Written in 1959, The Golden Deed lives up to what is said about Garve - his twisted suspense tales blended with fine characters always satisfy. I feel the same way about the novels of Hammond Innes.
Sally Mellanby drove her Rover 90 to the seaside near Bath with her two young children and their young Norwegian minder, Kira. The kids naturally ran about and swam on their own, until suddenly little Tony was too far out and starting to panic. Sally dove in but began to flounder, and a tall strapping man who was nearby first helped her and then pulled Tony back to shore. Overcome with gratitude, she invited Frank Roscoe home to meet her husband, John Mellanby, a man of means, one of the richest in the area. Roscoe is ex-military and looking to buy a chicken farm - feeling a great debt, the Mellanby's invite him to stay in their house, even use the extra Humber to drive about.
One day Roscoe crashes into a caravan and the Mellanbys strike up a friendship with its young vacationing couple. Soon, Roscoe begins asking for money and swinging from polite houseguest to creepy and malicious. One night he attacks their new friends, he is told to leave, and a violent fight ensues. Roscoe is knocked out and later dies. If you think I am telling you too much of the story, this is just the start of psychological torment for the Mellanbys, for they, along with the couple now face prison and ruin for his death, if it is discovered. You would think merely disposing of his body in an unknown area would be enough to release them from the nightmare, but it's just the beginning.
For merely 176 pages, this has a momentum I couldn't put down. Mellanby tortures himself until he is ready to confess to the police - then the buried body needs to be exhumed after several weeks... in the black night... in the rain... Their marriage is breaking apart, as the police begin investigating a missing man. To cap it off, this had what mystery readers love - a twist at the end that truly surprises, yet makes everything that came before it clear.
Andrew Garve is one of the pseudonyms of prolific writer Paul Winterton (another is Roger Bax), who wrote about 40 novels continually being republished.
Classic thrillers that really satisfy.
My other reviews for Andrew Garve thrillers:
1959 / Paperback / 176 pages
Comments