Punshon, ER - The Bath Mysteries (1936)

Review by Nick Fuller

4/5

An unusually sinister tale from this author. Since the Home Secretary used to deliver milk to Lord Hirlpool's father, Lord Hirlpool's nephew Bobby Owen is assigned to investigate the death of his cousin, boiled alive in his bath, the second of three "bath mysteries," victims of a sinister conspiracy that ranks with that of the Pale Horse. Having discovered the conspiracy, however, Bobby is surprisingly obtuse, for the murderer is obvious from very early on, particularly to those who have read the author's earlier Cottage Murder (1931). Although rather slow moving, the reader's interest is kept by the sustained excellence of Punshon's writing, which is nearly as good as that of GK Chesterton. A very real atmosphere of horror is suggested by his queer turns of phrase and grotesque characters, among whom Percy Lawrence is notably affecting.