What do you think?
Rate this book
Mrs. Bradley #25
The Echoing Strangers
Most people overlooked the sullen deaf-mute teenager Francis Caux…until he led police to the scene of a murder. It was psychoanalyst and detective Mrs. Beatrice Lestrange Bradley who found a clever way to communicate with Francis, thus learning that his recent fear of water stemmed from a body chained to the underside of a boathouse dinghy. But how did Francis know the location of the body? Even more puzzling is the discovery of a second murder linked to another Caux teen, Derek, in a nearby village. Mrs. Bradley suspects that the teenage Caux boys are somehow related, and soon must consider the possibility that they are coconspirators…in murder.
The beloved eccentric detective Mrs. Bradley pieces together details from a tragic past and a troubling present in this delightfully deceptive classic mystery.
- GenresMystery
260 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1952
About the author
Gladys Mitchell
92 books128 followersAka Malcolm Torrie, Stephen Hockaby.
Born in Cowley, Oxford, in 1901, Gladys Maude Winifred Mitchell was the daughter of market gardener James Mitchell, and his wife, Annie.
She was educated at Rothschild School, Brentford and Green School, Isleworth, before attending Goldsmiths College and University College, London from 1919-1921.
She taught English, history and games at St Paul's School, Brentford, from 1921-26, and at St Anne's Senior Girls School, Ealing until 1939.
She earned an external diploma in European history from University College in 1926, beginning to write her novels at this point. Mitchell went on to teach at a number of other schools, including the Brentford Senior Girls School (1941-50), and the Matthew Arnold School, Staines (1953-61). She retired to Corfe Mullen, Dorset in 1961, where she lived until her death in 1983.
Although primarily remembered for her mystery novels, and for her detective creation, Mrs. Bradley, who featured in 66 of her novels, Mitchell also published ten children's books under her own name, historical fiction under the pseudonym Stephen Hockaby, and more detective fiction under the pseudonym Malcolm Torrie. She also wrote a great many short stories, all of which were first published in the Evening Standard.
She was awarded the Crime Writers' Association Silver Dagger Award in 1976.
Born in Cowley, Oxford, in 1901, Gladys Maude Winifred Mitchell was the daughter of market gardener James Mitchell, and his wife, Annie.
She was educated at Rothschild School, Brentford and Green School, Isleworth, before attending Goldsmiths College and University College, London from 1919-1921.
She taught English, history and games at St Paul's School, Brentford, from 1921-26, and at St Anne's Senior Girls School, Ealing until 1939.
She earned an external diploma in European history from University College in 1926, beginning to write her novels at this point. Mitchell went on to teach at a number of other schools, including the Brentford Senior Girls School (1941-50), and the Matthew Arnold School, Staines (1953-61). She retired to Corfe Mullen, Dorset in 1961, where she lived until her death in 1983.
Although primarily remembered for her mystery novels, and for her detective creation, Mrs. Bradley, who featured in 66 of her novels, Mitchell also published ten children's books under her own name, historical fiction under the pseudonym Stephen Hockaby, and more detective fiction under the pseudonym Malcolm Torrie. She also wrote a great many short stories, all of which were first published in the Evening Standard.
She was awarded the Crime Writers' Association Silver Dagger Award in 1976.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 29, 2014
Mrs Bradley is in Norfolk visiting an old school friend when she sees a man push a woman into the river. Mrs Bradley and her chauffer George pull the lady out of the river though she tells them firmly it was an accident. Mrs Bradley is far from being convinced by this and decides to rent the riverside bungalow next door. She soon discovers that the young man she saw is deaf and dumb following an accident as a child and since then he has lived in Norfolk with Miss Higgs who is paid to look after him.
The young man, Francis is one of a pair of twins. His brother, Derek, lives with his grandfather though the grandfather seems to have cast off Francis following the accident which killed his parents. When a body is discovered attached to the dinghy moored at the bottom of the garden Mrs Bradley senses more trouble and when this is followed by a death at a cricket match held by the twins' grandfather it seems too much of a coincidence.
This is a sinister story with an unsettling atmosphere of many things left unsaid. I found it a disturbing read with an excellent plot and interesting characters. The book is well written as are all this excellent series. Mrs Bradley's profession of psychologist always adds depth to he rinvestigations. The series can be read in any order and I recommend them to readers who enjoy Ngaio Marsh and Agatha Christie.
The young man, Francis is one of a pair of twins. His brother, Derek, lives with his grandfather though the grandfather seems to have cast off Francis following the accident which killed his parents. When a body is discovered attached to the dinghy moored at the bottom of the garden Mrs Bradley senses more trouble and when this is followed by a death at a cricket match held by the twins' grandfather it seems too much of a coincidence.
This is a sinister story with an unsettling atmosphere of many things left unsaid. I found it a disturbing read with an excellent plot and interesting characters. The book is well written as are all this excellent series. Mrs Bradley's profession of psychologist always adds depth to he rinvestigations. The series can be read in any order and I recommend them to readers who enjoy Ngaio Marsh and Agatha Christie.
September 29, 2014
One of Gladys's best stories.
A strange tale of identical twins, several murders, cricket and Mrs Bradley on top form. No folklore or witchcraft in this one.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
A strange tale of identical twins, several murders, cricket and Mrs Bradley on top form. No folklore or witchcraft in this one.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
July 8, 2019
I found this unsettling and disturbing. It is considered to be one of Mitchell’s best, but I did not much take to it either as a novel or as a puzzle.
The stunning twins, Francis and Derek Caux, are “echoes”, identical to all intents and purposes, except that Francis is deaf and dumb as a result of the shock experienced by being in a car accident in which both their parents were killed. While they are described as “nancy”(effeminate, homosexual), at least one of them has been guilty of inappropriate behaviour towards women. They were separated, after the accident, by their villainous grandfather, Sir Adrian, who has subsequently made Derek his heir and consigned Francis to an upbringing by a paid guardian.
Francis finds a body in grotesque circumstances and another man is killed at a cricket match. Mrs Bradley, doubtless intrigued by all the Freudian implications, and by the predominant scent of evil, investigates, and with some help, unravels the mysteries.
Although I made one wrong assumption about the twins, I had the solution broadly correct fairly early on and so found the book too long and the plot too drawn-out in the untangling of its strands. The ending is excessively melodramatic, although how else was the author to end such a strange, overblown affair, except with confessions, explicit and tacit.
Not a great reading experience for me, but I shall persevere with “the great Gladys.”
The stunning twins, Francis and Derek Caux, are “echoes”, identical to all intents and purposes, except that Francis is deaf and dumb as a result of the shock experienced by being in a car accident in which both their parents were killed. While they are described as “nancy”(effeminate, homosexual), at least one of them has been guilty of inappropriate behaviour towards women. They were separated, after the accident, by their villainous grandfather, Sir Adrian, who has subsequently made Derek his heir and consigned Francis to an upbringing by a paid guardian.
Francis finds a body in grotesque circumstances and another man is killed at a cricket match. Mrs Bradley, doubtless intrigued by all the Freudian implications, and by the predominant scent of evil, investigates, and with some help, unravels the mysteries.
Although I made one wrong assumption about the twins, I had the solution broadly correct fairly early on and so found the book too long and the plot too drawn-out in the untangling of its strands. The ending is excessively melodramatic, although how else was the author to end such a strange, overblown affair, except with confessions, explicit and tacit.
Not a great reading experience for me, but I shall persevere with “the great Gladys.”
June 14, 2024
What if BOTH twins are evil? (Asking for a friend.)
The Caux twins share a sad history. Their parents died in a car accident when they were seven years old. Then they were separated and not allowed any contact with each other. Each is loved by their respective guardians, but heartily disliked by everyone else. Yet they possess all the qualities that should make them popular and admired.
At the age of seventeen, the identical twins are tall, slender, and blonde, with lovely features, huge eyes and graceful movements. In addition, both are quiet, affectionate, and compliant. Neither is athletic, although one is an excellent swimmer and the other plays reasonably good cricket. Why should people dislike them?
Sadly, the Caux twins (Derek and Francis) are male and in the 1950's, traits which are prized in females are loathed in males. As Quentin Crisp observed, homosexual acts were illegal, but being effeminate was the real crime. As long as a boy or man was ruggedly masculine in public, no one really cared what he did in private. The Caux twins are hated in Mede (where Derek lives with their grandfather Sir Adrian Caux) and in Wetwode (where Francis lives with his paid companion Miss Higgs.)
There's a murder in both villages, which is how Mrs Bradley gets involved. Her driver George has taken her to Norfolk to visit an old friend and she sees a youngster pushing a woman into the river. Naturally, she decides to stay and find out what's going on. When the first murder victim is discovered, she's conveniently on the spot.
Meanwhile, in Mede, cricket-mad Sir Adrian has hired a young school master to tutor his grandson Derek. In fact, Tom Donagh's athletic skill is needed for Sir Adrian's cricket team to beat their arch-rivals from the next village. Sir Adrian has his own cricket field, complete with lavish pavilion with dressing rooms, showers, kitchen, and dining rooms. "Fan" derives from the word "fanatic" which describes Sir Adrian's feelings about cricket.
Agatha Christies' "Cards on the Table" assumes that the reader knows how to play bridge. I don't and much of that book went right over my head. Gladys Mitchell was a PE teacher and games coach and she assumes that HER reader knows about cricket. All I know about cricket is the phrase "sticky wicket" which is a wonderful expression, but difficult to work into a conversation. If you're as ignorant as I, prepare to be thoroughly confused during the cricket matches.
Fortunately, this isn't the gentlemanly cricket of Eton and Harrow. Sir Adrian pulls every crooked stunt he can think of and then becomes enraged when the leader of the opposing team does the same. The free-for-all that follows is far more interesting than the cricket and the dead body found in the pavilion is even more exciting.
No telling how the local police would have handled it, but (fortunately) Mrs Bradley arrives to unite Francis Caux with his family. She comes to find out why Sir Adrian has disowned one of his grandsons and stays to find out who killed the dead man with his own cricket bat. The London Metropolitan CID obligingly sends Inspector Gavin down to help. Mrs Bradley enjoys his company, but (as always) keeps the investigation firmly in her own hands.
Now here's what astonished me. Mrs Bradley is a medical doctor who specializes in psychiatry and advises the Home Office on criminal cases, but she's as unsympathetic to the Caux twins as anyone. On the basis of their girlish looks and behavior, she immediately decides that "both boys [are] to some degree abnormal and degenerate."
She's ready to pin the second murder on Derek Caux who's the poster boy for emotional instability -
"restlessness, a pathological desire to please and to be admired, a girlish face and physique, a petulant, high-pitched voice, and nervous hands." He's a potential "panic murderer" "driven berserk by something which on a normal boy would have no effect whatsoever."
When you consider that Gladys Mitchell was an educated woman and a life-long teacher, it's apparent how hellish life must have been for any boy who didn't fit the popular concept of masculine looks and behavior. She acknowledges that the twins were traumatized by being orphaned and separated, but even tragedy can't excuse them for being effete. The Good Old Days weren't good for everyone.
Of course, the two murders are connected. Both victims deserved to die, but Mrs Bradley claims the murderer will kill again. Her efforts result in an appalling finale, which she finds satisfactory. It's disturbing and out of character for a woman who's normally tolerant of human nature and its follies.
In spite of Mrs Bradley's disturbing harshness toward the pathetic boys, it's a good mystery. Both villages have fascinating characters. There are several suspects who look good for the murders (assuming Mrs Bradley can't pin them on the Caux twins) and they add richly to the entertainment.
I was particularly taken with Darnwell - a jovial Londoner who rents a riverside bungalow for dirty weekends with a succession of attractive young "nieces." He's always willing to send his current lady out for a walk while he dishes the dirt with Mrs Bradley, although he's adamant that the murderer(s) performed a public service in disposing of the two victims.
Even the weaker entries in this series are charming and funny. I loved the description of Mrs Bradley peering at a suspect "like a crocodile on half-rations." Gladys Mitchell may not have been a great plotter, but she could turn a witty phrase with the best of them. If you have the patience and like oddities, her books can't be beat.
The Caux twins share a sad history. Their parents died in a car accident when they were seven years old. Then they were separated and not allowed any contact with each other. Each is loved by their respective guardians, but heartily disliked by everyone else. Yet they possess all the qualities that should make them popular and admired.
At the age of seventeen, the identical twins are tall, slender, and blonde, with lovely features, huge eyes and graceful movements. In addition, both are quiet, affectionate, and compliant. Neither is athletic, although one is an excellent swimmer and the other plays reasonably good cricket. Why should people dislike them?
Sadly, the Caux twins (Derek and Francis) are male and in the 1950's, traits which are prized in females are loathed in males. As Quentin Crisp observed, homosexual acts were illegal, but being effeminate was the real crime. As long as a boy or man was ruggedly masculine in public, no one really cared what he did in private. The Caux twins are hated in Mede (where Derek lives with their grandfather Sir Adrian Caux) and in Wetwode (where Francis lives with his paid companion Miss Higgs.)
There's a murder in both villages, which is how Mrs Bradley gets involved. Her driver George has taken her to Norfolk to visit an old friend and she sees a youngster pushing a woman into the river. Naturally, she decides to stay and find out what's going on. When the first murder victim is discovered, she's conveniently on the spot.
Meanwhile, in Mede, cricket-mad Sir Adrian has hired a young school master to tutor his grandson Derek. In fact, Tom Donagh's athletic skill is needed for Sir Adrian's cricket team to beat their arch-rivals from the next village. Sir Adrian has his own cricket field, complete with lavish pavilion with dressing rooms, showers, kitchen, and dining rooms. "Fan" derives from the word "fanatic" which describes Sir Adrian's feelings about cricket.
Agatha Christies' "Cards on the Table" assumes that the reader knows how to play bridge. I don't and much of that book went right over my head. Gladys Mitchell was a PE teacher and games coach and she assumes that HER reader knows about cricket. All I know about cricket is the phrase "sticky wicket" which is a wonderful expression, but difficult to work into a conversation. If you're as ignorant as I, prepare to be thoroughly confused during the cricket matches.
Fortunately, this isn't the gentlemanly cricket of Eton and Harrow. Sir Adrian pulls every crooked stunt he can think of and then becomes enraged when the leader of the opposing team does the same. The free-for-all that follows is far more interesting than the cricket and the dead body found in the pavilion is even more exciting.
No telling how the local police would have handled it, but (fortunately) Mrs Bradley arrives to unite Francis Caux with his family. She comes to find out why Sir Adrian has disowned one of his grandsons and stays to find out who killed the dead man with his own cricket bat. The London Metropolitan CID obligingly sends Inspector Gavin down to help. Mrs Bradley enjoys his company, but (as always) keeps the investigation firmly in her own hands.
Now here's what astonished me. Mrs Bradley is a medical doctor who specializes in psychiatry and advises the Home Office on criminal cases, but she's as unsympathetic to the Caux twins as anyone. On the basis of their girlish looks and behavior, she immediately decides that "both boys [are] to some degree abnormal and degenerate."
She's ready to pin the second murder on Derek Caux who's the poster boy for emotional instability -
"restlessness, a pathological desire to please and to be admired, a girlish face and physique, a petulant, high-pitched voice, and nervous hands." He's a potential "panic murderer" "driven berserk by something which on a normal boy would have no effect whatsoever."
When you consider that Gladys Mitchell was an educated woman and a life-long teacher, it's apparent how hellish life must have been for any boy who didn't fit the popular concept of masculine looks and behavior. She acknowledges that the twins were traumatized by being orphaned and separated, but even tragedy can't excuse them for being effete. The Good Old Days weren't good for everyone.
Of course, the two murders are connected. Both victims deserved to die, but Mrs Bradley claims the murderer will kill again. Her efforts result in an appalling finale, which she finds satisfactory. It's disturbing and out of character for a woman who's normally tolerant of human nature and its follies.
In spite of Mrs Bradley's disturbing harshness toward the pathetic boys, it's a good mystery. Both villages have fascinating characters. There are several suspects who look good for the murders (assuming Mrs Bradley can't pin them on the Caux twins) and they add richly to the entertainment.
I was particularly taken with Darnwell - a jovial Londoner who rents a riverside bungalow for dirty weekends with a succession of attractive young "nieces." He's always willing to send his current lady out for a walk while he dishes the dirt with Mrs Bradley, although he's adamant that the murderer(s) performed a public service in disposing of the two victims.
Even the weaker entries in this series are charming and funny. I loved the description of Mrs Bradley peering at a suspect "like a crocodile on half-rations." Gladys Mitchell may not have been a great plotter, but she could turn a witty phrase with the best of them. If you have the patience and like oddities, her books can't be beat.
July 14, 2020
Fascinating plot
Things are never straightforward in a Gladys Mitchell Mrs. Bradley mystery--complex characters, complicated plots, and unexpected twists abound. This fascinating story is no exception, and I highly recommend it.
Things are never straightforward in a Gladys Mitchell Mrs. Bradley mystery--complex characters, complicated plots, and unexpected twists abound. This fascinating story is no exception, and I highly recommend it.
March 18, 2024
I found this to be a very strange book. The writing style, clearly of its time, just didn't work for me and the dated sexism rankled. The convoluted plot is revealed by means of vague and obfuscated explanations and the ending just irritated me.
January 15, 2024
Enjoyable
This books as in the other s was very enjoyable to read. A little confusing at times but it only made me want to read on.
This books as in the other s was very enjoyable to read. A little confusing at times but it only made me want to read on.
February 20, 2015
Possibly the creepiest Mitchell I've read to date. Watching the actions of the grandfather play out over the lifetime of his family was really chilling -- too chilling, as I ended up walking away from this book for 3 months!
The atmosphere and cast were really good, but I was somewhat unsatisfied with one of the murders. I don't want to spoil things so I won't say why, but I definitely don't feel that this is up there with her best books. The story suffered also from its age -- some instances of outdated prejudice.
The atmosphere and cast were really good, but I was somewhat unsatisfied with one of the murders. I don't want to spoil things so I won't say why, but I definitely don't feel that this is up there with her best books. The story suffered also from its age -- some instances of outdated prejudice.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews