Dettagli del libro
Formato
Copertina rigida
Lingua
Inglese
Pubblicato
Jan 1, 1950
Editore
Little, Brown & Co.
Descrizione
By Michael Wischmeyer on September 23, 2006
The Wind Blows Death is an overlooked gem, a jewel of a mystery, one that is continuously suspenseful, and yet literate and intelligent. Cyril Hare himself is not well known today, but fortunately in recent years many of his mysteries have been reissued by Dover, Harper-Perennial, and most recently by House of Stratus. Cyril Hare is a pseudonym of a distinguished judge, Alfred Alexander Gordon Clark. His earliest mysteries date from the late 1930s; others folowed in the late 1940s and 1950s.
One of Cyril Hare's most popular characters, the lawyer Francis Pettigrew, has surprised his friends by marrying (he was, after all, a middle aged bachelor) and then subsequently retiring from his legal practice. His wife, Eleanor, was passionate about music and was a violinist in the Markshire Orchestral Society, a well-respected, but largely amateur affair. Francis was pressed into service, initially to assist with tax issues, and then as the honorary treasurer of the orchestral society.
Unexpectedly, shortly after the national anthem, the first concert of the year was interrupted by the murder of the visiting solo violinist, the rather famous Lucy Carless. Seemingly, the entire orchestra had access to the murder site. Against his will, Francis Pettigrew is pulled into the investigation.
In the hands of Cyril Hare the orchestra setting is more than window dressing. Critical clues emerge from details of the planned performances. The need for a last minute replacement for a clarinetist appears significant, but it could be a red herring. The ingenious solution ultimately requires some musical knowledge, a subtle point of law (thankfully, Pettigrew was available), and an allusion to Charles Dickens.
The Wind Blows Death is also published under the title When the Wind Blows.
The Wind Blows Death is an overlooked gem, a jewel of a mystery, one that is continuously suspenseful, and yet literate and intelligent. Cyril Hare himself is not well known today, but fortunately in recent years many of his mysteries have been reissued by Dover, Harper-Perennial, and most recently by House of Stratus. Cyril Hare is a pseudonym of a distinguished judge, Alfred Alexander Gordon Clark. His earliest mysteries date from the late 1930s; others folowed in the late 1940s and 1950s.
One of Cyril Hare's most popular characters, the lawyer Francis Pettigrew, has surprised his friends by marrying (he was, after all, a middle aged bachelor) and then subsequently retiring from his legal practice. His wife, Eleanor, was passionate about music and was a violinist in the Markshire Orchestral Society, a well-respected, but largely amateur affair. Francis was pressed into service, initially to assist with tax issues, and then as the honorary treasurer of the orchestral society.
Unexpectedly, shortly after the national anthem, the first concert of the year was interrupted by the murder of the visiting solo violinist, the rather famous Lucy Carless. Seemingly, the entire orchestra had access to the murder site. Against his will, Francis Pettigrew is pulled into the investigation.
In the hands of Cyril Hare the orchestra setting is more than window dressing. Critical clues emerge from details of the planned performances. The need for a last minute replacement for a clarinetist appears significant, but it could be a red herring. The ingenious solution ultimately requires some musical knowledge, a subtle point of law (thankfully, Pettigrew was available), and an allusion to Charles Dickens.
The Wind Blows Death is also published under the title When the Wind Blows.