JOHN CREASEY – Hunt the Toff. Richard Rollison (The Toff) #26. Walker, US, hardcover, 1969. Lancer 74658, US, paperback, no date stated [1970?]. Originally published in the UK by Evans, hardcover, 1952.

   There were 59 books about The Toff, 50 with Patrick Dawlish, 47 about The Baron, 43 with Inspector West. and a paltry 34 featuring Dr Palfrey. Even so, this totaled up comes to less than half of John Creasey’s prodigious output of over 600 detective novels. (You can do the math.)

   This one begins in fine fashion, and once begun, the action never seems to flag. While taking a much-needed vacation at a seaside resort, Rollinson rescues a young woman from a swim that becomes far too dangerous for her, thanks to a missing buoy.

   Not only has an obvious attempt been made on her life, but when that fails, she’s framed for the murder of her previous companion in crime. (She’s that kind of young woman, as it turns out.) Worse, Rollinson’s alibi for her does not hold up when she’s positively identified as the killer, putting The Toff at direct odds with the police for lying to them, and soon he’s even accused of being an accomplice.

   Hence the title of the book. Luckily Rollinson has a lot of friends to help keep him undercover long enough to clear his name. It’s a simple tale, one told without a lot of glitz and glamor, with just enough twist in the ending to make the 173 page journey, and a couple of hours on a flight from L.A. to CT, all the more worthwhile.