Chief Detective Inspector Andrew MacMorran of Scotland Yard is a very unhappy man. A man has come to his office to turn himself in for killing his wife. Claude Merivale admits he strangled his wife. Clearly, to MacMorran, an open-and-shut case. But - and I'm sure you saw that "but" coming - Merivale says that he was sound asleep, and in the midst of a nightmare, and consequently didn't know he was strangling his wife until he awoke and found her lying dead in his arms. And, since he quite clearly was unconscious, he argues, he cannot be found guilty of murder. All the evidence certainly backed up Merivale’s story, there appeared to be absolutely no motive for the murder, and a not guilty verdict from the trial jury appeared to be inevitable. That's why the inspector presses his friend, amateur detective and Scotland Yard consultant Anthony Bathurst, to look at the case and see if there's contradictory evidence which could expose and convict a cunning murderer. It happens in Tread Softly, a 1937 mystery by Brian Flynn. It's the subject of my audio review today on the Classic Mysteries podcast, and you can listen to the complete review by clicking here.
Dean Street Press has just released several more titles by Brian Flynn, a writer almost completely – and I would argue unjustifiably – forgotten by the reading public. Among the latest group of releases in both print and e-book editions is Tread Lightly, and the publisher has sent me an e-book version for this review.
The principal reason for Chief Inspector MacMorran’s anger and frustration with Vera Merivale’s murder is that he is convinced that Claude has merely invented a very clever and painful story which will result in a not-guilty verdict. On the contrary, MacMorran believes Claude is, in fact, guilty of murder. When he approaches Anthony Bathurst for help, he is hopeful that Bathurst will be able to find something which will expose Merivale's dream story as a fraud and also discover what appears to be completely lacking in the case: a good motive for this terrible crime along with enough evidence to bring about a conviction. Most of those people involved in the case are actors and actresses, all currently working on the production of an extravagant historical movie. Could that movie, and the relationships among the actors and others involved on the production, have provided Claude Merivale with a different motive for murder?
In order to avoid spoilers, let me just add that there are plenty of unexpected surprises to be revealed in the course of Tread Softly. As usual, Golden Age author Brian Flynn did a fine job keeping the complex plot moving for the reader. This new edition of Tread Softly includes an introduction to Flynn and his books by mystery historian Steve Barge, who writes, "I believe that this is the masterpiece that Brian [Flynn] should be remembered for." I recommend Tread Softly to you highly.
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