L. A. G. Strong (1896–1958)

The last book Strong wrote about the composer-policeman Ellis McKay is a bit of a mixed bag. The setting is an arts conference centre where McKay is called in at short notice to lecture on modern music, and meets a number of strange characters including several foreign psychologists, a rather lumpish young debutante and an extremely annoying ex-army type who may not be all he seems, together with the warden, a sort of cut-price Bertie Wooster (oddly, we never learn his name). A showing of a show more surrealist film leads to the discovery of an ostrich egg in a nearby hen-run, which is the turning point of the plot. The denouement is not predictable, but I found it a slight let-down. show less

Most of this is literary essays on 19th-early 20th century British literature, but I got it for avery interesting essay on psychic research --Strong says he has had peronal experience that cnvinces him of ghosts but it is not good enough to convince otheers; also, he feels much of what spiritualists claim as evidence for ghosts culd be explained by telepathy. Comes across as very honest and having had interesting personal experiences in that line.

At 70-odd years old I still love these old turn-of-the-century boys' adventure stories. I had not read anything by Mr. Strong until now but he is up there with Ballantyne, Kingston, Strand, Farnol and Henty. This story, as the title implies, relates possible events in the time of good King Richard and it makes reference to such historical personages as John Ball and Wat Tyler.

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