Reading the Detectives discussion

Welcome to our Oct/Nov buddy read of The Dusky Hour

Published in 1937 this is the ninth book in the Bobby Owen series.

'The hour of dusk was the climax in the strange case of the man found dead in the chalk pit. Who was the murdered man? And why did so many clues lead to that infamous London nightclub, the 'Cut and Come Again'?

E.R. Punshon leads the redoubtable Sergeant Bobby Owen and his readers on a dizzy chase through a maze of suspicions to a surprise ending - though the clues are there for anyone astute enough to interpret them.

The Dusky Hour is the ninth of E.R. Punshon's acclaimed Bobby Owen mysteries, first published in 1937 and part of a series which eventually spanned thirty-five novels.

Please do not post spoilers in this thread. Thank you.

Just opening up our next Bobby Owen discussion. Who is reading this one?

I read it in June due to a Goodreads mix-up with the order of the series, now sorted out, and realise the plot is already fading in my mind. I will take a look back to refresh my memory!

I’ve just started reading it, an intriguing start…

I will start this in the next day or so.

I'm starting this in the day or two

I enjoyed this story, but I can see that the beginning may put people off as it is about investments and the financial world. However it is not long before a dead man in a car is found at the bottom of a chalk pit. I did think that this book was probably more complicated than others in the series have been so far.

I'm about a third in and the plot and suspects are becoming quite entangled. Good luck with your memory refresh Judy.

Thank you Sandy, I may need the luck.

I've started skimming through again and am quite surprised by how little I remember from last time around. I remember that I did find it very hard to keep the characters straight in my mind and had to keep going back to check who people were, but I would have thought I'd remember it better after just a few months.

I remember finding this rather a dry book. It would be nice to see some more humour, something the earlier books with Mitchell had more of, I think.

I disagree about the humor; I thought there were lots of wry comments. Of course thinking of specific examples isn't working for me. Bobby's relationship with this boss such as when to speak and when to be quiet is the only thing I can remember.

Sandy wrote: "I disagree about the humor; I thought there were lots of wry comments. ..."

You are right, Sandy - I noticed a lot of these while looking back through. There are some amusing comments about Bobby being fed up with people thinking he is related to the Home Secretary.

But I just felt there was more humour in the earlier books, though I must stop pining for Mitchell!

It is a shame - Punshon seems to have created characters who were meant to be individual, but failed to make any of them zing off the page. I really don't care which of them killed a man whose lack of identity means that I don't care that he was killed ...

I am half-way through, and pressing on though.

Judy wrote: "Sandy wrote: "I disagree about the humor; I thought there were lots of wry comments. ..."

You are right, Sandy - I noticed a lot of these while looking back through. There are some amusing comment..."

I agree that Bobby and Mitchell had a special relationship. Did we read a much later book where Bobby visits Mitchell in his retirement? I hope they have kept in touch.