Wed 3 Nov 2010
Reviewed by William F. Deeck: SELDON TRUSS – Where’s Mr. Chumley?
Posted by Steve under Authors , Reviews[5] Comments
William F. Deeck
SELDON TRUSS – Where’s Mr. Chumley? Doubleday Crime Club, hardcover, 1948. Hodder & Stoughton, UK, hardcover, 1949. Reprinted in Two Complete Detective Books, No. 59, November 1949.
Where indeed is the Reverend Mr. Chumley, curate at Charwell? The police suspect that he is off with an illicit lover, but those who know the good man are dubious, perhaps incredulous. As well they might be, for the unfinished letter to his “lover” turns out to be a forgery.
Under the guise of a commercial gentleman, Chief Inspector Gidleigh, C.I.D., takes charge of the investigation into Chumley’s disappearance and has also to contend with a possible abortionist, a seeming suicide, and the odious Mr. Twigg. Nobody’s fool, Gidleigh gets part of it right.
While Truss is not in the top rank of mystery writers, he (she?) is certainly high in the second tier. Humor, interesting and sympathetic characters, if one does not count the child Maisie of the marbly eyes, and a splendid plot make this novel, as well as others by Truss, worth trying to find.
Bio-Bibliographic Data: If (Leslie) Seldon Truss (1892-1990) is not male, I hope someone will leave a comment to let us know. His (I am presuming) writing career extended from 1928 to 1969, and included some 40 crime novels, including one written as by George Selmark.
Inspector Gidleigh appeared in 22 or 23 of these (when one non-Gidleigh book was reprinted, Gidleigh showed up in it as the detective in charge), while Detective Inspector Shane appeared in six and Inspector Bass in yet another three.
[UPDATE] 11-07-10. From Victor Berch comes the following note about Seldon Truss:
“Here is what I’ve managed to gather from a variety of records: Leslie Seldon Truss was the son of George Marquand, an agent for a produce company, and Ann Blanch (Seldon) Truss on August 21, 1892 in Wallington, Surrey, England.
“According to his enlistment record in WW I, he had previously been a film producer for Gaumont Film Co. On the record dated Oct 8, 1915, he lists his age as 23 years and 2 months. He served with the 2nd Scots Guard during WW I.
“He died Feb 5, 1990 at Hastings and Rother, East Sussex, England. He was a member of the Society of Authors and the Crime Writers Association. I think this should clear up his sex gender once and for all.”
November 3rd, 2010 at 7:48 pm
Since many of Truss’s postwar output was published in this country by Doubleday’s Crime Club, I have many of these. I’ve never been tempted to read one, though, until now, and even though Bill says this one has “sympathetic characters” and a “splendid plot,” I’m still on the fence about it.
In terms of availability, in case you are also so tempted, there are two copies of the Doubleday edition now on ABE, one of the pulp reprint, and one of the British hardcover.
A scarcity of supply usually means high asking prices, but not in this case. I don’t think many people remember Seldon Truss today, much less collect him.
July 18th, 2012 at 9:22 am
He is definitely a man. He had a son called Marquand, who was one of my friends at Grenoble University 1955-6. Marquand told me his father wrote books.
July 18th, 2012 at 12:15 pm
Thanks for finding your way to my blog, Margaret, and for leaving your comment above. The world is certainly a lot smaller place with the Internet around to help make connections like this.
August 5th, 2014 at 1:22 pm
100% Male, he was my Grandfather! Just looking into the family history so it’s very interesting to find articles about him.
Apparently he also wrote some ‘Blue’ stories when in WW1 to cheer up the soldiers, to my knowledge none remain.
Minor update, he died at home, on a beautiful spring day in Ticehurst, E Sussex.
January 28th, 2017 at 2:40 pm
PLEASE pass this message to Sophie Seldon Truss, posted here on August 5th, 2014 at 1.22 pm: I have been trying for years to reach Marquand your father – a dear friend(I was his best man!). I have also met you, Sophie, years ago at your home in Ticehurst in the 90’s, although you probably wouldn’t remember. I would be SO grateful for an address/e-mail which would reach him; last I heard he was working in France, as an Estate Agent, but I got no answer from the only address I had at the time. I would be SO pleased to hear from him again. With many thanks, James Smith-Ross.