The mummified body of Marcus Smallbone is found in a deed box in the offices of a wonderfully Dickensian London law firm. The atmosphere and satirical aspects are beautifully done, and there are some nice lawyerly scams too. Gilbert has been around forever and always surprises.
Wyatt James
I had read this one around 25 years ago and thought it merely OK. Having read countless opinions on it about its being the author’s masterpiece, I knew it had to be re-read when I finished reading “The Enemy Within”. This I did as soon as the new Rue Morgue edition arrived. And am very happy to have done so. SD is indeed a true masterpiece of the genre. The setting is a solicitor’s office, where one person named Smallbone is found murdered in a most peculiar place. The narrative, interactions between characters, mechanics of the crime is again handled by a master hand. And again, fair play clueing, red herrings, satisfactory motivations, and surprise perpetrator people the book.
Enrique F. Bird
Smallbone, which concerns a murder in a London solicitor's office is absolutely tremendous. Great characters, terrific puzzle plot with clues littered about amongst the red herrings and written with great wit and charm - sometimes funny, sometimes menacing. I can quite see why this title appears on various "best ever" lists. And, of course, as Gilbert was a solicitor himself, he was writing from personal experience, always a benefit.
Alan P.
See also http://mysteryfile.com/blog/?p=15254
See also http://at-scene-of-crime.blogspot.ca/2012/09/about-murder-of-nobody.html
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