting the Cornish coast with his Scotland Yard friend, Inspector Boyce, who has been ill and needs to recuperate. The two are staying with Boyce’s sister and her husband. Tremaine becomes friendly with a group revolving around a rather infamous London artist and his wife. When the artist is found dead by a gunshot wound, Tremaine investigates alongside the local inspector. It’s personal, as he and the artist were friends; also, the wife approaches Tremaine as he dozes on the beach, and says she shot her husband! She asks him to come with her to the house on the cliff where they live.

Right away, the sleepy, rather confused Tremaine is bothered by the situation; he has felt all along things are not as they seem between the couple, and in the artist’s personal life and activities. In an interesting plot choice, the author then uses “part two” to take us back through Tremaine’s entire association in London with the artist and his wife and circle.

I thought it dragged on a bit, especially when I listened to the audiobook; my mind wandered. I also felt there were too many suspects in their circle of friends, and I wasn’t always clear who was who among them.

The writing was very good, the mystery and resolution made sense; Tremaine has a gathering of suspects at the victim’s clifftop home for the big reveal, and the twist is well done. The local inspector is there, but Tremaine does all the talking. I always have a problem with this approach, even though Christie trained me as a mystery buff to expect this scene. The amateur has no real standing with the police, yet the killer walks into a cleverly laid trap and confesses!

At least here, in the final scene, the local inspector and Tremaine agree they were concerned with the Judge’s Rules and rules of evidence at that last eventful gathering-at least acknowledging such things exist, which made it more credible for me! ...more

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Apr 14, 2017 Damaskcat rated it it was amazing

Mordecai Tremaine is on holiday with his friend Chief Inspector Jonathan Boyce. Once again he is in the right place at the right time to be first on the scene when enfant terrible of the art world, Adrian Carthallow is shot dead. Mordecai has met the Carthallows in London and Helen Carthallow comes to Mordecai when he is dosing on the beach below her cliff top house saying she has killed her husband. A dramatic start to the story.

The local police in the person of Inspector Charles Penross does n ...more

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Jun 17, 2024 Jill rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I did enjoy this read, as I liked Mordecai Tremaine in the previous books. This time, he is taking a holiday in Cornwall with his friend from Scotland Yard, who is recovering from an illness. Tremaine is exploring the surroundings of the place he is staying and finds that he is acquainted with an artist who lives in a cliff house. He is disturbed by the wife of the artist, during one of his afternoon sleeps, as she tells him she has killed her husband. Naturally he follows her back to the house ...more

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Oct 26, 2017 John Frankham rated it liked it

Shelves: crime-detective

A competent, if ponderous, classic whodunit.

The GR blurb:

"Amateur sleuth Mordecai Tremaine is back in another classic mystery from the author of Murder for Christmas

Adrian Carthallow, enfant terrible of the art world, is no stranger to controversy. But this time it’s not his paintings that have provoked a blaze of publicity – it’s the fact that his career has been suddenly terminated by a bullet to the head. Not only that, but his wife has confessed to firing the fatal shot.

Inspector Penross of ...more

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Sep 18, 2021 ShanDizzy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

And it was no good trying to oppose unpalatable evidence with mere sentiment.He went over in his mind all the points Penross had brought forward, and it was undeniable that they added up to a damning indictment. Adrian Carthallow had been killed with a gun that carried only his wife’s fingerprints. The two of them had been alone in the house at the time. Helen Carthallow was known to be in love with Lester Imleyson. She had admitted that it had been the cause of a violent quarrel between her hus ...more

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Jun 29, 2024 Sandy rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-classic, mystery-detective-grp, audio-downloaded

Mordecai makes an endearing amateur detective. The structure of this book is interesting: murder happens, the past relationship between Mordecai and the characters are revealed, then we return to the murder investigation. interesting and well plotted.

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Mar 05, 2019 Carol Evans rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, read-in-2019

Mordeaci, our amateur sleuth, is a retired tobacconist with a fondness for romance literature. He’s mild-mannered but a shrewd observer of people. Tremaine has accompanied his good friend Scotland Yard Inspector Jonathan Boyce to Cornwall for a relaxing holiday. So, of course, Tremaine gets caught up in the murder of a local celebrity, painter Adreian Carthallo. Tremaine had met the artist and his wife, Helen, several months earlier in London and had continued his acquaintance with them in Cornw ...more

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Feb 25, 2018 Annarella rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery, traditional-british

A very good mystery. I already read one with Mordecai Tremaine and this didn't fail to entertain me.
It's bit slow in some parts but all the details and the back story help to understand who did it and why.
It is well written, interesting and well developed characters, with non plot hole or inconsistencies.
Very good and strongly recommended.
Many thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and Edelweiss. ...more

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Jul 21, 2024 Lynnie rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery, crime, cornwall, post-war, read-in-2024

I thought this was an interesting mystery with a lot of suspects but it was easy to remember who was who. It's not a thrilling page turner but I enjoyed the relaxed pace and loved that it was set in Cormwall too! ...more

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