James Quince was the pseudonym used by James Reginald Spittal (1876-1951), an English clergyman who wrote three novels in the 1930s and then went on to other pursuits. As has been noted, it is a loss for crime fiction readers that he didn’t continue writing. Based on my reading of his third book, he had a flair for dialect and characterization and his plotting is innovative. Casual Slaughters was published by Ivor Nicholson and Watson in 1935 and then reprinted 85 years later by Black Heath in 2022 and Oleander Press in 2023.
Set in a Devon village called Bishop’s Pecheford and narrated by a retired naval officer, who says he makes a sort of living off Rhode Island Red chickens, the story opens with the rector of the church discussing the state of the graveyard with the Parochial Church Council. The rector points out the disorderly appearance of the area and reminds the council of their responsibility to ensure the cemetery is well cared for. The decision to remove the mounds over graves to simplify mowing was made and the sexton implemented the decision the next day. He was more than alarmed to find a hand emerging from the first grave he attempted to modify. Further investigation revealed the body of a decapitated man, not the elderly lady buried there months earlier.
The police started to work. Without identification, progress was slow and all sorts of rumors as to the identity of the victim began to circulate in the village. The rector cleverly stopped them by sending a telegram to the circus that had visited during the time in question and asked if they were missing anyone. Since telegrams were not in the least private, the idea that the dead man was from the circus took hold rapidly and displaced all other notions.
After Detective-Inspector Lawless of Scotland Yard arrived to delve into the problem a second murder occurred. In a radical departure from traditional mysteries, the inspector was re-assigned and the murders were left to be solved by the Parochial Church Council.
Another wonderful village mystery with an unusual approach, well-defined eccentric characters, and a witty narrative. One of the town gossips is described as “a local paper published in hourly editions” and the public nurse “would look well as rugby forward at Twickenham.” The method of the second death is beyond creative and I could not have begun to guess it.
A number of bloggers gave Quince some attention when his books were re-issued a few years ago.
- https://northernreader.wordpress.com/category/james-quince/
- https://moonlight-detective.blogspot.com/2022/06/casual-slaughters-1935-by-james-quince.html
- https://promotingcrime.blogspot.com/2024/03/casual-slaughters-by-james-quince.html
- https://doyouwriteunderyourownname.blogspot.com/2014/12/forgotten-book-casual-slaughters.html
Martin Edwards liked them and mentioned that he obtained signed copies of all three of Quince’s mysteries, which are exceedingly rare.
Nick Fuller diligently looked up a number of contemporary reviews which he included in his post.
- https://thepassingtramp.blogspot.com/2014/12/no-mans-land-tin-tree-1930-by-james.html
- https://thepassingtramp.blogspot.com/2014/12/some-more-on-james-quince-james.html
Curtis Evans provides extensive biographical detail in his two posts on Quince/Spittal.
Recommended, especially for students of the Golden Age and followers of traditional mysteries.