Fri 28 Oct 2011
A Review by Ray O’Leary: ELIZABETH LEMARCHAND – Who Goes Home?
Posted by Steve under Authors , Bibliographies, Lists & Checklists , Reviews[9] Comments
ELIZABETH LEMARCHAND – Who Goes Home? Walker, US, hardcover, 1987. No US paperback edition. UK edition: Piatkus, hardcover, 1986.
Vacationing Chief Superintendent Tom Pollard and his wife go hiking through the Crownmoor District and, while resting near a dilapidated farmhouse, see it visited by a young man who, finding no one home, soon leaves.
The next night, the house is heavily damaged by a fire of suspicious origin. Shortly afterward, someone is killed in a hit-and-run accident, carrying drugs and a map to the farmhouse. Police, digging through the rubble for more information, discover a twenty-year-dead skeleton, and Scotland Yard — meaning Pollard and his assistant Inspector Toye — is called in.
The trouble with this one, besides the fact that none of the characters show any sign of life, is that I guessed the identity of the skeleton’s original owner almost as soon as it was dug up. Add to this massive doses of coincidence used to help Pollard solve the case, and you have what Mystery Aficionados refer to as a Real Clunkeroo.
ELIZABETH LEMARCHAND. 1906-2000. Series Character: Insp./Supt. Tom Pollard in all.
* The Affacombe Affair, 1968.
* Alibi for a Corpse, 1969.
* Death on Doomsday, 1971.
* Cyanide with Compliments, 1972.
* Let or Hindrance, 1973.
* Buried in the Past, 1974.
* Step in the Dark, 1976.
* Unhappy Returns , 1977.
* Suddenly While Gardening, 1978.
* Change for the Worse, 1980.
* Nothing to Do with the Case, 1981.
* Troubled Waters, 1982.
* The Wheel Turns, 1983.
* Light Through Glass, 1984.
* Who Goes Home?, 1986.
* The Glade Manor Murder, 1988.
Previously on this blog: Suddenly While Gardening (reviewed by Steve Lewis)
October 28th, 2011 at 10:34 pm
Early in her career, Lemarchand’s books were described as being “in the best Agatha Christie tradition,” as you should be able to read on one of the covers shown.
From my limited experience, I wouldn’t say that they were that good, but publishers being publishers, they easily grabbed up any quote they could to promote their books.
I’d say her books were about average, in the solid British police novel tradition.
But what to make of Ray’s assessment of this one? A clunkeroo, no less.
I’d say take Lemarchand’s age into account. She was 80 when she wrote WHO GOES HOME? (That sentence is not intended to be a question.)
I know a lot of mystery writers wrote well into their 80s, and beyond, but — let’s be honest — how many of these books were among the best work of their careers?
October 31st, 2011 at 2:47 pm
I’ve enjoyed all the Lemarchand I’ve read -including this one – I agree it’s not one of her best but I still finished reading it in less than a day and I wasn’t disappointed in the ending. Pollard and Toye are likeable characters and the settings of the books, more often than not in the English West Country, are usually well-drawn.
November 2nd, 2011 at 6:30 pm
BUMP ?
The Doc
November 2nd, 2011 at 9:56 pm
I talked to Steve on 10/27, he said he’d been under the weather the last two, three days. Hope all okay!
November 3rd, 2011 at 12:33 am
I figured something was probably awry, but I didn’t want to seem like I didn’t get that blog-runners are entitled to have a life that isn’t centered around providing me with content. 🙂
If you are sick or injured, Steve, feel better soon. I’ll be happy to see you when you’re back…
November 3rd, 2011 at 2:41 am
Steve,
I hope it is nothing serious, get well, and come back !
The Doc
November 3rd, 2011 at 4:55 am
Steve,
Please get well soon!
The NorthEast USA has been full of terrible snow storms. This can really give people bad colds and flu.
November 3rd, 2011 at 7:22 am
Parts of Connecticut got a lot of snow and hundreds of thousands are still without any power. Don’t know if Steve is one of them.
November 4th, 2011 at 8:53 am
Hope you’ve recovered, Steve. All my students are sick with something. And I hope you have power. Five years ago, Western NY was hit with an October storm and we were without power for two days (others didn’t get power for TWO WEEKS!).