Suicide Excepted

I liked the first novel I read by Golden Age author Cyril Hare, and I thought I would like this one as much as Tenant for Death. But Inspector John Mallett, the clever Scotland Yard CID detective who features in both novels, comes in much too late to save Suicide Excepted.

Mallet happens to be on the spot at the Pendlebury Old Hall hotel, located 42 miles outside of London, when old Leonard Dickinson dies. His death is ruled a suicide, which means that the insurance company won’t pay. Dickinson’s family — most of them self-centered, arrogant and simply awful — sets about trying to re-investigate the death to prove that it was murder. Out of a sense of justice? Surely, you jest! No, to make sure they get £20,000 from the British show more Imperial Insurance Co. Dickinson’s bumptious young son, Stephen, goes as far as to say he doesn’t care if anyone gets charged — in fact, that might just complicate the payout.

I think if Mallett had been active in the novel, Suicide Excepted might have been as good as Tenant for Hire. The Dickinson clan would have been comic relief while a real professional looked into matters. Instead, Mallett is around only for the very beginning of Suicide Excepted and then disappears. I got 70 percent through the novel, and still Mallett had not returned. At that point, I decided to follow Mallett’s excellent example and disappear myself. Did not finish. show less

Very satisfying mystery, well plotted and written with the author's usual style & wit.

Standard Golden Age mystery with quite a good twist.

My first Cyril Hare and I, who love a British mystery written in the '1910's - '40's, was not disappointed. Good mystery.

A great read from Cyril Hare once again - I love his writing..

Review pending