The Book Depository Murder Underground by Mavis Doriel Hay
460 ratings
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Price: £10.64
Brand: The Book Depository
Description: Murder Underground : Paperback : British Library Publishing : 9780712357258 : 0712357254 : 15 Jun 2014 : When Miss Pongleton is found murdered on the stairs of Belsize Park station, her fellow-boarders in the Frampton Hotel are not overwhelmed with grief at the death of a tiresome old woman. But they all have their theories about the identity of the murderer, and help to unravel the mystery of who killed the wealthy 'Pongle'. The Book Depository Murder Underground by Mavis Doriel Hay - shop the best deal online on thebookbug.co.uk
Category: Books
Merchant: The Book Depository
Product ID: 9780712357258
MPN: 0712357254
GTIN: 9780712357258
Author: Adam August Zbyszewski
Rating: 5
Review: I'm a huge fan of the classic mysteries but the previous three I read were uncharacteristically under par (and one of them, by Richard Hull, even utterly horrible). That is why I went about reading Murder Underground (published in the same year, 1934, as Hull's work) with some wariness. Fortunately, Mavis Doriel Hay's book proved to be a gem. I simply loved it. The tone of the story throughout is slightly light-hearted, albeit witty rather than ridiculous, so the humour here is just as I like it. The novel features a set of likeable (even if flawed) characters, and the villain is lounging about in their midst all the time as if nothing had happened. The author is meticulous in her portrayal of contemporary realities, and that is a huge boon and benefit for the historically-minded readers as myself. There are even some maps and plans attached. You can also revel in the 1930s English language spoken by the members of different groups of society. What a reward for me this book was after the previous few flops or near flops. Thank you, Ms Hay!
Author: Clem Neville
Rating: 2
Review: The most evocative aspect is the cover, sadly what I fell for. The story set in a part of London I know and a tube line on a part of the underground that I used regularly for many years. Set in the 1930's I was hopeful it would be evocative of the area, the people, the time, the underground itself. Sadly it failed to achieve any of this. The characters were superficial and annoying, the plot dull and plodding, the atmosphere lacking to the point of non existence. There is a reason why this author is not up there with the greats of British crime fiction, she doesn't deserve to be. UPDATE after reaching the final stop, albeit I am ashamed to admit, with skipping a few of the last chapters. The premise was so good, 1930's London, the underground railway at its heart, and a modern rewrite could produce a classic journey into murder instead of a pointless one way trip. Perhaps TFL should consider establishing a writer in residence to create just such a series of tales? There was no need to reprint the story for it adds nothing to the canon of detective fiction other than to enrich the coffers of the publishers, which, as that is what their business is about, I do not take the to task for. Or for choosing the cover artwork which in the end was the only content evocative of the period and the setting.
