An English Murder

A satisfying tale of politics and wealth, with an unexpected denouement

All the ingredients for a traditional Christmas mystery are here… [Cyril Hare’s] rediscovery is to be loudly applauded

Yes, there is a murder (the clue is in the title) but in Golden Age crime (this book was first published in 1951,) murders are never particularly, well, murdery. What we have here is foul play and a corpse on a snowy Christmas Eve at Warbeck Hall and a full house of suspects including the scorned young lover, the social climbing politician’s wife and, of course, the butler!

Faber’s welcome republication of vintage crime bestsellers continued with An English Murder by Cyril Hare, a wintry country house whodunit from 1951

Revival of a 1951 classic by the distinguished barrister Alfred Alexander Gordon Clark, aka Cyril Hare, the critically acclaimed crime writer. To quote the unimprovable cover blurb: "The snow is thick, the phone line is down, and no one is getting in or out of Warbeck Hall". What could possibly go wrong as the Christmas bells chime midnight?

‘Six people around the table on Christmas Eve in a large country house include the chancellor of the exchequer, the leader of a fascist movement, a Jewish historian and assorted toffs. They start dying, one by one. Snow prevents detectives from coming to investigate. Written in 1951, Cyril Hare’s novel tells a satisfying tale of politics and wealth, with an unexpected denouement.’