A Very Quiet Place is a 1967 thriller by Andrew Garve, one of my favourite authors who always offers an intriguing theme with a twist at the end. Having read other titles by Grave, the tension I felt this time was wondering what that twist would be, as this is rather sedate.
Debbie lives in her Regent Street photography studio, when in the dark of night there is a robbery at the jewellers across the road. As the gang drives off, she snaps a flash photo. She's interviewed when the police arrive, along with an ambulance as a nightwatchman was killed - she will provide the photo in the morning. A Sergeant calls... a man arrives to collect the photo and the negative... and she agrees to travel to Eastborne and identify a suspect. On the train, she slowly realizes she is not dealing with the police, but the gang of robbers! Escaping, she is naturally rescued by a tall, handsome writer in his sports car.
The real police have already caught one man - the robber who hid the jewels - and with Debbie's testimony he'll be convicted. To recover the loot, and get the man off, the gang are most certainly going to try and eliminate the eyewitness.
The police work with Debbie and the writer Hugh to create a booby-trapped hideout in the countryside, in an abandoned tidal mill within a seawall encircled flatland marsh. It's a complex plan to put Debbie as bait, with hidden officers and limited freedom, that takes a good 80 pages before anything happens. They are indeed under gang surveillance, but how will the police trap snap shut?
This was engaging throughout, a solid thriller. The writing is natural, without violence and filled with impending action. It takes a while for the pieces to fall in line, but when fate steps in for an explosive finale, it is quite satisfying. I always look forward to reading Garve, and am on active lookout for his titles.
Andrew Garve is the pen name of Paul Winterton, writer of over 45 novels noted for their diverse and unusual backgrounds, always a different setting and flavour. He was a founding member of the Crime Writer's Association, and also wrote under the pseudonym Roger Bax, of which Disposing of Henry and No Tears for Hilda are crime classics.
My other reviews for Andrew Garve thrillers:
1967 / Hardcover / 192 pages
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