Watson's Choice

A bad Gladys Mitchell novel is like the Loch Ness monster: It just doesn't exist. While this novel isn't as fabulous as some others -- say, The Saltmarsh Murders, Death at the Opera, and When Last I Died -- it's still better than 90 percent of what I read by modern mystery writers, and I'm still glad I read it.

Mitchell does her usual workman-like job in this slender book in which Mrs. Beatrice Adela LeStrange Bradley attends a house party hosted by an eccentric and childish Sir Bohun (pronounced "Boon") Chantrey on a Sherlock Holmes theme. Among those attending is the pretty governess that Sir Bohun has hired to teach one of his two nephews, a jittery tutor who teaches the other nephew, a smattering of actors and grasping relations, show more Mrs. Bradley's reliable assistant, Laura Menzies, and Laura's policeman fiancé. Some unusual goings-on at the party foreshadow additional odd occurrences which end with the death of the governess, the lovely but nasty Linda Campbell.

Mrs. Bradley makes short work of solving the murder that has both the local constabulary and Scotland Yard on the wrong trail. A fine, if brief, addition to the Bradley oeuvre. show less

Sir Bohun Chantrey, a huge admirer of Sherlock Holmes, is throwing a huge weekend party in honour of the Great Anniversary. All guests are to dress as characters from Holmes’ cases. Sir Bohun has assigned a number of the characters to certain guests.

Bohun already has six members of his household attending, so he can only invite nine others. His selection is a couple who are divorcing, a matador, a cousin and the niece, a psychic investigator and her secretary, and actor to play Holmes and a Detective Inspector.

Not all invitees were fans of Holmes; some were more interested in his wealth. His announcement of his engagement to Miss Campbell really spiked their interest!

At first it looks to be a great evening with a formal dinner, show more dancing to a live band and a mystery solving game. But then… the fog got a bit too thick, and band got lost and was late, the guests decided to swap characters, and when the game was started the guests went their own ways instead of following Bohun’s instructions.

The guests were given pencil and paper and set out to explore the house to find elements from Holme’s adventures. The item and the story it was in were to be noted. An item appeared that was not from the ten chosen stories and no one knew why or who it was from.

The event that really got things going was when one of the attendees was found murdered the following morning. The hunt was on. Mrs. Bradley’s and Laura’s sleuthing uncovered some interesting skeletons in the peoples’ closets. There are red herrings galore to add to the puzzle. It is not the typical country house murder.

This is a new author to me and I plan to read more of her work. A very enjoyable read! show less

You know that feeling when you've read this book before -- like who's going to forget the Hound of the Baskervilles being chained in an abandoned railway station. Typical Mitchell. Compelling. Wonderfully written. But awfully shaggy for golden age purists.

Rather convoluted mystery starting with a Holmes' theme costume party. I'll try a few more, but I can't say I am fond of Mrs. Bradley. I can see why she is not as popular as Wimsey, Poirot or Miss Marple.

Not my favourite Gladys Mitchell book, interesting - but she's barely in it, and mostly features her assistant who is not very interesting.

28th Mrs Bradley mystery. Mrs Bradley is invited to a weekend country house party thrown to celebrate the Sherlock Holmes anniversary. Naturally, someone provides a real life mystery, complete with a real live Hound of the Baskervilles. The plot wanders a bit, but it's still a lot of fun if you're a Holmes fan. I suspect that it will be less fun if you're not, as the book is stuffed with Holmes references and jokes.

Somewhat scattered plot involving a Sherlock Holmes party, a vaguely unpleasant rich man, his natural (read bastard) son, his gold-digger of a fiancee and a cast of assorted characters. Dame Beatrice LeStrange Bradley, psychiatrist-sleuth, and her puzzling secretary Laura figure this one out by divination, I suppose; I couldn't follow the reasoning trail. However, the characters are pleasant and it's mildly entertaining.