As I was reading Marnie, another novel by Winston Graham lept into my hands at a thrift shop. Take My Life is half the size of Marnie - a light mystery with succinct action that entertains.
Philippa Shelley made her name as an operatic singer in Europe before her return to the London stage. If all went well, there would be an American tour. As her husband Nick Talbot came to congratulate her backstage, he bumps into an old girlfriend, Elizabeth Rusman. At home Philippa and Nick have a jealous row over her, and he goes out to walk the streets. This is the night Elizabeth would be found strangled amidst a hotel fire, and the evidence found points towards Nick, who hasn't an alibi. When he is arrested, Philippa goes into detective mode to reveal Elizabeth's twisted past and clear her husband's name.
We also follow Mr. Sidney Fleming, a boarding school headmaster up north in Loch Penmair, whose wife has been missing for a period of time. Several wonder where she could have gotten to, including Philippa who believes his wife was in fact Elizabeth. With Nick's trial underway, she travels to meet Mr. Fleming posing as a prospective parent, racing against time directly into danger, to discover the truth before Nick hangs.
This is a strait forward detection novel, light on the suspense but tangled enough to remain engaging. It's a quick read at only 191 pages. The clues are well telegraphed, the danger well lit. There is the clock to contend with as time runs out to prove Nick's innocence, but also the knowledge that justice will prevail.
Not a classic but a good yarn.
1947 / Hardcover / 191 pages
Opmerkingen