Series
Publication
Vintage Books (2009), 176 p.
Original publication date
1948
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Description
A sleuthing Oxford professor hunts a village blackmailer, in a novel by an author who "combines a flawless plot, witty dialogue, and a touch of hilarity" (The New York Times). In the sleepy English village of Sanford Angelorum, Oxford professor and amateur detective Gervase Fen is taking a break from his books to run for Parliament. At first glance, the village he's come to canvass appears perfectly peaceful, but Fen soon discovers that appearances can be deceiving: someone in the village has discovered a dark secret and is using it for blackmail. Anyone who comes close to uncovering the blackmailer's identity is swiftly dispatched. As the joys of politics wear off, Fen sets his mind to the mystery-but finds himself caught up in a tangled tale of eccentric psychiatrists, escaped lunatics, beautiful women, and lost heirs . . . "His books are full of high spirits and excellent jokes, with constant literary allusions . . . But at times the mood turns darker, and Crispin is capable of passages of both genuine suspense and ingenious deduction." -The Daily Telegraph "One of the most literate mystery writers of the twentieth century." -Boston Globe.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Eat_Read_Knit
Professor Gervase Fen becomes bored of academia and decides to stand for parliament, but when he arrives in the sleepy country town at the heart of his constituency to start campaigning, he discovers it to be entangled in a web of blackmail and murder.
The mystery is quite entertaining but not very
However, despite the unmysterious mystery, this is a very entertaining book: the characters are strong and the prose is rich and fluid. The comic touches usual to Crispin are all there, from the rector's poltergeist to the homing pig living at the pub (rather like a homing pigeon, but eats a lot more), and from the peculiarities of the escaped 'lunatic' to Fen's discovery that politics is much less fun than he expected.
The mystery is quite entertaining but not very
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mysterious: when Fen and the man from Scotland Yard had an esoteric, 'It is obvious, isn't it?' discussion about the culprit, I suspect I was supposed to think, 'No, it isn't,' and spend the next six chapters confused, not correctly deduce the culprit and agree with them.However, despite the unmysterious mystery, this is a very entertaining book: the characters are strong and the prose is rich and fluid. The comic touches usual to Crispin are all there, from the rector's poltergeist to the homing pig living at the pub (rather like a homing pigeon, but eats a lot more), and from the peculiarities of the escaped 'lunatic' to Fen's discovery that politics is much less fun than he expected.
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LibraryThing member JonRob
This is probably my favourite of Crispin's small body of work. His likeable don-detective Gervase Fen decides, for reasons which are never entirely plausible, to stand for parliament at a by-election in the west country somewhere, which involves him going to stay at the village of Sanford
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Angelorum. A meeting with one Bussy, an old acquaintance (now a policeman), involves him in a murder case, and when Bussy is himself murdered all sorts of complications ensue. As usual there's a strong thread of comedy, including a local courting couple, the renovations at the inn where Fen is staying and strange goings-on at the local rectory. The denoument, as usual, is entirely logical, but I doubt if many readers will see it in advance. Show Less
LibraryThing member austcrimefiction
Originally published in the 1940's the Gervase Fen mysteries are one of those rights of passage for crime lovers. Or at least they were in my house as I was growing up. Vintage Books have done us all an enormous favour in turning their attention back to some of the classic books - and this set from
And these are still very good crime stories. Slightly eccentric in that vaguely bats sort of what-ho English style, they are built around a good solid foundation of a problem and a solution, no matter how odd the methodology might seem these days.
They are ultimately extremely enjoyable books - and Gervase Fen is a wonderfully eccentric, but extremely alert British investigating sort of chap - and I cannot recommend them highly enough - either as a reread or as a new experience if you're new to these classic English crime books.
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Edmund Crispin is a real job to behold. Now I have read a lot of these books before, but the chance to reread them, without having to rely on falling on fragile old copies in second-hand bookshops is a joy.And these are still very good crime stories. Slightly eccentric in that vaguely bats sort of what-ho English style, they are built around a good solid foundation of a problem and a solution, no matter how odd the methodology might seem these days.
They are ultimately extremely enjoyable books - and Gervase Fen is a wonderfully eccentric, but extremely alert British investigating sort of chap - and I cannot recommend them highly enough - either as a reread or as a new experience if you're new to these classic English crime books.
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LibraryThing member otterley
Flaneur and man about the High, Gervase Fen, takes time off from Piers Plowman for good behaviour and decides to stand for parliament as an independent. An intricate murder mystery provides the framework for an entertaining diversion on the highways and byways of rural England circa 1950, where
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things are decidedly rum. Luckily the book ends happily ever after (for all but the 'non doing pig'), as Fen solves the mystery and miraculously escapes the House of Commons to return to the safety of his Senior Common Room.. Show Less
LibraryThing member pnorman4345
old fashioned English detective story.
LibraryThing member Condorena
I always enjoy the antics of Gervase Fen and this story has plenty of antics, any more would be too many. Fen Is staying at an inn named Fish which has no fishing or peace and quiet or even much else to recommend it. He has decided to run for parliament but in the end finds solving murders more to
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his liking. I enjoyed the complete reading experience because this book is a lovely quality trade paperback with high grade paper. A keeper. Show Less
LibraryThing member AlanWPowers
Gervase Fen, Oxford professor and sleuth, here “standing” (U.S.,running) for Parliament in towns leaning Conservative but equally divided with Labour. His race turns in interesting and odd results, when we learn about the Chiltern Hundreds and impossibility of resigning once elected. Fen’s
Twice our one daily visit to a pub, though often merely mineral water for those driving cars. Scotland Yard gets involved after the second murder, a smaller man Humbleby who after the striking of the church clock quotes “Time’s hurrying chariot…unhappily driving toward something less agreeable than a coy mistress”(106). This from Andrew Marvell’s most famous poem; Marvell I focused my doctoral dissertation on, This Critical Age, about poetry criticism in verse before Dryden turned it to prose. (My book is in four German and American universities.)
Attempts at murder range from knives to hypodermic to a box of chocolates. Continuing
throughout are amusing passages, like “The Civil Service is a body whose mistakes are made so thoroughly and definitively the they can only be rectified by a procedure equally searching and elaborate”(122). Profound comparison of a politician to “an actor whose miming is so plausible that the emotions he presents come to be regarded as real and not artificial” (142, see below). The rector of the local church feels his charwoman “greatly overestimates my importance in the eyes of the Devil, wh no doubt has better uses of his courtesans than to assign them so regularly to me”(156).
Crispin’s conclusion (1949) anticipates our US president Trumpster. Fen’s last speech says political apathy is better than zealotry, though zealots often win. Their whole motive power of political obsession derives from “the monosyllable hate…Endemic envy and hatred, masquerading as a public-spirited interest in politics…are producing [terrible effects] in this country”(188, 190).
*pseudonym for Robert B Montgomery, composer (including for film).
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speeches grow almost crazed, part of the theme, since in this novel young Lord Sanford gives his great house to the government, who turned Sanford Hall to an insane asylum. One escaped inmate, an “exhibitor” (US, indecent exposure) may be the third craziest character here, after the Fish pub owner Mr Beaver and others. Even the village rector credits poltergeists.Twice our one daily visit to a pub, though often merely mineral water for those driving cars. Scotland Yard gets involved after the second murder, a smaller man Humbleby who after the striking of the church clock quotes “Time’s hurrying chariot…unhappily driving toward something less agreeable than a coy mistress”(106). This from Andrew Marvell’s most famous poem; Marvell I focused my doctoral dissertation on, This Critical Age, about poetry criticism in verse before Dryden turned it to prose. (My book is in four German and American universities.)
Attempts at murder range from knives to hypodermic to a box of chocolates. Continuing
throughout are amusing passages, like “The Civil Service is a body whose mistakes are made so thoroughly and definitively the they can only be rectified by a procedure equally searching and elaborate”(122). Profound comparison of a politician to “an actor whose miming is so plausible that the emotions he presents come to be regarded as real and not artificial” (142, see below). The rector of the local church feels his charwoman “greatly overestimates my importance in the eyes of the Devil, wh no doubt has better uses of his courtesans than to assign them so regularly to me”(156).
Crispin’s conclusion (1949) anticipates our US president Trumpster. Fen’s last speech says political apathy is better than zealotry, though zealots often win. Their whole motive power of political obsession derives from “the monosyllable hate…Endemic envy and hatred, masquerading as a public-spirited interest in politics…are producing [terrible effects] in this country”(188, 190).
*pseudonym for Robert B Montgomery, composer (including for film).
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LibraryThing member Overgaard
Fen does it again
Language
Original language
English
ISBN
9780099542124
Physical description
176 p.; 5.1 inches
Other editions
Buried for Pleasure by Edmund Crispin (Digital audiobook)
Pages
176