Robin Forsythe (1879–1937)
Author of The Ginger Cat Mystery
Series
Works by Robin Forsythe
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Forsythe, Robert
- Other names
- Dingwall, Peter
- Birthdate
- 1879
- Date of death
- 1937
- Gender
- male
- Short biography
- Robin Forsythe was born Robert Forsythe in 1879. His place of birth was Sialkot, in modern day Pakistan. His mother died when a younger brother was born two years later, and ‘Robin’ was brought up by an ayah until he was six, when he returned to the United Kingdom, and went to school in Glasgow and Northern Ireland. In his teens he had short stories and poetry published and went to London wanting to be a writer.
He married in 1909 and had a son the following year, later working as a clerk at Somerset House in London when he was arrested for theft and fraud in 1928. Sentenced to fifteen months, he began to write his first detective novel in prison.
On his release in 1929 Robin Forsythe published his debut, Missing or Murdered. It introduced Anthony ‘Algernon’ Vereker, an eccentric artist with an extraordinary flair for detective work. It was followed by four more detective novels in the Vereker series, ending with The Spirit Murder Mystery in 1936. All the novels are characterized by the sharp plotting and witty dialogue which epitomize the more effervescent side of golden age crime fiction.
Robin Forsythe died in 1937.
(from http://www.deanstreetpress.co.uk/auth... ) - Nationality
- UK
- Birthplace
- Sialkot, India
- Places of residence
- London, England, UK
- Associated Place (for map)
- UK
Members
Reviews
The 1929 mystery Missing or Murdered by Robin Forsythe is the first book in a series of detective novels that featured amateur detective Algernon Vereker. The book opens with artist Vereker learning that his friend Lord Bygrave has gone missing and it is feared that he may have met with foul play. Vereker decides to investigate alongside of Scotland Yard Detective-Inspector Heather. In fact, during the course of the investigation, DI Heather and Vereker act at times together but most often show more apart and develop a friendly rivalry.
I enjoyed the banter that occurred between DI Heather and Vereker as the book was quite slow moving. Each suspect was separately interviewed by both men and then they would get together and compare notes and come up with ideas of how and why the crime could have been committed. Eventually the pieces are put together in the correct way and the solution to the mystery is found.
While it isn’t known at first whether we are reading about a murder, an accidental death, a kidnapping or a deliberate disappearance, the varied characters keep the story interesting. There are plenty of red herrings along the way to the final outcome which keeps the reader engaged and guessing. I am always happy to discover another “Golden Age” mystery author and even though I felt the book moved quite slowly, I will be reading more of Robin Forsythe’s novels. show less
I enjoyed the banter that occurred between DI Heather and Vereker as the book was quite slow moving. Each suspect was separately interviewed by both men and then they would get together and compare notes and come up with ideas of how and why the crime could have been committed. Eventually the pieces are put together in the correct way and the solution to the mystery is found.
While it isn’t known at first whether we are reading about a murder, an accidental death, a kidnapping or a deliberate disappearance, the varied characters keep the story interesting. There are plenty of red herrings along the way to the final outcome which keeps the reader engaged and guessing. I am always happy to discover another “Golden Age” mystery author and even though I felt the book moved quite slowly, I will be reading more of Robin Forsythe’s novels. show less
The Ginger Cat Mystery by Robin Forsythe is a golden age mystery that is part of a series that features amateur detective Algernon Vereker. In this outing Vereker joins his friend Inspector Heather in the country to assist in reaching a solution to the murder of Frank Cornell, a young, popular and handsome man whose death so shortly after than of his father has left many questions.
I found that this story moved very slowly and unfortunately the characters were for the most part rather show more unlikable. I do enjoy the friendly banter that Vereker and Heather indulge in when they exchange information but overall I found the plot rather thin and the outcome quite obvious. And I was a little peeved at the title as although there was a mention of black cat and a grey cat, the only part of a ginger cat seen was a hair found near the murdered man.
This is the second Algernon Vereker story that I have read and neither one has overly impressed me. The author does supply plenty of suspects along with some red herrings, but overall the slow pace and wordy descriptions kept me from enjoying the read. I actually found one of the false leads much more interesting than the actual solution which I found dissatisfying. show less
I found that this story moved very slowly and unfortunately the characters were for the most part rather show more unlikable. I do enjoy the friendly banter that Vereker and Heather indulge in when they exchange information but overall I found the plot rather thin and the outcome quite obvious. And I was a little peeved at the title as although there was a mention of black cat and a grey cat, the only part of a ginger cat seen was a hair found near the murdered man.
This is the second Algernon Vereker story that I have read and neither one has overly impressed me. The author does supply plenty of suspects along with some red herrings, but overall the slow pace and wordy descriptions kept me from enjoying the read. I actually found one of the false leads much more interesting than the actual solution which I found dissatisfying. show less
Statistics
- Works
- 8
- Members
- 151
- Popularity
- #137,934
- Rating
- 3.8
- Reviews
- 2
- ISBNs
- 13
- Languages
- 1