Cleverest whodunnit of Golden - or any? - Age

I just tweeted #CrimeFiction 15/x Joseph Jefferson #Farjeon (1883-1955) hugely underrated: 'Thirteen Guests' (1936) arguably the #cleverest book in the genre. If u #read it, u might miss the elusive allusions of some #scintillating dialogues; v well read on
@audible_com

The book is very well read insofar as many of these clever dialogues are highlighted; whereas if one read it, I / you / one would probably miss their point or even skip them. That suggests the text might be very well done on stage. Some of the protagonists especially the journalist Bultin and the artist Pratt talk about things without exactly specifying what; such exchanges could be seen as a form of understatement.
Pratt as portrayed in the reading as gay, and his relationship with Pratt as one full of latent sexual energy e.g. they share a room in a stately home.
In comparison most of the <Greats> of pre-WW2 eg Christie, Sayers, Marsh, and Allingham seem banal in comparison. None of them are in the same class for what Dorothy Sayers wrote of Farjeon, "(unsurpassed for) creepy skill in mysterious adventures." Great escapism provided you aren't put off by the stately home setting; in this book it's peopled by plenty of rounded figures 'warts and all'.
Hard to explain its attraction; best that you listen

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So much better than the modern cosy crime imitations!

Love David Thorpe narration, compared with the many modern cosy crime novels around this is excellent, some of the recent ones make me cringe but this series of republished crim classics are excellent, can we have more of them on audible please ?

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Interesting

Well plotted story , with interesting twists and. Very pleasing ending. I was attracted by the link to the author’s sister and was not disappointed. Well worth the time and effort to read.

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David Thorpe is an adequate narrator

And yes I'm damning with faint praise. He doesn't do anything spectacularly wrong, he's just not that good and he makes what isn't a corker of a book kind of dull to listen to. It's a shame because with the better reader this could be a good, solid book.

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6 people found this helpful

Monotonous Tone

Three times I tried listening to this book and, I am still unsure what happened. The repetition of information by various two dimensional characters added to the boredom. I know that a murder, possibly two, was committed and a surprise guest with an injured ankle, that ensures he NEVER leaves a room for ANYTHING, suddenly joins forces with a supposed Vamp to burble on about everything.

Meanwhile a journalist who loathes everyone and thing else, makes copious notes that he repeats to the police. (They arrive in cliched diligence.) The journalist’s sole companion with whom he has a love-hate relationship, the are the anthesis of each other, is an artist who turns out to have also have noticed ‘things’ such as, an unlocked door and the reason his latest painting has been destroyed.

After that.... a horse, a hysterical wife, lots smoking of various cigarettes, verbally back stabbing, supercilious comments ....

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