Clippings from the Past: Ask a Policeman by E.C.R. Lorac (1955)

Ron Stanforth, a young author, looking around for inspiration, chances to see a woman who seems to have stepped straight out of the Edwardian era. Fascinated by her attire and deportment and carriage, Roy asks the lady if he could help her in any way. The lady informs him that she is one Mary Moffat …

Three Vintage Mysteries

With little time to spare nowadays, here are brief reactions to reading of three mysteries. BATS IN THE BELFRY by E.C.R. LORAC (1937) The question that perplexed me after finishing Lorac's Bats in the Belfry was that how could a novel that began so promisingly, that had me gripped almost its entire length, end on …

Two Post-War Novels by E.C.R. Lorac: Shroud of Darkness (1954) and The Last Escape (1959)

Shroud of Darkness, my favourite of Lorac read so far, begins with a train journey on a foggy night. Five strangers in a compartment reach London when one of them is coshed on the head and left for dead. As he has no identification-papers on him and his luggage etc has been stolen, Macdonald has …

Short Notes: Black Beadle by E.C.R. Lorac (1939)

Conversations, conversations, and still more conversations. I don't think I have ever read a mystery in which there were so many conversations between the various characters. At times, it seemed Lorac was writing a Novel of Ideas rather than a mystery. And the situation is definitely serious. It is 1939 and the Jewish Question is …

FORGOTTEN BOOK: SPEAK JUSTLY OF THE DEAD by E.C.R. LORAC (1952)

After qualifying in 1939, Dr. Raymond Ferens, joined the R.A.M.C and was posted in the Far East when he was taken a prisoner by the Japanese. After the war was over, he took up practice in a mining town. However, the strenuous nature of the job, his war-time experience as well as the not-so-congenial environment …

Three Recommendations

You will all agree that one of the best things about blogging is discovering new authors and books. This year, I read quite a few books that were recommended by fellow bloggers. Here are brief sketches of three such books.FEAR by L. Ron Hubbard (1940)I knew of L. Ron Hubbard as the founder of Scientology …

Review: The Slippery Staircase by E.C.R Lorac

When Caird's housekeeper showed his visitor to the door a few moments later, the old actor stood and listened as Flemming's footsteps died away beyond the closed door. He had turned to the right, towards the staircase which led to the upper part of the house, not to the left, towards the descending flight.Caird shrugged …

The Spider caught in its Own Web: Murder of a Martinet

It was after midnight when Macdonald heard the faintest of faint sounds on the floor above. Indeed it was hardly a sound at all,more a tiny vibration which told of movement, as though all the resting floorboards communicated a change in stress. As always, after a period of silent waiting, Macdonald felt that faint stirring reflected in …