A Connoisseur's Case
(1962)
Blurb:
My review:
Although not a classic, there is much in this tale to please the connoisseur. Although rural, the stately home (b. 1786) and canal (in the lock of which the holidaying Applebys find the corpse of an enigmatic rustic) are drawn with more conviction than one would expect from an author who sets his tale in a place called Scroop. The telling is straightforward, with less emphasis on the local eccentrics, including Lady Appleby’s piscomanic uncle and two butlers, and more on the detection than one expects from Innes at this stage. The red herrings (treasure, legitimate bastards) swim in their native waters; and the solution is neither convoluted nor unconvincing, with a good motive (marketing stolen antique furniture).