"The Daffodil Affair"

Michael Innes has always been one of my favorite British mystery writers. But I have to admit that some of his mysteries carry British eccentricity to the kind of extreme that I usually associate with writers such as Gladys Mitchell. Innes wrote a number of mysteries - some quite funny, but most with serious undertones - that really pushed the envelope in terms of odd plot twists.

This week's review on the Classic Mysteries podcast concerns one of those Innes mysteries, "The Daffodil Affair."  It's from fairly early in his career - 1942 - and the situation is most unusual: first a young girl disappears - a girl, we soon learn, with an unusual personality disorder. Then, we find that a house - a haunted house, no less - disappears, having apparently been disassembled and moved somewhere. And then there is the case of Daffodil, a horse frequently described here as "half-witted," but who apparently has the ability to count out numbers - and who also disappears. It's up to Inspector Appleby to figure out what's going on, and it eventually requires a journey for Appleby and another police inspector to the jungles of South America.

It's an odd plot - and features one of the most unusual motives for murder in any mystery I have ever read. It's a cross between a mystery and a thriller - there is a world domination plot going on here as well - and it's full of Innes' usual quirky touches of humor. Don't let its oddities put you off - it's a thoroughly enjoyable book. As always, you can listen to the full review here.