I admit it – I love vintage mysteries. In spite of the predictability, in spite of the stereotypes, I truly enjoy them. They’re a little like stepping back in time.

Murder Has a Motive was originally published in the late 1940s, a great time for mysteries. Mordecai Tremaine is a retired tobacconist with a penchant for mysteries. He had been planning on staying with friends in Dalmering, but as we all know, murder follows amateur detectives around. When Mordecai arrives, his friends tell him that one of their neighbors, a woman who was also starring in the play the community is putting on to raise money for charity, was found dead that morning – stabbed to death. His friends, of course, want him to find the killer.

Mordecai is a quiet, sometimes pretentious man, but a romantic at heart. He’s a quiet detective, watching, listening, having conversations. He’s a little different from the other bachelor detectives of the era. He unabashedly reads trashy romance and has a weak spot for pretty women and the thought of young love being obstructed can bring him close to tears.

As far as the mystery goes, we have a nice size suspect pool, not too many to keep track of, but several people with reasonable motives. Of course, the reader is too smart to fall for the most obvious, seemingly most violent suspect and the clues are there, but I really appreciated the thought that went into the murder(s). We even have the requisite denouement, with all the suspects seated around the table as Mordecai lays out what happened with the police nearby to make the arrest.

Thank you NetGalley for my free copy of this book. “Murder has a motive” is a well-written murder mystery, with an interesting plot and characters. Mordecai Tremaine certainly reminds me of Agatha Christie’s Poirot, which made me love this book even more. Though similar to Poirot’s stories, Mordecai is a great and distinctive amateur detective, with his own quirkiness and own way of using his little grey cells to solve the murders. I really enjoyed the parallel between the murders and the play and thought the final plot twist, the murderer big reveal, was absolutely fantastic. I can’t wait to read other Mordecai books and this is definitely one of the best books I’ve read lately. It deserves a 5-Stars rating.

Like Miss Marple, murder seems to have a habit of following Mordecai Tremaine around. When visiting old friends in the village of Dalmering, very English, very scenic far removed from the ugliness of murder and suspects, he unexpectedly finds himself in the midst of a murder where suspects are rife and though public opinion is determinedly fixed on one candidate, both Scotland Yard and our Mr. Tremaine thinks it fits in too neatly and seems too easy.

When a second murder takes place, the whole village is in an uproar. Unlike most mystery murders the characters here are not very vibrant and out of place. They seem very ordinary folk who may not even be noticed by anyone. Putting on a play for a charity seems to be the entire scope for the village and all attention is focused on this. There are several undercurrents amongst the villagers not really apparent at the beginning and Tremaine is at times even uncomfortable with his old friend the doctor and his wife whom he has known for years.

Old fashioned detective work goes on here alongside amateur detective work by Tremaine. Not a fast paced novel but not dull either. It is just slightly old fashioned and not as enthralling as an Agatha
Christie though Miss Marple would be of the same vintage.
Goodreads and Amazon reviews posted on 17/3/2018. Review on my blog end April 2018

Murder with a Motive is a vintage mystery, originally published in 1947, and republished in the US in 2018. It was written when many mysteries were solved by amateur sleuths who bested the police, drawing parallels to Agatha Christie and others of the period.

In this book, the amateur is Mordecai Euripides Tremaine (why did so many have extravagant names, I wonder), an unremarkable man, a retired tobacconist with pince-nez who ambles through the village, gathering information and clues he shares with the Scotland Yard detective assigned to the case.

I found this slow going at first, with ponderous and overdone paragraphs of description that made me impatient to get to the next pages. However, by the time we were halfway through, I was attuned to the writing style and found myself intrigued. I enjoyed the rest of it, with the small twists and turns that led to the somewhat melodramatic ending. I did not see the villain coming, though, but I think I was simply enjoying the ride and was willing to let our sleuth do the work for me.

This is an old-fashioned murder mystery, with corpses but no gore, a small group of suspects (almost but not quite like a drawing room murder), and some nice little red herrings. I was well entertained for a few hours. I think if it is approached as such (i.e., not expecting it to be a fast-paced, modern day thriller), fans of the era will enjoy it. I would probably read another in the series.

Thanks to NetGallery and the publisher for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Mordecai Tremaine, fascinated with murder and involved in helping the police with two real-life murder cases since his retirement, happens to be visiting friends in the small town of Dalmering on the same day Lydia Dare has been found stabbed to death. He is a self-effacing man, who seems to have a knack for understanding the motivations of his fellow man, which can be very helpful in solving murder cases. Inspector Boyce of Scotland Yard, who has been called in to head the investigation, again allows Mordecai to assist him. As Mordecai attends the rehearsals for the play that Dalmering’s residents are putting on, “Murder Has a Motive – A Play in Three Acts,” he soon realizes that reality seems to be mirroring the acts of the play. When a second murder takes place, Mordecai realizes he must act quickly before the third act is played out in real life.

Murder Has a Motive was originally published in 1947 and is the first book in the Mordecai Tremaine series by Francis Duncan. Duncan’s writing style is very easy to read, and I was instantly drawn into the story. There isn’t a lot of action or suspense in the book, but it moved along well and included a surprise or two. Inspector Boyce is not the clueless, blundering policeman that one sometimes finds in amateur detective books, but it is still all Mordecai with the final solution, who gathers the cast together in the final scene to unmask the murder. It is a solid piece of Golden Age detective fiction, with a compelling plot.

I enjoyed this quote at the end of the book as Mordecai wrestles with consequences of his investigation.

"You couldn’t see only beauty in the world. You had to see the disfiguring stains, the sordid and sprawling things, too. Because that was life. Life was ugly and untidy besides being beautiful and marvelous and full of wonder. You had to see the dirt as well as the stars. To see the dirt and not become a cynic, to hold fast to one’s ideals, to preserve one’s belief in the underlying decencies of humanity—that was the real purpose of living."

I received this book from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review.

Murder Has a Motive is the second in the now rediscovered Mordecai Tremaine detective series. As in the previous book (though I do not believe this series is being republished in order) Murder for Christmas, the reader finds the amature detective and retired tobacconist, and friend of a Scotland Yard detective embroiled in yet another mystery.
This one has the detective coming to a small village to stay with friends, some of whom are performig in a community play (the same title as the novel). When participants in the show die under circumstances that resemble elements of the play Mordecai joins with the detective, an investigative reporter and more to help solve the ever occurring mysteries that pile up as the novel progresses.
The conclusion is classic mystery satisfactory as all suspects are gathered around a table while the detective solves the crimes.
As I said at the beginning, I love this series and detective thus far and hope for more. If you like the classic Agatha Christie type mystery (though not a "cozy") than this book is for you.

RATING: 4 STARS
(I received an ARC from the NETGALLEY)
(Review Not on Blog)

This is a reissue from the 1940s and it is a novel is written like it's peers, Agatha Christie (Poirot) and Patricia Wentworth (Miss. Silver). Mordecai Tremaine is a fun character and the mysteries are fun. I am definitely in for the rest of the series. I hope that they all get reissued or are easy to find.

This is an old style mystery, and as such if fits the bill very well. Although I must admit, I did skip chunks of it in places as it became rather boring and repetitive. There were a good number of twist and turns in the plot but it could not really deflect from guessing the murderer. I did enjoy it as it bought back memories of books from a easier time and better grasp of the English language.

At first, I found it annoyingly slow then suddenly I realized I couldn’t put it down. The transition between molasses slow and intensely relentless was very subtle and well done. One minute I was ready to quit because of the annoying repetition about the atmosphere and the detective’s quirks, and the next I was wondering how he would get himself out of the tangle and make it clear to everyone else.
I guessed quite early who did it, but I wasn’t sure. Duncan gave so many clues, true and false, that he made me doubt my own conclusions.
Now if you don’t like being told instead of shown what’s going on this isn’t the book for you. Especially, in the beginning, we are told directly over and over again exactly what the atmosphere is and what the significance of every statement is. That got a bit tiresome, but eventually, that stops.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t as clean as I had hoped. The language was clean until the last third or so. Then there were quite a few ‘mild’ curse words. There was also an adulterous relationship. It’s handled delicately, but it is sort of winked at.
I received this as a free ARC from NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark. No positive review was required and these are my honest opinions.

The description of the book sounded a lot like one of Agatha Christie's novels, and I'm a huge Mrs. Christie's fan.

The story begins with a murder of a young woman in a small English village Dalmering. Private detective Mordecai Tremaine just happens to visit his this particular village for a holiday. What a coincidence, isn't it? Well, the murderer is not very pleased with this particular "hiccup" in their plan. And one of the Scotland Yard's detectives' that works on the case is actually Mordecai's friend. Can it get any worst? You bet it can! How about a second murder? Yes, that happens. And that's when it starts to confuse me... two killings have nothing in common... well, not till you get to the last chapter. And on top of the murders, the village is working on a play, called "Murder Has a Motive". One busy village I tell you.

The overall story was great. The motive for the murders was very amusing, I was surprised. A great explanation at the end. I do not like books that have many characters, however, this book is an exception. Every character is fully involved in the story, and everyone has a secret that is revealed in the end. Interesting book. Will definitely recommend it to any mystery/detective lover.

Murder Has A Motive features one of my favorite opening lines in a mystery to date: ‘Lydia Dare was dining with a murderer’. It certainly caught the attention, even if I quickly realized that we weren’t in inverted territory here and that Lydia and many of the other characters in this story were performing in a theatrical murder mystery.

Rather than staying with her dining companion, Lydia opts to return to her home as her friend is expecting her back but she never makes it home. Retired tobacconist Mordecai Tremaine’s friend Paul Russell is called in to inspect the body and encourages his friend, who has just arrived to stay with them, to put his detective skills to use and investigate what happened.

We soon realize that most of the suspects seem to be involved in that theatrical production and several seem to be harboring secrets. Mordecai’s efforts are helped when he finds that the detective assigned to the case is a friend from Scotland Yard that he has consulted with before and the two decide to work together, pooling their information.

Mordecai is a curious creation and I must confess that I was a little confused as to whether this was actually the first novel in the series. Based on the publication dates I see on Goodreads it does seem that this was the first book to feature the character yet the references to earlier adventures make me wonder and if this is the first time the character appeared you have to admire Duncan’s gumption in presenting us with one of the more unlikely amateur sleuths in Golden Age crime fiction without a clear explanation of why he is so trusted by Scotland Yard.

The choice of his profession seems curious in itself as the story does not capitalize on it in any way, though I imagine that there are only so many cases that can be solved by correct identification of a tobacco blend. I would have appreciated some explanation of where he first developed and tested the skills he will utilize as an investigator.

Some aspects of the character feel a little familiar from other characters from this period such as Mordecai’s habit of wearing pince-nez glasses but there are also some rather charming character traits such as his love of reading romantic and sentimental stories that do give him some definition. I rather agree with Kate that while I didn’t find him objectionable, I didn’t warm to him. I did appreciate the pairing with Inspector Boyne and that the book took the time to acknowledge a few of the practical problems an amateur sleuth would have in gaining access both to the crime scene and to interview suspects.

While I quite liked the characters and was interested in seeing where the murderer might strike next, I spent much of the book feeling a little underwhelmed by what seemed to be a rather straightforward story. One plotline in particular frustrated me as a character had a secret that seemed so obvious that I could hardly believe that no one seemed to be seeing it yet when the revelation is finally made I was thrilled to realize that Duncan had given it a clever twist, making something far more interesting and complex.

That in a way turns out to be the story of this book. It seems really quite typical and straightforward, playing with some familiar elements, yet I think it does present a few interesting tweaks on some tried and tested ideas. Unfortunately it just takes a little too long to get present those tweaks and I certainly was assuming that this was headed down a very expected path until the end was almost upon us.

Given the quantity of excellent reprints making their way into the market at the moment I think that the novel arguably takes too long to demonstrate the few ways in which it sets itself apart. It should be said though that it doesn’t really do anything wrong with those elements either and I certainly found it an entertaining and often quite enjoyable read.

Something wicked this way comes.

Something evil is loose in small British village of Dalmering. A woman is stabbed in a wood right before her wedding. What could be the possible motive for killing someone liked by the entire village? Could the murderer be her last dinner companion with whom she didn't share romantic feelings? A mysterious stranger seen lurking about the village? Why didn't her roommate of many years call the police when she failed to return after her dinner? The village is putting on an amateur production of a play called Murder has a Motive. Could the murderer be only acting like a concerned friend or neighbor?

Murder has a Motive was written in 1947. It is the first Mordecai Tremaine detective series but second to be republished, after Murder for Christmas. Between the two books, this is clearly the lesser story. Murder for Christmas had a twisty pseudo-Christie plot that this book did not. The ending was not surprising and the clues were too obvious to be missed by most readers. Murder has a Motive is a good, not great, lesser golden age mystery. 3 stars.

Thanks to the publisher, Sourcebooks Landmark, and NetGalley for an advanced review copy.

A classic setting,an enchanting English village with well defined residents and of course murder!Luckily Mordecai Tremaine is visiting some friends in this village and as an amateur sleuth he is more than willing to lend a helping hand to inspector Boyce...It is nice classic detective story but perhaps a bit too long winded (and some clues were not very hard to miss !!)

Murder has a Motive is a reissue of a likable 1947, Golden Age mystery. Mordecai Tremaine is this book’s star amateur detective, dropped into a placid, lovely British village just in time to get on the case of one, then a second, then a third murder. Without Tremaine, one wonders how Scotland Yard’s detective would have coped!

I was really excited for this book, but it fell flat for me, but that doesn't mean that this is a bad book. I know for sure this is amazing to others.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Sourcebooks Inc. for a review copy of Murder has a Motive, the first novel to feature amateur sleuth Mordecai Tremaine which was originally published in 1947.

Mordecai has arranged to visit friends, Dr Paul Russell and his wife, Jean, in the seaside town of Dalmering but when he gets there he is greeted with the tragic news that there has been a murder the night before when Lydia Dare was brutally stabbed to death on her way home from dinner with a friend. Initially reluctant, Mordecai is urged to look into it by his friends, the Russells and Inspector Boyce of Scotland Yard who has been assigned the case.

I enjoyed Murder has a Motive as it has a twisted plot and a baffling motive and perpetrator which kept me occupied trying to guess. It is, however, very much a novel of its era with its emphasis on social conventions which no longer exist in our more freewheeling times. It was difficult sometimes to understand what the fuss was all about but, on the other hand, it was interesting to get immersed in the rather stifling rigidity of it all.

Lydia Dare was a leading light in the local amateur dramatic play for charity, Murder has a Motive. It is a fascinating conceit that the play and the novel have the same name and theme. If I hadn't been dipping in and out of the novel (too many things to do, so little time) I might have cottoned on to the parallels sooner and worked out what was going on but as it is I was happily baffled until the dénouement.

The novel is very much in the standard format for the time - the investigator smartly works out what is going on and makes several arrangements so that the dénouement is suitably dramatic. The reader does not get to know all that he is thinking, formulating and surmising so adding to the surprise element but the clues are all there if you look closely enough and are able to recognise what's important. It's all about personalities and interpersonal relationships, which, stripping away the window dressing, are timeless because forensics are more or less irrelevant at that time.

I can't say I warmed to Mordecai Tremaine who seems a fussy little man with a penchant for romantic fiction and striking a pose. He seems contrived.

Murder has a Motive is an interesting read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

"Murder Has a Motive" is a mystery novel that was originally published in 1947 and is set in England. The real murders mimic the murders in a play that the locals are putting on. The play suggests whodunit, but the detective feels that the similarities are misleading.

The amateur detective, Mordecai, snooped around and collected clues. While it was a clue-based mystery, Mordecai seemed most taken by the atmosphere of evil that he felt about the place. While I did correctly guess whodunit and why early on, I was never sure that the author wasn't suddenly going to go in another direction as several possibilities were left open.

There were quite a few suspects to keep track of, and some were so bland that it was hard to remember who they were. However, the more important characters did have more distinct personalities. At the end, Mordecai hopes to end the killing spree by getting everyone together and pretending to know what he was only guessing. There was no sex. There was a minor amount of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting mystery.

This book was great. Once started I had to end it.
The writer is good on building the atmosphere of mistrust and fear and to play with the idyllic settings against the brutal murders.
It contains a lot of elements of the Golden Age of Mystery and, though it is nearly 70 years old it had stood the test of time
I never heard about Francis Duncan before and went looking for other mystery he wrote.

Mordecai Euripides Tremaine, retired tobacconist and murder magnet, arrives for a holiday in the English village of Dalmering. He is immediately plunged into a murder investigation as a leading lady in the amateur dramatic group’s production of “Murder Has a Motive” has just been found dead.

There is an atmosphere of mistrust and evil about, and, soon, real events are shown to mirror those in the play as two more villagers are murdered.

Francis Duncan is good at conveying atmosphere and the opening of the book is striking. However I guessed the murderer and motive very early on (within the first three chapters) and so for me it was largely a case of watching out for clues about that person and wondering who else might be killed.

The relationship between Tremaine and Inspector Boyce of Scotland Yard is neatly portrayed and there are lots of convincing red herrings. The main characters come across vividly.

Although this was first published in 1947, it has a pre-WW2 feel, and I detected no hints of post-war austerity.

Again, there are many elements of classic British Golden Age detective novels: a timeless English village, beautiful women and handsome men, a few hints of mysterious pasts and secrets undisclosed, the gifted amateur beating the professional detectives, a little romance and some passion.

Although I liked this less than “Murder For Christmas”, I still found it a most enjoyable read.

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC.

Average Golden Age style mystery. Enjoyable for a quick read, but much of the writing stilted, the characters not very interesting and the solution obvious