No. 17

I read — and adored — three stand-alone mysteries by J. Jefferson Farjeon in less than a week’s time: Mystery in White, The Z Murders, and Thirteen Guests. So when I found out that Jefferson Farjeon had a series featuring a down-and-out merchant seamen named Ben, I couldn’t wait to read it.

But No. 17, the first novel in an eight-book series, simply doesn’t hold up as well. Mystery in White, The Z Murders, and Thirteen Guests were also released in the 1930s, but they exude that Golden Age charm. In contrast, No. 17 reads like the worst sort of 19th century melodrama rather than a classic 1930s cozy. Add to that the character of Ben of the Merchant Service (as he always introduces himself), a cowardly dolt with a penny-ante show more criminal bent. Ben says of himself that he “ain’t no bloomin’ ’ero.” Well, lots of characters aren’t heroic — just think George MacDonald Fraser’s Harry Flashman or Kyril Bonfiglioli’s Charles Mortdecai — but they’re amusing and interesting. In contrast, Ben’s just a two-dimensional character included for laughs who will never be Falstaff, much less Bertie Wooster. Won’t be along for the other seven books.

Merged review:

I read — and adored — three stand-alone mysteries by J. Jefferson Farjeon in less than a week’s time: Mystery in White, The Z Murders, and Thirteen Guests. So when I found out that Jefferson Farjeon had a series featuring a down-and-out merchant seamen named Ben, I couldn’t wait to read it.

But No. 17, the first novel in an eight-book series, simply doesn’t hold up as well. Mystery in White, The Z Murders, and Thirteen Guests were also released in the 1930s, but they exude that Golden Age charm. In contrast, No. 17 reads like the worst sort of 19th century melodrama rather than a classic 1930s cozy. Add to that the character of Ben of the Merchant Service (as he always introduces himself), a cowardly dolt with a penny-ante criminal bent. Ben says of himself that he “ain’t no bloomin’ ’ero.” Well, lots of characters aren’t heroic — just think George MacDonald Fraser’s Harry Flashman or Kyril Bonfiglioli’s Charles Mortdecai — but they’re amusing and interesting. In contrast, Ben’s just a two-dimensional character included for laughs who will never be Falstaff, much less Bertie Wooster. Won’t be along for the other seven books. show less

It wasn't awful, but it isn't great and it hasn't aged well. I wasn't a fan of the lead character Ben, either as a mystery lead or as a character in general: he is to men of the road what Dick van Dyke's Bert is to chimney sweeps. The mystery itself isn't very strong either, although the denouement is better that some of the earlier parts.

I've enjoyed several of Farjeon's other novels, and I'll read more of them, but I won't be revisiting the Ben the Tramp series.

Once more the inmates of the room missed something through lacking eyes in the backs of their heads. The passage door slowly and softly opened, and a figure crouched in the aperture. A big, broad-shouldered figure, with one shoulder higher than the other.
‘Now, then, don’t pretend you don’t know anything about these diamonds,’ rasped Brant. ‘The telegram mentioned them—’
‘Oh, what’s the use?’ muttered Henry.

Oh, what's the use indeed. This one was pretty bad, but it was made even worse by knowing that Farjeon was actually a terrific writer as evidenced by his other books Mystery in White and Thirteen Guests.

This book, however, ... If the convoluted plot about a jewel robbery hadn't been enough to make my eyes roll, show more then the really insipid conversations between the characters which seemed to consist mostly of catch-phrases and idioms but no clearly articulated trains of thought, would have been enough to make me reach for the wine.

And of course, we also have the main character, Ben the Tramp, the former merchant seaman, to whom I just couldn't warm up to. There is nothing I could see that makes him out as rounded character - he seems to remain a caricature throughout the book.

This is one 1930s mystery series that I am going to give a miss. show less

The plot of this early Gothic/comic thriller will make your head spin. It is about as convoluted as possible, with multiple cases of mistaken identity, role-switching, cons and counter-cons. A detective has gotten a lead on a very expensive necklace which has disappeared, and expects to find it, along with the perpetrators, in an old, somewhat decrepit house. A couple of innocent bystanders wander in and find one of these characters knocked unconscious, and the rest eventually begin to pour in through the front door bit by bit, or through the ceiling, as the case may be. Eventually, there is a mad chase between a runaway train carrying the bad guys and a bus commandeered by the good guys. Though not good, Number 17 is somewhat amusing , show more contains a lot of intentional comedy, & keeps a steady, if hectic, pace. Recommended for fans of pre-noir thrillers and British comedy. show less