Reprint of the Year Award – nomination 2!

Time for my second nomination for Cross Examining Crime’s Reprint of the Year Award – and today, in a change from my usual modus operandi, I’m selection a Golden Age crime book which is *not* reissued as a British Library Crime Classic! 😱 The book in question is “Let X Be The Murderer” by Clifford Witting and it’s from a new outfit on the scene – Galileo Publishers. I only became aware of their output this year, and they’ve issued an intriguing range of books with a selection of authors I’d not come across before. Witting is a particular author they favour, and I found this particular title to be an absolutely wonderful read!

In my original review, I noted that the book “is one of the titles in Witting’s series featuring his serial detective, Inspector Charlton. First published in 1947 and set in the fictional town of Lulverton in Downshire, placed somewhere on the South Downs, the book opens with Charlton’s side-kick, Detective Sergeant Bert Martin, taking a call from a local dignitary, Sir Victor Warringham. The latter makes the outrageous claim that a ghost attempted to strangle him in the night; and though this outlandish remark is not really taken seriously by the police, they attempt to call on Sir Victor at his country house of Elmsdale, since he *is* such a dignitary.

However, the setup at Elmsdale is odd; housekeeper Mrs. Winter is fiercely protective of Sir Victor, preventing access to him; she’s also obviously at war with the Harlers, Sir Victor’s son-in-law and his second wife. Also present in the house is young John Chapman, the housekeeper’s nephew. And lurking in the background are a variety of other characters including slippery Raymond Valentine and Tom Blackmore, a loner who’s the son of an old friend of Sir Victor. Add in a dubious doctor, accusations of madness, tragedy from the past and mysterious motives, and you really do have the recipe for an engrossing mystery; and it will take all of Charlton’s ingenuity to get to the bottom of the mystery, untangle all the threads and bring the murderer to justice!”

As well as the cleverness of the plotting and mystery, the actual style of the book is very distinctive. In my original review I described the book as “a twisty and clever mystery, and most entertaining. Witting cleverly shifts his narrative viewpoint, letting us into conversations amongst various characters, witnessing some of their actions, and by giving us these glimpses he actually really does lead you up the garden path! I worked out some of the elements – and I think Witting expected the reader to do so – but the actual culprit was certainly not who I was expecting.”

In addition, I felt that “the detecting duo Charlton and Martin are well painted, and Witting shows the duller side of detecting, allowing for all of the forensics to be done, the plodding round shops checking up on leads; and the sheer level of detail needed to follow through physical clues. Really, there’s so much to relish about “Let X Be the Murderer”! I really am struggling to understand why Clifford Witting has been allowed to languish in obscurity so long, so kudos to Galileo for reissuing his work.”

As you can tell from my earlier comments, I really was impressed with this book and it stood out for me amongst the various GA crime reissues I’ve read this year. Witting really is an excellent author who deserves much more exposure, which is one reason I’ve chosen this book as my second nomination. It’s a well-plotted, well-written, twisty and quite unusual book which does keep you guessing right up until the end – never was there a more accurate title for the book, because I did feel at some points that *anyone* could have committed the crime! I highly recommend this book to any lover of GA crime and am happy to nominate it as my second choice this year.

Ghosts, murder, madness and multiple suspects! #GACrime #CliffordWitting #LetXbethemurderer @Galileobooks

As I’ve hinted in the past (or indeed come right out and said!), for me, it’s all about the right book at the right time. Last week, I shared my thoughts about “Walking the Great North Line”, a book which came into the Ramblings and bypassed Mount TBR. Today’s book is the same; it arrived just when I needed the comfort read of Golden Age crime and it had me captivated from the start! The book is “Let X Be the Murderer” by Clifford Witting (a title I’ve seen popping up on #BookTwitter recently) and it really hit the spot!

A lot of my GA crime reading is from British Library Publishing, in their Crime Classics range; however, Witting’s book is from a name new to me, Galileo Publishers, based in Cambridge. They made contact and asked if I would be interested in receiving review copies, and as a GA crime lover the answer was always going to be ‘Yes!’ Witting is an author they seem to be championing, and I was keen to make his acquaintance, as he’s not been on my radar before; and on the basis of this book, I definitely want to read more!

“Let X…” is one of the titles in Witting’s series featuring his serial detective, Inspector Charlton. First published in 1947 and set in the fictional town of Lulverton in Downshire, placed somewhere on the South Downs, the book opens with Charlton’s side-kick, Detective Sergeant Bert Martin, taking a call from a local dignitary, Sir Victor Warringham. The latter makes the outrageous claim that a ghost attempted to strangle him in the night; and though this outlandish remark is not really taken seriously by the police, they attempt to call on Sir Victor at his country house of Elmsdale, since he *is* such a dignitary.

However, the setup at Elmsdale is odd; housekeeper Mrs. Winter is fiercely protective of Sir Victor, preventing access to him; she’s also obviously at war with the Harlers, Sir Victor’s son-in-law and his second wife. Also present in the house is young John Chapman, the housekeeper’s nephew. And lurking in the background are a variety of other characters including slippery Raymond Valentine and Tom Blackmore, a loner who’s the son of an old friend of Sir Victor. Add in a dubious doctor, accusations of madness, tragedy from the past and mysterious motives, and you really do have the recipe for an engrossing mystery.

As I mentioned, Charlton and Martin attempt to visit Sir Victor but can’t gain access; the household claim to be concerned about the old man’s sanity, and specialists have been called in. However, so have solicitors, with hints of Sir Victor wanting to change his will. Bits of information about the household seep out and to the ears of the police, particularly through the innocent observations of young John. But before the police can really make much headway into what’s going on, tragedy strikes in the form of dramatic murder. However, all is not as it seems, and it will take all of Charlton’s ingenuity to get to the bottom of the mystery, untangle all the threads and bring the murderer to justice!

I have to say that this really is a twisty and clever mystery, and most entertaining. Witting cleverly shifts his narrative viewpoint, letting us into conversations amongst various characters, witnessing some of their actions, and by giving us these glimpses he actually really does lead you up the garden path! This is one of those GA murders I love, with a story which draws from actions in the past – in this case WW2, as the book is set just after – and there are so many McGuffins! And the title is most apt, as frankly I went through any number of suspects but still didn’t get the right answer until the book went into its final reveal a few pages from the end! I worked out some of the elements – and I think Witting expected the reader to do so – but the actual culprit was certainly not who I was expecting.

As for the detecting duo, Charlton and Martin are an engaging pair (though I could have done without the latter’s rather hackneyed working class speech…). However, they’re well painted, and Witting shows the duller side of detecting, allowing for all of the forensics to be done, the plodding round shops checking up on leads; and the sheer level of detail needed to follow through physical clues. Interestingly (and this is one of the later books in the series I believe) there is mention that Martin is nearing retirement, and time is given to a younger member of the team, Peter Bradfield, who goes off on the vital search for evidence in the latter part of the book. He’s a likeable character, and I wonder whether Witting planned to (or indeed did!) introduce him with a view of developing him in later stories.

Really, there’s so much to relish about “Let X Be the Murderer”! Witting writes well, captures his characters and setting really well, creates a brilliant and twisty plot, introduces plenty of drama and humour, and certainly managed to bamboozle me with his mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, ripping through it in a couple of settings just when I needed some GA escapism, and I’m so glad to have had the chance to read it.  I really am struggling to understand why Clifford Witting has been allowed to languish in obscurity so long, so kudos to Galileo for reissuing his work. I’m absolutely delighted to see that they’ve released several of his titles (as well as a couple by another author new to me, Joan Cockin); I’m obviously going to have to investigate his books further! 😀

(Review copy kindly provided by the publishers, for which many thanks!)