Punshon, ER - Proof, Counter Proof (1931)

The second mystery to feature that ill-matched pair of Scotland Yard detectives, Chief Inspector Carter and Sergeant Bell, and a definite improvement over the first. A complex tale about the murder of a misogynistic business man – who appears to be unaccountably attractive to women – this has less of the thriller about it than The Unexpected Legacy and is the better for it. Suspicion falls on several of the dead man’s colleagues and amorous conquests (and failures) in turn, but Punshon manages to maintain the interest of the reader all the way through the myriad theories that are adopted then abandoned by the investigators.

Once again it is Bell who does most of the meaningful detection while Carter, newly promoted to Chief Inspector, does his best to maintain his unfounded reputation and ingratiate himself with his superiors whenever possible. As before this leads to some wonderful moments between the two as Carter seeks to take credit for any theory that proves promising and then berate the hapless Bell when they turn out to be unfounded. Two more deaths further complicate the inquiry before the truth is revealed.

Although the final denouement does not manage to match the rest of the book, the quality of Punshon’s writing remains consistent. Unaccountably largely forgotten these days, he is a writer that many will find rewards further exploration.

R E Faust