“There is nothing in the world so boring as an account of someone’s dream unless it’s a story of the intelligence of his dog.”
Carolus Deene, history master at Queen’s School, is summoned to Blessington-On-Sea to investigate the murder of a famous mystery writer. She has been found on the beach, buried up to her neck, as the tide washes around her. But Deene finds himself up against a conspiracy of silence – clearly the victim’s household know something about the events on the night of her death, but nobody is willing to admit it. But when a second death occurs, just as that person was on the verge of opening up to Carolus, it seems there is only one thing left for our hero to do…
After writing eight Sergeant Beef mysteries – Case For Three Detectives being the most well known – Rupert Croft-Cooke abandoned the good sergeant in favour of Carolus Deene, who featured in his next twenty three novels. Which is a shame, really, as I liked Beef. Deene, however, is another kettle of fish.
Reluctant to even investigate the crime at first, he has to be persuaded into spending his time looking into an obvious case of murder (and a good thing, as the police seem to be doing spit all) and at one point needs leaning on quite heavily as he’s planning on quitting for no particularly good reason. He’s rude and impatient to the people he questions and generally comes across as pretty tiresome. There’s still a line of humour threaded throughout the story, but it’s a much grumpier sense of humour than in the Beef stories (the aforementioned Case For Three Detectives and Murder In Miniature) that I’ve read.
It’s a pretty decent mystery, although the reason behind the conspiracy of silence takes a bit of swallowing, but it would have helped if the suspects had been a bit more distinctive. It’s a problem when the only character that stands out is the one with the funny voice (well, another attempt at phonetically trying to present an accent, although what accent “Ey fency et mush have been about twelve meed-dey” is supposed to be is anyone’s guess.) There are some nice plot ideas here, in fact the central one I not one that I recall, but the presentation is a bit lacking – the vagueness of the cause of death is a bit artificial too.
This is being presented as my entry for Past Offences’ Crimes Of The Century #1959book – I was going to do Three Cousins Die by John Rhode, but I’ve not heard good things about it – so what does this show us about 1959?
Not a vast amount – there’s a reference to a Sten gun (a type of machine gun used in WWII and the Korean War), a crew cut, a reference to a “lager beer”… but the most obvious sign of the times is when Priggley – one of Deene’s students turns up to help him out. Maybe that was fine in 1959, but these days (speaking as a teacher myself) but if the world’s clingiest student turned up in my hotel during the summer, I’d be running a mile!
Oh, and Priggley also tries to make a point about the times by suggesting to Deene – “I don’t see how you expect to get away with a mysterious murder, examination of suspects, digging up the clues, keeping everyone in the dark, then Bang, the big revelation. It was all right for the first fifty years or so, but it’s completely outmoded now.” There should be, apparently “Far more suspense. Personal danger the whole time. The American school. You start with being shot at as you’re walking home, long before you’re investigating anything. Then a touch of the macabre – a brace of human skeletons in your bed at night. Rumours of great and gruesome organizations working. Odd little things like a woman at a bar suddenly screaming with terror. Pile it on.You might get filmed or anyway televised. As it is, you’re dated, sir, honestly.”
Anyway, back to the book. It’s worth a look, but with reservations. Some clever ideas mixed with some unsubtle narrative dodges and some pretty dull suspects. Worth A Look.
Oh, the odd title is from a poem by Sir Thomas Browne. No idea what it’s got to do with the story…
In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel 
Love that last excerpt about being outmoded, a good laugh. ‘Pile it on’. Picked up a Bruce book in December so going to give it a try, a Sergeant Beef one no less, so I am glad you rate the Beef books.
It seems like Bruce has a similar turn of humorous if not hilarious phrasing as Crispin? That top lined you quoted reminded me of the opening the Swan Song: ‘There are few creatures more stupid than the average singer. It would appear that the fractional adjustment of larynx, glottis, and sinuses required in the production of beautiful sounds must almost invariably be accompanied – so perverse are the habits of Providence – by the witlessness of a barnyard fowl.’
But maybe Crispin is better? Is the comparison fair?
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Not tried this series by Bruce. Was tempted by it being an academic mystery series, but this might not be the one to start with it seems. Is quite amusing seeing teacher/student dynamics in earlier fiction and then comparing it to today (case of goodbye to goodbye Mr chips). Going to be trying Bruce again in the coming weeks but with one from the Beef series.
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I couldn’t disagree more with the sardonic quip that starts off this post. I love listening to people tell me their dreams because I learn a hell of a lot about who they are that way. Problem is most of the people I’ve met in my life are incapable of remembering their dreams. However, I have little patience for those who tell me that they don’t dream. Neuroscience has proven otherwise.
I’ve enjoyed the handful of Carolus Deene books I’ve read. If I had read this one I’m sure I could help explain to you the significance of the Browne poetry allusion. That’s my bailiwick, after all. :^) Never read a Sgt. Beef title though I have many of them. I’ll try to rectify that this year.
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“I fancy it must have been about 12 midday.” Gladys Mitchell has me scratching my head with her dialect from tine to time though although I usually get there. Hickok45 has a nice YouTube video show the Sten. Not sure if I’ll try these since I liked one Sgt. Beef but the other one not so much.
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“Oh, the odd title is from a poem by Sir Thomas Browne. No idea what it’s got to do with the story…”
Is it titled thus because everyone is very pleased at the victim’s death ?
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They’re only pleased because, as you might expect, everyone had a motive, secret or otherwise. Nobody’s celebrating – the opposite in fact…
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[…] Our Jubilee Is Death by Leo Bruce […]
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I like Bruce a lot but have only read the Bruce books so far and have yet to try a Deene – it won’t be this one though …
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[…] The Puzzle Doctor found little to celebrate in the character of Carolus Deene in Leo Bruce’s Our Jubilee Is Death: […]
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I’ve read several of the Carolus Deene books and been very satisfied by the stories. You either like the protagonist or don’t. The character of Deene shapes all the stories. He’s funny, reserved in many ways, but is a unique and remarkable creation of Bruce. I’m not a professional critic, and haven’t the wealth of writers tools with which to judge either a writer or a particular book. However, as a member of the browsing herd of common readers, who actually buys books and enjoys them and have favourites which appeal to me without a bias over how faulty a plot or a supporting cast may be, I heartily recommend Leo Bruce. he’s may not be for every mystery reader, but I’ll wager he would be of great interest to the majority. Speaking from the Olympian heights of the professional critic doesn’t always give an honest presentation of how worthy a book is to the average reader who has other things to do in life and can appreciate a writer for what he brings to consider as a tale. Nonetheless, while I respect greatly the opinions of the host of the blog, I don’t always allow myself to be easily dissuaded from a good read . “A chaque son gout” is a ruling approach for me when I discover a new author.
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