"The Tau Cross Mystery"

Looking for a classic Golden Age mystery with fair (and rather prolific) clues, interesting characters, good detective work, and even an intelligent "Watson" to help the detective? Let me suggest "The Tau Cross Mystery," by J. J. Connington, the subject of this week's audio review on the Classic Mysteries podcast. You can listen to the full review by clicking here.

This 1935 classic by Connington, an author sadly neglected today despite having written about two dozen very good traditional mysteries, examines the murder of an unknown man in a deserted apartment. The local chief constable, Sir Clinton Driffield, and his good friend, Squire Wendover, are confronted with plenty of clues, none of which seems sufficient to make clear what happened here. Among other clues, the investigators find a bloody handkerchief, an extra pair of shoes, a spilled pot (can) of paint, a corpse wearing rubber gloves...and a small gold ornament, shaped like the Greek letter "T," or Tau - a Tau cross. It is up to Driffield's investigators to find out who was murdered, how - and, of course, why.

The astute reader may well figure out the solution before the end of the book, as the clues, when properly interpreted, certainly point in one direction - but that really doesn't detract at all from the reader's enjoyment of this book. The characters are fascinating and, for the most part, quite well rounded, Sir Clinton is quite smart, but, for once, so is his friend and assistant, Squire Wendover, who may not grasp the significance of all the clues as quickly as Driffield but who can still provide some occasionally surprising insight into the real course of events.

Most of Connington's books remain out of print, but Coachwhip Publications has re-issued three of them, including "The Tau Cross Mystery," in trade paperback print-on-demand editions, all of which feature a first-rate introduction by Curtis Evans. He says, in his introduction, that "The Tau Cross Mystery" and the other two books "should give considerable enjoyment to mystery readers of today, just as they did with mystery readers of the Golden Age." I quite agree.

Comments

[Margot Kinberg]

Les - I have to confess I dont know Connington's work as well as I would like. Thanks for reminding us of him. Interesting isn't it how even the most talented writers sometimes don't get the attention they should. I always wonder about why that happens to some authors and not to others...

[Les Blatt]

Margot, I'm frustrated by the disappearance of far too many good authors, particularly those from the so-called "Golden Age." I do hope that, eventually, many of these missing authors and books will reappear, at least in e-book format, but the confusing state of copyright law can make it difficult for would-be publishers to get the permissions they need to bring back the vanishing classics.

[Martin Edwards]

Connington was a really interesting writer, especially at the end of the 20s and start of the 30s. The Sweepstake Murders is my favourite - very well constructed indeed and strongly recommended. It's great that his books are becoming available again.

[Les Blatt]

Martin, it appears that some of Connington's other books (besides the three republished from Coachwhip) are turning up in e-book editions. I just downloaded The Case With Nine Solutions, which comes highly recommended. I look forward to reading more by Connington.

[Curt Evans]

I agree with Martin that The Sweepstake Murders is one of Connington's best. I also like The Ha-Ha Case (for one thing, non-English readers will learn what a Ha-Ha is), Nine Solutions, Tragedy at Ravensthorpe and A Minor Operation.

[Curt Evans]

Oh, and thanks for the mention, Les. I wouldn't day Tau Cross is his very best, but I enjoyed it a lot: a solid mystery with lots of clues,a good setting and some good characters and I think one of the best stinger endings in the literature with Clinton'd Driffield's commment.

[Les Blatt]

The Sweepstakes Murders appears to be completely out of print, Curt, and not [yet, anyway] available as an e-book. I'm looking forward to the e-book of The Case With Nine Solutions. And I agree - the closing paragraph of The Tau Cross Mystery really ends the book on a perfect note.