My Foe Outstretch’d Beneath the Tree (Gollancz, 1968) is the second book by V. C. Clinton-Baddeley (1900-1970) in his mystery series about a Cambridge don named Dr. R. V. Davie. Victor Vaughan Reynolds Geraint Clinton Clinton-Baddeley was a British playwright, theatre and radio actor, and writer of literary nonfiction, as well as editor of the modern history section of the Encyclopedia Britannica. Clinton-Baddeley also founded Jupiter Recordings Ltd, a company that produced spoken word and poetry set to music, in 1958. He used his knowledge of voice recording technology in this book.
Considering Clinton-Baddeley’s background, it is no surprise that his story bristles with literary allusions. The title is a line from a poem by William Blake called A Poison Tree, and classic operas constitute some of the clues. Cultural references may be obscure. Davie, who dislikes physical exertion, states his only form of exercise was fives, a game which resembles the U.S. squash. And he looked forward to dining one night on supreme of chicken, which seems to be chicken in a cream sauce. Readers are advised to keep an internet browser nearby to clarify various points as they read. Few will need assistance with the reference to crime writer Annabel Champion, who has two mystery series, one with Miss Murchison and one with Chief Inspector Bainbridge. Davie prefers the books with Miss Murchison.
One story line centers on the murder of a member of Davie’s club in London. The victim was carrying on a liaison with a married woman. Her husband was also a member of the club and was known to be seeking an interview with the dead man on the day of his demise. He was the clear culprit until he produced a solid alibi. Davie is involved because he discovered the body in the club garden early one morning.
The other involves a discrepancy in recorded English grammar lessons. Dr. Davie listened to a sample tape and heard a date and snippet of an opera at the end, yet another tape of the same lesson lacked that segment. He was intrigued by the recording inconsistency and determined to unravel its significance. The description of the technology used may amuse some readers.
The plot threads unexpectedly intersect and the perpetrators in both cases were a surprise to me. In the very best Golden Age style the clues require esoteric knowledge to fully grasp. Except for the references to tape recording, it was hard for me to believe that this book was written as late as it was. It is a wonderful period piece, evoking the 1930s and 1940s. Recommended.