Rather a grim case -- isolated house burned down with apparently three deaths. ( )

Some people really have an aversion to Inspector French and Freeman Wills Crofts. The usual problem seems to be that Crofts is a bit of a plodder, a bit on the dull side and with a tendency to not inspire very much. Frankly that's rather the appeal for me. I like the way that a crime takes a matter of months rather than weeks to solve. I like seeing dead ends and false leads. I like the fact that French gets there through hard work and diligence rather than unconvincing intuition or deductions. He's far from perfect - I have no idea what Crofts was thinking when he decided it would be endearing for French to be so obsessed with getting promoted - but at his best, which I really think he is in this book, he's easily one of the finest creations of the golden age. ( )