From one piece of pure escapism to another – although this book is very different to my last read, “The Day They Kidnapped Queen Victoria”! John Dickson Carr has appeared on the Ramblings many times, of course – and most recently because the British Library have been releasing his Inspector Bencolin mysteries in lovely new editions. Bencolin is not Carr’s best-known detective, only featuring in five novels and a handful of short stories; but those works are wonderfully entertaining, and I’m so happy they’re being made available.
The latest release, “The Lost Gallows” is the third Bencolin release from the BL, but the second in the Bencolin series; and it finds the great detective, plus his sidekick, the young American Jeff Marle, in London. The men are staying at the rather gloomy and macabre Brimstone Club, alongside an old friend of Bencolin’s, Sir John Landervorne. Also at the club is the unpleasant (and very rich) Egyptian gentleman, Nezam El Moulk, together with his retinue. However, all is not well; events from the past are coming back to haunt and threaten El Moulk; a ghostly hangman known as Jack Ketch is making appearances; and the lost gallows of the title has been seen in Ruination Street, a mysterious place which cannot be found anywhere in London. Stir in Jeff’s old flame Sharon Grey (who featured in the first book of the series), murder and mayhem and a car driven by a corpse, dark corridors, mysterious models or shadows of gallows which pop up everywhere, and plenty of chills, and you have the perfect recipe for one of Carr’s stories – which to be honest, are often like a cross between a mystery and a ghost story, and no less satisfying for it!
I love JDC’s writing – he does of course specialise in the locked room mystery with his other great detective, Gideon Fell; and there are certainly locked room elements in the Bencolin stories. These are early works, and Carr tends to lay on the melodrama, which I don’t mind at all, and the stories are spooky and gripping. “The Lost Gallows” was particularly dark, drawing on events back to the First World War, and the settings (particularly the Club, but also London itself) oozed dark atmosphere. The denouement was very dramatic – Carr really knows how to ramp up the tension – and Bencolin of course was triumphantly right in his solution of the crime.
Of course, this *is* a vintage murder mystery; and I do have slight reservations about the portrayal of El Moulk. He was less cliched than you might expect from a book of this age, but I did wonder whether having a non-English person in this negative role was necessary. Another subsidiary character is portrayed using terminology we wouldn’t nowadays, but neither of these characterisations were too strong so I was ok with the book. And frankly, Carr is hard on a lot of his characters, whatever their origin – he does like to lay it on with a trowel at times! 😀
As well as the main story, there is also a rare Bencolin short story included called “The Ends of Justice”. This dates from an earlier period to “Gallows” and is an interesting, if stark and dramatic, adjunct to the main book. As Martin Edwards reminds us in his useful introduction, Carr was an author still learning his craft; and he does tone things down slightly in later works! Nevertheless, I found this book to be an absolutely gripping read; I was completely bamboozled and had no idea of whodunnit or how! I’m really enjoying encountering Carr’s Bencolin mysteries and I have my fingers crossed that the British Library will release the other titles!
Jan 25, 2021 @ 11:49:06
This is one of quite a pile of BLCC books I have waiting. It does sound very dark. I think I have only read one or two JDC short stories before in some of the BLCC anthologies. Though I do have two other JDC novels waiting in the pile of BLCC mysteries I have already.
Jan 25, 2021 @ 11:57:32
I loved this, but then I’m also a fan of his Gideon Fell locked room mysteries anyway. It’s very entertaining and I recommend you give him a go!
Jan 25, 2021 @ 11:54:39
Just skimming your review at the mo as I have this one on the pile and would rather not know too much about it before diving in. That said, I can see from your closing comments that you found it very compelling. It might be that I have to pick my moment for this, particularly if it’s very chilling?
Jan 25, 2021 @ 11:56:47
It *does* have some spooky moments, but then I’m a bit of a wuss when it comes to scary stuff so it may not bother you too much. But it’s quite dark – although as JDC likes to lay it on quite thickly it is sometimes more meoldrama than horror! Very readable and enjoyable though!
Jan 25, 2021 @ 12:34:05
That’s good to know, especially as the word ‘gallows’ has such sinister connotations…
Jan 25, 2021 @ 12:36:29
Well, hanging is inevitably a theme….
Jan 25, 2021 @ 16:19:15
I’m looking forward to reading JDC, the darkness and tension sound very compelling!
Jan 25, 2021 @ 17:23:08
It’s a really good read – cracks along at a good pace, very exciting and dramatic and a great plot – loved it!
Jan 25, 2021 @ 17:10:53
Sounds like another good one! You’re reading up a storm at the moment (or reviewing!)!
Jan 25, 2021 @ 17:22:24
I have read *a lot* so far this month and am still catching up with reviewing! This was a great read, though – loved it!
Jan 25, 2021 @ 23:27:04
I enjoyed this one too, he was so good at depicting the spooky atmosphere, quite gothic, and it kept me guessing.
Jan 26, 2021 @ 11:48:06
It *was* a particularly good one, wasn’t it? As you say, he was so good at atmosphere and I can never guess the solutions with him!
Jan 26, 2021 @ 10:45:27
I have not read John Dickson Carr and I am wondering why? Adding it to the TBR (again!!) but it’s such an atmospheric whodunnit types, that I cannot resist! Great review!
Jan 26, 2021 @ 11:43:39
Thank you! He’s wonderful – oozing atmosphere and very over the top! Definitely recommend you check him out if you can!
Jan 26, 2021 @ 14:38:23
This sounds familiar. I need to hunt my Dickson Carr books. If I don’t have this already, I’d definitely love to read it. Dark and spooky. What more can you want?
Jan 26, 2021 @ 15:51:38
Exactly! He’s just wonderful at producing creepy mysteries – lovely!!
Jan 26, 2021 @ 21:51:52
I’ve not read his mysteries. They sound good though. I can usually overlook the political incorrectness in older books. It was just a fact at that time but it does make one realise that although there is a ways to go we have come a long way.
Jan 27, 2021 @ 13:51:12
They’re great fun! And I’m like you, if the incorrectness isn’t too awful – these things need to be put in context, but we do need to move on from them…
Jan 29, 2021 @ 00:00:07
Ooo, this would be the perfect story to read right now during the extremely foggy days here! And I haven’t read any of JDC’s Bencolin stories.
Jan 29, 2021 @ 08:47:34
It would – oozing atmosphere and very dramatic. I’d only read the Gideon Fell stories before the BL began to release these and I’m so glad they did!
Feb 01, 2021 @ 21:47:35
I’ve not read any John Dickson Carr. Would this be a good place to start?
Feb 02, 2021 @ 11:19:26
As I’ve said in another comment, these are early works and maybe not so polished as his later Gideon Fell books. But I love them and so might recommend you start with the first Bencolin title, “It Walks By Night”. That would certainly give you a flavour of his writing.
Feb 02, 2021 @ 01:23:49
Which are your favorites of JDC? I’ve been wanting to read him but my libraries don’t have copies and I’m stingy when it comes to buying books. I think I’ll have to spring for one of these editions though!
Feb 02, 2021 @ 11:17:06
That’s a difficult question! I’ve read several of his Gideon Fell locked room books and “He Who Whispers” is apparently reckoned to be the ultimate locked room mystery. The Bencolins are earlier books, and perhaps a little less polished – but they do share his tendency for melodrama, which is very entertaining. It might be worth trying to pick one of his books up at a reasonable price to give his prose style a try – I find it most enjoyable!