Innes, Michael - Appleby's Other Story (1974)

Review by Nick Fuller

4/5

“An Arabian Nights affair this, perhaps. Stories within stories.”

‘Stories’ in this one has a double meaning — a pun concealing an ingenious alibi gimmick, relying on Constructivism and symmetry to mislead the reader, who, despite the array of suspicious characters, will probably spot the murderer, but remain unable to work out how until Sir John Appleby solves the mystery — and all in one day, too. Despite an over-emphasis on bed-hopping, some strong language (surprising in an author as Wodehousian as Innes) and a sense of time-warp, this is one of the better examples of late Innes, since the plot is solid and well worked out, and the characters, especially Mrs. Catmull, amusing.

Another huge country house in Appleby's neighborhood, and a murder by shooting. Colonel Pride, the local Chief Constable, makes yet another appearance having become a regular in these stories of Appleby after his retirement. The book strictly follows the classic country-house formula, right down to the final revelation where all the suspects are gathered together and their secrets expounded. The mechanism of the crime is very ingenious (in fact it could only be pulled off in such a huge and cluttered place as this mansion), but the characters are all unpleasant rather than amusingly eccentric. Disappoints.

Wyatt James