The Act of Roger Murgatroyd: An Entertainment (Evadne Mount Trilogy) Book

'The Act of Roger Murgatroyd' is the first volume in Gilbert Adair's trilogy of whodunits featuring the redoubtable sleuth and author Evadne Mount. A locked room mystery with all the ingredients of a classic 1930s cosy detective story, Adair describes 'The Act of Roger Murgatroyd' as "at one and the same time a celebration, a parody and a critique not only of Agatha Christie but of the whole Golden Age of English whodunits". However, this novel is actually far more than a mere homage, it is a puzzling whodunit in its own right which should more than please fans of gripping, old-fashioned thrillers.

The setting for 'The Act of Roger Murgatroyd' is certainly reminiscent of the Agatha Christie classics: Colonel Ffolkes and his wife Mary have invited a group of friends to spend Christmas at their remote country house on Dartmoor. While the main group of guests settle in well and seem to get along famously, there are a few latecomers that seem destined to disturb the peace and tranquillity of the gathering. The Colonel's daughter, Selina Ffolkes, arrives late on Christmas Day with two admirers in tow: Donald Duckworth, an American student, and Raymond Gentry, an irritating gossip columnist. Unfortunately for Gentry, he proves more than irritating to one of his fellow guests and is found murdered on Boxing Day morning.

Since the group are snowed in and have no way of contacting the police, they decide to ask the Ffolkes' neighbour Eustace Trubshawe, a retired Scotland Yard detective, to help. Rather bored in retirement, Trubshawe is keen to lend a hand but finds that he has a rival sleuth in Evadne Mount, guest of the Ffolkes and a celebrated writer of whodunits. As the various investigations begin, it soon becomes clear that each of the guests has something to hide.

With 'The Act of Roger Murgatroyd' Gilbert Adair has produced a truly intriguing whodunit filled with nefarious characters and bountiful red herrings. Evadne Mount, the "Dowager Duchess of Crime", is a delightful heroine and believable sleuth, with Chief Inspector Trubshawe providing an excellent foil for her many eccentricities. The supporting cast were equally good, being both villainous and peculiar to exactly the right extent. Adair makes a good job of recreating the atmosphere of the period and capturing authentic dialogue. Occasionally it seems that the jokes and quips come a little thick and fast, but he is always able to return the mystery to the forefront of the story and make sure that the readers are puzzling it out as well as enjoying being along for the ride.

Moving away from the actual mystery at the heart of 'The Act of Roger Murgatroyd', the novel offers additional fun for crime buffs as it features [beyond the title's allusion to Agatha Christie's masterworks] many references to prominent crime writers and their works, including a tongue-in-cheek allusion to Edmund Wilson's famous essay, "Who Cares Who Killed Roger Ackroyd?". While these references will of course mean more to fans of the genre and to those with a good knowledge of the crime classics, they do not detract from the story and should not put off readers with little or no knowledge of the golden age of detection.

'The Act of Roger Murgatroyd' is a delightfully cosy detective story packed full of mystery, intrigue and humour. I would recommend it and the following volume in the Evadne Mount trilogy wholeheartedly.