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He Dies And Makes No Sign

He Dies and Makes No Sign – Molly Thynne

It is always a smart move to sign off leaving the audience wanting more. Published originally in 1933 and reissued for a modern readership by Dean Street Press, this is Molly Thynne’s sixth and final Murder Mystery and her third involving her chess-playing amateur ‘tec, Dr Constantine, and Inspector Arkwright of the Yard. In truth, it is less of a murder mystery, the culprit is easy to spot and is unmasked only two-thirds of the way through, leaving the rest of the Book, where the pace quickens, to develop into a fast-paced thriller.

There is a delicious vein of humour running through the book. The formidable Duchess of Steyne, who calls in Constantine to assess the suitability of her potential daughter-in-law, Betty Anthony, against whom she has taken a dislike without seeing her, is delightfully drawn and, one can imagine, typical of her class. The pair of ju-jitsu masters are amusing additions to the storyline and play their part not only unravelling the mystery but also help Constantine escape from a tricky situation. Even when the plot is moving at pace Thynne finds time to inject humour, not least when the Duke of Steyne loses his hat.

The book’s rather odd title is a quotation from Shakespeare’s Henry VI Part 2. To give it some context, the Earl of Warwick responds, “so bad a death argues a monstrous life” to which the king replies, “forbear to judge, for we are sinners all”. The poor unfortunate who suffers so bad a death is a violinist, Julius Anthony, who disappears and is found stuffed in the nether regions of the cinema he performs at. In investigating how he died, why and who killed him, Constantine and Arkwright unearth a family secret, explaining why there are concerns about Betty Anthony’s suitability to marry into the Steyne family, nefarious goings on at the Trastevere restaurant situated in the grounds of the Steyne’s mansion, and an international drugs cartel.

Anthony seemingly has led a blameless existence, little warranting such a tragic ending. However, he has unearthed a secret which will threaten to blow the cover of what we would consider now as a front for more sinister activities. We tend to think of drug running and the liberal consumption of cocaine as a modern-day problem, but it is interesting to see how many Golden Age detective stories, at least those that I have read, feature this aspect so prominently.   

There is a welcome return for Manners, Constantine’s butler, who reprises his role in Death in the Dentist’s Chair by unearthing some valuable information from the lower orders. The rigidity of the English class system pervades the book, but does not spoil the read, simply reflecting the attitudes that pertained at the time. Instrumental in the final elements of this tale is a character who has barely featured in the story to that point. It just enhances the sense that the justice meted out is ironic and deserved, a more satisfying end than if the forces of law and order were allowed to swing into action.  

Thynne’s books are so good, well-written with good plotting and characterisation that it is a mystery why she stopped writing. Perhaps she had grown frustrated with the limitations of the genre. I’m looking forward to reading her other three books and am sure, over the next few years, I will be rereading them, something I rarely do.



This post first appeared on Windowthroughtime | A Wry View Of Life For The World-weary, please read the originial post: here

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He Dies And Makes No Sign

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