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Inspector Hazlerigg #5
Death Has Deep Roots: A Second World War Mystery
British Library Crime Classics.
An eager London crowd awaits the trial of Victoria Lamartine, hotel worker, ex-French Resistance fighter, and the only logical suspect for the murder of her supposed lover, Major Eric Thoseby. Lamartine—who once escaped from the clutches of the Gestapo—is set to meet her end at the gallows.
One final opportunity remains: the defendant calls on solicitor Nap Rumbold to replace the defence counsel,and grants an eight-day reprieve from the proceedings. Without any time to spare, Rumbold boards a ferry across the Channel, tracing the roots of the brutal murder back into the war-torn past.
Expertly combining authentic courtroom drama at the Old Bailey with a perilous quest for evidence across France, Death Has Deep Roots is an unorthodox marvel of the mystery genre.
An eager London crowd awaits the trial of Victoria Lamartine, hotel worker, ex-French Resistance fighter, and the only logical suspect for the murder of her supposed lover, Major Eric Thoseby. Lamartine—who once escaped from the clutches of the Gestapo—is set to meet her end at the gallows.
One final opportunity remains: the defendant calls on solicitor Nap Rumbold to replace the defence counsel,and grants an eight-day reprieve from the proceedings. Without any time to spare, Rumbold boards a ferry across the Channel, tracing the roots of the brutal murder back into the war-torn past.
Expertly combining authentic courtroom drama at the Old Bailey with a perilous quest for evidence across France, Death Has Deep Roots is an unorthodox marvel of the mystery genre.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1951
About the author
Michael Gilbert
144 books78 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Born in Lincolnshire in 1912, Michael Francis Gilbert was educated in Sussex before entering the University of London where he gained an LLB with honours in 1937. Gilbert was a founding member of the British Crime Writers Association, and in 1988 he was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America - an achievement many thought long overdue. He won the Life Achievement Anthony Award at the 1990 Boucheron in London, and in 1980 he was knighted as a Commander in the Order of the British Empire. Gilbert made his debut in 1947 with Close Quarters, and since then has become recognized as one of our most versatile British mystery writers.
He was the father of Harriett Gilbert.
Born in Lincolnshire in 1912, Michael Francis Gilbert was educated in Sussex before entering the University of London where he gained an LLB with honours in 1937. Gilbert was a founding member of the British Crime Writers Association, and in 1988 he was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America - an achievement many thought long overdue. He won the Life Achievement Anthony Award at the 1990 Boucheron in London, and in 1980 he was knighted as a Commander in the Order of the British Empire. Gilbert made his debut in 1947 with Close Quarters, and since then has become recognized as one of our most versatile British mystery writers.
He was the father of Harriett Gilbert.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews
October 18, 2019
I have become a big fan of the British Library Crime Classics as this series gives me an opportunity to read authors unknown to me earlier. This offering by Michael Gilbert tells a story of a French woman, Victoria Lamartine, who is accussed of stabbing a British officer who was supposedly her lover during WW2. Victoria acquires the service of a solicitor at the very last moment, Nap Rumbold, who hurries to France to unearth the secrets buried during the war.
The interesting thing about the narration is the combination of court proceedings and the search in France. Such narration allows the reader to follow both theatres of events and is rather intriguing.
The novel was fun to read, and keeping in mind it was written in 1951, when WW2 was so fresh in people's memory, a reader learns more about the atmosphere and reality of still post-war times.
*Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
The interesting thing about the narration is the combination of court proceedings and the search in France. Such narration allows the reader to follow both theatres of events and is rather intriguing.
The novel was fun to read, and keeping in mind it was written in 1951, when WW2 was so fresh in people's memory, a reader learns more about the atmosphere and reality of still post-war times.
*Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
October 17, 2019
Major Eric Thoseby was killed with a knife "by an upward left-handed blow above the top of the stomach... delivered with intention and ...with considerable skill..." The murder took place at the Family Hotel on Pearlyman Street, near Euston Station. Victoria Lamartine, hotel receptionist, was on trial at the Old Bailey for the murder. You see, she was found in Thoseby's hotel room screaming, standing over the body. The prints of her left hand were on the murder weapon, a knife she used in the hotel kitchen. Vicky's current legal team was "willing to go to the jury on what amounts to an admission of guilt with a plea in extenuation." She decided to hire new solicitors. A message was dispatched to young lawyer Nap Rumbold requesting a private meeting with him at Holloway Prison. Rumbold's firm was retained to provide her defense.
First things first. Renowned legal mind Hargest Macrea must secure a postponement from Justice Arbuth (a strict, but fair judge). An eight day reprieve was granted. QC Macrea "shall use every subterfuge that the Law allows and perhaps a few that it doesn't..." to buy some time as Nap and former Commando Angus McCann head to France to investigate the French Resistance activities of Victoria Lamartine, Major Eric Thoseby and courier, Lieutenant Julian Wells. Time is of the essence. Will Nap and McCann be able to "assemble last minute evidence for the defense...[?]" Nap and McCann have been warned to leave things alone. Their safety might be jeopardized.
"Death Has Deep Roots:A Second World War Mystery" by Michael Gilbert, written in 1951, is a work of classic crime fiction. Gilbert's courtroom drama is a locked room mystery since only one staircase in the Family Hotel ascends to Thoseby's room. Victoria Lamartine is found standing over the body, but, don't be too quick to judge. Does time spent in the French Resistance during World War II factor into Thoseby's demise? Definitely a puzzler!
Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "Death Has Deep Roots".
First things first. Renowned legal mind Hargest Macrea must secure a postponement from Justice Arbuth (a strict, but fair judge). An eight day reprieve was granted. QC Macrea "shall use every subterfuge that the Law allows and perhaps a few that it doesn't..." to buy some time as Nap and former Commando Angus McCann head to France to investigate the French Resistance activities of Victoria Lamartine, Major Eric Thoseby and courier, Lieutenant Julian Wells. Time is of the essence. Will Nap and McCann be able to "assemble last minute evidence for the defense...[?]" Nap and McCann have been warned to leave things alone. Their safety might be jeopardized.
"Death Has Deep Roots:A Second World War Mystery" by Michael Gilbert, written in 1951, is a work of classic crime fiction. Gilbert's courtroom drama is a locked room mystery since only one staircase in the Family Hotel ascends to Thoseby's room. Victoria Lamartine is found standing over the body, but, don't be too quick to judge. Does time spent in the French Resistance during World War II factor into Thoseby's demise? Definitely a puzzler!
Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "Death Has Deep Roots".
July 3, 2023
Perfect summer read. I quite enjoyed this British Crime republication.
July 27, 2024
Five years after the end of WWII, Frenchwoman Victoria Lamartine stands trial in London, accused of having murdered an ex-lover. Lamartine denies both the charge and that she and the dead man were ever involved. The prosecution case seems airtight, but she insists that she's innocent. Her newly appointed legal team believes her, and as the trial is underway, they search across England and France for the evidence that will save Lamartine from the gallows.
This is a good solid page-turner: part courtroom drama, part locked-room-ish murder mystery, part mild thriller. The methodical questioning and dry humour of the cross-examinations were satisfying, there's good sense of place in the part of the book set in the Loire, and I think Michael Gilbert played fair with the murder mystery part. Even if you don't have all the pieces of the puzzle until the end, past a certain point in the book it's reasonably obvious who the killer has to be and the kind of motivations that are likely in play. The thriller parts were a bit hammy, and the characterisations are shallow—they're amiable rather than captivating—but on the whole I enjoyed Death Has Deep Roots.
3.5, rounded up to 4.
This is a good solid page-turner: part courtroom drama, part locked-room-ish murder mystery, part mild thriller. The methodical questioning and dry humour of the cross-examinations were satisfying, there's good sense of place in the part of the book set in the Loire, and I think Michael Gilbert played fair with the murder mystery part. Even if you don't have all the pieces of the puzzle until the end, past a certain point in the book it's reasonably obvious who the killer has to be and the kind of motivations that are likely in play. The thriller parts were a bit hammy, and the characterisations are shallow—they're amiable rather than captivating—but on the whole I enjoyed Death Has Deep Roots.
3.5, rounded up to 4.
October 10, 2019
Victoria Lamartine faces a charge of murder. Her alleged lover Major Thoseby's murder made her the most logical suspect. Attorney Nap Rumbold becomes a late replacement for the defense. Can he save his client from the gallows? Much of the book consists of hearings at the Old Bailey. Some shows Rumbold's activities in trying to clear his client. Lamartine participated in the French Resistance during World War II, and the mystery takes us back to that time to absolve her. Although I enjoyed Perry Mason mysteries during my junior high years, my love of the courtroom mystery did not continue into adulthood. I requested it based on the World War II connection and because of its British Library Crime Classics series designation. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would after discovering it was a courtroom setting. I consider it an average mystery. I received an advance electronic copy through NetGalley with the expectation of an honest review.
September 11, 2019
As much a courtroom drama as a mystery. The story starts with the trial of Victoria Lamertine, who is accused of the murder of a Major that she knew in France during the war, where they both worked in the resistance. He is found stabbed in a hotel room where she works. She denies the charge, but the evidence is against her. While her barrister works to try to get her off, her solicitors try to gather evidence to find out what really happened. A bit of a page turner, and I didn't guess the solution. Very enjoyable.
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July 15, 2022Michael Gilbert’s Death Has Deep Roots has more hats than heads to wear them. It’s a courtroom drama with the accused as the least part of the story. It’s a locked room mystery with an entire hotel featuring in the murder instead of a single room. It’s a PI novel without the PI. It’s an historical novel set in the aftermath of a war that is five years ended by the time we’re reading about it sixty years later.
And, in case you were worried, it is satisfyingly full of those Gilbertian mini-scenes so illuminating of plot and especially character, as here at the opening of the trial:
…Perhaps I might be allowed to put in one exhibit at this unusually early stage–I will have the draughtsman sworn in due course–I have had a large-scale plan prepared and it might assist us all if it was in front of us.”
“If the defence has no objection,: said Mr. Justice Arbuthnot.
“Anything,” said Mr. Macrea with ferocious good humour, “which can in any way assist in disentangling the prosecution’s story must have my whole-hearted support.”
And let us never forget the entrance of Maîtresse Gimelet:
The door at the end of the hall opened and a huge woman in black advanced towards them. It was an unexpected but none the less an impressive performance. As she advanced she crepitated. Like a snake over sun-warmed tiles; like a razor blade across a leather hone; like the leaves of a linden tree in the faintest breeze of a summer evening.
I had to look up crepitated. Ew. Meanwhile, non-PIs Nap Rombold in France and retired commando Angus McCann in the un-peaceful English countryside are investigating various aspects of the crime, avoiding suicide-by-bad-guys at every turn, and you never quite know, right up until the second to last chapter, whodunnit and why.
I love books I can’t label and this is one of them. It is also one of a series of classic crime novels recently republished in England by the British Library and here in the US by the Poisoned Pen Press, all with marvelous period piece cover art. Click through the cover art above to scroll through the titles available in trade and in e, including more by Michael Gilbert (Death in Captivity, Smallbone Deceased), forgotten treasures by John Bude, Georges Bellair, and Anne Meredith, and delightful little detours into, say, a collection of crime stories set on trains (Blood on the Tracks) and a Golden Age Puzzle Book featuring anagrams, crosswords, and word searches. There are over seventy titles in this series (so far) and all are knowledgeably introduced by author Martin Edwards, but be warned–you read his intro and you’ll have another half dozen books on your to-read list more than the one you hold in your hand. Enjoy!
And, in case you were worried, it is satisfyingly full of those Gilbertian mini-scenes so illuminating of plot and especially character, as here at the opening of the trial:
…Perhaps I might be allowed to put in one exhibit at this unusually early stage–I will have the draughtsman sworn in due course–I have had a large-scale plan prepared and it might assist us all if it was in front of us.”
“If the defence has no objection,: said Mr. Justice Arbuthnot.
“Anything,” said Mr. Macrea with ferocious good humour, “which can in any way assist in disentangling the prosecution’s story must have my whole-hearted support.”
And let us never forget the entrance of Maîtresse Gimelet:
The door at the end of the hall opened and a huge woman in black advanced towards them. It was an unexpected but none the less an impressive performance. As she advanced she crepitated. Like a snake over sun-warmed tiles; like a razor blade across a leather hone; like the leaves of a linden tree in the faintest breeze of a summer evening.
I had to look up crepitated. Ew. Meanwhile, non-PIs Nap Rombold in France and retired commando Angus McCann in the un-peaceful English countryside are investigating various aspects of the crime, avoiding suicide-by-bad-guys at every turn, and you never quite know, right up until the second to last chapter, whodunnit and why.
I love books I can’t label and this is one of them. It is also one of a series of classic crime novels recently republished in England by the British Library and here in the US by the Poisoned Pen Press, all with marvelous period piece cover art. Click through the cover art above to scroll through the titles available in trade and in e, including more by Michael Gilbert (Death in Captivity, Smallbone Deceased), forgotten treasures by John Bude, Georges Bellair, and Anne Meredith, and delightful little detours into, say, a collection of crime stories set on trains (Blood on the Tracks) and a Golden Age Puzzle Book featuring anagrams, crosswords, and word searches. There are over seventy titles in this series (so far) and all are knowledgeably introduced by author Martin Edwards, but be warned–you read his intro and you’ll have another half dozen books on your to-read list more than the one you hold in your hand. Enjoy!
September 17, 2022
Excellent post-WWII mystery. 4.5 stars
i really enjoyed the set-up, which alternates between vivid courtroom drama and an exciting hunt for clues in England and France. The author's juggling skills are superb; at no time does the story drag. I was glued to the page!
Now to track down the other titles featuring these characters...
i really enjoyed the set-up, which alternates between vivid courtroom drama and an exciting hunt for clues in England and France. The author's juggling skills are superb; at no time does the story drag. I was glued to the page!
Now to track down the other titles featuring these characters...
October 30, 2019
This review can also be found on my blog
This book was so enjoyable, I almost forgot that this was half legal drama, which is something I usually don't care much about. I just want to read about a detective figuring out the mystery and I only got this for half the book. But it was a quite brilliant half. As you can already guess from the tagline, this isn't the typical murder at the manor (or murder in the sleepy village) mystery; but it's also not a story set during the second world war, only one that's very much about it. The motive can be found in events that happened back then and wouldn't have taken place in peacetime. Now I enjoy the good old 'offing the horrid family patriarch for the inheritance' plotlines as much as the next mystery reader but since diving into the British Crime Library classics and coming across a few stories that were more anchored to a certain time, I found myself enjoying those immensely as well and Death Has Deep Roots is a great example of these types of stories.
Well, and the courtroom scenes were...bearable. As said, I just don't care for legal thrillers that much but occasionally a crime novel will contain them and I must say that at least I found them less exhausting than e.g. in Excellent Intentions (I'm still haunted by the prosecutor's run-on sentences) and thankfully it's also not really a novel that's half courtroom-scenes. The parts that featured the legal team also contained planning, discussions and bouncing theories back and forth. Almost like two detectives discussing a case ;)
Gilbert is definitely an author I will look out for and see what else he's written.
This book was so enjoyable, I almost forgot that this was half legal drama, which is something I usually don't care much about. I just want to read about a detective figuring out the mystery and I only got this for half the book. But it was a quite brilliant half. As you can already guess from the tagline, this isn't the typical murder at the manor (or murder in the sleepy village) mystery; but it's also not a story set during the second world war, only one that's very much about it. The motive can be found in events that happened back then and wouldn't have taken place in peacetime. Now I enjoy the good old 'offing the horrid family patriarch for the inheritance' plotlines as much as the next mystery reader but since diving into the British Crime Library classics and coming across a few stories that were more anchored to a certain time, I found myself enjoying those immensely as well and Death Has Deep Roots is a great example of these types of stories.
Well, and the courtroom scenes were...bearable. As said, I just don't care for legal thrillers that much but occasionally a crime novel will contain them and I must say that at least I found them less exhausting than e.g. in Excellent Intentions (I'm still haunted by the prosecutor's run-on sentences) and thankfully it's also not really a novel that's half courtroom-scenes. The parts that featured the legal team also contained planning, discussions and bouncing theories back and forth. Almost like two detectives discussing a case ;)
Gilbert is definitely an author I will look out for and see what else he's written.
July 15, 2019
The original Resistance...
Victoria Lamartine is on trial for murder. The Frenchwoman played a role in the Resistance in WW2 and after the war came to London in search of the young English officer with whom she’d had a wartime affair. She was working as a chambermaid in the Family Hotel in Soho when another wartime acquaintance came to stay, Major Eric Thoseby. That night, Thoseby was found stabbed to death in his room in a style reminiscent of the Resistance’s methods, and Vicky was found standing over his body. Her counsel wants her to plead guilty and beg for mercy, but Vicky’s having none of that! So just before the trial proper is about to begin, she dismisses her legal team and her solicitor asks young lawyer Nap Rumbold to take the case. Nap has just a week to find something to prove her innocence, and he must go to France and dig around in the murky history of war to find it...
This is billed as an Inspector Hazlerigg mystery but he’s barely in it. The focus is on Nap and a friend of his, Major Angus McCann, who run around doing the investigative work in France and England, while famous QC Hargest Macrea does his best to undermine the prosecution in court and string the case out as long as possible to give Nap and Angus time. The story flits between them, so that it’s part action thriller, part legal drama.
I’ve loved both of the other Michael Gilbert novels I’ve read, Smallbone Deceased and Death in Captivity, so my expectations were perhaps too high going into this one. Although it’s good overall, it doesn’t quite hit the heights of the other two. The plotting is a bit looser and the characterisation doesn’t have the same depth. The mix of drama and darkness leavened by occasional humour is still there though and the writing is of the same high quality.
The plot is rather convoluted and I don’t think it could really be described as fairplay – there are hints along the way, but not actual clues that a reader (well, this reader) could grasp. It’s almost a locked room mystery in the sense that there is only staircase leading to the victim’s hotel room and there were always people around who in theory would have seen anyone go up. Having caught their suspect the police haven’t bothered to consider other possibilities, so it’s up to Vicky’s new defence team to cast doubt on the prosecution’s evidence or, better yet, find an alternative solution.
Vicky had a child during the war, which later died. She claims the father was the officer she had been in love with. The prosecution claim that in fact Major Thoseby was the father, and Vicky had murdered him for abandoning them. Vicky is an interesting character, and through her story we get a glimpse of life in France under the Occupation for those who weren’t fully committed members of the Resistance but who helped them when they could – ordinary people, in fact. I felt Gilbert didn’t make the most of her – she fades into the background a bit as the story progresses. Gilbert also treats her rather cruelly at one point purely to make a dramatic scene. It’s very effective, but it left me feeling that he was using her simply as a plot vehicle rather than considering the humanity of her situation. (Vague – avoiding spoilers – sorry.)
The French bit is fun, with Nap quickly getting into danger in the best thriller tradition, and much wartime murkiness to be uncovered. Nap is a likeable character, though somewhat underdeveloped in this one – I believe (from other reviews) he may appear in other Inspector Hazlerigg books so perhaps this is an effect of reading them out of order. Meantime Major McCann is doing his bit to break the locked room mystery back in London. But the star of the show is the QC, Macrea, and the courtroom chapters are particularly good as he spots inconsistencies, demolishes evidence and generally runs rings round the prosecution.
So not quite as excellent as the other two Gilbert books the BL has so far re-published, but still an enjoyable read with much to recommend it and, taken together, the three show that Gilbert is an author who thoroughly deserves this opportunity to be appreciated by a new generation of readers.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, the British Library.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
Victoria Lamartine is on trial for murder. The Frenchwoman played a role in the Resistance in WW2 and after the war came to London in search of the young English officer with whom she’d had a wartime affair. She was working as a chambermaid in the Family Hotel in Soho when another wartime acquaintance came to stay, Major Eric Thoseby. That night, Thoseby was found stabbed to death in his room in a style reminiscent of the Resistance’s methods, and Vicky was found standing over his body. Her counsel wants her to plead guilty and beg for mercy, but Vicky’s having none of that! So just before the trial proper is about to begin, she dismisses her legal team and her solicitor asks young lawyer Nap Rumbold to take the case. Nap has just a week to find something to prove her innocence, and he must go to France and dig around in the murky history of war to find it...
This is billed as an Inspector Hazlerigg mystery but he’s barely in it. The focus is on Nap and a friend of his, Major Angus McCann, who run around doing the investigative work in France and England, while famous QC Hargest Macrea does his best to undermine the prosecution in court and string the case out as long as possible to give Nap and Angus time. The story flits between them, so that it’s part action thriller, part legal drama.
I’ve loved both of the other Michael Gilbert novels I’ve read, Smallbone Deceased and Death in Captivity, so my expectations were perhaps too high going into this one. Although it’s good overall, it doesn’t quite hit the heights of the other two. The plotting is a bit looser and the characterisation doesn’t have the same depth. The mix of drama and darkness leavened by occasional humour is still there though and the writing is of the same high quality.
The plot is rather convoluted and I don’t think it could really be described as fairplay – there are hints along the way, but not actual clues that a reader (well, this reader) could grasp. It’s almost a locked room mystery in the sense that there is only staircase leading to the victim’s hotel room and there were always people around who in theory would have seen anyone go up. Having caught their suspect the police haven’t bothered to consider other possibilities, so it’s up to Vicky’s new defence team to cast doubt on the prosecution’s evidence or, better yet, find an alternative solution.
Vicky had a child during the war, which later died. She claims the father was the officer she had been in love with. The prosecution claim that in fact Major Thoseby was the father, and Vicky had murdered him for abandoning them. Vicky is an interesting character, and through her story we get a glimpse of life in France under the Occupation for those who weren’t fully committed members of the Resistance but who helped them when they could – ordinary people, in fact. I felt Gilbert didn’t make the most of her – she fades into the background a bit as the story progresses. Gilbert also treats her rather cruelly at one point purely to make a dramatic scene. It’s very effective, but it left me feeling that he was using her simply as a plot vehicle rather than considering the humanity of her situation. (Vague – avoiding spoilers – sorry.)
The French bit is fun, with Nap quickly getting into danger in the best thriller tradition, and much wartime murkiness to be uncovered. Nap is a likeable character, though somewhat underdeveloped in this one – I believe (from other reviews) he may appear in other Inspector Hazlerigg books so perhaps this is an effect of reading them out of order. Meantime Major McCann is doing his bit to break the locked room mystery back in London. But the star of the show is the QC, Macrea, and the courtroom chapters are particularly good as he spots inconsistencies, demolishes evidence and generally runs rings round the prosecution.
So not quite as excellent as the other two Gilbert books the BL has so far re-published, but still an enjoyable read with much to recommend it and, taken together, the three show that Gilbert is an author who thoroughly deserves this opportunity to be appreciated by a new generation of readers.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, the British Library.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
September 1, 2022
This felt a bit messy to me as if the book isn't quite sure whether it wants to be a courtroom drama, a locked room mystery, or a post-war thriller - and so it throws in elements of all of them!
The courtroom drama worked best for me with some lovely bits of legal theatre and the usual tricky cross-questionings of witnesses. While that's happening we also have ex-commando McCann chasing around London and Wiltshire, though his uncoverings don't add much to the story. He's a great character, though, and I'd have liked to have seen more of him.
At the same time, Nap Rumbold, the son of the solicitor in the case, heads over the France in a thriller-ish adventure involving a beautiful French woman and a gang - gangs never being my favourite fictional device.
As indicated by the title, the murder in the present hinges on something which happened back in 1943 involving French Resistance players - it's a bit unfair that a major plot point is withheld from us until the revelation at the end . It feels like there's an awful lots of coincidences that no-one bothers to follow up on , and odd that a suspicious character in the present turns out, I think, not to have anything to do with the killing .
Vicky, the accused woman, feels like an underused character and is pretty much forgotten about for most of the book, and there are so many different police from local CID, Scotland Yard, the Sureté, none of whom really seem to have a handle on anything.
I also felt, and this is very subjective, that if I choose to read a GA mystery that I want something frothy and escapist - so a plot involving the Gestapo and people being lined up against the wall and shot isn't what I wanted - fine in something serious, but this was my switch-off read. Other readers may love this precisely because it has a more sobering background.
The courtroom drama worked best for me with some lovely bits of legal theatre and the usual tricky cross-questionings of witnesses. While that's happening we also have ex-commando McCann chasing around London and Wiltshire, though his uncoverings don't add much to the story. He's a great character, though, and I'd have liked to have seen more of him.
At the same time, Nap Rumbold, the son of the solicitor in the case, heads over the France in a thriller-ish adventure involving a beautiful French woman and a gang - gangs never being my favourite fictional device.
As indicated by the title, the murder in the present hinges on something which happened back in 1943 involving French Resistance players - it's a bit unfair that a major plot point is withheld from us until the revelation at the end . It feels like there's an awful lots of coincidences that no-one bothers to follow up on , and odd that a suspicious character in the present turns out, I think, not to have anything to do with the killing .
Vicky, the accused woman, feels like an underused character and is pretty much forgotten about for most of the book, and there are so many different police from local CID, Scotland Yard, the Sureté, none of whom really seem to have a handle on anything.
I also felt, and this is very subjective, that if I choose to read a GA mystery that I want something frothy and escapist - so a plot involving the Gestapo and people being lined up against the wall and shot isn't what I wanted - fine in something serious, but this was my switch-off read. Other readers may love this precisely because it has a more sobering background.
November 4, 2019
Classic British crime drama!
If I were a 'courtroom drama' purist I'd be in seventh heaven over this reprint of this 1951 British Crime Classic.
I'm not, and yet I found myself following the court action and the investigation process as avidly as if I were watching Rumpole of the Bailey.
It's post World War II London. A young French woman, Victoria Lamartine, a former resistance member, and ex Gestapo prisoner has been accused of murder.
Her victim is Major Eric Thoseby, her supposed lover and contact in France during the war.
It looks like a cut and dried case. But at the last moment Victoria changes briefs and things go from a ho hum, 'Guilty as charged', murder case to 'High Drama.'
Victoria's new defense team led by Hargest Macre with young solicitor Nap Rumbold are wily, thorough and astute. The investigations are visually clear and thrilling. As the case builds both in and outside the courtroom (Nap to France and back with former Commando and army officer Major Angus McCann) I was totally engaged.
A compelling read!
A Poisoned Pen Press ARC via NetGalley
If I were a 'courtroom drama' purist I'd be in seventh heaven over this reprint of this 1951 British Crime Classic.
I'm not, and yet I found myself following the court action and the investigation process as avidly as if I were watching Rumpole of the Bailey.
It's post World War II London. A young French woman, Victoria Lamartine, a former resistance member, and ex Gestapo prisoner has been accused of murder.
Her victim is Major Eric Thoseby, her supposed lover and contact in France during the war.
It looks like a cut and dried case. But at the last moment Victoria changes briefs and things go from a ho hum, 'Guilty as charged', murder case to 'High Drama.'
Victoria's new defense team led by Hargest Macre with young solicitor Nap Rumbold are wily, thorough and astute. The investigations are visually clear and thrilling. As the case builds both in and outside the courtroom (Nap to France and back with former Commando and army officer Major Angus McCann) I was totally engaged.
A compelling read!
A Poisoned Pen Press ARC via NetGalley
June 8, 2017
Another very good book by Michael Gilbert. It combines court room drama taking place in London with suspenseful investigative action taking place in France. Much of the book consists of chapters alternating between the "cerebral" legal drama in London and the more "muscular" action in France. I found that structure quite enjoyable. As typical of Gilbert, the writing is stylistically excellent, and offers occasional bits of dry British humor. I do not rate this book as among Gilbert's very best, but still deem it very good indeed, and recommend it enthusiastically to fans of police procedurals or of other work similar to Gilbert's.
July 23, 2024
Simultaneously locked room mystery, courtroom drama, action thriller, and historical account. Still good. Maybe you can please all the people all the time.
November 24, 2019
Having read Death in Captivity and Smallbone Deceased, I kept my expectations high as I started to read Death Has Deep Roots.
The character portrayal is good, no doubt about it. But I cannot say the same about the ending.
The story alternates between courtroom drama and investigations by Nap and McCann. I liked the investigation part better. A lot of effort went in into building the right atmosphere and the ending didn't do justice to the tension and suspense that was built up so far.
If you like legal drama in crime fiction, I recommend you to give this book a try.
My Rating: 3.5/5 (rounding it off to 4)
The character portrayal is good, no doubt about it. But I cannot say the same about the ending.
The story alternates between courtroom drama and investigations by Nap and McCann. I liked the investigation part better. A lot of effort went in into building the right atmosphere and the ending didn't do justice to the tension and suspense that was built up so far.
If you like legal drama in crime fiction, I recommend you to give this book a try.
My Rating: 3.5/5 (rounding it off to 4)
October 25, 2019
This was a wonderful classic containing courtroom drama, a murder mystery, the lingering impact of WWII, the French resistance, the strange relationship between the English and the French, some sloppy police work, some proper police work and numerous shady characters. A mystery solved by logic and hard slogging with no DNA, no mobile phones and no internet. Well written, fast paced and very enjoyable.
A British Library Crime Classics novel published by Poisoned Pen and currently available on NetGalley.
A British Library Crime Classics novel published by Poisoned Pen and currently available on NetGalley.
September 24, 2020
I have enjoyed several British Library Crime Classics, and this is among the best of them so far. That’s no surprise, considering that it’s by Michael Gilbert, author of one of my absolute favorite Golden Age mysteries, Smallbone Deceased.
This is an excellent melding of an investigation story and courtroom drama. What’s more, it’s a bit of a locked-room mystery [i]and[/i] historical novel.
The story opens in a London courtroom, a few years after the end of World War II. Victoria Lamartine is on trial for her life, accused of murdering Major Thoseby, whom she knew when both were working for the French resistance. The circumstantial evidence against her is strong, and her counsel wants her to throw herself on the mercy of the jury.
She insists she is innocent, so there is a change of counsel. This is how barrister Macrea enters the case, with only a few days to find out what really happened. He manages it by sending off his investigator to see if the “deep roots” of the crime lay in France, and by clever witness cross-examination that reveals the weaknesses of the prosecution’s case.
Michael Gilbert’s characterization and scene-setting are so vivid that the book easily plays like a movie in your head. I listened to the audiobook, which may make that visualization a little bit easier, but I feel sure I would have felt the same way if I had read a print edition.
The audiobook narrator was fine, but not outstanding. I did wonder if he wears dentures, because whenever his characters said “yes,” it sounded about halfway between “yes” and “yesh.” And there is a lot of saying “yes” in the book considering how much of it is taken up with courtroom examinations of witnesses. I should also note that I think it’s a bit of a misnomer to call this part of the Inspector Hazelrigg series. He has a cameo part in the book, but doesn’t have any active role in the plot.
This is an excellent choice if you like Golden Age mysteries, especially if you like them with a World War II element or if you’re fond of courtroom dramas.
This is an excellent melding of an investigation story and courtroom drama. What’s more, it’s a bit of a locked-room mystery [i]and[/i] historical novel.
The story opens in a London courtroom, a few years after the end of World War II. Victoria Lamartine is on trial for her life, accused of murdering Major Thoseby, whom she knew when both were working for the French resistance. The circumstantial evidence against her is strong, and her counsel wants her to throw herself on the mercy of the jury.
She insists she is innocent, so there is a change of counsel. This is how barrister Macrea enters the case, with only a few days to find out what really happened. He manages it by sending off his investigator to see if the “deep roots” of the crime lay in France, and by clever witness cross-examination that reveals the weaknesses of the prosecution’s case.
Michael Gilbert’s characterization and scene-setting are so vivid that the book easily plays like a movie in your head. I listened to the audiobook, which may make that visualization a little bit easier, but I feel sure I would have felt the same way if I had read a print edition.
The audiobook narrator was fine, but not outstanding. I did wonder if he wears dentures, because whenever his characters said “yes,” it sounded about halfway between “yes” and “yesh.” And there is a lot of saying “yes” in the book considering how much of it is taken up with courtroom examinations of witnesses. I should also note that I think it’s a bit of a misnomer to call this part of the Inspector Hazelrigg series. He has a cameo part in the book, but doesn’t have any active role in the plot.
This is an excellent choice if you like Golden Age mysteries, especially if you like them with a World War II element or if you’re fond of courtroom dramas.
September 7, 2022
3.5 stars. A French woman who has been working in England is accused of murdering an English man, both of them having worked in the French Resistance in WWII. But the woman claims she is innocent, and her legal team sets out to provide the evidence by investigating not only the current murder, but also the disappearance of a spy in the war. Enjoyed it very much and planning to read more by the author.
May 19, 2020
The narration revolved around four main characters involved in defence of a woman jailed for murder. The first is the legal counsel for the defence, Mr Macrea. He is touted to be famous for dramatic twists and turns in the court, and his sudden arrival causes a furore of excitement in the courtroom. Rombold Junior (Nap) and his father are the main people that the accused first approaches and requests for help. The younger sets off to figure out the roots of the crime and adds another man McCann into the mix to did out the more hidden details of the ongoing case.
The entire book felt like I was watching a play. Many of the main characters wove in and out of the other's scenes, but there was a distinct frame within which each operated. It felt like a 'boys' tale, the enthusiasm and the way everything was approached. The title made a surprising amount of sense given the way the story unfolded.
A humorous twist was the giving of compliments when talking of someone new and then saying 'despite this, the person was liked'. As I got more and more accustomed to the characters, I felt it get progressively funnier even if all the threads of the narration seemed to run parallel to each other. The timeline is tight and clues few and far between, but the defence has sincere faith in the innocence of the woman in question and is doing their best to find out the truth. The mystery itself is almost sidelined, and the culprit was not much of a surprise, but the book in its entirety was. I did not expect much from it, but I did enjoy it the ride.
Some lines I happened to highlight because I found it funny. It could have been the timing of it might just be me, but I was chuckling at these for a bit.
" Sergeant Crabbe, a sorrowful man, nodded heavily. He bestowed upon McCann the look which a St.Bernard might have given if, after a long trek through the snow, he had found the traveller already frozen to death. He then sat down dutifully on the edge of the hardest chair."
"'All right. Then we came to the guests at the hotel. There were seven of them, but five were more or less out of it. that left two'. 'Five from seven leaves two' agreed Mrs McCann"
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
The entire book felt like I was watching a play. Many of the main characters wove in and out of the other's scenes, but there was a distinct frame within which each operated. It felt like a 'boys' tale, the enthusiasm and the way everything was approached. The title made a surprising amount of sense given the way the story unfolded.
A humorous twist was the giving of compliments when talking of someone new and then saying 'despite this, the person was liked'. As I got more and more accustomed to the characters, I felt it get progressively funnier even if all the threads of the narration seemed to run parallel to each other. The timeline is tight and clues few and far between, but the defence has sincere faith in the innocence of the woman in question and is doing their best to find out the truth. The mystery itself is almost sidelined, and the culprit was not much of a surprise, but the book in its entirety was. I did not expect much from it, but I did enjoy it the ride.
Some lines I happened to highlight because I found it funny. It could have been the timing of it might just be me, but I was chuckling at these for a bit.
" Sergeant Crabbe, a sorrowful man, nodded heavily. He bestowed upon McCann the look which a St.Bernard might have given if, after a long trek through the snow, he had found the traveller already frozen to death. He then sat down dutifully on the edge of the hardest chair."
"'All right. Then we came to the guests at the hotel. There were seven of them, but five were more or less out of it. that left two'. 'Five from seven leaves two' agreed Mrs McCann"
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
September 23, 2022
Intriguing courtroom drama and mystery/thriller set in the aftermath of WWII. Victoria Lamartine has been accused of murdering Major Thoseby in a small London hotel. The police allege that she killed the Major because he fathered her child (now dead) during the War in France where both were involved in working for the Resistance.
When her legal team suggest that Vicky accepts the accusation and pleads provocation, she fires them and appoints the Rumbold family firm. Nap Rumbold, junior partner, has also previously served in France and heads there to investigate, asking his old army friend Major McMann to do some digging on the English side. Meanwhile the trial proceeds with the wily Macrae defending, but he may find it hard to put enough doubt in the jury’s mind unless Nap and McMann can get new evidence in time.
I really enjoyed both the courtroom and thriller aspects of this story, both of which managed to keep up the suspense throughout. The characters of the barristers, judge and witnesses are clearly distinguished and the evidence is succinctly presented. The weaknesses in the prosecution case are revealed skilfully and help lead the reader to an idea of the guilty party, with Nap’s investigations filling in the gaps. I also enjoyed the scenes in France with their sense of danger and a final exciting denouement.
When her legal team suggest that Vicky accepts the accusation and pleads provocation, she fires them and appoints the Rumbold family firm. Nap Rumbold, junior partner, has also previously served in France and heads there to investigate, asking his old army friend Major McMann to do some digging on the English side. Meanwhile the trial proceeds with the wily Macrae defending, but he may find it hard to put enough doubt in the jury’s mind unless Nap and McMann can get new evidence in time.
I really enjoyed both the courtroom and thriller aspects of this story, both of which managed to keep up the suspense throughout. The characters of the barristers, judge and witnesses are clearly distinguished and the evidence is succinctly presented. The weaknesses in the prosecution case are revealed skilfully and help lead the reader to an idea of the guilty party, with Nap’s investigations filling in the gaps. I also enjoyed the scenes in France with their sense of danger and a final exciting denouement.
April 21, 2022
I feel that I’m late discovering this author, and with each book I read it becomes more of a wonder. The language is a bit more formal, but the writing is crisp and beautiful, the facts and plots of the cases inventively delivered, characters are deftly sketched and mainly appealing with that same inside joke naming convention that Michael Innes enjoyed. So far the books have aged surprisingly gracefully, and though some attitudes have changed in the past 70 years, they are lightly handled with a sense that the author is wryly aware that they are a little preposterous.
The structure of this one made it a little harder to get into initially, but it fully paid off.
The structure of this one made it a little harder to get into initially, but it fully paid off.
August 6, 2020
Another satisfying Michael Gilbert novel—half adventure story, half courtroom drama—and half locked-room mystery. Why on earth did they neglect to include a drawing of the hotel floor plan? Was that never included in the book? The introduction specifically mentions one! And as long as I’m complaining, why not include a map of France, too?
Even without those, tricky good fun.
Even without those, tricky good fun.
July 19, 2023
4.5 stars — How fun to find a mystery novel I’ve never heard of and really enjoy. The writing was great, the characters were varied, and the plotting was interesting.
June 6, 2022
Such a page turner whodunnit, finished it in less than 2 days. Crime and court room drama mixed into one great story. Loved it. The author was a founding member of Crime Writer's Association
August 10, 2022
Another good one to listen to on my morning walk. I thought Gordon Griffin was perfect in his voices and accents as a reader. Kudos to him for giving just the right amount of a Scottish lilt to the defense attorney. (I’m American, so what do I know? But it seemed spot on).
This story builds slowly. At the beginning it seems there will be no story because the woman accused of murder fires her defense team and there is a scramble to find another competent team with little time to prepare. Things don’t look good for her but she is steadfast in her claim that she is innocent.
And so it begins.
I’m not a lawyer or a detective but I found it fascinating how the team looked for evidence and planned their strategy. Piece by piece and slowly the defense came together. I thought the prosecutor was making quite a few assumptions and wasn’t looking for the truth but a conviction.
And in the end there was a satisfying and plausible resolution.
I love these British Library Crime Classics. This is the first Michael Gilbert I’ve read but will definitely read more.
I recommend.
This story builds slowly. At the beginning it seems there will be no story because the woman accused of murder fires her defense team and there is a scramble to find another competent team with little time to prepare. Things don’t look good for her but she is steadfast in her claim that she is innocent.
And so it begins.
I’m not a lawyer or a detective but I found it fascinating how the team looked for evidence and planned their strategy. Piece by piece and slowly the defense came together. I thought the prosecutor was making quite a few assumptions and wasn’t looking for the truth but a conviction.
And in the end there was a satisfying and plausible resolution.
I love these British Library Crime Classics. This is the first Michael Gilbert I’ve read but will definitely read more.
I recommend.
May 26, 2020
Not as good as Smallbone Deceased, but very enjoyable Golden Age story that's half espionage caper, half courtroom drama.
March 6, 2013
Michael Gilbert was a highly regarded British crime writer, writing after WWII and for the next 40 years. Anyone interested in the history of British crime writing has to include Gilbert on a to-read list. Death Has Deep Roots is one of his earlier works and features a post-WWII plot of an English courier missing in France. leaving behind a mistress who later is accused of murder. Gilbert was a lawyer, and the novel centers on the trial and the determination of the accused's lawyer to free her. Nicely written puzzler.
March 1, 2020
An old British mystery (1951) that has been reprinted and came to the new book section of my library, this was a great read. I did not know Michael Gilbert who apparently was a founding member of the Crime Writers' Association. Part who-dunit, part courtroom drama, part thriller, it pulls one in from the first scene and moves along quickly and interestingly all the way through. I liked the several characters who were working to prove the accused murderer innocent. Set not long after WWII, the book utilizes French Resistance aspects as well, and that ties in with my recent mystery reading, too. Gilbert does not have just one major character in his mysteries, I have learned, but the characters in the group who worked together were well defined, likable and made me want to read at least one more by the author.
May 9, 2020
"Death has Deep Roots" is an interesting book when the defense attorney uses his wit, his methods and logic to prove his client is innocent. This book is a nice courtroom drama kind of mystery which is highly engrossing and engaging. Michael Gilbert was one of the renowned vintage crime writers of his time and "Death Has Deep Roots" showcases his talent in the mystery genre. Be prepared for an addicting plot with tension and suspense. Another great addition to the British Library Crime Classic series. Truly enjoyable!
November 10, 2020
2 1/2 stars. A bit convoluted but it wasn't that hard to follow. I was drawn in quickly and wanted to know what happened even if things in the middle dragged a bit. While things are mentioned about WWII and the gestapo no details are given so it isn't psychologically hard to read.
While this is mentioned as an Inspector Hazelrigg novel he doesn't appear much in the book and doesn't play an important role.
While this is mentioned as an Inspector Hazelrigg novel he doesn't appear much in the book and doesn't play an important role.
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