Michael Innes – författare

A Scotland Yard detective investigates a peculiar case of murder, poetry, kidnapping, and German spies in this classic British wartime thriller. Insp. John Appleby is puzzled by the death of Philip Ploss. Who would want to kill such a harmless, quiet man known for writing mid-level nature poetry? . . . Poetry is what Sheila Grant overhears two men discussing on a train outside Edinburgh. Their whole conversation seems absurd to her, especially after one of them misquotes the poet Swinburne. Unfortunately, her discovery quickly places her in danger . . . Meanwhile back in London, Appleby learns of a kidnapping on a train in Scotland and senses a connection to Ploss’s murder. Locating Sheila will certainly lead Appleby to Ploss’s killer, but only if he finds her alive . . .“You’d let a cobra walk all over you before you’d put this one down to defend yourself.” —The New Yorker “Very exciting, full of most painstakingly described violent action.” —The Observer “For sheer excitement and picturesque melodrama The Secret Vanguard will delight everyone.” —New Statesma

A London detective investigates when a troubled Scottish laird takes a fall in this classic British mystery by the author of Hamlet, Revenge!. Strange things are happening around the remote Castle Erchany, located in the Scottish Highlands. The miserly and reclusive laird, Ranald Guthrie, roams the castle’s freezing halls, reciting an old poem over and over: Timor mortis conturbat me. Fear of death disturbs me . . . Then on a wild winter night, Guthrie plummets to his death from his castle’s tower. Was it an accident? Was it suicide? Or was it murder? Suspicion falls on a local man, but when Insp. John Appleby arrives from the Met in London, he doubts this solution. To discover the truth, Appleby immerses himself in the dead man’s final days in a gloomy, gothic castle. Of course, he must be on his guard, because there’s no telling whether someone else might fall victim to another “accident.”“The simple-seeming and single-seeming plot of Lament for a Maker holds about as many layers of complication as a first-class mystery story could well hold without bursting, and . . . Michael Innes manages this complication with the lucidity of a master.” —The Observer “Magnificently written.” —The Times Literary Supplement “A grand and ghastly tale with a surprising double climax.” —The New Yorker

A Scotland Yard inspector holds the key when a college professor is shot behind a series of locked gates in this classic British mystery series opener. The usually quiet campus of St. Anthony’s College is abuzz with talk of murder. Someone shot Prof. Josiah Umpleby, the college’s president, in his room during the night. Word spreads all the way to London, and Insp. John Appleby of New Scotland Yard is dispatched to consult on the case. The local authorities are already occupied with a string of burglaries and could use the help with this unusual death. Appleby learns that at night, the campus gates are locked, and a section of the college is shut off from the rest. In other words, someone would need a key to reach the president, and that limits Appleby’s suspects down to seven. Now Appleby must keep his wits about him as he combs the grounds for clues. The killer is still on the loose, and they need to be taught a lesson . . .Originally published under the title Seven Suspects Praise for Michael Innes & Death at the President’s Lodging “One of the best detective novels.” —The Scotsman “A brilliant newcomer.” —News Chronicle (UK) “Quite the most accomplished first crime-novel that I have read.” —C. Day Lewis, Daily Mail

A Scotland Yard detective probes a high-society house party for someone rotten when a government official is murdered in this classic British mystery. Preparations are underway for a grand party at Scamnum Court, the sweeping English country estate of the fabulously wealthy Duke of Horton. Some of the nation’s elite are invited for dinner, and some are even set to star in a semi-amateur production of Hamlet on an authentic Elizabethan stage in the banqueting hall. No expense is spared, but one guest soon pays with his life. Before the play ends, a shot is fired, and the actor playing Polonius—Lord Auldearn, the Lord Chancellor of England—is dead. With war looming on the horizon, suspicions arise over the possibility of espionage. Therefore, the prime minister sends Insp. John Appleby not only to investigate, but to also find a confidential government document. Appleby is lucky there’s a mystery novelist eager to lend a hand with the extensive guest list at Scamnum Court. He will need all the help he can get if he hopes to prevent the killer from making an encore performance . . .“Hamlet, Revenge! confirms the fact that became clear in his first book, that Mr. Michael Innes is in a class by himself among writers of detective fiction.” —The Times Literary Supplement “A brilliant novel of manners. The writing is assured and lively with wit. Add to this a flawlessly constructed murder and an admirable and quite breathlessly thrilling dénouement, and we have fresh blood in the field of crime fiction with a vengeance.” —The Times (London) “A first-rate piece of work, intelligent, well-written, elaborate and exciting. . . . Highly recommended.” —The Spectator

A Scotland Yard detective is snowed in with a strange family and a killer with a lethal passion for literature in this classic British mystery. Something’s afoot in the village of Snarl. Incidents include animals turned to stone and ominous tombstones inscribed with deaths yet to come. Det. Insp. John Appleby is travelling by train from London to consult on the case. However, impending his arrival to his connecting train is a terrible snowstorm. Fortunately, a fellow passenger, encyclopedia author Everard Raven, invites Appleby to spend the night at his country estate. Appleby soon has second thoughts about accepting the offer. When they get off the train, they meet more of Raven’s relatives, and they are just as unusual as he is. Next, the station is alarmingly named “Appleby’s End.” And then one of the Ravens’ servants is found dead and buried up to their neck in snow . . . As Appleby investigates, he notices an unusual connection between the servant’s body, the mayhem at Snarl, and even his own arrival in the village. They all resemble scenes from the novels of Everard’s late father. Appleby must determine who is behind this bizarre plot before another member of the Raven household meets a literal end.Praise for Michael Innes & Appleby’s End “Mr. Innes is in a class by himself among detective story writers.” —The Times Literary Supplement “As farfetched and literary as Sayers.” —The Cambridge Companion to Crime Fiction “Quite a funny book.” —The New Yorker

The head of Scotland Yard probes the suspicious death of a Shakespearean scholar with a collection of secrets in this classic British mystery. Lewis Packford, an Elizabethan scholar, is found shot in his library. It was rumored Packford recently acquired a book annotated by the Bard, but the book is nowhere to be seen. What is beside him, however, is a note that—as Packford was wont to do—quotes William Shakespeare: “Farewell, a long farewell.” Police believe Packford died from suicide, but Sir John Appleby, head of Scotland Yard and Packford’s friend, disagrees. When Appleby arrives at the scholar’s country house in Dorset, he meets an array of academics and bibliophiles who were all present the night of the murder. Suspects include Packford’s brother, who stands to inherit the house, and Packford’s two secret wives, who recently learned of each other’s existence. As the secrets pile up, the erudite Appleby must get to the bottom of things before the killer forces anyone else to say goodbye for good.“A model of the deft, classic detective story, told in the most wittily diverting prose.” —The New York Times