The Scarlet Circle (1943) by Jonathan Stagge

Dr Hugh Westlake and, unfortunately, his daughter Dawn are on holiday in a fishing village in New England. As you might expect from the previous five books in the series, this isn’t going to be a peaceful holiday. Early on, Westlake is intrigued by a mysterious figure in the nearby graveyard who leaves a Chinese lantern on a grave, but it is the discovery of a young woman, strangled on the beach, that really kicks off what is to come.

Why does the body have a scarlet circle on it, a circle in red lipstick drawn around the victim’s mole? When a second death occurs with the same markings, it seems as if there is a psychopath with a mole obsession in town. But can the local constabulary find the murderer without Westlake’s help? Obviously not…

So, after the disappointing Puzzle For Fiends by Patrick Quentin, I thought I’d return to a different writer, Jonathan Stagge. Ah, my wife has just reminded me that not everyone gets my sense of humour/sarcasm, so yes, I do know they are the same pair of writers. I’ve mostly enjoyed the Stagge books, although, to be fair, I’d mostly enjoyed the “Puzzle For” books before reading the last one… I’ve managed to find over the past few years copies of eight of the Stagge books. They really aren’t easy to find in the UK, and Murder By Prescription/Murder Or Mercy? still eludes me. But thanks to the American Mystery Classics range, The Scarlet Circle is back in print.

It seems it was chosen because someone thinks this is the best in the series. It’s not – I prefer both Death, My Darling Daughters and Death’s Old Sweet Song – but it’s still pretty good. Although to be honest, the only real duffer that I’ve read so far is The Stars Spell Death. There’ll be another out soon for UK readers, as Call A Hearse aka The Yellow Taxi, is on its way from the British Library.

Meanwhile, back to this one. The only thing that really brings this down is children. Dawn has a playmate (and again, how old is Dawn supposed to be as she seems younger here than in The Yellow Taxi) and by Apollo, they are irritating. Giving a pay-off to their antics by making them provide the proof that the killer is guilty is the icing on the cake. Dawn has never really endeared herself to me in this series, apart from the books where she makes herself scarce, but there is a lot to like here.

Yes, the middle part sags, but I thought there was a good misdirect towards the identity of the killer. The motive for the circles is just daft, as is the issue with the third body, and I’m never particularly happy with that motive for a serial killer, with the one obvious exception. It’s very well-written, the murderer makes sense (even if some crucial info comes very late) and all in all, I had a jolly good time with this one.

I’d recommend it, but if you want a counter-point, here’s JJ’s thoughts on The Invisible Event. Or, if you’d like to read someone who agrees with me (and is therefore correct), here’s Kate’s review at Cross Examining Crime.

Right, I’m off to try another Golden Age author. Maybe that Q Patrick chap…

The Dr Westlake Series