Lynn Brock (1877-1943) was the pseudonym of Alister McAllister, an Irish writer. He first wrote plays as Anthony Wharton and then turned to crime fiction using the name Lynn Brock. He created the character of Colonel Gore who starred in five books and a recently reprinted novella and wrote an early psychological crime story. T.S. Eliot and Dorothy L. Sayers were among his fans. He wrote 13 books in all.

The Deductions of Colonel Gore, published by Collins in 1924 and again in 1932 as The Barrington Mystery, introduces the eponymous detective. Colonel Wickham Gore returns to his home town of Linwood after a successful military career and producing a film of Africa that was popular in England, which made him something of a celebrity. Many of the friends of his youth are still there, including the woman he loved unrequitedly. Now married to an established physician, she is one of the first people he notifies of his return. She promptly invites him to a small dinner party, where he meets more of his former friends and learns that his hostess is being blackmailed.

She enlists his aid in retrieving embarrassing letters and Gore is trying to do so when her blackmailer conveniently dies, apparently of a heart attack but maybe of something else. Gore is relieved for a short time, thinking the threat had evaporated, until he learns that the blackmailer’s colleague has stepped in to take over and expects to continue draining a number of residents of their cash.

A surprising 274 pages, long for a Golden Age mystery, the intricate plot needs a good bit of space to unfold all of its layers. What takes up most of the room though is Gore’s careful processing of the information he has at various times, which points first at this character and then another as the culprit. Readers looking for action will be disappointed, as most of the action is in Gore’s methodical and logical brain.

I really liked this book. I felt it needed editing and then upon a quick review decided I could not see what could have been eliminated without damaging the plot. It is very much of its time and place: Gore persists in referring to grown women by their childhood diminutives (Pickles! Roly-Poly!) while addressing the men of the same generation by their surname, acknowledging their adult status. I know I am viewing this dissonance through the distant lens of 100 years but I still find the contrast jarring. Another sign of the times is the reference to his camera, which was large enough to cause comment and required a stand and plates. Mine of course is in my telephone. And then there are the pejorative references to minorities that are unacceptable these days. However, these are minor considerations. The mystery plot is impeccable and the writing polished and amusing. I understand why T.S. Eliot, that consummate stylist, was enamored. Essential reading for any student of Golden Age mysteries.