Overall the book is pretty lightly witty and written well with a strong sense of place around the solicitors office this all takes part in, and the mystery does work well mechanics wise and ties in cleverly with lots of minor scattered clues but... I admit I found the ending a little unsatisfying emotionally even though technically it's totally fine. I think the problem is that there are so many characters in the book which inevitably means they only get so much attention and even though the writer handled each character deftly enough that they all gave a good impression it's still hard to keep track of them and they don't really get a chance to have any particular emotional depth. The ending really doesn't go into any sort of depth with the wrapping up and the motive although technically legitimate doesn't feel satisfying.

3 stars is maybe a bit mean but the denouement is so important in mystery novels and I just didn't get that sense of satisfaction and understanding and emotional payoff that I really look for even though the rest of the book is technically highly proficient and deftly handled. ( )

Michael Gilbert quickly, apparently with this book right here, became a standard and a dependable in British crime fiction.
I know I have been a fan since the first of his works I read, especially his Calder and Behrens entries.
Any time you're looking for something light but engrossing, nearly always you can count on Michael Gilbert. "Smallbone Deceased" is a classic. ( )

A good, solid, classic mystery; I enjoyed it very much. ( )

The London legal firm of Horniman, Birley and Craine is a respected one which caters largely to the aristocracy—except then the body of a client is found crammed inside a deed box. Between them the newly qualified John Bohun, who's recently joined the firm, and Inspector Hazlerigg of Scotland Yard must figure out who killed the aptly named Mr Smallbone, and why. A classic puzzle mystery with some good dry humour and some neatly observed characters. A really solid way of scratching the whodunnit itch. ( )

Smallbone Deceased by Michael Gilbert is a 1950 mystery novel. The author, being a lawyer himself, set this mystery in a London solicitor’s office and, as Dorothy Sayers did for advertising in Murder Must Advertise, gives the reader a fishbowl look at the inner workings of a 1950s law office.

The day to day business of contracts, trust funds and conveyance work is shattered with the discovery of a body concealed in a large deed box. Investigating the case is Scotland Yard’s Chief Inspector Hazlerigg, ably assisted by Henry Bohun, a new employee of the firm of Horniman, Birley and Craine. As the employees of the firm, including secretaries, clerks and partners are interviewed, plenty of red herrings are dished out and the police are kept busy tracking down alibi’s and finances.

The author uses his knowledge to give Smallbone Deceased an authentic setting, adds in some interesting characters and plenty of witty conversation to give this clever puzzle some depth and originality. Overall this was a very enjoyable read. ( )