Readers can revisit the Golden Age of crime fiction this month with a selection of classic novels. Barry Turner reviewed three titles for the Daily Mail: Vernon Loder's "Death of an Editor," E. W. Hornung's "Raffles, Gentleman Thief," and Michael Gilbert's "Anything for a Quiet Life."
"Death of an Editor," originally by Vernon Loder, is set in the 1930s and centers on the investigation of a newspaper proprietor's leading editor, who is found dead with a torn document fragment vital to national security. The mystery unfolds at the stately home of Sir James Sitheby, where an unassuming detective, Inspector Brews, navigates a cast of characters seeking favor or secrets. A second murder escalates the pressure in this rediscovered work from the Golden Age.
E. W. Hornung's "Raffles, Gentleman Thief" features the titular character, a "lovable rogue" who, along with his sidekick Bunny Manders, targets the idle rich. Despite being related by marriage to Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, Hornung's creation focused on less savory characters. The collection of short stories showcases audacious plots and offers a contrast to the more justice-oriented adventures of Holmes and Watson.
"Anything for a Quiet Life" by Michael Gilbert presents a collection of stories centered on the life of Jonas Pickett, a country solicitor. The cases Pickett handles are described as packed with human interest and surprises, ranging from preparing a will for a non-existent person, which leads to a brush with terrorism, to disputes over buried treasure and the chaos of an annual fair. Gilbert, a former solicitor himself, is noted as a superb storyteller whose work has yet to be widely adapted for television.
