March 22: The Three Taps: A Detective Story Without a Moral - Ronald Knox (1927)

[Susan]

Welcome to our March 22 Challenge read of The Three Taps the first mystery featuring Miles Bredon, published in 1927.

The insurance firm investigator, Miles Bredon, must determine whether suicide or murder is the cause of the gas poisoning death in an inn of a man who has recently concluded a complex insurance policy and changed his will.

In a gas-lit inn in the countryside a man lies dead. The police, of course, investigate - and so do Miles Bredon and his wife, in the interests of the Indescribable Insurance Company, with which the deceased man, Mr Mottram, had been heavily insured.

The culprit is the three gas taps in Mr Mottram's room, and Miles hopes to prove that his death is suicide. Miles' old wartime colleague, Police Inspector Leyland, is convinced it's murder. And the conclusion is as ingenious as it is surprising.

Please do not post spoilers in this thread. Thank you.

[Judy]

Just opening up this thread - March is here and we are already on to the third book in our challenge! Many thanks to Susan for the introduction.

A link to the spoiler thread is below:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Susan]

I enjoyed reading about the Knox brothers in Penelope Fitzgerald's biography The Knox Brothers and had meant to read something by Ronald Knox for some time. Who else is reading this one?

[Judy]

Who is reading this one? I finished it recently and quite enjoyed it although I found the plot and characters a bit hard to keep track of at times.

[Susan]

Oh, me too! This really was a puzzle, in the best sense of the word!

[Pamela]

I’m about half way through and am really enjoying it. I’ll say more in the spoiler thread when I finish, but I think Angela’s presence is important in lightening the tone, she’s great.

[Judy]

Pamela wrote: "I’m about half way through and am really enjoying it. I’ll say more in the spoiler thread when I finish, but I think Angela’s presence is important in lightening the tone, she’s great."

Good to hear, Pamela. I found Angela quite witty but thought at times the long conversations bogged the story down a bit - also I wasn't quite sure at the number of jokes she and Miles make about the topic of death, although I suppose it is to help lighten the tone, as you say.

I found it interesting that Miles is so obsessed with playing patience with cards and lays out several decks to play simultaneously - my husband is similarly obsessed with patience on his tablet, but at least I don't trip over piles of cards!

[Susan in NC]

Judy wrote: "Who is reading this one? I finished it recently and quite enjoyed it although I found the plot and characters a bit hard to keep track of at times."

Same here, glad it wasn’t just me! I did appreciate the humor, though, and the investigator’s wife, and how she worked right along with him.

[Susan in NC]

Pamela wrote: "I’m about half way through and am really enjoying it. I’ll say more in the spoiler thread when I finish, but I think Angela’s presence is important in lightening the tone, she’s great."

Angela, thank you - I almost typed Emily in my comment , duh! She was a hightlight for me, as well.

[Susan in NC]

Judy wrote: "Pamela wrote: "I’m about half way through and am really enjoying it. I’ll say more in the spoiler thread when I finish, but I think Angela’s presence is important in lightening the tone, she’s grea..."

Or have to be careful opening doors, so the cards don’t blow about in a draft!

Yes, I wasn’t sure about all the death jokes either - gallows humor, I guess, but (view spoiler)[but Miles and the Inspector placing a money bet on suicide vs. murder, then upping the stakes as the case went on, like it was a horse race, was quite juvenile and unprofessional, I thought. (hide spoiler)]

[Michaela]

I´ll read this a bit later.

[Sandy]

I'm not too far in and loving it: the interplay between Bredon and his wife, as well as between Bredon and his friend from the Yard, is a treat. And I like Knox's humor.

[Judy]

Susan in NC, very true re the cards blowing about in a draught! I'll comment on your other point over in the spoiler thread.

[Susan in NC]

I put it in spoiler form, hope that’s ok.

[Judy]

That's fine - I didn't think it was really a spoiler anyway but have replied in the other thread :)

[Susan in NC]

Judy wrote: "That's fine - I didn't think it was really a spoiler anyway but have replied in the other thread :)"

Thanks!

[Ellen]

I plan to start this week.

[Judy]

Hope you enjoy it, Ellen.

[Lady Clementina]

I started this but realised I was late already so am reading Behold Here's Poison first. Will get back to it in a day or two

[Judy]

If anyone wants to know more about the "Rules" of detective fiction, as formulated by Ronald Knox and others, the podcast Shedunnit has done an episode about this - a fun listen.
https://shedunnitshow.com/therulesrem...

[Susan in NC]

Thanks!

[Jessica-sim]

Thanks! But oooh shall I now first start the podcast (so tempting) or start the audiobook....

[Tracey]

Just starting. Had too many library books that I'd ordered appear at the one time! I've read The Footsteps at the Lock by this author and really enjoyed that, so high hopes for this one.

[Sandy]

Tracey wrote: "Just starting. Had too many library books that I'd ordered appear at the one time! I've read The Footsteps at the Lock by this author and really enjoyed that, so high hopes for this one."

It is annoying when all your requests show up at once. I immediately got Footsteps from the library after reading Taps so will be reading it soon.

[Carolien]

I've also just started it and am enjoying the first few chapters.

[Judy]

Good to hear you are starting it, Tracey and Carolien - I hope you both enjoy the book.

[Tara]

Came to this one a bit late, but mostly enjoyed it. It did tend to get bogged down with all of the theories towards the end, but had good characters.