Rhode, John as Miles Burton - To Catch a Thief (1934)

It is an unshakeable precept of detective fiction that the amateur criminologist must always be on the spot when mystery rears its head. True to this rule, urbane sleuth Desmond Merrion has no sooner checked into the Golden Crown Inn during a snowstorm than one of his fellow guests is found dead in a locked room filled with gas. Suicide seems indicated, but when it becomes clear that the death was not due to Carbon Monoxide poisoning murder becomes the likelier theory. When it is further discovered that the valuable Lutterworth emeralds have been stolen during the same night and the dead man once worked in the house where the theft occurred a possible motive suggests itself.

Detective Inspector Arnold, Merrion’s long time associate, is soon on the scene and together they begin to uncover a complex web of alibis and motives. Before long they are on the track of two rival gangs of jewel thieves, both led by men whose identity is hidden. Despite Arnold’s skepticism in his theories, Merrion devises a plan to trick the gangs into exposing themselves and soon the pair of investigators are painstakingly following the thread that leads them to their quarry – and the solution to both mysteries.

This is rather atypical of Burton’s from this period and is on the whole weaker for it. Arnold is dismissive and mostly slow-witted and the success of Merrion’s schemes stretch the credulity of the reader. The original murder is well handled but the rest of the mystery does not match the quality of his best work. Like all his books from this period extremely difficult to track down, this is perhaps not one that should be at the top of the wants list of any collector wishing to start or complete a collection.

R E Faust.

Entertaining Miles Burton tale, more a "thriller" in the style of his first two, since it involves criminal gangs and crime bosses. After a  nice opening section involving murder at a snowbound rural inn where Merrion and his man Newport are stranded, the novel opens out into a duel of wits between Merrion and the crime boss known as "The Count" (let's face it, Arnold in such a duel is insufficiently armed -- he's most definitely a second).  There's also an interesting female character, a "pretty and remarkably intelligent" housemaid named Ada.  How does she fit into all this?  Newport plays quite a large role too, which is nice for Burton fans.  Indeed The Hall at High Eldersham is revisited as well, though Mavis is unaccountably absent and not as much is done there as fans might have liked.  Still, an enjoyable tale: faster-paced, humorous, not over-complicated and with some deduction here and there.

Curt