Leo Bruce (1903–1979)

A collection of short stories (some of them extremely short indeed) that Rupert Croft-Cooke aka Leo Bruce apparently wrote for various newspapers. There's a long introduction by Barry Pike that provides interesting context about the author and his creation Sergeant Beef and is worth the read. The collection is comprised of four longer stories featuring Sergeant Beef, plus a miscellany of other shorter tales, some told from the perspective of detectives, some from the perspective of the murderers themselves.

The stories are competently told and, despite their extremely limited length, often contain multiple suspects, multiple motives, and even a red herring or two, which takes some skill. Other than that, though, I'm not sure there's a lot to recommend them: after the first couple, they begin to feel repetitive and unimaginative; also, more often than not, their solutions rely on information that isn't shared with the reader in advance, so they don't even work as puzzles. They were apparently good enough for newspapers, but as a collection I'm not convinced (despite Pike's protestations) that they provide any useful new insights into Bruce's cleverness or craft.

Not a bad read - just not an especially rewarding one. If you have a choice, definitely invest your time in one of Bruce's full-length Beef novels (The Case for Three Detectives is a hoot) rather than this rather banal collection.… (plus d'informations)

During a weekend party at the Thurston’s the conversation turned to crime. Norris, a writer, was the most vocal on the subject of mysteries and their solutions. Williams, an attorney, had another take on it. Strickland, a young man whose interest was fast cars, gambling and was a very close friend of the Thurstons also added to the conversation. Little did they know there would be a real murder and real detectives would be called in.

A prank concocted by the hosts became a reality. — a locked door mystery that brought in three detectives, who each came up with three different solid solutions of their own.

While the investigations were going on, Sergeant Beef, the village policeman, had already solved the case to his own satisfaction.

The three detectives: Lord Simon Plimsole, M. Amer Picon and Monsignor Smith have strong similarities to to other well-known fictional detectives. Sergeant Beef has respect for them and their sophisticated solutions, but he relies on what his knowledge is from regular police investigation.

This is a fun read of a parody of the mystery genre. Written during the 1930s when the mystery was coming into its Golden Age.… (plus d'informations)

Carolus Deene, a teacher at an English public school, has had jaundice and is off to a waterside resort to rest and recuperate.

And then two older women are strangled on the same night. They are found in the same position, each with a small spray of white lilies on their chests. There doesn’t seem to be any connection, other than the murder circumstances, between the two. Is a maniac at work? Is there in fact a hidden connection? Carolus takes on the case, first reluctantly and then with an increasing sense of urgency. Is he clever enough to prevent a third murder?

Don’t look for complex character development here. The characters are interesting, but this is a straightforward old-fashioned mystery, very much in the style of the Golden Age classics. Smart dialogue and good plotting make this one a winner.… (plus d'informations)

In any murder mystery featuring an amateur sleuth, members of the police force are almost always too quick to jump to the wrong conclusions, if they aren't portrayed as being downright stupid. This cliche gets turned on its ear in “Case for Three Detectives” (1936) by Leo Bruce.

Bruce gives us a classic locked-room mystery, so common at that time. A group of people are guests at the home of Dr. Thurston and his wife. Soon after Mrs. Thurston goes up to bed, the others hear a scream. After her securely locked bedroom door is broken open, she is found with her throat cut. There is an open window behind her, and a knife is found in the yard. How did the murder happen? How did the killer get away? Who could have done it when the others were gathered in a room below?

The next day three famous amateur detectives show up: Lord Simon Plimsoll (patterned after Lord Peter Wimsey), Monsieur Amer Picon (Hercule Poirot) and Monsignor Smith (Father Brown). Also present is Sergeant Beef, the local police officer, who immediately declares that he knows who the murderer is and how the crime was committed. Nobody believes him, however, or even asks him to explain. He has been told by his superiors to allow the three distinguished detective to complete their investigations before making an arrest, and so Beef sits in the background while Plimsoll, Picon and Smith do their thing in the manner fans of Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie and G.K. Chesterton will be familiar with.

In the end, each of the three detectives names a different murderer and explains a totally different manner in which the crime was committed. And each brilliant deduction seems entirely convincing. But then Sgt. Beef tells what really happened, and offers the proof that the other three lacked.

Bruce gives us four -- make that five -- possible solutions to a crime that seems to have no solution at all. His novel is a treat for any fan of classic mysteries, and especially for fans of Wimsey, Poirot and/or Brown.… (plus d'informations)