Larbalestier, PG


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Philip George Larbalestier (1901-1984) was a musician and writer who lived in the Channel Islands. He founded the Jersey Symphony Orchestra in the 1920's and wrote an opera called 'The Paladins' (1943) which was performed in Jersey during the German occupation. He also wrote cantatas such as 'The Harvest of Souls' and 'Liberi gaudeamus', as well as music for a children's pantomime, 'The Snow Queen'. His book 'The Science of Character and Destiny', in the words of the author, “is an attempt to correlate the three great mystery sciences – astrology,

numerology and the Tarot!”.

 

His mystery books were written either during, or just after, the war and were published by John Gifford, later J Gifford Ltd., between 1947 and 1954. It appears that some were also published by The Thriller Book Club. His book Death Casts No Shadow is singled out by Sutherland Scott in Blood in Their Ink for its highly improbable murder method - 'psychic repercussion'. He is well remembered as a musician but finding people who knew him as an author has proved a little more difficult.

 

Darling, Don’t be Dumb, Black Shrouds a Bride and Death Casts No Shadow star Larbalestier's series sleuth, Inspector Michael Farrant. Officer, That’s Your Man is a short story collection. Most of Larbalestier's mystery fiction is set in Britain.

 

Bibliography

 

Officer, That’s Your Man (1947)

Ducks and Drakes (1949)

Darling, Don’t be Dumb (1950)

The Yellow Card Mystery (1950)

Black Shrouds a Bride (1951)

Death Casts No Shadow (1951)

The Singing Sword (1954)