“‘Detection isn’t based on brilliant flashes of intuition – at least, mine isn’t. It’s based on a reconstruction of possibilities.'” That’s E.C.R. Lorac’s Detective Chief Inspector Robert Macdonald of Scotland Yard as he reveals his method of discovering a killer in Checkmate to Murder. The Second World War Mystery is the most recent entry in Poisoned Pen Press’s partnership with the British Library in publishing British Library Crime Classics. This mystery from Lorac certainly deserves its place in that series. I’ve read other British Library Crime Classics, and this one was my favorite.
As always, Martin Edwards wrote the introduction. E.C.R. Lorac was just one of Caroline Rivett’s pseudonyms. This particular book was published in 1944, and it reflects how the people of London had suffered through blackouts, fire-watching, and air raids. It’s actually a small intimate story with a limited number of suspects. DCI Macdonald is responsible for a murder investigation. As in current police procedurals, the case depends on careful questioning of witnesses and step-by-step investigation.
One foggy night in London, a Special Constable and a man’s great-nephew, a soldier from Canada, find Mr. Folliner shot dead in his bed. The Special Constable accuses the young man of murder, and drags him over to a nearby artist’s home and studio. There, they find a small group of people. Bruce Manaton, an artist, is painting a portrait of an actor dressed as a Cardinal. Bruce’s sister, Rosanne, is in the small kitchen preparing dinner, while two other men play chess. Although most of the people in that group claim they were all together, any of these five, along with the constable, the soldier, and a cleaning lady, could be implicated in the crime.
Rumors in the pubs say that old Mr. Folliner was a miser, and he’s found dead in his bed with an empty box that could have held cash. Macdonald and his team have the unenviable task of searching for the truth amidst all the neighborhood stories. However, Macdonald is known for his patience while he investigates a case.
It’s fascinating to read a police procedural, a mystery written during the war years, and see the difference in the treatment of the material. Lorac doesn’t focus on the personal lives of her police. However, for some reason, this mystery felt more modern than other ones I’ve read from this time period. I appreciated Macdonald’s style of investigation. And, I appreciated that Lorac did not go wandering off into fanciful discussions in the course of the story. Checkmate to Murder is an intriguing, well-written story. It’s understandable that Poisoned Pen Press and the British Library would reprint E.C.R. Lorac’s books. In fact, I liked this one so much that I ordered the other five books they’ve published here by Lorac. I’m ready to read more about DCI Robert Macdonald.
Checkmate to Murder by E.C.R. Lorac. Sourcebooks/Poisoned Pen Press, 2021 (1944). ISBN 9781464215094 (paperback), 224p.
FTC Full Disclosure – The publisher sent me an ARC, hoping I would review it.
I am glad that Lorac (Carol Carnac was her other pseudonym) and other British writers of the era (like George Bellairs) are being reprinted these days, including in ebooks. In my days going to England to buy old books to sell, Lorac/Carnac was always a go-to author. Various editions of her books were there to be found, including some paperbacks in the Crime Club White Circle editions. You can really get a picture of what life during war was by reading contemporary mystery novels, by authors like Lorac, Anthony Gilbert, John Rhode/Miles Burton and the like. They were writing about what conditions they saw at the time, just as background for their books, and they give a good historical perspective today.
Jeff, I’m not really familiar with the British authors of that period. I really liked this book, the detective and the atmosphere. I’m looking forward to some of the other books in the series. I’m happy to see them reprinted, too, or I never would have read her.
You sold me on this one. Right up my alley!
And, if you read Jeff’s comment, Laurie, it might be even more up your alley!
I love that you went out and ordered five more books by this author. My husband has two more of these (one Dover, one British Library) and after I read those, I will find more.
I did! Tomorrow, I’m going to talk about a few other books I’ve bought, but since I already mentioned these, I’m not going to bring them up right now.