Tangled Web UK Review December 2007
A Mysterious Affair of Style (Evadne Mount Trilogy) by
Gilbert Adair
hbk out November 07
Published by Faber
at £12.99
The success of The Act of Roger Murgatroyd has tempted Adair, who does not usually do
sequels, to resurrect Evadne Mount and former DCI Eustace Trubshaw. This time the setting
is just after the Second World War. Trubshaw finds everyday life austere and a bit dull, but on
a trip to London he bumps into Evadne again and before long becomes embroiled in another
murder mystery. The principal setting is Elstree, and Adair, an experienced writer for the
screen, makes use of his professional knowledge to create an interesting and unorthodox light
mystery. This book is at least as funny as its predecessor, with most of the humour directed at
film-maker Alastair Farjeon, whose work (and, to some extent, his personality and life) bears
a conspicuous resemblance to that of Alfred Hitchcock. The witty parodies of Hitchcock
movies that find their way into the story are thoroughly enjoyable; my favourite is 'An
American in Plaster-of-Paris', which seems remarkably similar to 'Rear Window'. The
danger with a book like this is that it would depend too heavily on humour, but Adair shows a
flair for plotting which makes one hope that, even if Evadne and Eustace do not ride again, he
will not be altogether lost to the crime genre in future.
(
Martin Edwards
- author of the highly acclaimed Harry Devlin Mysteries)
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