Thu 14 Jul 2016
Reviewed by William F. Deeck: DAVID FROME – The Black Envelope.
Posted by Steve under Reviews[3] Comments
William F. Deeck
DAVID FROME – The Black Envelope. Farrar & Rinehart, hardcover, 1937. Popular Library, paperback, circa 1965. Published in the UK as The Guilt Is Plain, Longmans Green & Co., hardcover, 1938.
That timid detective manqué, Evan Pinkerton, is in Brighton for the first time in fifteen years to enjoy the seashore. What he gets is foul weather — and foul play at the Royal Pavilion, where someone, probably part of her household sticks a knife in the odious Mrs. Isom.
Lots of coincidence here, not least of which is the presence of Inspector Bull in Brighton at the time the murder takes place. Once he finds out what “take it on the lam” means, Mr. Pinkerton takes it, loses his clothes, and finally has to admit he was on the scene when the murder took place.
Frome (aka Leslie Ford) writes well. Once you’ve adjusted to the coincidences and Pinkerton’s being not just rabbity but virtually hag-ridden at the beginning, you can enjoy a complex fair-play mystery.
July 14th, 2016 at 1:21 pm
I’ve read only one of David Frome’s Mr Pinkerton books, that one being HOMICIDE HOUSE (1950). My review of it, from over 8 years ago, can be found here:
https://mysteryfile.com/blog/?p=600
Included in the review, a long one, is a list of all the Pinkerton books.
My conclusion, as stated somewhere close to the end:
“The latter’s [Mr Pikerton] not much of a detective, or at least he’s not in this book.”
But otherwise I see I had a lot to say about it.
July 19th, 2016 at 1:41 am
I recall enjoying one Pinkerton outing, but he and the aptly named Bull did not sit well over the course. I never could figure out just what Mr. Pinkerton did other than stumble onto crime. He certainly isn’t a detective.
August 18th, 2018 at 3:55 am
I love these books by David Frome. I discovered them in the last few months and I have read almost all the Pinkerton Books. The combination of his timid self and murder along with some of the things that happen to him make me chuckle. But the plots are first rate pre-WWII golden mystery Era to me.