Edward Lane – once almost awarded the Military Cross, for his valour during the first world war – has fallen so low in the aftermath of the second one, that he now blackmails people and both consumes and peddles drugs. When the novel opens, Ted is thinking of blackmailing four people but since one of them happens to be a powerful lawyer, Ted is worried that the man might have him killed. So what does he do? He invites all the four people at what he calls a ‘reunion party’ and demands 500 pounds from each. Only they turn the table on him and instead of paying meekly threaten him with dire consequences. Talk of ironies!
Ted now goes in mortal fear of his life. A stranger leaning against a pillar, a stranger met on a train, a girl met in a party, a car/ lorry driver, a pick-pocket, even a neighbour … all take sinister hues. And Death is everywhere…all thoughts, all conversations turn to that grim reaper. Sleeping, waking… it stalks him. Meanwhile the four have decided, after a game of draws, that whoever gets the black draught will be the one to finish Ted’s miserable life. Poor Ted doesn’t stand a chance against such determination.
Anthony Gilbert has the knack of making the reader feel sympathetic towards even despicable characters. And so yes, I did feel sorry for the wretched Edward as he looks back:
He was feeling all at sea, thinking confusedly, “This can’t be happening to me, not to Teddy Lane, who started with such high hopes, and good friends once and a good name.” Where had he gone wrong, taken the crooked path? He tried to look over his shoulder, but the past was a blur.
The murderer was not difficult to guess since I read a conversation correctly and the second death was kind of unnecessary. I also felt that Arthur Crook was not really in his element here but his reveal of the final twist was good. That point hadn’t struck me at all! All in all, another winner from Gilbert after the vastly entertaining The Mouse who wouldn’t play Ball.
The book is dedicated to ‘Georgina with the author’s love’. Anybody knows who is this Georgina?
*
First Line: Teddy Lane was pulling a flower to pieces, a rose that, characteristically, he had neither bought nor grown, but had picked up from the pavement where someone had dropped it.
Publication Details: 1953. London: Collins (The Crime Club), 1953.
Series: Arthur Crook #27
Pages: 192
Alternate Titles: Black Death/ Dark Death
a hot cup of pleasure 
I agree, Neeru. Trust Gilbert to add enough depth to his characters that you actually do have some sympathy, even for the unpleasant ones. It’s interesting, too, that he uses that, ‘Don’t look behind you’ sort of suspense. You know what’s going to happen, but not when, and that can build tension!
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I love Gilbert’s characterisation, Margot, and have noticed that usually there are certain redeeming features in even the villains. It certainly adds depth to the characters and doesn’t make them cardboard-like.
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I owned a copy of that Pyramid GREEN DOOR MYSTERY paperback of DARK DEATH. It now resides at the State of New York at Buffalo Special Libraries. I wish I could claim to have read it…but I’ve only read the first dozen or so Anthony Gilbert mysteries.
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Oh I am sorry that you didn’t read the book George before giving it away. It certainly reads different from the mysteries that I have read. I also wish you had donated your formidable collection to an online library like the Open Library as that would have made the books available to everyone in the world rather to denizens of just one place.
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I’ve only read one by Gilbert – Death in Fancy Dress – and didn’t rate it very highly. However it wasn’t an Arthur Crook book. I’ve come across Crook in short stories and quite enjoyed him. And I liked her Portrait of a Murderer writing as Anne Meredith. Hmm, maybe I’ll give her Gilbert persona another chance…
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FF, I don’t think Death in Fancy dress is a good introduction to Anthony Gilbert and I am kind of surprised that the British Library chose that title to republish. Something like Death Knocks Three Times or The Mouse who wouldn’t paly Ball is a far better book to begin your Gilbert journey. I do hope that you give Gilbert another chance.
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