| Title | : | Tragedy at Law (Francis Pettigrew, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0330377388 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780330377386 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | - |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1942 |
Tragedy at Law (Francis Pettigrew, #1) Reviews
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I really enjoyed this slow paced mystery, which, although it is described as the first Francis Pettigrew mystery, does not feature Pettigrew really investigating events until near the end of the book and also features Inspector Mallett, a man of appetite who is obviously concerned about what effect the war will have on his ability to eat a good lunch.
It is 1939 and Britain is experiencing the phoney war - there are blackouts and inconvenience, but rationing has not yet hit, despite Mallett's concerns, and the blitz had not begun. Justice Barber, a High Court Judge, and his wife, Hilda, are travelling around the country for the azzizes - a court which sat in each country before, in 1972, civil jurisdiction was passed to the High Court and criminal jurisdiction to the Crown Court. Hare himself travelled in such a Court during the early days of the war, as a judge's marshall, the position he gives to a young man named Derek Marshal in the novel and he obviously has the detail correct, highlighting the pomposity and absurdity of the travelling Court, which makes this a historically socially interesting read.
While travelling on chilly trains to uncomfortable lodgings, it appears that all is not well. Barber receives threatening letters, which finally evolve into what appear to be threats on his life. The upset causes stress to Barber and he later has a car accident, during which a concert pianist is hit and his hand is injured. The threatened damages that could ensue from this accident worry both Barber and Hilda. Meanwhile, the threats against Barber continue and there are a number of possible suspects, including Pettigrew, a rather unsuccessful lawyer who had once hoped to marry Hilda, as well as a member of the azzizes who is sacked and others with grudges against him.
If you are looking for non-stop action, this is not the book for you. Personally, I found this a fascinating mystery, with excellent characters and a good setting. I found the gentle unravelling of events interesting and look forward to continuing the series. Apparently, this mystery has never been out of print and I can see why. A delight to read. -
Dispensing justice…
Mr Justice Barber is a High Court judge, currently acting as His Majesty’s Judge of Assize in the Southern Circuit of England. He is rather a pompous man, full of pride in his own lofty position, and though he is a good judge on the whole he can be rather harsh on occasions, both in his sentencing and towards the various barristers who appear before him in defence of their clients. So when he receives a threatening anonymous letter he doesn’t think much of it, since threats tend to come with the position and as the King’s representative he is surrounded by police and officials to protect his dignity and, if necessary, his life. However, when he then receives a box of chocolates which turn out to have been poisoned, he begins to take the matter more seriously, as does his wife, Hilda, who sets out to ensure his safety, roping in young Derek Marshall, the coincidentally named Judge’s Marshal who accompanies the Judge on his travels.
This one has rather an odd structure in that it’s mostly about a crime that hasn’t yet been committed, and there’s no certainty that it will be, or that it’s even being seriously contemplated. The various threats against the Judge gradually escalate into odd happenings that may be accidental or may be deliberate, and this creates an air of suspicion and growing tension as the Judge and his entourage move from town to town dispensing justice. Although it’s written in the third person, we see it for the most part from Derek Marshall’s perspective. He’s a young man who has been turned down for service in the army on health grounds, and feels as if he ought to be doing something more useful to help the ongoing war effort. He’s new to the Assizes, and so is the perfect vehicle for Hare to use to describe this rather archaic (and now defunct) system of travelling justice. In his The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books, Martin Edwards informs us that Cyril Hare was drawing on his personal experience – “Fifteen years spent practising at the Bar, and a spell as a judge’s marshal, meant that he was ideally suited to describing life on a judicial circuit.”
Despite the mass of detail about the pomp and ceremony surrounding the Assizes and some detours into points of law, this never gives the feeling of a dry information dump. Hare makes the Judge’s life and position a central part of the plot, so that all the detail feels necessary, never redundant. The plot develops quite slowly, but it never feels draggy because the writing and characterisation are so well done, and there’s some gentle humour which stops it from becoming too dark. Hare shows us how justice is not blind – that it tends to come down harder on “the common man” than on those in high social positions, as we see when the Judge himself crosses the criminal line by accident and everyone immediately conspires to hush the matter up, if possible. It may not be possible, though, and this forms a secondary strand, especially when events begin to suggest that the two matters – the threats and the Judge’s misdemeanour – might somehow be connected.
The book is billed as the first “Francis Pettigrew” mystery. Pettigrew is a barrister whose practice takes him round the courts of the Southern Circuit, so that he often finds himself appearing before Judge Barber. But although he does play a significant role in this one and is a very enjoyable character, he doesn’t feel like the main one – maybe Hare developed him as a central character and amateur detective more fully in later books. In this one, it’s young Derek and the Judge’s wife, Hilda, who are most prominent, and the Judge himself, of course. Hilda is a wonderful character, who reminded me not a little of a less caricatured version of that other famous, later, legal Hilda – She Who Must Be Obeyed, from the Rumpole books. This Hilda also bullies and cajoles her husband and is more ambitious for his success than he is himself. However, she’s an intriguing characterisation – a brilliant, qualified lawyer in her own right who, because of her sex, wasn’t taken seriously either by the men in her profession or by clients who wanted to be defended by a ‘real’ lawyer – i.e., a man. Now she acts as a kind of power behind the throne, often arguing points of law with the Judge, and it’s rumoured that his judgements often have more to do with her opinion than his. Hare shows a good deal of sympathy towards women’s exclusion from full participation in the legal profession in this era.
I’ve tried to say very little about the plot because it develops slowly and not knowing what will happen makes it more enjoyable. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, and looking back at the end I could see that Hare had fairly sprinkled all the information needed for the reader to work it out. Needless to say I didn’t! Yet another vintage mystery writer that I will be adding to my growing “must read more” list! Highly recommended.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com -
A judge commits a crime of negligence after receiving a death threat...a crime that might completely derail his career, if the person writing the death threats doesn't get him first!
I liked this but called it pretty early, then spent the rest of the book paranoid that my solution was a red herring. It's a nice twisty legal mystery written by someone in the law profession. My only gripes are a) a bit slow, even for me, in places, and b) the POVs were arranged such that I didn't know who the main character was until the end of the book, which was more unsettling than I would have thought--not as bad as having a POV character die and the book passed on to someone else, but similarly WHAAA??? But, given the plot, it was probably the right way to do it. One of those compromises that you just end up having to make. Anyway, a solid read if not magnificent. -
Review of this excellent book to follow.
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This is my third book by this author, and I want to read more. I enjoy his writing style and the way he draws his characters.
No spoilers, but there were a couple of very interesting characters that I found intriguing and appealing; one turned out to be the killer! The blurb is wrong, Francis Pettigrew is in this mystery, but he doesn’t do any investigating. Hare apparently wrote mysteries with Pettigrew, a fairly unsuccessful barrister and amateur investigator, and Inspector Mallett of Scotland Yard. This one had both characters, but we aren’t really privy to Mallett’s investigation, until the summing up in the last chapter.
Another member of the Reading the Detectives group said this book worked more as a profile of life inside the British traveling circuit court system (for the judges, lawyers and officials, not the plaintiffs and defendants), and I’d agree that is fair. As Hare was a barrister by training, it makes sense, and the motive for the eventual murder, although it doesn’t occur until almost the end of the book, turns on an obscure point of law.
The book starts with Judge Barber (I’m American, forgive me for using the American terms I’m familiar with) starting on the autumn term of the Court of Assizes; it’s 1939, the war is just starting, but it’s before the London Blitz. Hare does a good job of setting time and place, referring to blackout conditions, mentioning entertaining guests in the judge’s household, and foreshadows both the rationing and bombing to come.
There are some threatening letters to the judge, a box of poisoned candies delivered - the judge dismisses these as vicious practical jokes, his younger (smarter, more driven and ambitious) wife thinks his life is in danger. Then driving home from dinner in the blackout, the judge knocks down and injures a man who just happens to be a concert pianist. The man’s hand is badly damaged, and the ongoing effort by the wife to shield her husband from scandal and the destruction of his career on the bench becomes a driver of the story.
Throughout these concurrent plot lines, the life of the traveling circuit continues from town to town, through good, bad, and awful lodgings, cases come and go, conflicts among the judge’s household and courtroom arise.
I found it all very interesting, and enjoyed Hare’s dry humor and beautiful writing. I listened to the audiobook mostly, narrated delightfully by Chris MacDonnell. I wasn’t exactly sure who the killer was, but suspected - I just wasn’t sure of the motive, but assumed it had something to do with money. I like Inspector Mallett, but don’t think Hare really “played fair” with the reader; when Mallett discussed the case with his superior, and admits he has a theory but can’t make sense of it, the AC asks what it is, Hare just writes “Mallett told him.” And the AC tells him it makes no sense - but the reader isn’t told, and can’t judge! I also liked Pettigrew, and would like to read more of him, also. -
Judge William Hereward Barber's tour of England's Southern Circuit begins as normally as possible in wartime--true there are no trumpets (as Judge Barber mentions many times), but there is still plenty of pop and circumstance and the scarlet and wig to wear. The court calendar is full of the usual cases ranging from civil complaints to criminal charges. It looks to be a normal run--and a normal run-in with his long-time rival Francis Pettigrew. Pettigrew and Barber were once rivals in love--with Barber winning the hand of the lovely Hilda--and now Barber loves to use his position on the bench to put Pettigrew in his place as often as possible. And he settles in to enjoy another round.
But then the odd things start happening. Anonymous letters and poisoned chocolates. Midnight attacks on Barber's wife and a loose stair railing. An attempt to do the judge in with gas. A man that Barber sentenced rather severely in the past has recently been let out of prison and the Barbers wonder if perhaps Heppenstall is behind the ominous notes and life-threatening attempts. Added to the mix, the judge unadvisedly drives home one evening after consuming a bit too much brandy and manages to run down a famous pianist--who isn't shy about threatening to take the judge to court over the matter. Things begin to look rather bleak for the judge and his lady--at the very least financial ruin in a settlement and quite possibly the loss of his position on the bench if the case can't be settled out of court. Through all of the attacks and a final suicide attempt by the judge (who doesn't want to face public ruin), his wife Hilda manages to save him from the unknown assailant and himself. Until the judge's last court appearance when he is murdered on the court steps under the watchful eyes of his wife and the City Police. Inspector Mallett is presented with several suspects....including Pettigrew himself. But Pettigrew produces an obscure point of law that will direct the way to the solution.
Cyril Hare was the pseudonym for Alfred Gordon Clark, an English judge, who used his legal experiences to good effect in his crime fiction. When he was a young man, he served as a judge's marshall--an experience that gives breath and life to his descriptions of such a young man, Derek Marshall, who serves as marshall to Judge Barber. Tragedy at Law gives us a very detailed look at the legal life in Britain during World War II and manages to do so without boring the reader with the details. Hare's characters are interesting and fleshed out--with flaws and all--and Judge Barber soon becomes a man we love to hate--and yet we're still sorry when he's killed. There are plenty of subplots and red herrings in the path to keep the reader guessing. And even though this was a reread, I still wasn't sure of myself on who did it. Excellent reread--four stars.
This was first posted on my blog
My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks! -
Published in 1942 and set in the early months of the Second World War, this unusual mystery is probably Cyril Hare's best known book. Hare (the pseudonym for real-life judge Gordon Clark) wrote legal thrillers before they were a genre; this one illuminates the peculiar English institution of the Assizes, the ancient system whereby touring judges traveled a regular circuit from town to town, presiding over whatever cases had been referred for trial. The book introduces a not very successful lawyer named Francis Pettigrew who went on to appear in several succeeding novels. In this one, the itinerant judge at the center of the story is plagued by a series of mishaps and mysterious threatening letters as he and his staff travel the circuit. The judge's much younger wife, a competent lawyer in her own right who "had never succeeded in acquiring a practice," comes along to watch over her husband while feuding with his retinue. The wife is an interesting touch; Hare was perhaps ahead of his time in noting "the prejudice which has kept the Bar an essentially masculine profession." The wife has history with Pettigrew. There is intrigue and minor skulduggery, but no murder occurs until late in the book. The solution to the mystery, as in most of Hare's books, hinges on a point of law.
All quite fascinating if you have an interest in the peculiarities of the English legal system; not a pulse-pounder, but elegantly written and justly regarded as a minor classic. -
Cyril Hare drew on his own legal experience (he ended up as a county court judge) for his delightful 1942 crime novel Tragedy at Law. It’s both a crime story and a very amusing satirical look at the legal profession. It follows the progress of a circuit judge, Mr Justice Barber, through the various towns on the Southern Circuit during the early war years, dispensing justice whilst contriving to get himself into an extraordinarily embarrassing position for a judge.
It has the rather contrived and unlikely, but extremely clever, plot you expect in a golden age English mystery. And in a nice touch the solution to the mystery hinges on a rather obscure point of law. But Tragedy at Law has a great deal more going for it as well. It has a cast of eccentric and colourful characters, all of them flawed but flawed in interesting and entertaining ways. It has an unusual structure, but I can’t say any more about that without risking spoilers. And it offers a fascinating and witty insight into the strange travelling world of the circuit court.
It’s an enormous amount of fun, and I can’t recommend it too highly. -
This is a story about circuitry. It’s about the world of the circuit court, which may be seen as a closed circuit. The characters circulate among themselves; at least some of them, come full circle, yet others are short circuited.
In the airless atmosphere of the South Coast English circuit court at the start of World War Two, judges, solicitors, barristers and their assorted staff travel en masse, then come together in appointed rooms they know only too well, to decide the fate of ne’er do wells.
The travelling is desultory, the accommodation often leaving much to be desired and Mr Justice Barber starts receiving anonymous notes and a box of poisoned chocolates. Mr Justice Barber becomes increasingly alarmed and we meet a range of possible suspects who might mean him ill. Then…
A beautifully written fable, a joy to read, of just desserts meted out to the deserving recipient.
*I am fated in life to have spent far too much time with lawyers. I am married to a lawyer, although she was not one when we met. Some years into our marriage she mused, ‘Should I get a driver’s license or a law degree?’ With wisdom accumulated over the years I replied: ‘Whichever is easiest!’ She still does not have a driver’s licence but is now a family lawyer. -
I enjoyed An English Murder so much that I borrowed another one of Cyril Hare’s mysteries! A Tragedy at Law is supposed to be his most famous work so I was really excited to begin it.
Drawing on his legal experience (or so I’m assuming), A Tragedy at Law is a mystery that deals with the finer points of the law. Mr Justice Barber is a self-important judge who’s making his rounds on the ‘circuit’, which basically means he’s moving from town to town judging cases. It should be uneventful, but then he gets a threatening letter. That shouldn’t be a cause of worry, but a box of poisoned chocolates comes. And the threats just keep escalating from there.
Thrown into this mix are Derek Marshall, the Marshal, and Francis Pettigrew, a lawyer who is unsuccessful in profession and love (the love of his life having married Justice Barber). Can they find out what is happening?
The book uses a variety of POVs, but the dominant one is Derek. I suppose that as the ‘newbie’, he’s in a good position to wonder at (and try to understand) what’s going on, plus he’s easily convinced to help by Hilda, Justice Barber’s incredibly smart and charming wife.
Hilda, by the way, is an amazing person. You don’t normally see such strong personalities in fiction. Here’s a woman who was called to the bar and is clearly more intelligent and charming than her husband. She’s also got some fears of her own which she’s hiding and deserves all the page time she has (I would love to read about her earlier years). Sheila, the woman Derek falls in love with and the only other woman with a significant amount of attention devoted to her, seems almost dull in comparison. She seems to be more plot device than character.
That said, there is one other female character with a pretty strong presence, but she never directly appears or speaks. She’s very closely tied to Hilda, so I didn’t consider her a primary/lead character.
What I really liked about this book was its tone. There’s a wry humour that’s present throughout the book, and I enjoyed it very much. Clearly, Cyril Hare isn’t above poking fun at the pompousness his profession is sometimes filled with. The humour also fits in with the cynicism of Pettigrew, which works because Pettigrew’s the ‘detective’ of the novel.
That said, the ending of the book was a little hard to understand. There isn’t a grand denouncement like in the Christie novels, but instead, there’s a not-really-clear explanation by Pettigrew towards the end. I had to read that last chapter a couple of times before I understood it.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel, although I personally prefer An English Murder. I liked the humour present in the book and the use of Derek as the main POV character, although the ending does detract from the story a little.
This review was first posted at
Inside the mind of a Bibliophile -
On the back cover of this book, P. D. James remarks that ‘Tragedy at Law is regarded by many lawyers as the best English detective story set in the legal world’. A pretty narrow genre I would have thought but there we are.
Tragedy at Law describes what happens when a High Court judge, Mr Justice Barber, embarks upon a tour of duty on the ‘Southern Circuit’ during the early days of World War Two. As someone almost totally ignorant of the old Assizes procedure, I found the nuts and bolts of this facet of the legal profession very interesting, although a little more detail wouldn’t have gone amiss.
The book starts slowly (there is a long, scene-setting opening chapter wherein we are introduced to most of the principal players in the story) but picks up pace when Barber receives firstly an anonymous threatening letter and then a box of his favourite chocolates that have been unconventionally ‘spiked’. At this point the book changes tack from a ‘court procedural’ to an old-fashioned murder mystery and that’s all to the good in my opinion. The judge also has the misfortune to run over a famous concert pianist, whose hand is badly damaged as a result, and the prospect of career-threatening legal action hangs over the rest of the book.
Much of the action in Tragedy at Law is seen through the eyes of Derek Marshall, a young man unfit for war service who is therefore acting as the judge’s right-hand man or Marshal (‘Marshall by name and Marshal by occupation!’—a little too much is made of this rather feeble jest). But in the later chapters the perspective shifts as we see events unfold instead from the point of view of the police officers investigating an attempt on Barber’s life. (I found this sudden lurch a bit disorientating.) Marshall is a relatively anodyne central character but the self-important Barber, his overbearing wife Hilda and the laconic barrister Francis Pettigrew provide adequate compensation.
Given that this novel was written in 1942 and set during the Second World War, I was disappointed by the lack of period detail (blackout curtains are mentioned a few times but the war never impinges on the narrative in any meaningful way). From this standpoint, I kept comparing the book negatively with Nigel Balchin’s Darkness Falls from the Air, written in the same year as Tragedy at Law. Also, Hare’s somewhat arch and twitty dialogue cannot stand comparison with the terse, sardonic prose of Balchin’s Blitz-era masterpiece.
In summary, this is a striking and absorbing novel that reads like a cross between Agatha Christie and one of Henry Cecil’s legal novels (Friends at Court for example). There are several plot twists towards the end that I didn’t see coming, and the book has an ingenious conclusion. I will probably have to read it again sometime to see exactly how the crime was enacted and then solved. Cyril Hare is an interesting discovery and I can see myself reading another of his stories before too much longer. -
I thoroughly enjoyed Tragedy At Law. It’s a leisurely paced mystery, but the real pleasure is in the wit of the writing and the excellent portraits of both Hare’s characters and of the legal system of 1939, after the start of World War II but before rationing and serious attacks on Britain.
The plot...well, it’s slow and revolves around a judge on an Assize circuit who receives threats and then becomes involved in a serious legal matter of his own. Oddly, no murder happens until almost the end of the book, but for me the plot was almost a side-issue. Hare writes with such hugely enjoyable wit and humour, plus a deep knowledge of the law combined with a healthy scepticism about some of its more arcane ceremonial aspects, that this, along with some highly engaging and well drawn characters kept me fully engaged.
This is a very enjoyable read and I’ll be trying more Cyril Hare before long. Warmly recommended. -
I ran across this mystery in a pile of Alistair MacLean books, oddly enough. I vaguely remembered the name Cyril Hare, so I thought I would try it out. I'm glad I did.
William Barber (alias "The Shaver" and "Father William") is a circuit judge handling the Southern Circuit for the first time. He travels from town to town judging a large variety of court cases, both civil and criminal. All does not go smoothly - Barber gets threatening letters, someone sends him poisoned chocolates, he almost dies when the gas is left on in his room, and his wife is attacked. Lady Barber insists that all of these events are connected and that someone is trying to kill her husband. To make matters worse, Barber gets a little tipsy and runs over a pedestrian, who happens to be a famous pianist. The pianist hires a lawyer and threatens to sue. Barber and his wife face financial ruin if the problem cannot be solved.
Cyril Hare is the pen name of Alfred Gordon Clark, a real-life English judge. He does an excellent job of portraying the early World War II era of the English circuit court system. There is a great deal of humor, which rings true to life:
"Barber's habit of concealing things from his wife was as instinctive as that of the dog who hides bones under a sofa cushion, and about as effective."
Hare has a light touch and the humor is never overdone. The legal theme is handled well, too, and does not get boring or feel like a lecture. The characters are well drawn and interesting. I even felt sorry for Barber, who is not really a likable character. My personal favorites were Derek Marshall, Lady Barber, and Francis Pettigrew, a lawyer who solves the case.
This is not a fast-moving murder mystery. Like someone else said, the murder (at least in this paperback) doesn't even happen until over 200 pages in. The end is abrupt. You get the feeling that Hare thought he was going on too long and so drew everything to a quick conclusion. However, this is a mystery worth reading, especially if you like Golden Age mysteries. -
booooring
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This is such a fun read! Admittedly, the murder doesn't happen till about 85% into the book but the story is so lively and with such great characters that I didn't mind a bit. Anyone interested in social and even legal history will likely enjoy this as it documents meticulously what happens on an assize circuit in the early stages of WW2: blackouts are in place but no rationing yet.
Hare was himself a lawyer and that knowledge is lightly woven into the story without those dreaded info dumps that can sometimes condemn experts-turned-novelists. I'd have to say that I'd guessed the culprit pretty early on but had no idea of the motive. But this is so much more than just a race to the finish - and two striking instances of historicity are the way a brilliant woman with an excellent legal brain can be trained up then shut out from the profession; and how keen everyone is to excuse instances of drunk driving! -
I wanted to read this Golden Age mystery as a result of the praise that P.D. James heaped on it in her book about detective fiction. Beginning it, I was sceptical as it had the potential to be stuffy and dry, but it proved to be wonderful. Hare was himself a county judge, and the story revolves around an assize court judge in 1939-40 (the book was published in 1942, which makes for some very interesting foreshadowing). During a circuit, the judge begins to receive anonymous nasty notes, and various other things go wrong. His indomitable wife is an interesting character, a barrister who as a woman was never able to build a successful practice, and has had to settle instead for having a hand in her husband's judgments. Wittily written, and really enjoyable, though with a slightly rushed conclusion.
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I'm finally finished, I really felt like I read read read and read and didnt make any progresss even tho the book is like 200 pages.
This book would make a perfect TV show, because nothing actually happens (in the murder mystery sense) until the end.
Its basicaly a series of things leading up to the murder, It would be perfect for a TV show.
Even tho It wasnt really what I expected (a detective solving a murder trough the book) It was still engaging, and I wasnt bored at all just following the Life of the characters.
It only loses some stars because even tho we spend so much time with the characters there were some important things that are just mentioned in passing. -
I found this book unbelievably boring and a complete waste of my time. I'm not usually so blunt with my reviews but this all but put me to sleep.
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Despite its gentle pace, this is a compelling mystery that kept my attention throughout. Judge Barber is on the circuit of the Assizes, touring around the counties of the South of England to hear cases (a judicial phenomenon that was abolished in the 1970s). He receives some anonymous letters, and then a box of poisoned chocolates. As the severity of the incidents increases at each town, he begins to fear for his life. His brilliant wife Hilda and eager junior official Derek Marshall put all their efforts into protecting the judge, but someone is determined to see him die.
Cyril Hare was himself a lawyer, and he brings his knowledge and experience into creating a clever and intriguing plot. His descriptions of the ceremonies and rituals of the circuit are fascinating, and he captures all the foibles of the legal profession. His characters are colourful and memorable - from Hilda and the judge to unsuccessful barrister Francis Pettigrew and the rather dodgy clerk Beamish.
The tension gradually builds to a dramatic climax, followed by a clear and convincing account of the solution by Inspector Mallett (whose investigation to this point has been rather low key). As well as the story I really enjoyed the social history - the misogyny that blocked Hilda’s law career, the bygone attitudes towards drink driving, and the musings of the characters on the hardships to come in 1939/40. -
Having read Hare's An English Murder and finding it enjoyable but not spectacular, I was assuming that this book would fare just the same. However, I was pleasantly surprised how dynamic and vibrant the writing style was, particularly given that the majority of the plot followed the rather tedious proceedings of a rural court circuit. But somehow, Hare managed to make this a bit of a page turner. I did guess the culprit (unusual for me), although not quite the motive.
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This particular mystery in the Mallet and Pettigrew world was not a traditional whodunit. The character of the characters was the main focus. There was of course- events that happened, but the events and their repercussions created a window to comment upon the people in the legal system and that fairness wasn't always fair.
It all began with a couple events happening close together- 1. Judge Ballard receiving a anonymous threatening letter followed by 2. Ballard being in an accident. These two events set off a chain of events that we follow mostly through Derek Marshal's eyes; a young man who is seeing this world of traveling court cases for the first time. Pettigrew and Mallet do appear in the story but not so much as in following stories that feature them. For Pettigrew, these events were personal as a woman who he loved (and lost) was involved.
It is also another story that features a woman with incredible intelligence kept out of a career due to men not wanting women in their field. Also the story, being told by Derek's fresh eyes-gives you a fresher observations that haven't been bogged down by being ground up in this process.
What makes this a mystery is to try and discover who is pulling the threads that are causing so many nasty things to happen. (Just know, if you start at this book- the rest of the series does focus more on solving murders, and puzzles etc... there is also a bit more humor and Pettigrew and Mallet are more center in the story.) -
I think I'm going to have to stick with a 2-star on this one, although I was tempted to go up to 2.5. This begins very amusingly, with dry-witted narration of the sort that I love, and the plot was promising: a judge finds himself receiving threatening notes and various attempts on his life, so it is up to an amateur detective to keep the judge safe. The judge himself was also on the Circuit, which reminded me of Rumpole of the Bailey (which I quite like), so I was prepared for some fun hijinks.
However, I don't think this ended up being a good choice for the mood I was in. It was not as quick a read as the light-hearted cover made it out to be, and the back cover blurb was somewhat misleading; one is led to believe that Pettigrew is the one who will be solving the case, but in reality he is not all that involved in the proceedings -- it's the judge's wife and the Marshal, amusingly surnamed Marshall, who do most of the sleuthing. They weren't bad but I was quite fond of Pettigrew after his initial appearance and wanted him to be involved more.
As to the mystery itself, I didn't guess the outcome but it did seem to come out of left field. Of course that could have just been because I was skimming rather a lot, having lost patience with the story about halfway through but wanting to see how it all turned out.
To sum up, recommended for those who like Golden Age detective fiction or mysteries involving the courts, but as a more slow-paced, "sit at home in an armchair with a cup of tea" read. -
This book was recommended in an article by P. D. James in the WSJ. Written in 1942, it takes place early in the war. Judge William Barber is a circuit judge, and most of the story takes place while he is on the circuit, where several strange things happen. He is sent a box of poisoned chocolates; someone tries to gas him in his lodgings; and he gets threatening letters. He has a traffic accident injuring a pedestrian. It turns out his registration and insurance is out of date and the man who badly injured a finger is a well known pianist. Worried he will lose his job and doesn't have the money to pay off the injured man, Barber tries to commit suicide and is saved by his wife, who has been trying to encourage him all along. This is as far as I can go without giving away too much. The story begins slowly, but the plot is well done.
