Deadly Earnest

by Joan Cockin

Genres: Crime, Mystery
Pages: 288
Series: Inspector Cam #3
Rating:

Synopsis:

They were eight candidates who arrived in 'Humpstead Manor' - otherwise known as 'the Hump' - all of whom were part of an elite interview process for a major job in Africa. But even before the examinations began, one of the assembled seemed to be being singled out for something rather more a great job. Murder. Inspector Cam finds that what he thought was a relaxed trip observing how the process worked, finds he is needed to do a lot more than observe. Deadly Earnest, published in 1952 was the third and final novel that came from the Joan Cockin stable. It's a strong candidate to be her best.

Joan Cockin’s Deadly Earnest is a very classic kind of mystery, which was exactly what I wanted of it: methodical in building up a situation, letting it all fall apart like a house of cards, and then letting the detective set everything to rights and recreate order. It’s quite atmospheric at times, but in the end it delivers the expected payoff.

Most of the cast comes across as rather unpleasant, and even Inspector Cam — who I’ve liked in past books — didn’t always sit well with me. It’s partly the rather nasty atmosphere, I think, and from a modern perspective, also the smug colonialist attitudes of the characters who plan to go off and become administrators of the Empire.

Not a favourite, but overall it delivered what I was hoping for from it.

Rating: 3/5 (“liked it”)