Gregory
Wynter was getting ready to go out to a dance with his wife
when he is shot dead through the window of his dressing room.
It seems like an impossible crime, as nobody could have been
outside the house and not been observed. Gregory’s brother
Austin enlists the aid of brother and sister PIs Christopher
and Vivienne Perrins to discover whodunit, and why.
Cecil
Waye was the third pen name of John Street (aka John Rhode
and Miles Burton) and this is the first case for the Perrins,
originally published back in 1934 and now brought to life
again by Dean Street Press. This is a classic Golden Age mystery
with most of the expected elements: a village full of people
with secrets, private detectives, ingenious and involved murder
methods and all the clues for the reader to solve it themselves
in true “fair play” style. The Perrins work with
the police rather than against them and I preferred this personally
to the more usual brilliant detective versus stupid and obstructive
police. Local policeman Burdon is on the scene first and is
no bumbling village bobby. Most of the legwork is done by
Vivienne, who perhaps spoils her role as an independent and
smart young woman by falling hopelessly in love. The best
part of the story is its teasing plot, with several suspects
all of whom could have committed the crimes and plenty of
detection. I found it to be a real page turner with something
interesting going on at all times and a good, brisk pace.
The book opens with the first murder so can be said to hit
the ground running, and although I did guess whodunit the
how is rather more complex. If you are a fan of this style
of novel I can recommend this book, the first in a set of
four.
|
