Francis Pettigrew is drawn into another investigation when a soloist is murdered at a concert he's helping to organise. An enjoyable golden age mystery.
248 This is exactly the kind of Golden Age mystery that I adore - a convincing and engaging plot, an interesting setting, a bunch of varied and well developed characters, and a dash of humour.
The likeable barrister Francis Pettigrew has married Eleanor (who appeared in the previous book) and settled down in a small town, where Eleanor plays violin in the local orchestra and he performs the role of treasurer, while wryly observing the musicians and his fellow committee members. When soloist Lucy Carless is murdered during a concert, Pettigrew tries to remain uninvolved, but is skilfully drawn in by the canny Chief Constable Macwilliams. Before long he is reviewing the evidence and adding his own sharp observations to the investigation.
I really enjoyed reading about the members of the orchestra and their squabbles, and the dynamics between the police officers provided some amusing moments. The plot was well thought out without being over complicated, and the clues were hiding in plain sight as with all the best mysteries. This has become one of my favourite series and I’m looking forward to reading the next one. 248 Another enjoyable whodunit by Cyril Hare. Pettigrew is a great character. 248 Francis Pettigrew is married and settled in a small English village where he continues to practise law. His wife's interest in music has however added a role to his life, that of treasurer to the local music society, and he finds himself in the midst of planning for the new concert season. All goes horribly wrong when the soloist is found murdered and Pettigrew finds himself reluctantly assisting the Chief Constable. The musical pieces selected plays an unexpected part in the mystery combined with an arcane bit of law. A large cast of interesting characters and intricate plot combined with Pettigrew's slightly cynical outlook on life, makes for a solid mystery. I'm really enjoying this series. 248 In this third book of the series, Pettigrew is comfortably married to Eleanor, who he met in a previous book, and has moved out of the Temple to a small town. Eleanor, who enjoys playing the violin has joined the town's orchestra, and roped Pettigrew into holding the position of treasurer for group, much against his will. The orchestra has organised a concert, and has engaged a former resident of the town, now a worldwide expert on the violin, to perform. Just before her solo performance, she is found dead in her dressing room. Pettigrew is then called upon to help the local police into the investigation, although he has no intention of mixing himself up with it. As there are so many people involved with the orchestra, there are a large number of potential suspects, including both the musicians and committee, making it a very difficult first investigation for the local Police.
I felt this story started quite slowly, but once it got going, following the investigation was interesting and pretty complicated. 248
This is another very enjoyable book from Cyril Hare featuring the engaging Francis Pettigrew. We are now post-war (but still very much in Rationing) and Pettigrew is living in rural domesticity – and getting roped into community life, including as a member of the committee of the local Music Society.
The plot revolves around a murder at a concert given by the Society and its resolution depends on a fine point of law which Pettigrew, having been reluctantly drawn into the investigation, is the man to spot. Meanwhile, there are red herrings and a very enjoyable set of character portraits and wry observations on provincial life. Hare writes with his customary wit and readability, and I found the whole thing very entertaining. This is a very enjoyable series so far and I will certainly be reading on for the pleasure of it. 248 This is the third in the Francis Pettigrew series, first published in 1949. I am delighted I have discovered this series and will be sorry when I have finished it.
Pettigrew has now married Eleanor, who we met in the previous novel, and has settled down to happy domesticity. Eleanor is a keen violin player and a member of the Markshire Orchestral Society, of which Pettigrew finds himself the treasurer. There are a good cast of characters and suspects when Lucy Carless is murdered before her solo. In particular, I enjoyed the rather unsure Detective Inspector Trimble, his difficult relationship with Sergeant Tate and the kindly Chief MacWilliams, who involves Pettigrew in helping solve the mystery.
Cyril Hare is one of my favourite of the republished Golden Age authors and I have enjoyed all the mysteries I have read by him and recommend him highly. 248 Another delightful whodunnit from Hare featuring his mild-mannered solicitor Francis Pettigrew - now married and moved to the suburbs. Hare has a deliciously dry sense of humour and makes much of the committee politics of the local town, complete with amateur orchestra. As usual, Francis doesn't really investigate but he does have access to local gossip and is an eye witness to all the arguments and lies that surround the murder. Hare ramps up the comedy factor with an earnest new police inspector and a slightly machiavellian Chief Constable - charming, witty and a complex plot that doesn't take itself too seriously. 248 I am really enjoying this Golden Age mystery series with middle-aged British solicitor Francis Pettigrew. Read with the Reading the Detectives group. This book is set right after World War II; Pettigrew is now married to his secretary in the last book, With a Bare Bodkin, another enjoyable and humorous mystery, set during the War among the workers in a fictional remote government office.
Our self-effacing hero (one of his delightful traits, in my opinion), has surprised himself at how completely he has settled into domesticity, despite the almost 20 year age difference, and the distance from London and his usual clubs and cronies from the legal world. His wife enjoys playing in an amateur local orchestra, so Pettigrew, at first consulted by the committee running the group for his legal acumen, has been drafted as a member. There is the usual group of humorous characters: a bossy boots battle axe who runs everything and everyone with an iron hand, but worships the brilliant, but rather scattered conductor, and defers also to the unmusical, yet almost-aristocratic secretary (I personally pictured a Hyacinth Bucket type…)
Anyway, the orchestra members are very excited, as a brilliant soloist is going to star in their next concert. Everything goes according to plan at the big rehearsal, until she is introduced to a substitute clarinetist, the two argue, the clarinetist refuses to play and storms off. The race is on to fill his spot in the few hours before the concert, a sub is found, given directions on where and when to come, and all seems well…
But when the conductor goes to the dressing room to escort the star onstage, she has been strangled, and pandemonium ensues.
What follows is a delightful look at small town post-war committee politics and policing. Pettigrew’s police contact in the first two books, the delightful Inspector Mallet of Scotland Yard, is not called in, but we get the insecure (thus rather uptight and pompous, but eager to succeed) young Trimble, and his boss, a very dry, low-key Scot, who just happens to be a friend of Mallet’s. He wants to save the sensitive pride of his fledgling detective, but also wants to get the killer and protect the reputation of his department. In a humorous scene at the crowded County Club lunchroom, he invites himself to join Pettigrew’s empty table, and as lunch is over and our reluctant hero thinks he has escaped being dragged into another murder investigation, Chief Constable MacWilliams nabs him.
It’s inevitable - Pettigrew was present at the fateful rehearsal, and when the murder was discovered - a few disparate, tenuous facts have been bothering him about the whole thing. He and MacWilliams work together very well behind the scenes, mulling the facts and suspect and witness interviews as Trimble and his sergeant do the investigating. I quite enjoyed this part! And the finale was handled very well, and Trimble’s pride emerged unscathed, after quite a few shifty suspects, with plenty to hide, ran him around in circles a bit. That’s one of the things I love about this series - all of Hares characters are very human, and naturally flawed, and he presents them as such, with gentle humor at their foibles. Never cruel, but always honest - I attribute it to Hare’s career as a solicitor, I’m sure he saw and met all kinds!
Very enjoyable outing, as once again, Pettigrew’s love of and knowledge of somewhat obscure legal facts point to a satisfying outcome. Looking forward to reading more by Cyril Hare. 248 Fun mystery. One of the clues turns on an allusion to David Copperfield and there's more of that kind of literary fun to be had. A nice weekend read. 248
Who murdered solo violinist Lucy Carless during a concert by the Markshire Orchestra? There are several suspects, any one of whom might have strangled her with a silk stocking. Was it her first husband? Or her second? Womanizer Bill Ventry? Or perhaps the clarinetist and fellow Polish émigré, Zbartorowski, with whom she’d had a violent argument? Lawyer Francis Pettigrew, as reluctant honorary treasurer to the Markshire Orchestral Society, finds himself caught up with assisting the police in their investigations.
(A Francis Pettigrew mystery) When the Wind Blows (Francis Pettigrew, #3)