I have to admit that I had never heard of Sheila Radley until recently when she was mentioned by a member of an online reading group which I belong to. I am always keen to discover new crime authors, but in this case it would appear that this lady has been around a long time and her books have never crossed my radar at all. Cannot think why.
Sheila Radley was born in 1928 and as her last book was published in 1994, I am assuming that she has stopped writing. If I am wrong, then I apologise. I got hold of the first in the series featuring her detective, Inspector Quantrill, on Amazon. It would appear that there are only two in print at the moment and this one, Death in the Morning, came from the US where it is being re-issued by a publisher with the simply stunning name of Felony & Mayhem (puts me in mind of the name of the firm of solicitors invented by Private Eye. I am referring of course to Sue, Grabbit and Run) and this really put me in a good frame of mind straight away.
"It is a glorious spring morning in the village of Ashthorpe. Birds are singing and sunlight is dancing on the river where Mary Gedge's dress drifts lazily in the shallows, and flowers mingle in her hair. The scene is so altogether lovely that some locals think dreamilyy of Ophelia, drowned for love of noble Hamlet"
But of course, it is murder as it is clear Mary's head was held under the water and so the first case for Inspector Quantrill is penned. Originally published in 1976, the story and background seems slightly dated, as do all stories set in this period, much more so it seems to me than those written in the 1930s. Curious, but that is how I feel. Probably because I can remember this time very well, whereas the world of Wimsey and Alleyn is far too early for me so I have no opinion on them at all.
Quantrill is an old fashioned, solid, copper and the similarities with the earlier Wexford books of Ruth Rendall, in characterisation that is, struck me forcibly. It is vital of course that Quantrill has a smart alec, snotty nosed, know it all, fresh out of detective school partner and in this case he is assigned Detective Sergeant Tait, ambitious and determined to make his mark: "Tait had chosen to dress formally in a suit instead of casual clothes; he had had his thick hair trimmed. Modest eagerness, he had decided, would be the appropriate line to take".
I enjoyed this first book, not totally overwhelmed but interested enough to hunt out some more if I could find them and noted that Felony and Mayhew had published just one more. Put it in my Amazon basket and left it for a day or two and glad I did as I had a rummage in a local bookshop this week and came up with not only that title, but another one lurking in a corner where they had been for some time, just waiting for me to find them. Snapped them up and shall now be keeping an eye out for others as they are obviously going to need tracking down.
Fate worse than Death is one of the later ones in the series, obvious I am not going to be able to read them in order, a garden gnome had been kidnapped and a ransom note left for its return. Would be amusing if the owner's daughter had also not vanished a few days earlier....
Then A Talent for Destruction which out of the three I have read, is far and away the best. Yes there is a body and a murder, but the real interest in this book lies in a character who has this talent for destruction and who inveigles themselves into a household just for the sheer pleasure of causing dissension and grief. I found this most intriguing and had a real Barbara Vine feel about it, a compliment of no mean order as far as I am concerned.
To add to the interest of these books is the fact that they are set in Suffolk and mention is made of Colchester and local places so I can locate the settings which always increases my interest.
There are ten Quantrill books so I am going to Do an Elaine and hunt these down as well. What with E F Benson on my To Look Out for list, now Sheila Radley and of course, the never ending search for In the Mountains by Elizabeth von Arnim, the last title I need to complete my collection, I am going to have an interesting time.
If anybody sees a copy of this Elizabeth von Arnim please do let me know. Virago were due to publish this last year and when I asked where it had got to the response I received was 'this is no longer on our list'. So I wrote and asked why. I have received no reply at all......
