A recent Christmas tradition here on the Ramblings has been to read, enjoy and write about whichever marvellous Crime Classic the British Library has chosen to rediscover as their Christmas title. There have been some really great books and stories making a festive reappearance – sometimes a full novel, and sometimes an anthology, they’re always the perfect comforting read at this time of year.
However, this year the BL have gone for something quite quirky in the form of “Murder After Christmas” by Rupert Latimer; not only is the title intriguing, but the story itself is really entertaining, taking many of the tropes of detective fiction and giving them a bit of twist!
During the next few days it stopped snowing and thawed overnight, froze again and snowed again. The village streets became impassible. Deplenished of traffic, St. Aubyns became more full of life than usual, the village pond being black with skaters and the surrounding hills squirming with tobogganing children. The proud young possessor of a pair of skis paraded the roads, ubiquitously aloof from his less fortunate elders who crept gingerly around familiar corners which had now become death-traps for the unwary. It was soon no unusual sight to find middle-aged ladies lying prone in gutters and sober, normally upright characters moving slowly uphill, virtually on their hands and knees.
The action takes place during Word War 2, and features the Redpath family plus a wide array of relatives and contacts. Frank and Rhoda Redpath are living in the country with Aunt Polina, and owing to the privations of War they’re obliged to invite their Uncle Willie for Christmas. Uncle Willie, otherwise known as the stinking rich and fiercely grumpy Sir Willoughby Keene-Cotton, is truculent and single-minded, and as the book continues it appears that just about everyone concerned would be happier if he was dead. There are any number of greedy ex-wives, children and step-children and general hangers-on who think they deserve a chunk of his fortune; and in fact even the Redpaths would not be averse to a little of the funds coming their way.
It’s no surprise, therefore, that Uncle Willie is found dead after Christmas, and in quite outre circumstances. However, it’s hard for the local police to get a handle on who did the murder as there are frankly so many people with a motive! There are hints of all kind of family secrets, as well as a number of marriages, children and assorted dependants with an interest in Willie’s fortune, as well as a rather bluff and clueless Chief Constable, Major Smythe (who’s also an old friend of the deceased). Faced with all this obfuscation and confusion, it’s a miracle that Superintendant Culley manages to come to any kind of sensible solution…
“Murder..” is a very clever book with what is quite a convoluted plot, all manner of red herrings and a cast of characters from which frankly anyone could be picked out as the murderer! Uncle Willie was a pretty insufferable man who’d lived such a long and complex life that he seemed to have made enemies everywhere. As well as that, with jobs and money tight during the war, there’s the impetus for just about everyone to want to try to get their hands on his money! The supporting cast members were a lively and entertaining bunch, and I was particularly taken with Aunt Polina, a wonderfully drawn character who appeared on the surface to be quite innocent and demure, but obviously had much going on underneath the placid exterior!
‘With so many detective stories written, murdering people has become a kind of intellectual sport nowadays,’ said Frank.
I found “Murder” very entertaining, if occasionally a little exhausting; the flippancies of the Redpaths, the constant confessions and the repartee sometimes felt slightly overwhelming! But the book was often very funny, almost meta in its references to what would happen in a real detective story, and I did enjoy the way Latimer played with the conventions of detective fiction. Much of the plot hung on an element which had a significant part in one of my favourite Golden Age crime books (I shall say no more) and it’s very cleverly worked in here. Interestingly, the War is a more discreet presence in the background than, say, a Lorac book, but that could well be because the story isn’t set in London.
First published in 1944, “Murder…” was Latimer’s second crime novel, after a career taking in acting and non-detective fiction. Having suffered ill health for most of his life, he died tragically young from a brain tumour, and it’s a great shame that his writing life was cut off so soon. It’s clear from this book that he was a really talented author and it would have been lovely to see what mysteries he came up with later on. The book comes with the usual useful introduction by Martin Edwards, and is another excellent entry into the British Library crime classics catalogue – there really is so much variety in these wonderful books!
Dec 28, 2021 @ 12:07:29
I’ve been hearing about this one, and it does sound entertaining. It’s interesting, isn’t it, how those GA writers went in for convoluted plots and complicated alibis and so on. Certainly not always easy reading, so I can see how it might get a bit exhausting! Glad you enjoyed it.
Dec 28, 2021 @ 13:47:08
It’s fun, though you’re right to pick up on the twistiness of this one. In some ways the complexity of the plot almost works against the book in some places, and I occasionally wished it was a little more straightforward! But good fun!
Dec 28, 2021 @ 12:44:46
That sounds like a really fun one although perhaps one for the established GA reader who will pick up on the twists and cleverness. A very good themed read! I’m done with Christmas now and have read my last wintry one, too!
Dec 28, 2021 @ 13:46:11
It was definitely entertaining, though that’s a good point you make about it being better for a seasoned GA reader. A newbie might not pick up all the tropes!
Dec 28, 2021 @ 13:04:24
Poor Uncle Willie! At least he met his end in picturesque surroundings, judging by the book’s lovely cover. This one does sound fun and who could resist that title?
Dec 28, 2021 @ 13:45:23
LOL, he was certainly an annoying man and his exit was definitely picturesque! It’s an enjoyable read, although perhaps needed a little trimming in places!
Dec 28, 2021 @ 13:42:56
This sounds like another good one! I’ll keep it in mind for next Christmas.
Dec 28, 2021 @ 13:44:23
It’s a fun read, and definitely ideal for this time of year!
Dec 28, 2021 @ 22:23:34
Sounds like fun. Always fun to have a mystery full of red herrings. 🐧🧸
Dec 28, 2021 @ 22:45:45
As you know I read this recently too. Overall a good festive mystery but it didn’t hit the spot with me although I did enjoy the humour, maybe it just needed editing.
Dec 29, 2021 @ 16:06:26
Yes, I’m the same. Very enjoyable in some ways, but something didn’t quite gel. As you say, if the humour had been trimmed slightly that might have helped!
Dec 29, 2021 @ 10:12:51
I’m a bit undecided about whether to read this one or not, given your review and Ali’s recent post. It sounds as if there’s a decent story in there somewhere, but maybe it’s a little too clever or convoluted for its own good? The characters sound entertaining though, I have to say!
Dec 29, 2021 @ 16:05:30
Difficult to say, if I’m honest. I enjoyed it in the end, but it’s probably not one I’d ever return to. Something about it made it a little bit of a struggle to read and I’m still not 100% sure why!
Dec 29, 2021 @ 18:19:25
I’m reading through a fog of Christmas food at the moment so I’m not sure I can deal with an overly convoluted plot! Maybe one for me to read in the run-up to Christmas another year 😀
Dec 30, 2021 @ 16:10:00
LOL, I know what you mean! The plot does meander a lot, and it’s quite fun, though I did keep wanting them to get to the point. I think the run up to Christmas would definitely be more sensible!
Dec 31, 2021 @ 06:15:06
Seems like a great Christmas read! I read a similar BLCC publication and the plot seems similar and my feelings were exactly what you said, – entertaining and at times exhaustive. It’s called the Santa Klaus Murder.
Dec 31, 2021 @ 11:59:57
It was good fun, and I’m glad I read it – it certainly had lots of Christmas atmosphere! Oddly, I’ve not read the Santa Klaus Murder, even though it was one of the early BLCCs – I’ll have to give it a look at some point!
Jan 11, 2022 @ 16:37:49
Thanks for an incredibly well-written and intriguing review. Love books written in the 1940s. I’ll have to check Murder After Christmas out.
Jan 11, 2022 @ 18:54:18
Thank you! 😊 If you like 1940s books, I do hope you’ve explored the British Library’s Crime Classics and Women Writers ranges as both feature books from that decade!
Jan 12, 2022 @ 15:04:02
I will! Thanks for the heads up. I’m currently enjoying Murder After Christmas.
Jan 12, 2022 @ 20:28:06
Excellent! 😀
Jan 19, 2022 @ 21:57:50
I just read HeavenAli’s review of this one too. And I know what her mistake was. But I can’t tell if it was true for you, because your post is dated the 28th. Surely the book is not going to be as satisfying if read BEFORE Christmas?! If read before the 25th, the contents might be entirely different!
Jan 20, 2022 @ 11:00:36
LOL, good point! Definitely an enjoyable mystery, if not one of the best from the BL series.