Creeping Venom

Creeping Venom takes place in Ireland (I think, based on some references, maybe somewhere in northern Wicklow) in the closing months of WW2. Wealthy and cantankerous spinster Miss Hampton is scandalised to hear that her handsome young cousin may be on the verge of marrying a (gasp!) Catholic, and threatens to change her will—but before she can do that, dies a horrible death. Whodunnit?

As a mystery, this is a little weaker than the first of Sheila Pim's crime novels, and I think Pim was spinning her wheels a bit near the end, but I really enjoyed getting to spend time with the inhabitants of Brainborough and more of Pims' Angela Thirkell-esque social observations. Based on my experience with Pims so far, I think her books would make show more for great TV movies/miniseries. show less

An Irish version of the English country house mystery, the friends and relatives of Rebecca Hampton try to solve the mystery of her death. At the very end of World War II the Hampton matriarch dies from eating poisoned snails. A fussy and staunch Protestant, she cuts her heir out of her will if he marries a Catholic. Of all the people in and around the house the most ardent sleuth ends up being the college boy, cousin Tim, convinced he wants a career in detection.

This is an entertaining enough mystery. The characters are fun and we get a showcase of bad gentry manners. The solution to the mystery feels like a bit of a cop out, but getting there is fun.

I thought this was a better novel than mystery, but I enjoyed it more than Pim's first. There's a bit of humor in the portrayal of the small-town characters that is indeed reminiscent of Angela Thirkell.

Irish version of the country house murder. Light, fun read that I truly enjoyed.