Thu 12 Jun 2014
Reviewed by William F. Deeck: GUY COMPTON – Disguise for a Dead Gentleman.
Posted by Steve under Authors , Bibliographies, Lists & Checklists , Characters , Reviews[3] Comments
William F. Deeck
GUY COMPTON – Disguise for a Dead Gentleman. John Long, UK, hardcover, 1964. No US edition.
Not a happy one is the life of the confidence man, particularly one as inept as Graham Boyce. Hating his brother and embittered at not having attended what would appear to be a second-class public school, Boyce is planning to impersonate his brother at the school’s centenary celebration and sell some worthless stock to one of the old boys.
Unfortunately, Boyce did not know that his accomplice, whom he asked to take up with any graduate of the school in order to be invited to the ceremonies, would choose Ben Anderson, the best friend of Boyce’s brother at the school, mystery writer, and detective manqué . After Anderson arrives for the celebration, two deaths occur at the school.
As I read this book I had the feeling that Compton was a good writer who could — and really should — have done better for his characters and his plot. Though the novel does leave some dissatisfaction, I would be willing to try another of Compton’s works.
The Ben Anderson series —
Too Many Murderers. Long, 1962.
Medium for Murder. Long, 1963.
Dead on Cue. Long, 1964.
Disguise for a Dead Gentleman. Long, 1964.
High Tide for Hanging.Long, 1965.
Bibliographic Note: While I was getting this review ready to post, I discovered that Guy Compton has to be a lot better known to science fiction fans than he is to mystery fans. Most of his SF novels were as by D. G. Compton, many of them published in the US as paperbacks.
June 13th, 2014 at 9:26 am
During the Seventies, Compton was also “Frances Lynch” for five paperback gothics.
June 13th, 2014 at 9:30 am
Jerry
Yes, when I was trying to see what I could find out about Compton, I came across that too. Since I collect those old Gothic paperbacks from the 70s, I have a couple of Frances Lynch books, but of course I’ve never read them. I wonder if anyone reading this blog ever has!
June 13th, 2014 at 4:34 pm
Read the D.G. Compton, but not the Lynch. Amazing how many men like Norman Daniels, Peter O’Donnell, and Mike Avallone lurked behind those Gothic pseudonyms.