Dean Street Press, that champion of forgotten authors, has undertaken to reprint the entire set of Antony Maitland courtroom mysteries, all 48 of them. This series has unaccountably remained out of print for an unconscionable length of time. Written by Sara Woods (1922–1985), an English author who began writing after she moved to Canada, using her experience as a solicitor’s clerk as background. The main character is Antony Maitland, a barrister in his early thirties when the series opens. His wartime experience was in intelligence operations and he carried the investigative abilities he developed then into his legal career. His wife Jenny is quiet and supportive of Antony’s fits and starts, serving as a steadying influence. Antony works in his uncle’s chambers, i.e., law firm, and he and Jenny live on the top two floors of his uncle’s house, which means they often talk shop at all hours. His uncle Sir Nicholas Harding is a formidable presence in the courtroom but he’s reduced to jelly by his tyrannical butler and cook. Sir Nicholas may be my favorite character of the lot.

DSP released the first five titles of the series this week. I am looking forward to acquiring copies of the books that are not battered and worn, which mine mostly are. DSP is using the same cover art for each volume, only changing the color of the background. I have to wonder what colors they will use for 48 books; I am not sure Crayola has enough. An introduction by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans provides a comprehensive biography of Woods and a review of her place among the crime writers of the 1960s, a transitional period, he points out.

The first book in the series Bloody Instructions (Collins Crime Club, 1962; Harper & Row, 1963) introduces the three main characters, along with others who will become important as the series progresses. Antony is in the law offices of Mr. James Winter to pick up an affidavit when Mr. Winter is found with a knife in his back. Many clients had been in and out that afternoon but suspicion fastened quickly on Joseph Dowling, the impressive stage actor who was currently starring to great acclaim in a production of Macbeth. Winter was representing Mrs. Dowling in a divorce action and Dowling had improperly stopped by her solicitor’s office that afternoon to protest. The police collected enough evidence to bring a case against Dowling and Sir Nicholas agrees to defend him.

This first courtroom mystery sets the pattern for those that would follow. U.S. readers will find the English legal system somewhat confusing, but the basic plot of contradictory identification of a man leaving Winters’ office by a private entrance is plain enough. Antony is more intuitive than most and he sees connections between apparently unrelated details which takes him to conclusions not considered by the police. Readers who enjoy courtroom banter will especially appreciate the zingers exchanged between opposing counsel here. Later books vary in quality of plot, to be expected in a series of this length, and Woods became overly preoccupied with the idea of an organized crime kingpin, but mostly the storylines are original and well thought out, and the characters remain well-defined and interesting. One of my favorite series in a lifetime of reading crime fiction. Highly recommended!