Inspector French's Greatest Case

By Freeman Wills Crofts

Book Overview

- The first INSPECTOR FRENCH novel by Freeman Wills Crofts, 'the King of Detective Story Writers' and one of the 'Big Four' Golden Age crime authors. - This 2019 Spitfire Publishers edition includes the original tables, which are critical to the plot. - 'As near the real thing as any sleuth in fiction' THE SUNDAY TIMES. - 'The soundest builder of plots] of them all' RAYMOND CHANDLER. At 10 o'clock on a dreary November night in the back streets of London's Hatton Garden, a dead man is discovered beside an open safe in the offices of a firm of diamond merchants. Inspector Joseph French arrives to investigate - it doesn't take him long to realize that he's up against a master criminal. But, working his way through a snarl of false clues, hidden identities and devious motives, French finds a solution. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Freeman Wills Crofts, the 'King of Detective Story Writers', was one of the pre-eminent writers in the golden age of British crime fiction. Acclaimed by his contemporaries, Agatha Christie and Raymond Chandler, he wrote more than thirty detective novels and was a founder member of the hugely influential DETECTIVE CLUB. Crofts's most famous creation was Scotland Yard detective, INSPECTOR FRENCH ('As near the real thing as any sleuth in fiction' THE SUNDAY TIMES). Born in Dublin, Crofts became an engineer and wrote his debut novel, THE CASK: A DETECTIVE STORY ('An imaginatively ingenious mystery' THE EVENING STANDARD) in 1919 during a long absence from work due to illness. He became a full-time writer in 1929 and moved to England with his wife Mary to live in Guildford. He died in 1957. PRAISE FOR FREEMAN WILLS CROFTS'S 'INSPECTOR FRENCH' NOVELS: 'As near the real thing as any sleuth in fiction' THE SUNDAY TIMES; 'Exactly what a detective novel should be - ingenious, lucid, reasonable, intricate and exciting' THE DAILY TELEGRAPH; 'With every fresh detective story Mr Freeman Wills Crofts displays new fields of specialist knowledge. Nobody takes more trouble to get every detail absolutely correct. The most workmanlike of sleuths unravels really satisfying puzzles' THE DAILY MAIL; 'Inspector French at his indefatigable best' THE GUARDIAN; 'Another instance of Mr Crofts's unfailing ingenuity' TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT; 'Excellent. He constructs his alibi with immense elaboration' DOROTHY L. SAYERS; 'Inspector French... good, sound absorbing Crofts' THE OBSERVER; 'To me Inspector French is the most human sleuth to be found in detective novels' PUNCH 'As pretty a piece of work as Inspector French has done' E.C. BENTLEY.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1699136726
• ISBN13: 9781699136720
• Release Date: December 2019
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 250 Pages
• Weight: 0.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

One of his best

Crofts does solid work, and this--French's first appearance--is one of the best. Crofts attention to detail lends a distinct period feel to setting and character. Crofts' Death of a Train, usually and regrettably out of print, is a classic WWII anti-Nazi mystery piece and another excellent read.

Is it Inspector French's greatest case?

Detective fiction writers Agatha Christie and Freeman Wills Crofts both had popular successes in the mid-1920s. Crofts introduced his sleuth, Inspector Joseph French of Scotland Yard in this 1925 book. Already in his 50s (he refers to his eldest child having been killed in World War 1), French proved to be so popular that Crofts included him in all his detective fiction for a further thirty years. The book's title probably continues to attract first time readers to Crofts' work. Readers who like to sample books from the "Golden Age of British Detective Fiction (1920-1940) will find strengths and weaknesses. The book displays Crofts' "puzzle solving" formula admirably. A problem occurs, a theory is formulted, testing follows, each discovery likely to form a "spring board" to further discovery. If a dead-end is encountered, another theory is formulated, etc. Crofts also keeps us in company with Inspector French throughout the whole book. If these are some of the strengths, then a few weaknesses must be acknowledged. Expect old-fashioned crimes and old-fashioned criminals. The crime and murder here, popular in detective fiction of the time, involved the theft of diamonds. One of the criminal's skills, also popular at the time, was the devising and use of a code. Both of these elements will appear dated and quaint to C21st readers. So is it Inspector French's greatest case? Reading the thirty or so other books in which he features will give you the answer, together with many hours of enjoyment.