An English Murder

Good, surprising murder mystery for lovers of the English genre. An unusual motive; probably only predictable by those with intricate knowledge of the British legal/legislative system.

well written, story a little too simple but a pleasant read all in all

Lord Warbeck, failing in health and nearly impoverished, wants his remaining family and close friends to come for a final Christmas. It is a very mixed group of people who arrive and there are undercurrents from the very first. Staying in the house with Lord Warbeck is Dr Bottwink, a Hungarian historian who is researching the Warbeck family, the oldest in the area; Sir Julius Warbeck, cousin of Lord Warbeck, and also Chancellor of the Exchequer; Lady Camilla Prendergast, an earl’s daughter and a distant connection through the late Lady Warbeck; Mrs Carstairs, daughter of a long-standing rector in the parish and wife of Alan, who is a rising star in government; Mr Robert Warbeck, son and heir of Lord Warbeck, with questionable political affiliations.Also present is Briggs, the impeccable butler, and Rogers, a Sergeant of Special Branch and Sir Julius’ protection officer. Dr Bottwink is a delightful character and my favourite. He has been immersed in English history as he researches the Warbeck family and consequently knows a great deal more about English history than most English..It is snowing as the guests arrive and by the morning of Christmas Eve, the grounds of Warbeck Hall are covered with snow that gets deeper as the day continues. By dinner-time on Christmas Eve the Hall is snowbound and the telephone lines are down, as they are in many parts of England. Christmas Eve dinner is not convivial and afterwards the guests head to the drawing room for the Christmas countdown, and one is dead before the clock finishes chiming. As the Hall is cut off, Rogers has to assume the role of investigating officer, a task he has become unaccustomed to since his transfer to the Diplomatic Protection Squad. The body count rises and the number of suspects shrinks.There is subtle humour and gently mocking wit that seems to be a hallmark of this author’s style, which combined with diverse political views of the characters and a very ingenious plot, makes for an extremely readable and satisfying novel. The prose is well done, as is the dialogue and the use of language is first-rate. This one is a keeper for me.

A little slow

Cyril Hare skillfully draws on his experience as a lawyer and judge to concoct a taut, short tale with all the traditional elements of a British whodunit: a snowbound country home cut off from civilization and presided over by a host who assembles a strange roster of guests at Christmas, an efficient, loyal butler, and, of course, a killer on the loose. Murders are committed, one by one, leading the reader to believe An English Murder will follow in the footsteps of the Agatha Christie classic And Then There Were None. To the delight of the reader, however, that isn’t the case. Some of the guests survive, but how many? And are the murders tied to illicit love or something deeper involving British tradition? An English Murder reads like a brisk stage play, with a small cast of characters expertly breathing life into a baffling plot that puts audience members on the edge of their seats… Hare definitely emerges as a serious rival to Dame Christie… An English Murder transports the reader into the realm of British life and proves to be a chilling, delicious escape from the overwrought commercialism we know as Christmas.

Cyril Hare's An English Murder was first published when I was a freshman in high school. Much of the story depends on one's knowledge of English political history so reading got a bit confusing at times.That aside the story is a classic British who-done-it in the Agatha Christie style - the clues are there and the final denouncement is right on target with a surprising twist.Lord Warbeck pulls his remaining family to the ancestral home for a holiday gathering, but the uninvited guest (murder) puts an end to his plans and his life and his heir. Few wanted the old man dead, but the did want what he possessed. Fun reading for the holidays.Nash Black, author of Ono Almanac: a yearbook of memories.

This book is the first I've read by Cyril Hare and I thought it was quite good. First published in 1951, the mystery is set at Christmas in the favorite site of British murder mysteries -- the large country home. A house party is snowbound and a murder, naturally!, ensues. I found the resolution of the mystery satisfying -- although, as with Christie's books, I didn't manage to guess the identity of the murder. The story moves at a brisk pace and is mercifully short -- 202 pages. I highly recommend it to fans of classic British mysteries.I do have a couple of reservations and would give it 4 1/2 stars if half stars were allowed. The book was written at a time just after what's considered the Golden Age of British mysteries. So, rather than the country home being elegant with a full staff of servants, it's rather run-down with a greatly reduced staff -- the result of high postwar British income tax rates. Hare was, of course, merely reflecting conditions as they actually were in 1951, but I still prefer mysteries set during the interwar period. One other area where he falls short of Christie is not providing a character in whom the reader has a rooting interest. Often Christie would include in the story an appealing young woman or young couple with whom the reader could identify. None of the characters in this book really fits that role.Still, if you like classic British mysteries, I doubt that this book will disappoint you.

An English Murder was my first book by Cyril Hare. I'm always skeptical when an author is compared to Agatha Christie. Unfortunately, most just can't compare. I was pleasantly surprised that Cyril Hare held up wonderfully. An English Murder was well written with great characters and a good mystery. It felt like a classic English murder mystery in all the right ways. I will definitely have to look for more of his books.

I think this is one of Cyril Hare's best stories. It's a clever post-war cross between 'Hercule Poirot's Christmas' and 'And Then There Were None'. It kept me guessing until the end. Recommended.

Demasiado pequeño por el precio.

The novel is well written and the plot is conceived in a genuine English framework. The characters reflect the various components of the English society, which are somewhat still actual. The mechanisms of the British Isles democracy come into play and provide an original background for the plot to come to a final relatively unexpected conclusion. The English countryside, the estate, the unavoidable butler, the harsh weather all concur to draw the perfect picture of a society based on tradition and strict separation in classes. The language is rich and elaborate and the author has a perfect grip on the subject given his experience as a lawyer and a judge. In summary, we are not in front of Agatha Christie, but the book is enjoyable and gives the reader an interesting glimpse of a society that is still more or less unchanged in a matter of centuries.

Wonderfully written country house mystery with great characterization with acute observations of human nature and social upheavals... The mystery itself is quite complex and satisfying in itself.

Cyril Hare was the pen name of a distinguished barrister, Alexander A G Clark (1900 - 1958).He was a member of the Inner Temple and worked for a law firm which handled many of the most infamous crime cases if the 1920s. He used his legal experience in his novels; it is a shame that he died so young, relatively speaking, when his career was thriving and his novels so beautifully written.I had Heard of Cyril Hare but this is the first of his classic country house mysteries that I have read. I loved it for its vivid characterisations, its well-constructed plot and its witty, insightful comments on life. For me, this was pure entertainment. Loved it!