Lucy Beatrice Malleson (1899-1973) was a British author most well known for her creation of Arthur G. Crook, an entertaining lawyer whose ethics do not bear scrutiny. Crook had some 50 adventures published under the pseudonym Anthony Gilbert. Malleson also used the name J. Kilmeny Keith for her first mysteries and later she adopted the name Anne Meredith. Before Crook came to life, Anthony Gilbert wrote mysteries about an aspiring politician named Scott Egerton.
I looked at the first story with Egerton years ago and was underwhelmed. I thought it might be time to look at a title later in the series. Death at Four Corners (Collins, 1929) is the third book with Egerton. Although neatly plotted, the narrative is composed largely of long expository passages, beautifully composed and often amusing but dense, making for a slow and somewhat tedious read, quite unlike the later Crook stories.
The story opens with Doctor Terence Ambrose of Ireland visiting London in September 1927 for business and attempting to repair deficiencies in his wardrobe at the same time. There in the store he encountered a friend from college, Sir Gervase Blount. Blount suggested that Ambrose visit for a few days. Scott Egerton, MP, was also staying with Blount and met Ambrose at the train station. As the two made their way to Four Corners along a rocky and overgrown path on the edge of a steep cliff overlooking the sea, Ambrose made the unhappy discovery of a body lying near the bottom of the cliff. Egerton immediately climbed down the cliff to investigate.
I was sorry to see Ambrose fade into the sidelines at this point. He is a colorful character and could have added another dimension to the story. As it stands, he is a foil for Egerton’s speeches.
The local police professed themselves at a loss and invited Scotland Yard to take over. Inspector James Bremner promptly arrived. He was well acquainted with Egerton and treated him like another professional colleague in what turned out to be a problematic case involving a sorry tale of blackmail, forgery, and bigamy. Blount was eventually arrested for murder of the man who had been victimizing his wife. Bremner considered his job done but Egerton launched into a fervent search for evidence that would exonerate Blount.
A clever if perhaps not especially realistic resolution to a crime that seemed to have only one logical answer. For students of Golden Age mysteries, although those who insist on solid clue placement may be disappointed. Contemporary readers who expect a good deal of action should skip this one.