Fog of Doubt in Reading the Detectives

Oct 23, 2013 Susan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

First published in 1952, this is the fifth mystery featuring Inspector Cockrill. It also involves Inspector Charlesworth, who first appeared in "Death in High Heels" (1941) and who teamed up with Cockrill in his previous book, "Death of Jezebel." One of the oddities about the Inspector Cockrill novels is that he always seems to know the people he is investigating personally in some way, and that is also the case here. When a Belgian man, Raoul Vernet, arrives for dinner at the house of Matilda E First published in 1952, this is the fifth mystery featuring Inspector Cockrill. It also involves Inspector Charlesworth, who first appeared in "Death in High Heels" (1941) and who teamed up with Cockrill in his previous book, "Death of Jezebel." One of the oddities about the Inspector Cockrill novels is that he always seems to know the people he is investigating personally in some way, and that is also the case here. When a Belgian man, Raoul Vernet, arrives for dinner at the house of Matilda Evans, wife of Dr Thomas Evans, he ends up getting his head bashed in. Nobody seems particularly upset about his demise and, indeed, Charlesworth hardly seems to find the death worth investigating - the victim being both a seducer and a foreigner.

Nevertheless, the family are implicated: both Dr Evans, his business partner and friend, Tedward, his wife Matilda, his grandmother, his sister Rosie, her young friend, the earnest Damian Jones, and young Melissa who lives in the basement flat, are all possible suspects. It was a night when the city suffered a 'London Particular' - a heavy fog which meant it was hard to even see a hand in front of a face. Who, of the family and their immediate circle, could have wanted Raoul Vernet dead?

Christianna Brand admits this was her favourite novel and, indeed, she seems to have had much fun writing it. She set the crime in her own house and admits that she based characters on people she knew well. There are all sorts of allegations, counter allegations, courtroom scenes, jealousy, passion and plot twists before the truth is found out. It is susprising that much of the writing seems so modern considering when it was written. We learn at the beginning of the book that Rose has returned from finishing school pregnant by an unknown man; a fact about which she is utterly unrepentent and simply considers a problem to be solved. Although the scene - London in the fifties, in a heavy fog, is very evocative of the time and place, the motivations for murder remain timeless. I am a great fan of Christianna Brand and, although it is a shame that she not one of the better remembered Golden Age authors, she is easily comparable to the best of them. ...more

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Jan 08, 2021 Jill rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: christianna-brand

This book begins with a car ride in really thick fog (known at the time as a London Particular) The passengers of the car are lost, due to the visibility experienced in this fog. The reader is then taken to house of Dr. Thomas Evans, his wife Matilda, their young daughter, and the doctor's grandmother. The sister of Thomas, has not long returned from a school abroad, with the unfortunate news that she has been seduced, and is expecting a baby. Both Matilda and the sister (Rosie) decide not to te ...more

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Oct 23, 2024 Katie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, fiction

The mystery plot was interesting, and the book was entertaining - but the character of the great-grandmother drove me crazy! She felt cartoonish. And there were a lot of run-on sentences so things got a little confusing at times. But the writer has a lot of talent and I will try some of her other works.

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Dec 29, 2024 Annarella rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: edelweiss, golden-age-mystery

I'm a bit on the edge as this was a witty, entertaining comedy of manners with a mystery part.
And a bit surprise as it talks about abortion in an age when it was a taboo.
The characters are well done, Rosie is quite unlikeable as I cannot decide if she's stupid or simply amoral, as she was inspired by the author's daughter it would a sort of cause for a long psyc analysis.
The mystery it takes a bit to get the front seat as the novel is character driven and we get to know them in order to understa ...more

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Jun 07, 2021 Lady Wesley rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-golden-age-or-similar, listened

Diabolical. This plot had me guessing until the very end.

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Sep 28, 2012 Bev rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: british-mystery, mount-tbr-2013, vintage-mystery, mystery

London Particular (aka Fog of Doubt) was reportedly Christianna Brand's favorite among her own novels. It tells the story of Raoul Vernet and his unexpected visit to the Evans home in London. He chooses the night of a real "pea-souper" of a fog--also known as a London particular--to visit his former paramour Matilda Evans and arrange a chance to talk to her alone. The night ends most unexpectedly indeed...Raoul will be struck down by a "mastoid mallet" in the hallway of the Evans' house and Insp London Particular (aka Fog of Doubt) was reportedly Christianna Brand's favorite among her own novels. It tells the story of Raoul Vernet and his unexpected visit to the Evans home in London. He chooses the night of a real "pea-souper" of a fog--also known as a London particular--to visit his former paramour Matilda Evans and arrange a chance to talk to her alone. The night ends most unexpectedly indeed...Raoul will be struck down by a "mastoid mallet" in the hallway of the Evans' house and Inspector Cockrill--Cockie--will have to work his way through seven suspects to find the killer. The only thing is...every step forward seems to eliminate one more suspect until there are none left.

Rosie Evans, Matilda's sister-in-law, is at the center of the mystery. Rosie has returned from finishing
school abroad unwed and pregnant. She's tells a different story of how this came about to each of her family members and friends--from Matlida, to her dotty grandmother, to Melissa Weekes (secretary/girl of all work), to her sometime boyfriend Damien to her brother's partner Dr. Edward Robert Edwards ("Tedward"). Her objective is to find someone who will help her fund a visit to an abortionist to solve her problem--and she tells the tale she feels most likely to work on the sympathies of each person. Unfortunately, for Rosie, they all think she should have the child. The only one kept completely in the dark is her brother, Dr. Evans.

When Raoul is killed, it seems that someone thought he had appeared to spill the beans about Rosie OR that he wanted to blackmail Rosie or someone else about the situation OR that someone thought he was responsible for Rosie's condition. But who is that someone? And...since everyone seems to be covering up for someone else...how in the world will Cockie and the other policemen be able to get to the bottom of it all?

This novel has some very neat plotting and memorable characters. The best of the bunch are the grandma who, to liven things up, regularly imagines herself the heroine of one of her lusty romance novels--"riding" across the desert (bedroom) and being forced leave her worldly goods behind (tossing them out the window) AND Matilda who carries on the most interesting conversations both with herself and others. It also makes for an interesting murder mystery when there is no palpable, discernible reason for the death and all of the suspects know and like one another to the point of covering up and nearly all of them being willing to confess or at least be arrested to protect someone else. It isn't uncommon for authors to use that theme with one character, but I don't believe I've read a novel where the confessions were quite so numerous. Four stars.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks. ...more

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Apr 30, 2024 Yorky Caz rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: blcc

First BLCC I have been disappointed with, the plot just didn't feel that strong and it dragged on and on. Also was there anyone in London who didn't know about the baby.... ...more

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