This book is not a typical puzzle mystery, and even though the main characters in the book are two policemen, Chief Inspector Brett Nightingale and Sergeant Beddoes, it is not a typical police procedural either.
The story starts with the death of an old Russian woman, Princess Olga Karukhin, just a few days before Christmas. She seems to have died in her sleep, but some very valuable jewels and Russian art objects have been stolen from a chest in her room at the same time. Is this a coincidence? Based on the sighting of a green van in front of her building at the time in question, the police link the theft with a gang of robbers who have been working in the area recently. There is also the name of a jeweler left beside her bed. Nightingale and Beddoes follow up on these leads.
I enjoyed the interplay between the two policemen; we spend a good bit of time with them in this story. Nightingale likes his job, but it is not the only thing in his life. His wife is a singer, and he sings in an amateur opera company. Beddoes is ambitious and doesn't hesitate to speak his mind.
Nightingale is searching for a Christmas gift for his wife, which he ends up buying from a jeweler who he is questioning in regards to the theft of the Princess's valuables. At the same time he finds that the Princess also had two records that she planned to sell, rare recordings by Jean de Reszke (real life Polish tenor and opera star) that a collector would be willing to pay a good amount of money for, adding another dimension to the theft.
Anthony Boucher said: "The book is fascinating as a stage in the development of an important writer, and a pleasing entertainment in its own right." Kirkus Reviews described the story as "more pursuit than procedure" and "fast to follow, with no remission of interest."
This book is the third of three mysteries featuring Brett Nightingale. I am interested in the previous books and they are available online in used copies at reasonable prices so I will pursue them soon. The later books written by Mary Kelly were standalone mysteries and many critics have preferred those later books.
Martin Edward's introduction to this British Library edition is excellent, giving the reader more information about the author.
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Publisher: British Library, 2019 (orig. pub. 1958).
Length: 219 pages
Format: Trade Paperback
Series: Inspector Brett Nightingale #3
Setting: London
Genre: Mystery
Source: Borrowed from my husband.
18 comments:
Glad you enjoyed it, Tracy but probably one that's more your taste than mine.
I've heard from a few people now that this is a good one, Tracy. I'm glad you enjoyed it, and it does sound like an interesting read. All sorts of great traditional-mystery elements, too.
An author of whom I know nothing. The book sounds to be a lot of fun, though, so I should sus out her work.
Perhaps I was wrong about reading this one, as the summary sounds unfamiliar. Hmm.
I haven't read anything by this author yet, but will look out for this one. I've been a bit disappointed with some of these reprints.
Hi Tracy,
Guess what? The Christmas Egg arrived on my doorstep today! Hurrah! I'm looking forward to reading it. I've got to slow down this novel-writing business for a bit so I have some time to prepare for Christmas and read a bit. Thanks for the review!
You are probably right, Col, and I will be featuring more like this in December probably. The good thing is, these books are a good length.
some reviewers don't like this one as well as I did, Margot, but it worked well for me.
The small amount of info I can find about her other books, especially later ones, indicate she liked to go her own way. And she did not write that many of them. Hope you find one you are interested in, John. The 4th one, The Spoilt Kill, not in this series, is highly praised.
Of course it may just be my summary, Rick, I always have problems describing books.
I have not read enough of the British Library reprints to had that experience yet, Katrina, but vintage mysteries are often variable.
I hope you like The Christmas Egg, Judith. Some readers don't like the things I liked, but that is often true with any book. We are all looking for different things in a book.
No! Your reviews are excellent!
That is kind of you, Rick. Sometimes I struggle with my reviews.
Tracy, you almost lost me with two words--"puzzle mystery." As I am lousy solving puzzles it is perhaps no surprise that I HATE puzzle mysteries. But you, with your description of the characters and their own stories, sold me anyway. And I like the title!
I like the title, too, Matt, and the cover. I guess all mysteries have some sort of puzzle, but I would never have guessed this one. And I was not paying as much attention to that part of it.
Probably one I can give a miss.
I can say with some certainty that you would not care for this one, Col.
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