Review 'Exciting, amusingly written–very good enjoyment it is' Read more About the Author Born in Edinburgh in 1906, the son of the city's Director of Education, John Innes Mackintosh Stewart wrote a highly successful series of mystery stories under the pseudonym Michael Innes. Innes was educated at Oriel College, Oxford, where he was presented with the Matthew Arnold Memorial Prize and named a Bishop Frazer's scholar. After graduation, he went to Vienna to study Freudian psychoanalysis for a year and following his first book, an edition of Florio's translation of 'Montaigne', was offered a lectureship at the University of Leeds. In 1932 he married Margaret Hardwick, a doctor, and they subsequently had five children including Angus, also a novelist. The year 1936 saw Innes as Professor of English at the University of Adelaide, during which tenure he wrote his first mystery story, 'Death at the President's Lodging'. With his second, 'Hamlet Revenge', Innes firmly established his reputation as a highly entertaining and cultivated writer. After the end of World War II, he returned to the UK and spent two years at Queen's University, Belfast, where in 1949 he wrote the 'Journeying Boy', a novel notable for the richly comedic use of an Irish setting. He then settled down as a Reader in English Literature at Christ Church, Oxford, from which he retired in 1973. Innes's most famous character is 'John Appleby', who inspired a penchant for donnish detective fiction that lasts to this day. His other well-known character is 'Honeybath', the painter and rather reluctant detective, who first appeared in 1975 in 'The Mysterious Commission'. The last of the Innes novels, 'Appleby and the Ospreys', was published in 1986, some eight years before his death in 1994. His work is still very highly regarded and 'Appleby's End' and 'The New Sonia Wayward' were chosen by H.R.F. Keating as being amongst the best 100 crime novels ever written. The 'Times Literary Supplement' said of him: 'A Master - he constructs a plot that twists and turns like an electric eel: it gives you shock upon shock and you cannot let go.' Read more
A**Y
I"m half way through and its a good one!!
I'm half way through and its a good one!! If you love a very very well written classic mystery, Michael Innes is for you. So refreshingin todays world of violence and psycho fear factor. If you love and intelligent reading and want a good bedtime story, this is it.This had Judith in it too which is always a treat.
K**G
Appleby Always Comes Through
What begins as a tongue in cheek stroll through an art gallery rapidly becomes a one-man-showfor John Appleby, as he traces vicious murderers through a long night of car chases andgeneral pandemonium. And just as all seems lost, a stroke of luck! Fine tale.
K**R
Both Applebys are better
This has both Appleby and his wife, so it is more fun than the earlier ones. Read it and find out for yourself.
F**Y
Clever classic crime
This classic crime tale has lots of twists and turns that keep the reader involved.Lady Judith and Sir John Appleby go to a private viewing of paintings by Limbert, a recently murdered artist. Mr. Brown, the proprietor, is trying hard to have John puchase a painting, but suddenly they realize the painting has disappeared. A few hours later, Inspector Cadover and Sir John were talking about The Waterbath Research Station where some school boys had gotten in and taken pictures, and then that the Duke of Horton called about some pictures which were stollen as well as the Limbert which was stollen when Sir John was present. Sir John begins thinking about Limbert's murder and a missing girl in the apartment upstairs, and decides he should investigate things. He soon finds that Limbert had the Duke's stollen Stubbs hanging in his apartment, and that Limbert had also recently bought a canvas of the same size and shape of the stollen Vermeer Aquarium.They then realized that the death of Limbert was probably related to the stollen Vermeer, and Sir John went into detecting mode. They first talk to Mr. Brown to tell him Limbert's last painting was actually a Vermeer and knew that it had been in Old Moe Steptoe's shop. Thus, his first step was to go to Steptoe's shop. At first it seemed no one was there. However, he finally stirred up Moe, and Moe made a phone call which caused noises down stairs. Appleby manages to overpower Moe and chase downstairs where he jumped in the back of the van which was driving out of the yard. Meanwhile, Judith decides to do some looking around herself and overhears an important conversation and realizes she needs help. She calls the police, finds the missing girl, and Inpector Cadover picks them up and interviews them. Eventually, Judith joins Inspector Cadover in a search to find Sir John and the painting. We finally find out the connection between the Waterbath Research station and a stolen painting. It was an exciting chase for all!
J**N
A Mid-Century Crime Classic
NOTE: In this edition the novel is followed by a short story, "Appleby's First Case", in which a 14 year old John Appleby thwarts an art theft. I found it delightful.I find the Inspector John Appleby books to be a mixed bag, with moments of tediousness, with some pretentious dialog, and then fast paced, whiz bang action.For me, the action and resolution of the mystery more than make up for the annoying pretentiousness, although this story's resolution has a few too many coincidences for me.This mystery includes murder in the art world, several sets of thieves, and other assorted mayhem.This book picks up rapidly when Lady Judith Appleby begins to do her own investigation, starting with some strange meetings in a bizarre nightclub.An important question is how/why is art valued? Is it for its monetary value, an appreciation of the artist's talent, or the sheer beauty it adds to our lives?Early in the book Judith Appleby is looking for a new piece of art to use behind a sculpture she is working on, where what she wants is certain firm lines and a particular shade of green. It's value is only as background.I did get this book for free from an agent of the publisher, but this is my honest evaluation.
W**D
More The 39 Steps than Body in the Library
A Private View by Michael Innes starts off well. An amusing look at the art world that leads to a robbery that leads to a murder with what seems to be a finite set of suspects. A perfect set-up for a mystery. And for the first half of the book, it seems to be a typical Golden Age play fair mystery. Even the shift from Sir John's POV to his wife's worked well and her initial work as a detective worked well. But then the tone shifts to more of a thriller/police procedural chase and while I kept reading to see how it all turned out, the final resolution comes more from serendipity rather than any deductions by anyone. It's true everything is explained at the end, but much of the final solution did not relie on clues in the book. The style of the book was enjoyable, and I found the amusing tone and somewhat satiric authorial tone. I enjoyed it more that Operation Pax, the last Michael Innes I read. However in both books, Innes leans more toward the thrillers of Buchan and Sapper than the cozy mysteries of Christie, Sayers, or Marsh.I received a free review copy via Crime Classics. This did not influence my review.
C**V
Excellent vintage mystery
I’ve been lucky enough to read a number of the Inspector Appleby mysteries, and highly recommend them. In general I like vintage mysteries a lot and this one didn’t disappoint. Like many other vintage novels, the writing is elegant and descriptive, sometimes a bit scholarly even. The book is probably best described as a traditional mystery, but I think it will appeal to many cozy mystery lovers, as well as those who love police procedurals.This book blends adventure and mystery along with some humor. In fact there are scenes which would make excellent comedy sketches if it weren’t for the sense of menace and suspense that overlay them. In particular the scene in the junk shop and Appleby’s subsequent ride in the “get-away” van come to mind.Appleby’s wife, lady Judith is a bit more prominent in this book than in some of the others in the series, and her presence definitely adds to the book.I don’t know how many Appleby books Innes wrote, but I hope there are lots more. I enjoyed this book, and recommend it highly.Thanks to Net Galley and Agora books for providing me with a review copy.
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