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rachelish's review against another edition
4.0
No women get murdered! (No women are involved at all.)
vsbedford's review against another edition
4.0
Super solid Golden Age mystery set in and around the Channel - a locked door mystery in which the ocean steps in for the library, really. There's not a lot (as in barely any) of character development and no needless romance to muddy up the waters, which is right up my alley as I've had my fill of female characters throwing around dialogue like "But you must believe me, you've got to!" before flinging themselves on a couch. But fair warning for a reader who enjoys delving into the emotional landscape of her detective because you're not finding it here. There is a tidy group of suspects and a fair amount of travel to France, which is nicely described - as always Mr. Crofts does a great job of guiding us through the A to Z of police work and, while the resolution of the mystery reads a bit rushed, this is a very enjoyable addition to any mystery fan's "to read" list.
I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
lainecid's review against another edition
4.0
One of my favorite mysteries in a while, lots of twists and turns
laurenla's review against another edition
4.0
A standout in the British Crime Classics series. Just after the Great Depression, the heads of a major British bank are found murdered at sea, with more partners missing. Who done it, and why? Our dogged and under-appreciated Scotland Yard detective Mr. French shows incredible energy as he travels all over the British and French seaside on the trail of the missing. While he doesn't have the huge array of anti-social habits nowadays expected in detectives, Mr. French is good company. Nary a woman to be seen onstage, though if you're interested in ships and sailing this book will suit your fancy. A greatly enjoyable police procedural from 1931.
vesper1931's review against another edition
3.0
A steamer, the Chichester, is crossing the English channel when it comes across a yacht in which they find the bodies of two dead men..
Inspector French investigates which leads him to uncover financial irregularities within a firm. Who out of all the suspects is the mastermind behind the scheme.
A very detailed accounts of the procedures which leads French to his conclusions, sometimes a bit too detailed, but an interesting mystery anyway.
A NetGalley Book
Inspector French investigates which leads him to uncover financial irregularities within a firm. Who out of all the suspects is the mastermind behind the scheme.
A very detailed accounts of the procedures which leads French to his conclusions, sometimes a bit too detailed, but an interesting mystery anyway.
A NetGalley Book
sathyasekar's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting read but by no means one of the better representatives of the murder mystery genre or of the author. I picked this up after thoroughly enjoying "The 12:30 from Croydon". This Inspector French mystery pales in comparison to that book. Neither is the plot all that engrossing nor does the inspector make for very compelling analysis. There is less play of the mind than of the travel-here and there procedures. Still, worth a read. But I am sure there are better books in store..
briarfairchild's review against another edition
4.0
Very enjoyable. I've enjoyed all the Inspector French mysteries I've read so far, and this one was no exception. It was a good mystery and there were some interesting characters. An author I shall be glad to read more of.
gautamsing's review against another edition
5.0
A superb plot, and found out only through painstaking police work. Nothing seems to escape Inspector French. The British Library Crime Classics is a great series. I especially like the art deco period covers. the background of partners in financial firms fleeing ruin with a stolen hoard though, seems to recur always!
alexclare's review against another edition
3.0
A cleverly plotted tale, with all of the joy you expect from a golden-age book.
tonstantweader's review against another edition
3.0
When a book succeeds as spectacularly as Gone Girl, people are eager to replicate the phenomenon. Now we have scores of books with unreliable narrators and plot twists that are supposed to elicit an “I didn’t see that coming” reaction. Of course, now that we know the formula, we always see it coming. The real twist today is no twist. That is why I am glad to see Poisoned Pen Press republishing forgotten mysteries from the Golden Era, when twists were how women wore their hair and unreliable usually referred to the weather. In a surfeit of frying pan to fire personal jeopardy thrillers, these books dedicated to logic and linear reasoning are like as refreshing as a long, tall drink of water.
Mystery in the Channel is just such a classic. It was published in 1931 and written by Freeman Wills Crofts, a member of the famed Detection Club. That means he swore his mysteries would be fair and Mystery in the Channel is just the sort of fair, reliable mystery that is a welcome relief from the sometimes overheated thrillers of today.
The mystery begins when a ship transporting rail passengers from England to France discovers a yacht dead in the water—literally dead as the passengers have been shot. The captain is careful and does his job, noting the yacht’s location and the time. He sends the yacht back along with another ship, one that coincidentally carried one of the partners of the murdered men, financiers who run one of the country’s huge investment firms. His name is Nolan and his lucky presence on the scene helps the police with identifying the victims and understanding the situation.
And it is a sticky situation…the victims seem to be scoundrels themselves. Their firm is foundering and they seem to have planned to take the money and run. Inspector French is assigned to the case, and he quickly runs down the list of suspects, painstakingly eliminating them one by one.
Mystery in the Channel is an excellent procedural that never leaves you in the dark while the Inspector is in the know. It is written with humor and passion, restrained and disciplined passion for justice and duty. French and his police associates were rightly outraged on behalf of the people who were victimized by the dead men. There were no bailouts and seventy year old people found themselves impoverished, forced to look for work instead of enjoying retirement. It is not enough to find the killer, he must find the money to help these people.
I enjoyed Mystery in the Channel. Yes, I solved the crime before the end, but then, that is the point. Crofts was not trying to leave us stunned and surprised. He wanted his readers to feel the satisfaction of following the mystery with Inspector French and leaping or casting forward as he did and figuring it out. Crofts provided all the pieces to fit together and trusts us to enjoy the process. I sure did.
Mystery in the Channel will be released on January 3rd. I received an e-galley through NetGalley.
★★★
http://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2016/12/13/mystery-in-the-channel-by-freeman-wills-crofts/
Mystery in the Channel is just such a classic. It was published in 1931 and written by Freeman Wills Crofts, a member of the famed Detection Club. That means he swore his mysteries would be fair and Mystery in the Channel is just the sort of fair, reliable mystery that is a welcome relief from the sometimes overheated thrillers of today.
The mystery begins when a ship transporting rail passengers from England to France discovers a yacht dead in the water—literally dead as the passengers have been shot. The captain is careful and does his job, noting the yacht’s location and the time. He sends the yacht back along with another ship, one that coincidentally carried one of the partners of the murdered men, financiers who run one of the country’s huge investment firms. His name is Nolan and his lucky presence on the scene helps the police with identifying the victims and understanding the situation.
And it is a sticky situation…the victims seem to be scoundrels themselves. Their firm is foundering and they seem to have planned to take the money and run. Inspector French is assigned to the case, and he quickly runs down the list of suspects, painstakingly eliminating them one by one.
Mystery in the Channel is an excellent procedural that never leaves you in the dark while the Inspector is in the know. It is written with humor and passion, restrained and disciplined passion for justice and duty. French and his police associates were rightly outraged on behalf of the people who were victimized by the dead men. There were no bailouts and seventy year old people found themselves impoverished, forced to look for work instead of enjoying retirement. It is not enough to find the killer, he must find the money to help these people.
I enjoyed Mystery in the Channel. Yes, I solved the crime before the end, but then, that is the point. Crofts was not trying to leave us stunned and surprised. He wanted his readers to feel the satisfaction of following the mystery with Inspector French and leaping or casting forward as he did and figuring it out. Crofts provided all the pieces to fit together and trusts us to enjoy the process. I sure did.
Mystery in the Channel will be released on January 3rd. I received an e-galley through NetGalley.
★★★
http://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2016/12/13/mystery-in-the-channel-by-freeman-wills-crofts/
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