From London Far

When his absentminded murmur in a tobacconists is misheard as a password, Richard Meredith, editor of Martial and Juvenal, finds himself plunged into a struggle against an international gang of art thieves who have been taking advantage of the chaotic conditions during and after WWII. He finds an ally in a former student who was kidnapped by the gang when she got too curious about an explosion on an archaeological dig.

This is one of Innes's standalone adventures inspired by John Buchan but this being Innes with plenty of whimsical not to say outright lunatic touches. The Misses Macleod are wonderfully memorable and so is Neff in his own horrible way.

I'm not quite sure what Innes was aiming for in this novel, which focuses on an academic that gets drawn into a web of (alleged) intrigue involving the mass theft of Europe's art works by a criminal organization. At some points, things are played for laughs, and at other points, characters are dispatched with cold-blooded brutality. For that matter, some of the art is, as well. Really, at no point does Innes even make a serious attempt at reality (to the extent that reality can ever be applied to mysteries). The final disposition of some of the artworks is at once confusing and disturbing. Another central problem is that none of the characters are particularly likable and interesting, even the don that is the initial focus of the novel. show more He comes across sometimes as a consummate actor, and sometimes as absent-minded and dim. The book was initially published in 1946, and hindsight regarding the looting of European museums has given the plot of this novel a rather unpleasant taste. I cannot honestly recommend the book. show less

Erudite and bizarre mystery about art theft. Richard Meredith, a middle-aged scholar of Juvenal and literary criticism, is catapulted into this adventure by mischance - don't worry if the first chapter puts you off as the story really starts with the second one; the first one makes more sense later on.

Although Inspector Appleby isn't in this book, it did remind me of a few of his adventures.

Literary, wildly improbably WWII mystery concerning art swindling and smuggling. Nicely told, very amusing.