Last month I spent some time with Edmund Crispin and his marvellous detective Gervase Fen, revisiting the wonderful book “The Moving Toyshop”. I lamented the fact that there are some of Crispin’s shorter works uncollected, and several really helpful comments alerted me to the fact that a Fen novella “The Hours of Darkness” had been finally printed in a collection, “Bodies from the Library 2” in 2019 – many thanks to Words and Peace for pointing me in its direction! 😀
Now, I’m a sucker for Fen stories as you might have guessed, and so I was very excited about this discovery; and despite it being digital reading, which I usually hate, I picked up as soon as I could. “The Hours of Darkness” is set at a country house party, and opens with two young people being rather fed up with a game of hide and seek which is going on. However, the discovery of a dead body – one of the house guests who’s found strangled and blood-soaked – soon puts an end to the celebrations. Fortunately, 15 miles away at the home of Professor Fen, a children’s party is taking place and the host is happy for any excuse to get away from building a Meccano crane; so when he’s called away to investigate the murder he exits post-haste in Lily Christine III, leaving Professor Wilkes happily telling lurid fairy-tales to the children and his long-suffering wife trying to sooth everyone down. At the country house, Rydalls, he finds a motley group of guests and evidence of a very nasty murder. The professor’s investigation reveals a killing with roots in a past case and a really vicious culprit whose evil nature even seems to affect Fen’s mood. It’s really quite a dark story.
“Oh, my fur and whiskers,” Fen exclaimed. He generally had recourse to the White Rabbit in moments of high excitement.
Well, this was such a treat. To have an unread Fen novella was unexpected and very wonderful. Crispin is fine form and Fen makes his way through the detecting in his usual idiosyncratic manner, singing carols badly up to the point where the local inspector has to object as “This persistent carolling was evidently fraying his nerves” (I’m sure it would anybody’s!!) The fourth wall is broken too: “…Crispin is proposing to write the case up. I suppose I shall have to get in touch with him about it – poor old chap, he gets terribly muddled…” The cast of characters are amusing too, with the women generally having the upper hand; the plot is devious and twisty; and as so often, Crispin manages to create quite a frisson of danger and horror. I really can’t understand why this story wasn’t collected before. According to the ISFDB, the story was first published in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine in 1975, so a few years before the author’s death. Whether it was written at that time or earlier, I don’t know (though the quote above hints at it being a later work), but I thought it was an impressive and enjoyable story and I’m so glad to have had the chance to read it! Thanks Words and Peace and of course the editor and publishers of “Bodies from the Library” – let’s hope more uncollected Crispin turns up soon!
madamebibilophile
Oct 20, 2021 @ 07:38:35
Sounds very Fen and very wonderful! Sadly I don’t read e-books so I’ll keep my fingers crossed for a print version at some point. The collection sounds a great idea!
Rawdon Crawley
Oct 20, 2021 @ 12:19:42
All of the Bodies From the Library books (published by the British Library) are available as printed books.
madamebibilophile
Oct 20, 2021 @ 13:08:00
That’s great news – thank you!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 20, 2021 @ 13:56:22
Excellent! 😀
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 20, 2021 @ 14:03:58
I’m not fond of ebooks, but if there’s no option I have been known to struggle through – and this was worth it!
mallikabooks15
Oct 20, 2021 @ 08:03:36
How lovely this sounds and glad you brought it up because I hadn’t come across this one before so it wasn’t even on my list of books to get to. I love his White Rabbit references! Looking forward to reading this sometime.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 20, 2021 @ 13:59:27
I was so pleased to be presented with an unknown Crispin story – he’s such a joy to read!
mallikabooks15
Oct 20, 2021 @ 14:19:27
I agree–I love the books and am glad I finally read them. I was sceptical about trying them initially because I’d come across so many mixed reactions, but his writing is just so good.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 20, 2021 @ 15:54:58
I think he can be a marmite writer, but I love his books – so funny, so clever and so individual!
A Life in Books
Oct 20, 2021 @ 08:30:02
How lovely to find an unread book by a favourite author, and that it’s a good one, too.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 20, 2021 @ 13:58:48
It was a complete and utter treat! 😀
JacquiWine
Oct 20, 2021 @ 13:51:24
Isn’t it great when another reader alerts you to the existence of something like this? How exciting! I do a love a good county house mystery, especially at this time of year as the nights are drawing in.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 20, 2021 @ 13:57:12
It is – it was so kind and I was so grateful. It’s a wonderfully entertaining read, too – just right for Autumn!!
Liz Dexter
Oct 20, 2021 @ 16:02:56
What a lovely addition!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 20, 2021 @ 18:53:34
It was – a real treat! 😀
Reese
Oct 20, 2021 @ 17:59:08
My library has a print copy!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 20, 2021 @ 18:53:23
Hurrah!!!!!
buriedinprint
Oct 20, 2021 @ 18:33:22
What fun! When Reese is done, I’ll have a look. *grins*
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 20, 2021 @ 18:52:06
Do! It’s a treat!
heavenali
Oct 20, 2021 @ 19:48:53
Well I know you’re not keen on ebooks,so it’s testament to your enthusiasm for Crispin that you read this. How lovely to have unknown story by a loved writer to indulge in. It sounds great.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 21, 2021 @ 14:31:23
No, I’m not a fan of ebooks but this was something I had to read – just marvellous!
WordsAndPeace
Oct 20, 2021 @ 20:29:19
So glad it was helpful and a real treat
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 21, 2021 @ 14:30:56
It was – thank you! 😀
Julé Cunningham
Oct 21, 2021 @ 00:35:19
Now that’s a real gift! And how wonderful that it lived up high standards. Bless bookish social media!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 21, 2021 @ 14:29:47
It was – totally lovely. Bookish folk are fab!
Janakay | YouMightAsWellRead
Oct 22, 2021 @ 16:59:52
Your review reminds me of how much I enjoyed Edmund Crispin when I read some of his work many, many years ago. I’ll have to put him back on the TBR list, for those winter afternoons when nothing but a classic crime novel will do!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 22, 2021 @ 20:06:52
Oh, definitely! He’s perfect winter comfort reading and wonderful at mixing both funny and clever!
tracybham
Oct 31, 2021 @ 18:26:27
Well, you have convinced me to delve back into Edmund Crispin’s Gervase Fen series. My husband gave me all his copies of Edmund Crispin’s books in paperback after he read the series. I read a couple of the books back in 2003, loved one but not the other, and stopped there. But a lot of my reading tastes have changed in the last few years, and he might be more my cup of tea now.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 31, 2021 @ 19:48:57
I’d be the first to admit that some of his books are better than others, but I find he’s always an entertaining read. Hope you enjoy your revisit!
Tony Medawar
Nov 16, 2021 @ 08:53:01
I edit the Bodies from The Linraru series. The isfd reference is to another uncollected Crispin story – St Bartholomew’s Day. Vol 4 includes another previously unpublished Crispin story (a nonFen) and I can also reveal that big news about Crispin and Fen is coming soon …
kaggsysbookishramblings
Nov 16, 2021 @ 10:21:44
Ah thank you, and thanks also for the work you’re doing in bringing Crispin’s works to us – look forward to the big news!!!! 😀