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Inspector Mallett #2
Death is No Sportsman
An Inspector Mallett mystery - The story begins deceptively with a pastoral setting in the River Didder and peaceful villages of Didford Parva and Didford Magna. Four businessmen have formed a syndicate and bought the fishing rights of a reach of the Didder. Their unofficial headquarters is the Polworthy Arms. Against the idyllic backdrop however run local passions, rivalries and then murder. It is up to Inspector Mallet to draw upon his fishing knowledge to resolve the case.
234 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1938
About the author
Cyril Hare
81 books93 followersCyril Hare was the pseudonymn of Alfred Alexander Gordon Clark who was the third son of Henry Herbert Gordon Clark of Mickleham Hall, a merchant in the wine and spirit trade in the family firm of Matthew Clark & Sons.
Having spent most of his formative years in the country where he learned to hunt, shoot and fish, he was educated at St Aubyn's, Rottingdean and Rugby, where he won a prize for writing English verse, before reading history at New College, Oxford, where he gained a first class degree.
His family tradition indicated a legal career and he was duly called to the bar in 1924 and he joined the firm of famed lawyer Ronald Oliver and went on to practice in the civil and criminal courts in and around London.
He was 36 when he began his writing career and he picked his pseudonymn from Hare Court, where he worked, and Cyril Mansions, Battersea, where he lived after he had married Mary Barbara Lawrence in 1933. The couple had one son and two daughters.
His first literary endeavours were short, flippant sketches for Punch magazine and he had articles published in the Illustrated London News and The Law Journal. His first detective novel, 'Tenant for Death' was published in 1937 and it was called 'an engaging debut'.
During the early years of World War II he toured as a judge's marshall and he used his experiences as the basis for his fourth novel 'Tragedy at Law', which was published in 1942. In that same year he became a civil servant with the Director of Public Prosecutions and in the latter stages of the war he worked in the Ministry of Economic Warfare, where his experiences proved invaluable when writing 'With a Bare Bodkin' in 1946.
He was appointed county court judge for Surrey in 1950 and he spent his time between travelling the circuit trying civil cases and writing his detective fiction.
In addition to these two strings to his bow, he was a noted public speaker and was often in demand by a wide variety of societies. But his workload did curtail his literary output, which was also hampered by the fact that he did not use a typewriter, and his reputation, very good as it is in the field of detective fiction, stands on nine novels and a host of short stories. He also wrote a children's book, 'The Magic Bottle' in 1946 and a play, 'The House of Warbeck' in 1955.
He has left two enduting characters in Inspector Mallett of Scotland Yard, who featured in three novels, and Francis Pettigrew, an amateur sleuth, who also featured in three novels. In addition the two appeared together in two other novels, 'Tragedy at Law' (1942) and 'He Should Have Died Hereafter' (1958).
Having suffered from tuberculosis for some time, he died at his home near Boxhill, Surrey on 25 August 1958, aged only 57. After his death Michael Gilbert introduced a fine collection of his short stories entitled 'The Best Detective Stories of Cyril Hare', in which he paid due tribute to a fellow lawyer and mystery writer.
Gerry Wolstenholme
June 2011
Having spent most of his formative years in the country where he learned to hunt, shoot and fish, he was educated at St Aubyn's, Rottingdean and Rugby, where he won a prize for writing English verse, before reading history at New College, Oxford, where he gained a first class degree.
His family tradition indicated a legal career and he was duly called to the bar in 1924 and he joined the firm of famed lawyer Ronald Oliver and went on to practice in the civil and criminal courts in and around London.
He was 36 when he began his writing career and he picked his pseudonymn from Hare Court, where he worked, and Cyril Mansions, Battersea, where he lived after he had married Mary Barbara Lawrence in 1933. The couple had one son and two daughters.
His first literary endeavours were short, flippant sketches for Punch magazine and he had articles published in the Illustrated London News and The Law Journal. His first detective novel, 'Tenant for Death' was published in 1937 and it was called 'an engaging debut'.
During the early years of World War II he toured as a judge's marshall and he used his experiences as the basis for his fourth novel 'Tragedy at Law', which was published in 1942. In that same year he became a civil servant with the Director of Public Prosecutions and in the latter stages of the war he worked in the Ministry of Economic Warfare, where his experiences proved invaluable when writing 'With a Bare Bodkin' in 1946.
He was appointed county court judge for Surrey in 1950 and he spent his time between travelling the circuit trying civil cases and writing his detective fiction.
In addition to these two strings to his bow, he was a noted public speaker and was often in demand by a wide variety of societies. But his workload did curtail his literary output, which was also hampered by the fact that he did not use a typewriter, and his reputation, very good as it is in the field of detective fiction, stands on nine novels and a host of short stories. He also wrote a children's book, 'The Magic Bottle' in 1946 and a play, 'The House of Warbeck' in 1955.
He has left two enduting characters in Inspector Mallett of Scotland Yard, who featured in three novels, and Francis Pettigrew, an amateur sleuth, who also featured in three novels. In addition the two appeared together in two other novels, 'Tragedy at Law' (1942) and 'He Should Have Died Hereafter' (1958).
Having suffered from tuberculosis for some time, he died at his home near Boxhill, Surrey on 25 August 1958, aged only 57. After his death Michael Gilbert introduced a fine collection of his short stories entitled 'The Best Detective Stories of Cyril Hare', in which he paid due tribute to a fellow lawyer and mystery writer.
Gerry Wolstenholme
June 2011
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
September 21, 2013
A nice comfortable British mystery. Originally published in 1938, it features Scotland Yard Inspector Mallett, who coolly investigates, analyzes and solves the mystery of the murder of Sir Peter Packer. Many suspects, mainly centering around a fishing syndicate, a well-devised timeline and still a nice surprise (for me anyway) ending. Very enjoyable, easy to read, well-paced mystery. This is the second Cyril Hare mystery I've read and I've enjoyed both very much.
February 24, 2018
While I figured out a few aspects of the case early on, the actual solution was a surprise since my 'deductions' (really guesses) turned out to be misleading!
I am glad that there was a map of the area at the beginning of the book, as I referred to it several times while reading. Also, it was nice that Inspector Mallett, being a Londoner, needed to have some aspects of fly fishing explained to him so that I the reader could learn them too.
I am glad that there was a map of the area at the beginning of the book, as I referred to it several times while reading. Also, it was nice that Inspector Mallett, being a Londoner, needed to have some aspects of fly fishing explained to him so that I the reader could learn them too.
August 12, 2020
A traditional mystery in the great British tradition, first published in 1938. Cyril Hare was the pseudonym of a civil servant and judge who often built his plots around complexities or quirks of English law. (See my review of Tragedy at Law). He created two series characters, the lawyer Francis Pettigrew and Inspector Mallett of the Yard.
This one features Mallett, who is called in to assist the county police when a nouveau riche lord of the manor is found shot to death on the banks of the river Didder, a bucolic (and entirely fictional) slice of rural England. The river happens to be a great trout stream, and fishing rights to the stretch in question are owned by a syndicate of four wealthy Londoners who spend their summer weekends casting flies on the Didder's placid waters. The deceased has been squabbling with the syndicate over the rights, in addition to cutting down a treasured stand of beeches and installing a noisy sawmill to cut them up, knocking up a local maiden, and in general making himself thoroughly unpopular with his neighbors. His unhappy wife is the object of the secret passion of one of the syndicate members; the unhappy wife of another member has her own secrets, the rector's wife brazenly pokes her nose into everyone's affairs... In short, plenty of complications, plenty of suspects. The solution hinges on timetables, tangled business affairs and peculiarities of fishing flies, in classic whodunnit style.
It's not edge of the seat riveting, just witty, clever and soothing, all the things we look for in a classic Golden Age mystery.
This one features Mallett, who is called in to assist the county police when a nouveau riche lord of the manor is found shot to death on the banks of the river Didder, a bucolic (and entirely fictional) slice of rural England. The river happens to be a great trout stream, and fishing rights to the stretch in question are owned by a syndicate of four wealthy Londoners who spend their summer weekends casting flies on the Didder's placid waters. The deceased has been squabbling with the syndicate over the rights, in addition to cutting down a treasured stand of beeches and installing a noisy sawmill to cut them up, knocking up a local maiden, and in general making himself thoroughly unpopular with his neighbors. His unhappy wife is the object of the secret passion of one of the syndicate members; the unhappy wife of another member has her own secrets, the rector's wife brazenly pokes her nose into everyone's affairs... In short, plenty of complications, plenty of suspects. The solution hinges on timetables, tangled business affairs and peculiarities of fishing flies, in classic whodunnit style.
It's not edge of the seat riveting, just witty, clever and soothing, all the things we look for in a classic Golden Age mystery.
May 16, 2022
A- :
Not quite as meticulous with its comings and goings as Marsh's Scales of Justice (also very fishing-centric) but pretty close. There are lots of interesting relationships between the characters and a conclusion that I didn't see coming. Maybe Hare's best?
Not quite as meticulous with its comings and goings as Marsh's Scales of Justice (also very fishing-centric) but pretty close. There are lots of interesting relationships between the characters and a conclusion that I didn't see coming. Maybe Hare's best?
March 22, 2022
The start was a bit muddled for me with so many people entering and being argumentative in general. Since people are referred to formally, then informally, it can take a bit to get them all sorted out. The characters were very memorable at least so that did help. Near the start the "body" is discovered. And usually at that moment I pause and try and figure out- from what I've read -do I have a list of suspects I could think and how right at that moment. (One of my two picks was right!)
However, the real fun comes in when Mallet comes and takes over the case. All the work that he does, at the end point really helps nail down fact from lie or someone just not telling the complete truth. Also it is not just a matter of figuring out who, as it needs proof.
Well written and filled with characters that are intriguing to see how they operate- and of course Mallet who is a man who marches on his stomach! Mallet's unruffled and determined demeanor are
a joy to follow. I find, no matter how grim the murder, there is a touch of irony and humor and laser points of view that make Hare's stories enjoyable.
However, the real fun comes in when Mallet comes and takes over the case. All the work that he does, at the end point really helps nail down fact from lie or someone just not telling the complete truth. Also it is not just a matter of figuring out who, as it needs proof.
Well written and filled with characters that are intriguing to see how they operate- and of course Mallet who is a man who marches on his stomach! Mallet's unruffled and determined demeanor are
a joy to follow. I find, no matter how grim the murder, there is a touch of irony and humor and laser points of view that make Hare's stories enjoyable.
October 29, 2012
This was an odd book for me because every time I picked it up I found it well-written and interesting, but it took me quite a while to finish it. Maybe it is because I don't know much about fishing. I did feel like the pace picked up once the police showed up on the scene, and some of the characters were very funny. I didn't like it as much as An English Murder, but I am still planning on reading more of Hare's books.
May 22, 2023
An excellent read. I learned a great deal about fishing, even made an excursion to a lake and sat by a creek for an hour to experience what anglers enjoy. The characters are well-etched, the mystery is well-clued, Inspector Mallet is smart, yet not annoying, and the identity of the murderer—while not unguessable—is satisfying. I knock off one star because the motive for the murder is weak! Hare has laid the work for a much stronger, more plausible motive and I am flabbergasted that he hasn't used it. In my head, I've re-written this part so that I feel more positively towards the book and look forward to picking up another of Hare's works. For readers new to Cyril Hare's works, please try his short stories: they are excellent.
January 15, 2021
Murder in the beautiful English countryside, yet again. This time, the victim is a thoroughly unpleasant baronet with a wandering eye, shady business practices, and an ongoing feud with the folks who fish the river alongside his land. It’s up to Scotland Yard to figure it out, because the local constabulary certainly isn’t up to the job. Will we be surprised by the fellow who did the fiendish deed?
This is a perfectly ok mystery for folks who have read all the Agatha Christie books. You learn a lot about fishing, fisherman, and the quirks of public right of way. Except for a slightly ironic finale, this is pleasant, but it doesn’t stand out in any way.
This is a perfectly ok mystery for folks who have read all the Agatha Christie books. You learn a lot about fishing, fisherman, and the quirks of public right of way. Except for a slightly ironic finale, this is pleasant, but it doesn’t stand out in any way.
November 11, 2023
Pretty similar review to the other non-Pettigrew Mallett (Tenant for Death) - it was a bit meh in comparison with other Hares. I thought the police investigation was rather shoddy, to be honest. (e.g. ) I dislike fishing even in games like Zelda so my eyes glazed over those sections.
September 20, 2023
Another fantastic Golden Age murder mystery by Cyril Hare.
Inspector Mallett is called out to the shooting of a local lord of the manor.
Suspects abound, each with adequate motive, Mallett has a tough job to sift through all the evidence to prove whodunnit.
A true cliffhanger which keeps the reader guessing
Inspector Mallett is called out to the shooting of a local lord of the manor.
Suspects abound, each with adequate motive, Mallett has a tough job to sift through all the evidence to prove whodunnit.
A true cliffhanger which keeps the reader guessing
December 19, 2021
A so-so mystery. Hare's a good writer overall, but the mysteries that feature Mallett as a secondary character rather than the lead - and concentrate more on legal twists than time tables - are much more entertaining.
November 30, 2020
An amusing whodunit first published in 1938 that involves quite a lot of trout fishing on a British dry fly chalk stream.
January 24, 2021
Intricate plot and wide range of characters with a steady relentless pace...kept me guessing until the last pages.
No particular interest in fishing required, I think!
No particular interest in fishing required, I think!
May 16, 2021
2.5 stars
December 29, 2021
A very Trollopian setting and a matching resolution.
July 30, 2023
Another very good murder mystery by this author. The cast is well balanced and the move towards the resolution is excellent.
March 21, 2018
For my full review click on the link below:
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
October 30, 2023
CHARMING fishing mystery(a first), focused on a peculiar cartel of anglers set in a particularly fertile tract of a fictional river somewhere in the Home counties or Essex, who despite belonging to various professions and different generations are united by their shared obsession. They come into recurring conflict with a local landowner( a city mogul and a truly reprehensible man) who contests their right to pass through his land. It all comes into focus when he is found dead bringing chaos to their seemingly pastoral idle, though it never shakes the appetite for fishing of the group. To complicate matters further their are a lot romantic goings on and unrequited desires simmering in the background, but as always with a Hare novel nothing is as it appears, and readers should not expect every complication to be happily resolved by the end.
Enter Inspector Mallett, the ruddy ginger giant who with his meticulous hard-work both physical and mental manages to puncture this intricate web of lies, where every character is hiding the truth and nobody has an alibi that withstands a second of serious scrutiny. The cheery on the top is the brilliance with which a particular character is foreshadowed to be the perpetrator up until the penultimate chapter, and then Hare manages to pull the rug in a covert manner that does not insult the reader. Overall, exquisite setting, fully realised characters(special mention to the Vicar's wife, who in her role as the all knowing village busybody was my favourite), witty dialogue and most importantly a superb mystery, which is fairly clued and suspenseful til the very end.
Enter Inspector Mallett, the ruddy ginger giant who with his meticulous hard-work both physical and mental manages to puncture this intricate web of lies, where every character is hiding the truth and nobody has an alibi that withstands a second of serious scrutiny. The cheery on the top is the brilliance with which a particular character is foreshadowed to be the perpetrator up until the penultimate chapter, and then Hare manages to pull the rug in a covert manner that does not insult the reader. Overall, exquisite setting, fully realised characters(special mention to the Vicar's wife, who in her role as the all knowing village busybody was my favourite), witty dialogue and most importantly a superb mystery, which is fairly clued and suspenseful til the very end.
December 28, 2022
3 - Good, but difficult to read due to writing style, and long-winded
March 10, 2016
Not the best Hare I've read, honestly, but still I give it a 4.5. The beginning is very dry but once things kick off it's a pretty fun read.
I was expecting more, I must say. It sort of feels like an Agatha Christie written by her rather staid guy friend. Which is probably close to the mark. Other Hares didn't feel this way to me--maybe it's the setting. There is some solid prose and great characters here but in my opinion the mystery is a little too dependent on timetables and maps instead of characters and plot.
If you like fly fishing or if you're curious about fly fishing, and if you like whodunits not just with maps but with a map you will reference about fifty times, then this book's for you. If you love Golden Age mysteries, this book's for you.
I was expecting more, I must say. It sort of feels like an Agatha Christie written by her rather staid guy friend. Which is probably close to the mark. Other Hares didn't feel this way to me--maybe it's the setting. There is some solid prose and great characters here but in my opinion the mystery is a little too dependent on timetables and maps instead of characters and plot.
If you like fly fishing or if you're curious about fly fishing, and if you like whodunits not just with maps but with a map you will reference about fifty times, then this book's for you. If you love Golden Age mysteries, this book's for you.
April 22, 2016
The four men have clubbed together to purchase fishing rights for a stretch of the famous Didder River, despite bad relations with the local landowner. But when he's found shot to death, they all come under suspicion. The fishing lore comes at the reader hot and heavy (wet and muddy?), but fortunately Inspector Mallett is only interested in catching a murderer.
January 12, 2013
Not the strongest mystery plot ever, and the solution was pretty weak. But still, Hare writes well enough to make the series worth pursuing.
June 16, 2019
Precise.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews