It's funny that a murder occurs in a toyshop. There's nothing funny about murder. Edmund Crispin's classic novel, The Moving Toyshop, is a funny murder story. The location is funny. The characters are ludicrous. The dialogue is hilarious.
This is my first time, EVER, reading a murder mystery that is humorous. It is purposely written to be funny. And funny it is.
The story line begins with the poet, Richard Cadogan sweet talking his agent into an advance on his book. Cadogan takes a holiday by going to his favorite place--Oxford. He gets off the train in the evening and is tired and hungry. He needs directions and enters a toyshop. No one is out front, so he wanders out back, even upstairs, where he finds a dead woman. He is knocked unconscious and wakes to finding himself tied up. He manages to escape.
From there, he goes to his friend, fellow classmate, and amateur detective, Professor Gervase Fern. They go to the police and bring them to the murder scene. However, there is no toyshop. Fen believes Cadogan and the adventure begins.
You won't believe the story from here on. I won't even attempt to tell you. There's a ridiculous car that the duo speed around on. There are farcical characters involved. It's like keystone cops after Charlie Chaplain.
This farce is a break from whatever one usually reads. It's really different and well worthwhile.
No comments:
Post a Comment