Thu 10 Aug 2017
Reviewed by William F. Deeck: CHRISTOPHER BUSH – The Perfect Murder Case.
Posted by Steve under Reviews[5] Comments
William F. Deeck
CHRISTOPHER BUSH – The Perfect Murder Case. Ludovic Travers #2. Wm Heinemann, UK, hardcover, 1929. Doubleday Crime Club, US, hardcover, 1929. US hardcover reprints: P. F. Collier & Son; Grosset & Dunlap [no dates given]. UK hardcover reprint: Howard Baker Ltd, 1970.
A letter sent to the London dailies and to Scotland Yard tells them that the writer, “Marius,†is going to commit the perfect murder. A second letter is transmitted giving further information, and then a third and final letter sets forth the night and in what area the crime will be committed.
The murder takes place as outlined, and it indeed appears to be a perfect one. The murdered man is apparently detested by all who know him, including his nephews who stand to inherit a goodly sum. But while Scotland Yard’s investigation focuses on the nephews, each has what seems to be an unimpeachable alibi.
What Marius had not counted on, however, is the interest taken in the case by Durangos Unlimited and its Enquiry Agency, aided and abetted by the curiosity and insights of Ludovic Travers. Without them, Scotland Yard would have remained baffled, despite the thoroughness of its investigation.
This is an excellent example of a mystery from the golden age, well written and interesting. If I have any complaint about it, it would be that Travers is not more prominent throughout the book.
Bibliographic Note: Ludovic Travers appeared in a grand total of 61 detective novels, spanning a time period of over 40 years, from 1926 to 1968.
August 10th, 2017 at 7:43 pm
I liked this book too.
A link to this review has been added to my Bush articles:
http://mikegrost.com/coles.htm#Bush
Am now up to reviews of 11 Bush books. Still less than one-fifth of his output.
August 10th, 2017 at 8:32 pm
Thanks for the link, Mike. I’ve read only one or two mayself, maybe three, which means I really have a long way to go. The ones I read were no more than average and didn’t give me a lot of impetus to track down more. Bill Deeck liked this one, though, and I’ll go right now to see what you thought of the ones you read.
August 10th, 2017 at 10:31 pm
Many Bush books are best in sections. They are not sustained throughout – but have good passages. Bush was especially good at investigations of crime scenes. He also excelled at depicting business.
August 10th, 2017 at 11:24 pm
I read and enjoyed several Travers outings though, as Mike says, they are not a sustained joy so much as an intermittent one.
August 10th, 2019 at 12:15 pm
[…] Murder Case has been reviewed at gadetection, Northern Reader, The Grandest Game in the World, Mystery File, Mike Grost, ‘Do You Write Under Your Own Name?’, and Beneath the Stains of Time among […]