"Was the killer a Vampire or Werewolf?"
Jonathan Stagge wrote a complex, involving mystery with Turn Of The Table that is far better than this eye-catching blurb on the back of the book. His amateur detective Dr Hugh Westlake starred in several of Stagge's mysteries, and from reading this one, and learning more about the author, I'll have to search them out.
Dr. Westlake is filling in for a rural doctor's practice, and along with his daughter Dawn, is curious about his wealthy neighbours, the Bannisters. He meets Bruce and his wife Sheila, their children Gregory, Oliver and Linette, and other friends and cousins. There is an involved family story about taking over the family business, the children wanting to break away and have their own lives, but especially about Bruce's past wife Grace, who drowned many years ago on a cruise near Vancouver, BC. Bruce has a nurse in the house for his health whom no one likes, in fact Dr. Westlake nicknames her The Serpent. She feels she is psychic and persuades Bruce to have a seance, another of many which the family skeptically tolerates for Bruce. While they are around the table in the darkened room, Bruce has an attack and dies - or was he murdered? And how?
As the investigation begins, the following night they have another seance, and bring forth a vision of the dead wife Grace!
Meanwhile, Dr. Westlake discovers a strange figure moving around the grounds at night, at one point being thrown to the ground - warm breath scorching his neck! - then a stabbing pain as human teeth sank into his throat! Who is this creature that lives on human blood! and is the family hiding a ghost, vampire, or werewolf?!
The several threads of family dynamics and struggles, psychic adventure and even supernatural creatures all weave together well and lead to an exciting finale which includes a drowning, creature attacks, insanity, adultery, and a raging fire. It's a great puzzle that all comes together nicely and even throws a few twists into the last few pages. To find out the whole story I recommend you find Turn Of The Table.
I have the Popular Library paperback copy from 1950 pictured here, but does a bit of a disservice to the quality of the mystery within. I enjoyed it enough to see what other novels he had written and found that Jonathan Stagge is a pseudonym for a writing group! I love discovering things like that.
Hugh Wheeler and Richard Webb wrote many novels together, along with Martha Kelley and Mary Aswell, at times. Their detective fiction was also published under the names Patrick Quintin and Q. Patrick. As Patrick Quentin, they introduced the popular character Peter Duluth and won a special Edgar Award by the Mystery Writers of America.
Webb and Wheeler together wrote the nine Dr. Westlake mysteries. As an amateur detective he is terrific, and the action and mystery of Turn Of The Table never let up until the satisfying conclusion.
A superior mystery, always surprising.
1940 / Paperback / 192 pages
Comentários