Criminally good Classic Crime: Scandalize my Name by Fiona Sinclair, Beattie Cavendish
Scandalize my Name by Fiona Sinclair (British Library £10.99, 256pp)
In this enticing mystery from 1960, a family party is well under way before someone comments on an unexpected absentee. Where is the suave and unscrupulous Ivan Sweet, who has never knowingly missed out on a free drink?
The answer is soon revealed. Sweet has drowned in his bath, or so it is assumed when his body is found under the water.
But the deceptively amiable Superintendent Grainger keeps an open mind. When the post-mortem reveals poison, he embarks on an investigation that takes in a collection of vividly portrayed characters who all had a motive.
If the profusion of suspects is at times daunting, Grainger’s summary of his findings midway is a welcome break before we are swept to a vertiginous climax.
Beattie Cavendish and the White Pearl Club by Mary-Jane Riley is available now
Beattie Cavendish and the White Pearl Club by Mary-Jane Riley (Allison & Busby £22, 352pp)
Having survived treachery behind enemy lines, Beattie Cavendish is recruited post-war by British Intelligence to expose a spy network masterminded by the Kremlin.
Not easily deterred from dangerous ground, the feisty Beattie infiltrates a high-ranking political family with suspected communist leanings. But what looks to be a tedious job takes a sinister turn when the housekeeper is murdered. A cover-up by the police confirms Beattie’s suspicions that the victim had put her life in danger by asking too many questions.
With help from a war veteran sidekick, Beattie has to fight prejudice and obstruction to nail the guilty. With too many rhetorical questions in an otherwise fast-moving plot, Riley has created a heroine to head a promising series of thrillers.
This Little Measure is available now
This Little Measure by Sara Woods (Dean Street Press £10.99, 201pp)
The ruling patriarch of a family shipping line meets his end with a dose of rare poison. Who caused his death is complicated by the question of where the poison came from. And what about the priceless Velazquez, known to have been in the victim’s possession, albeit illegally? There is no trace of it.
As a friend of the family, Anthony Maitland, a rising star of the criminal courts, is persuaded to dip into the background. His efforts intensify after the old man’s son is arrested for murder. With the backing of his acerbic QC uncle, Maitland unravels the secrets of a commercial dynasty.
In her day, Woods was an admired creator of courtroom drama. This Little Measure from the 1960s leaves no doubt that she knew her stuff. An extensive reissue of her work teases more treats to come.