This mystery from the prolific pen of Cecil J. C. Street, originally published in 1959, is one of the very last of the more than seventy novels to features the most enduring character in his ‘John Rhode’ books, regular series-detective Dr Lancelot Priestley. Like all his later books, the official detection is actually conducted by Superintendent Waghorn of Scotland Yard, who consults ‘The Professor’, along with series regulars ex-Supt. Hanslet and Dr. Oldland, when he wishes to discuss a case or finds himself at an impasse in his investigations. As in practically all the later books, this consists of Priestley offering advice from the comfort of his study armchair and he takes no active part in the gathering of evidence or apprehension of the guilty party, seeing the problems brought to him in the manner of a mathematical puzzle, with little or no interest in the aspects of the case that impinge on people’s lives.
It was Adrian Frant who first found the Godfrey Ryther’s body lying in a pool of blood on the garage floor. By his side was a revolver, and it needed no more than a cursory examination to see that he had died from a bullet fired through the heart at very close range. Suicide? It certainly looked it to the local police, but one or two small discrepancies made them decide to call on the services of Scotland Yard. So it was that Superintendent Jimmy Waghorn became involved with the Ryther family and the strange sequence of tragedies that Godfrey Ryther’s death had started. This is John Rhode at his most baffling and the inscrutable Dr Priestley at his most enigmatic.
Blurb of 1st UK edition
Here, Waghorn is contacted by Superintendent Keymer of Yarmshire, who is seeking help in his inquires into the death of Godfrey Ryther, found shot in a garage on the grounds of his father’s estate, a revolver lying nearby. Waghorn enlists the aid of the Scotland Yard ballistics expert to examine both the revolver and a bullet discovered at the scene. The local police initially believe it is a case of suicide – until several discrepancies begin to suggest there may be other possibilities and Waghorn is detailed to help solve the case.
Waghorn soon learns the complicated history of the Ryther family, including the struggle for power over the family business, which may provide a motive for Godfrey’s death. Soon, Godfrey’s cousin Lionel is nearly killed in another attack and Waghorn begins to suspect someone is trying to gain control of the business by eliminating the cousins in turn. When a third cousin dies in a suspicious road accident this theory appears to be proven, but no suspect appears to have been able to commit the crimes. As usual, it is Priestley who gives Waghorn the hint he needs to discover the identity of the criminal and confront them with the truth.
While not of the quality of the best of Rhode’s books, this is still another solid offering from this extremely prolific author and certainly as good as any from his last few years. There is some nice work on ballistics in the opening chapters, though also some slight confusion over the method employed in the second murder, and the more experienced reader may be able to guess the identity of the criminal before it is revealed in the denouement. However, all Rhode/Burton enthusiasts will want to add it to their collections, which shouldn’t prove too difficult a task, as it is thankfully one of the easier titles to obtain.
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7/10
Dr Lancelot Priestley #69
Preceded by Licenced For Murder
Succeeded by Twice Dead
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Edition Reviewed
First UK edition (my collection)
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Collector’s Notes
No record of any modern reprint, ebook or audiobook has been traced by the reviewer.
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First Edition Details
UK
Originally Published by Geoffrey Bles, London 1959
Green Cloth Boards, pp 256, 8vo
Title and Author stamped in black on spine, separated by single wavy line. Geoffrey Bles and eagle motif stamped in black at bottom.
Front board plain.
Dustwrapper priced at 12s. 6d net on front flap.
note: variant bindings exist for several of the late Rhode books – no priority has been established.
US
Originally published by Dodd, Mead & Company, New York, 1959
Dustwrapper priced at $2.95 on front flap.
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R E Faust
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Witness To The Crime 