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Murder by Experts
(1936)(The first book in the Mr. Crook Murder Mystery series)
A novel by Anthony Gilbert
Murder by Experts launched Anthony Gilbert's long-running series featuring the shady London lawyer and detective Arthur Crook. Although she had been writing since 1926, this was her first major popular success. The plot revolves around collectors of Chinese antiques.Badly dressed and unappealing, Mr. Crook's appearance often traps murderers. Gilbert uses skillful plotting, lively supporting characters, entertaining dialogue and clever action to tell the story. A strong and popular personality, Crook is not generally the protagonist of the stories, but comes to help when women or children are in peril or an innocent person is blamed for a crime. . .and his clients are always innocent!In this story, Sampson Rubenstein, a wealthy English art collector, has invited several people to his country house to admire his latest acquisition, a very rare and highly valuable Chinese cloak. Fanny Price, a beautiful adventuress, Graham, a dealer in curios, and Simon Curteis, visit the country home to see Rubenstein's collection of Chinese antiquities. Chinese art is his dominant passion and his collection includes a large number of ancient and fabulously valuable cloaks, dresses and other items of clothing. Fanny, an ambitious, intelligent and beautiful woman who fascinates every man who meets her, is middle-aged Graham’s mistress. Curteis is in love with her, he knows that Fanny is dangerous, but doesn't care. Lal, Rubenstein’s wife, is madly jealous of her. Fanny also acts as Graham's agent in buying and selling antiques, especially Chinese antiques. Also in the house is a young photographer artist named Norman Bridie with his girlfriend Rose.Problems erupt on the first night when Rubenstein offers to drive Fanny to the railway station. The weather is atrocious, with heavy rain and fog, and Rubenstein is a notoriously bad and reckless driver. Lal is jealous and makes a scene, but Rubenstein and Fanny leave for the railway station. . . but Rubenstein does not return. Later his car is found at the foot of the cliffs, buried under a fall of rock. Naturally the police expected to find his body there as well, but they do not, and a week or more later he is found stabbed to death in a locked room in his own house.The mystery is narrated by Simon Curteis, an adventurer who has fallen in love with Fanny Price who has been charged with Rubenstein’s murder. Curteis enlists lawyer Arthur G. Crook to help him find the real murder. Anthony Gilbert delivers a twisty plot and a double surprise ending!
Genre: Mystery
Genre: Mystery
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