Sun 16 Nov 2025
JOHN CREASEY – The Scene of the Crime. Inspector Roger West. Berkley F1245, paperback; 1st printing thus, June 1966. Published earlier by Hodder & Stoughton, UK, hardcover, 1961, and by Charles Scribner’s Sons, US, hardcover, 1961.
It is not particularly pleasant to watch a man plan and carry out two murders that, with his logic, seem almost straightforward and natural. A warped mind is revealed with all of its rationalities, and more chilling because of that. What can you say about a man who loves his family so much that he will kill them so they will never learn the truth about him?
Inspector West’s family becomes involved when they go house-hunting, only to find the one the murderer’s wife has her heart set on it. And his sons do a bit of Hardy boys adventuring, though much more dangerous, as part of first love, with the murderer’s daughters.
A case is built against the wrong man, doubt sets in, and that case so carefully constructed must somehow be torn down, Since knowledge of the real murderer is the reader’s from the beginning, a sense of urgency floods over everything.
Human interest deduction, with the emphasis on “human.”
Rating: *****
November 17th, 2025 at 6:51 am
Big Creasey fan here, and Roger West is my second most favorite character from his large body of work. (My favorite is George Gideon; evidently his most popular character was The Toff.)
For the most part, the West books are interesting page-turners, but a few clunkers showed up in the series, such as when “Handsome” West was kidnapped by baddies and given a face lift, or when the bad guys stole the Magna Carta. In the main, though, the series is fun, West is a great character, and almost all of the books are recommended.
November 17th, 2025 at 12:52 pm
I’d go with the Toff as my favorite Creasey character too, but Roger West is close behind. Overall, though, I’m not as big as Creasey fan as I used to be. I don’t believe I’ve read one of his books in maybe 10 years. He’s the kind of writer, as I recall, whom I’ve surprised how much I can enjoy them when I start them not expecting a lot.
November 17th, 2025 at 3:01 pm
As a followup, I don’t believe that this book is really worth five stars. Take that with the usual grain of salt. The best of Creasey is, by any critical standard not nearly as good as the worst of anyone at the level of, say, a Raymond Chandler.
November 17th, 2025 at 11:19 pm
The best West stories like this combine suspense, his human side as a family man, good plots, and a bit of action. Creasey also manages to throw in bits of research seamlessly into the flow.
November 18th, 2025 at 10:49 am
I’ve read over 50 John Creasey books with at least another 50 sitting on my shelves waiting to be read.
The Toff books are a lot of fun. The Roger West books are more serious. Like Jerry House, I’m a big Gideon fan.
As Bill Crider might have said, “Good, but not great.”
November 18th, 2025 at 11:57 am
Many of the John Creasey books that I bought new back in the 60s and 70s are now listed on Amazon with me as a third party seller. They have accumulated there slowly over the years, but the sad thing is that I’ve never sold one of them. Today’s readers have no interest in his books. I wish I could say better, and there are a lot of factors involved, but I can’t help but think that it is their loss.
November 18th, 2025 at 8:22 pm
Creasey is having a good run in Ebook form, particularly his Gordon Craigie and Patrick Dawlish books. Quite a few Toff, Gideon, West, Baron, and Dr. Palfrey titles and his bestseller MASTERS OF BOW STREET are available.
November 19th, 2025 at 6:49 pm
I just finished “Doorway of Death” another West book last week. I was surprised and how it drew me in and how violent it ended.
I really like The Toff, The Baron and West. I have to read more of the others.
November 19th, 2025 at 7:38 pm
All this conversation is persuading me to read more of Creasey myself. It’s been a while, as I think I said earlier. Too long!