I found a nice copy of The Man From Nowhere from Joan Fleming published in 1960. It is a Fontana book, a little taller than most paperbacks which sold for 2' and 6. The main character is a rough drifter, though with a manly sex appeal, and so the illustration on the cover looks an awful lot like Dirk Bogarde. "To the villagers he was a 'foreigner' - perhaps he was a killer as well?"
Rockambole walks into the sleepy town of Stargill, not anywhere really, with just a few hundreds residents. He finds odd jobs with gruff Mrs. Perkins at her goods shop, as well as at the sawmill. He boards with Clancey Ash, whose father recently passed away and who is loosely engaged to Mr. Chapel. He is a true wanderer, coming from nowhere, abandoned as a child, without a root. The residents are naturally wary at first - Who would think to come to Stargill for work? - but soon he is called Rock by everyone.
The town admires his hardworking attitude and overlooks the unfortunate naevus on the side of his face - what they called a port wine stain. He befriends the local cobbler, a dwarf affectionately nicknamed Wee Mendum after a sign in his shop window. On Saturday nights he joins Rock's singing of old songs in the local, with Wee accompanying on piccolo. All is right, with Rock soon making advances towards his landlady Clancey who is tentative but receptive.
On break from work, Rock finds Mrs. Perkins house and shop empty. It's her day to go to the bank with the weeks earnings, but her coat is still on the bed. He soon finds her face down in the stream back of her house and carries her inside. As the investigation begins, no one suspects Rock - until a few days later when Rock finds her son Ezra dead in his work shed. This is a murder mystery, but surrounding that is the life of the town, and how they cannot handle that one of their own people, who they know so well could commit such an act. It must be someone from outside, yet residing with them. Could it be Rock? Although they all like him far too much, aimless suspicions abound.
..."and when I hear his name is French...well, I mean to say, anything could happen if you're French!".
They begin to hatch a plan to be rid of Rock - not kill him of course, just drive him a few towns over and hope he doesn't wander back! Such is the tone of the novel, a puzzle of characters rather than grime or suspense.
Humourous at times and well written with the dynamic of the town true and very interesting. I felt like I knew who they all were and when the inevitable wrap-up came, I was sad to see them go. Joan has a nice way of summing up on the final page where they went from there and how Rock had shifted their lives.
I recommend it as a 'charming' and amiable mystery, more of a novel with a a few deaths than a who done it.
Joan Fleming wrote about 34 novels from 1949 to 1978, winning the Gold Dagger twice. One was made into the film Rx For Murder in 1958. They should make The Man From Nowhere into a movie starring Peter Dinklage as Wee Mendum, Michael Fassbender or Liam Neeson as Rockambole, and Fionnula Flanagan as Mrs. Perkins.
Very Entertaining.
1960 / Paperback / 192 pages
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