Tue 6 Oct 2015
Reviewed by William F. Deeck: WILLIAM GORE – There’s Death In The Churchyard.
Posted by Steve under Authors , Bibliographies, Lists & Checklists , Reviews[5] Comments
William F. Deeck
WILLIAM GORE – There’s Death In The Churchyard. George G. Harrap, UK, hardcover,1934. No US publication.
Pondersby Jonson becomes ill in the church at Sutton Eacham. When helped out of the church after the services by his host, Captain Stoyner, squire of the village, Jonson expires, but not before accusing his host of having murdered him.
Stoyner and Jonson had had a fierce argument the night before; Stoyner possessed the poison used to commit the murder; Jonson, a financial ‘shark’ from the city, was trying to do down the good captain; Stoyner was the only one who could have administered the poison if what he says about the poison is true.
It seems like an open-and-shut case. The villagers are all convinced that the squire did it, although their opinion is that the murder was certainly justifiable. Stoyner puts up no defence at the coroner’s hearing, his opinion being that if the jurors don’t want to believe a chap with his breeding, background, and record, so much the worse for them. They don’t justify his faith.
During the trial itself, he will not allow himself to be defended by a barrister. If it costs £2000 for an obviously, or so he claims, innocent man to be found not guilty, then there really isn’t any justice.
Luckily, this rather headstrong and proud man has a few believers and supporters. The vicar, married to Stoyner’s sister-in-law, finally spots, during one of his tedious sermons, how and why the murder was committed.
This is a well-plotted, well-written, and amusing novel, with an unusually true-to-life private detective. It also has one of the few acceptable children in the genre, which makes it worth reading on that count alone.
Bibliography:
WILLIAM GORE: pseudonym of Jan Gordon, 1882-1944.
There’s Death in the Churchyard. Harrap, UK, 1934.
Death in the Wheelbarrow. Harrap, UK, 1935; Mystery House, US, 1940 as by Jan Gordon. [Insp. Ernest Penk]
Murder Most Artistic. Harrap, UK, 1937; published in the US by Doubleday, 1938. [Insp. Ernest Penk]
October 6th, 2015 at 6:41 pm
A scarce book. There are two copies offered for sale at the present time, a First Edition but ex-library copy for $80, and a second printing in Dust Jacket, but poor condition, for $200.
I do not know who the private detective is, the one Bill referred to in his final paragraph, and alas I probably never will.
October 6th, 2015 at 6:45 pm
“do down” vb (tr, adverb)
1. to belittle or humiliate
2. to deceive or cheat
October 7th, 2015 at 3:31 am
Wonder where Wiliam came across this little gem?
October 7th, 2015 at 8:47 am
I think he bought a lot of books from Jeff Meyerson, who specialized in selling old British mysteries. And going back 22 years ago, there was still a decent supply of books that have all but disappeared now. (But of course without the Internet, it was a lot more difficult to come across a specific book you might be looking for.)
From his review, I’d agree with your characterization of this particular book as a “little gem.”
October 7th, 2015 at 2:39 pm
To paraphrase a famous line about the victim in Bentley’s TRENT’S LAST CASE, Pondersby Jonson as a name is also a valid motive for murder.
Sounds like an interesting one though.