(7/10 stars)

“Who stands to gain? That’s your question, and you know that nine times out of ten it’s the only question. Whose life’s going to be made endurable that isn’t endurable now?”

Eel Pie Island in the summer is a cheerful place, a little oasis in the middle of the Thames. Many day-trippers are reluctant to return to the hot streets of London as evening draws near, wishing they could stay on the island forever. One visitor will get her wish, in the worst possible way. As dawn breaks over the river, a gorgeous platinum blonde is found lying dead on shore, her silk pajamas still damp. Inspector Bull and his sidekick Mr. Pinkerton must discover the identity of this very chic corpse before another victim ends up dead in the water. Continue reading “The Eel Pie Murders (1933) by David Frome”

 (6/10 stars)

“Aunt is a little difficult right now. It’s almost as if she thinks I had murdered people.”

When Scotland Yard receives a letter warning of an impending murder, it seems like a prank. Still, Inspector Humphrey Bull drops by Caithness Road just to be sure. He is shocked to learn that bank clerk Lawrence Sprague has just died of tetanus, despite not having a mark on him that could have caused such an infection. Lawrence’s two lovely sisters are inconsolable—especially since their father died mysteriously a short time before. Regardless of his attraction to Margaret Sprague, Inspector Bull can’t shake the feeling that something strange is happening in Hammersmith.

Luckily, the inspector has a secret weapon. His shy, rabbity landlord Evan Pinkerton has a gift for seeing into the dark hearts of men, all without leaving his drab suburban boarding house. Continue reading “The Hammersmith Murders (1930) by David Frome”