An intriguing and entertaining mystery featuring Innes‘ regular detective John Appleby. I don’t want to give too much away, but the novel takes us to places we might not expect from the opening, but the journey is certainly worth making as we are introduced to a range of eccentric characters and settings which are not usually par for the course in a Second World War crime story.

I have read a number of the John Appleby books and enjoyed them but this one wasn’t really to my taste. The author is, I think, aware of what he is asking the reader to do in terms of following this intricate and somewhat unbelievable plot.

There is humour in a tongue in cheek way and Appleby is both a shrewd and interesting figure. His aunt is also well drawn and intriguing and Lucy Rideout certainly held my interest. Hudspith is harder to describe and he didn’t ‘come to life’ for me and neither did the ‘villain’ Wine.

I think if it had just been about Daffodil, the cabbie’s horse, Aunt Caroline and Miss Appleby , it might have been a better read. When it enters into the occult and mysticism it loses what usually makes Innes’ books so enjoyable.

I appreciate it is an author enjoying himself but I’m afraid I prefer more traditional golden age crime!

Unlike a few other classic crime fans, I actually enjoyed John Appleby's books. I liked the main character and the way his mind worked. I even let the technical references of things I did not know pass me by and just enjoyed the tone of the narration and even the slow pace. I saw all this in advance because I did not like this one!
I picked it up solely because I thought it was a good way to continue to make a dent in a very long series.
This was a very, very strange book. We have magic, witches and hocus pocus all thrown in. This is further blended with con artists, scientists (of some sort) and even a psychic (sort of) horse!
Our lead protagonist Sir John Appleby (who hasn't been knighted at the time), even cures a person's multiple personality disorder! I am not making any of this up. Maybe you should pick it up to see how much it deviates from the others that I have rated and enjoyed!!
I do not want to go further into the plot only because I cannot actually coherently tell you what happens. All I know is I am glad I stuck with it and found some solace at the normal(ish) ending with some of the subtle humour I enjoyed previously make a brief appearance.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

I've read lots of Michael Innes novels and they are never the same - this one starts as a fairly standard story about a missing horse and some disappeared girls, and transforms into an amazingly tall tale of psychics, mediums, magic, ghosts and stolen haunted houses. At one point the characters discuss their situation and decide that it's so fantastical it could be a novel by Michael Innes, which demonstrates that he was very aware of the escapist and absurd nature of the story. I found it a fascinating read as I had no idea where it was going and it was very unlike anything else of his I have read.

Scottish author and academic Michael Innes wrote this splendid novel while he was Jury Professor of English at the University of Adelaide, in South Australia. After he had discarded all the tropes of golden age fiction he wrote to entertain himself, his family and his ever-growing number of fans, using a combination of intellectual charm and mischievous wit. It was 1942 but he didn't let a little thing like the Second World War interfere with his plot.
Amidst many a Shakespeare quote, Appleby finds himself in the company of a witch, an Italian medium, a girl possessed by demons, and a tribe of cannibals, in search of a horse that can count, a house stolen from a Bloomsbury square, in an adventure crossing oceans.
This is Michael Innes at his playful best - fantasy at its most fantastic.

This is not my first foray with Michael Innes but it was certainly the oddest, one moment Inspector Appleby is in Harrogate investigating the disappearance of a horse and the next he is on a ship in the middle of the South Atlantic. Alongside him is another Scotland Yard detective Inspector Hudspith and they are on the trail of a number of women with strange powers that have been abducted, a missing trick horse and a house. I really struggled to finish this book and didn’t actually realise I had as there was no epilogue.

The Daffodil Affair by Michael Innes is number 8 in the Sir John Appleby series.
This novel was a bit of a disappointment, although I am rather a fan of books by Innes.

Appleby is summoned to find his aunt’s horse (a horse of little value) and at the same time Superintendent Hudspith must find a young girl who has disappeared. A house in London said to be haunted has also disappeared. Stolen amidst various air raids during WW2. The search brings them to a desolate place in South America where a Mr. White has gathered various people with supernatural abilities and some fraudsters as well. His aim is to overtake world domination when people after the end of the war will crave miracles. Appelby and Hudspith succeed in obtaining an invitation to White’s islands. The problem is getting away from the islands alive.
The plot was too imaginative and improbable for my liking.

The Daffodil Affair by Michael Innes is an almost surreal, certainly curious, novel. It isn’t really a mystery, more a thriller, although Appleby still has opportunities to exchange erudite references with several people. The first part of the book sets the scene, during which we learn about a missing girl; a missing horse; and a missing house. We’re told at the end of the second part who Appleby’s adversary is, so there’s no real question of whodunnit. The question, throughout Parts Three and Four, rather, is: will Appleby and his (rather strange) colleague, Inspector Hudspith, remain unscathed and bring the villain to justice?

But is he a villain? If so, why? He doesn’t murder anyone; he doesn’t kidnap them; nor does he inflict violence. I think the most he can be accused of is exploiting vulnerable (simple?) people. He actually treats them well – certainly with more sympathy than they would receive in the real world, where they might be treated as freaks or accused of witchcraft. There are two mysterious deaths long before the story starts: one in the mid-eighteenth century and one in 1888. The only murder that actually takes place during the story is one planned by Appleby himself. (I told you the book was surreal!)

What do I think of the book? The first part was straightforward. The second part opens with Appleby and Hudspith on a boat to South America. Why? There was no mention of South America in Part One. We are told that Appleby sits down on the boat and “let[s] the weeks of tedious investigation trickle through his mind.” The trail, apparently, led to Boston; Port of Spain; Montevideo; and Valparasio. The book was first published in 1942, during the war, but the only mentions of the war are when Hudspith looks out of his office window and sees “war-time London below”; and when sailors on the South American-bound boat are looking out for submarines. If it is war-time, then, how can so many civilian passengers catch a boat across the Atlantic?

I enjoyed the book – eventually. I was quite bewildered during Part Two and wondered where on earth Innes was going with the plot. As I say, it’s a thriller rather than a mystery. Even Innes admits this - here’s a snippet of dialogue between Hudspith and Appleby:
“We’re in a sort of hodge-podge of fantasy and harum-scarum adventure that isn’t a proper detective story at all. We might be by Michael Innes.”
“Innes? I’ve never heard of him.” Appleby spoke with decided exasperation.

#TheDaffodilAffair #NetGalley

Just not for me. I am sure there are people out there who appreciate this sort of writing but not me. I found the book incredibly tedious and probably would not have bothered to finish if it wasn't for this review. I have read one other Michael Innes' book and thought I would give him another go. The plot seemed totally ludicrous; one minute in Bloomsbury, the next crossing the Atlantic en route to South America. All during the war too! If you prefer your bodies in the library, this is not for you! Thanks to Netgalley.

‘How very strange.’

London, 1942. A missing house, a missing horse and two missing women. What on earth is going on? Detective Appleby (from Scotland Yard) is a little peeved when he is asked to investigate (as a personal favour to a superior officer’s aunt) the disappearance of a cab horse named Daffodil. But is seems that Daffodil’s abductors have also taken a young woman named Hannah Metcalfe who just happens to be the descendant of a famous witch. Meanwhile, Appleby’s colleague Hudspith is searching for Lucy Rideout, who may have been sold into white slavery. It also appears that a house in Bloomsbury (37 Hawke Square) has, well, disappeared. And while the Blitz is changing the shape of London, it isn’t responsible in this case.

‘He doesn’t know that we know that he knows.’

Appleby deduces that there is something strange about each of these disappearances. But what links a haunted house, a counting horse, multiple personalities, and connections with the occult?

You are about to embark on a totally ridiculous but enormously amusing journey which will take you, together with Appleby and Hudspith, on a voyage to South America. Read on and enjoy, as our intrepid detectives work out how to stop an intriguing attempt at world domination.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Ipso Books for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

How strange!! Although I did enjoy this book I often thought to myself 'how strange'. The plot, I felt, was a departure for Michael Innes into weird realms of fantasy! Nevertheless it was a good yarn and I would recommend the reader to stick with it, even if, like me, they have to re-read parts in order not to get lost.

Thanks to Agora Books and Net Galley for a review copy. I would give it about 2.7 stars.

The Daffodil Affair reminded me of the works of Algernon Blackwood, which I found in my high school library some 60 years ago. It is a fantasy with occult elements set in real time and place with the very solid Inspector Appleby caught at the heart of it. It requires the reader, like Appleby, to suspend their disbelief and go along for the ride. I was able to do this, but can’t say I derived huge enjoyment from doing so.

Innes’s tendency to verbosity doesn’t help the modern reader, although it does fit with the queer atmosphere and plot.

The narrative is saved by Appleby’s perception, hard- headedness, leadership and capacity to recognise the same in others. For those who follow his cases or have interest in the arcane this is worth the effort. It is neither, however, a good introduction to the series, nor a page-turner.

Distinctly odd, crazy, zany and whacky. Not a typical mystery but Innes was a brilliant writer. Descriptions are outlandish and so is the plot. I took the story for what it was meant to be...a far-fetched farce. Not my usual go-to book for sure.

Appleby and Hudspith investigate a hoof-tapping mathematical horse and missing girls and are entangled up to their gills in alligators, vanishing languages, an inverted lamp, split personalities and a house which has disappeared. They board a boat and encounter Happy Islands and explore a scientific experiment. As Appleby responds to Hudspith who says he could not believe what he was experiencing, "I should put it stronger than that myself. Say a dream of dreams." I'm sure glad my dreams aren't like this!

Liked the wit, though. "We're in a sort of hodge-podge of fantasy and harumscarum adventure that isn't a proper detective story at all. We might be by Michael Innes." That sums it up right there!

My sincere thank you to Ipso Books and NetGalley. This book was...well...decidedly original. I give it 2.5 stars as the writing is witty and sharp but the story is stunning in its silliness!

The Empathetic Appleby Returns.....
The empathetic Appleby returns in this quirky mystery and the seventh in the Inspector Appleby Mysteries. Certain very odd disappearances cause consternation and Appleby is asked to investigate what becomes labelled The Daffodil Affair. A fantastical adventure ensues. Faced with a host of suspects, motives and secrets Appleby sets out to get to the truth. Not as entertaining, for me, as the authors’ more traditional tales but it is enjoyable and clever classic crime with red herrings aplenty, an eccentric cast of well drawn characters and told with author’s trademark dry wit.

This book will be a nice read for fans of Detective stories and historical genre. The language and style of prose is a bit dense but if you can wade through it this is whimsical story.

This is the 8th book in the series and I've not read any of the others but I think this can still be read standalone, although there are some wee bits that I feel like I missed out on. I do love a god mystery, but this didn't hit all the marks. Just okay I think.

A bit of a far fetched tale. A horse goes missing - this horse is a bit different, good at numbers!

At the same time two young girls go missing, presumably kidnapped, probably human trafficking and the best part is yet to come, during the Blitz a house in Bloomsbury actually goes missing.

Now to put the three strands together - they are connected though not obviously so is the work of our Inspector and his side kick.

This is a quirky read, lots of literary references splattered throughout the book, all adding a piquancy to the read. It is a detective story with a lot of suspense. I like the references to the author himself in the book all adding great interest. Also very descriptive.

Sorry,this just didn't work for me,the story is just completely over the top,...There are eccentric ladies,disappearing young girls,a plot that was all over the place but frankly nothing made any sense...

In The Daffodil Affair, Inspector John Appleby and his colleague Hudspith are investigating three separate mysteries, none of which are the sort of thing you would expect two Scotland Yard detectives to become involved in. First, there is the theft of Daffodil, an extraordinary horse who seems able to count and to read minds. Next, there’s the disappearance of Lucy Rideout, a vulnerable young girl who appears to have been lured away from home by promises of a trip to the island of Capri. Finally, and strangest of all, an entire house has vanished from a street in London – a house which is said to have been haunted.

These three strange occurrences may seem at first to be unconnected, but links soon start to emerge and an adventure begins which sends Appleby and Hudspith on a voyage to South America in the company of the sinister Mr Wine. All sorts of paranormal phenomena are incorporated into the story, including telepathy, seances, witchcraft, hauntings and possession by demons. Some of the situations in which our detectives find themselves are quite surreal and implausible, but there are darker undertones too, which is where you can see the influence of the time period in which the book was written (during the Second World War). I think Mr Wine’s schemes and actions would have been frighteningly relevant to readers in the 1940s.

This is an entertaining novel, but I found it too bizarre to be truly enjoyable and I wouldn't recommend it as a first introduction to Innes. My favourites are Lament for a Maker and Hamlet, Revenge!

This is the 8th Inspector Appleby book and the 3rd one I’ve read. Each one seems very different. This one is pure escapism and I think Michael Innes must have enjoyed himself immensely whilst writing it. It’s full of literary allusions and quotations and has a completely unrealistic plot. I think his writing is an acquired taste with long, meandering sentences, and formal language, including many unfamiliar words to me that I wasn’t sure of their meaning.

But I enjoyed reading it, once I’d come to terms with Innes’ style – and the crazy plot. I enjoyed spotting many of the literary references, although I probably missed as many as I recognised. There are allusions to Wordsworth’s poem Daffodils, to Moby Dick, Ulysses, Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Shelley, Dr Johnson, Australian Aboriginal mythology, Browning, Yeats and Shakespeare amongst others. And in the South American jungle with its alligator–infested rivers, their ‘plop’,’plop’ as they disposed of Mr Wine’s victims reminded me of the crocodile in Peter Pan. The characters’ unlikely names, such as Mr Wine – Mrs Nurse, a high-class medium, seemingly nice, honest and capable, the enigmatic Miss Mood, with her ethereal, gibberish talk, husky and glamorous and Mr Beaglehole, Mr Wine’s secretary, whose name is a corrupt form of Bogle Hole, Scots for the lair of the demon, who lures his victims in, all contribute to this allegorical tale.

I particularly like his thoughts about detective stories, referring to them as stories that take one out of oneself, and as Hudspith tells Appleby they are in ‘a sort of hodge-podge of fantasy and harumscarum adventure that isn’t a proper detective story at all. We might be by Michael Innes.’ ‘Innes? I’ve never heard of him.’ Appleby spoke with decided exasperation.’

Throughout the book Innes drops in his thoughts on a variety of topics including philosophy, the nature of evil, witchcraft, paranormal manifestations, telepathy, superstition versus scientific inquiry, and multiple personalities. The arch-villain, Mr Wine, is a madman attempting to conquer the world with his physic circus of mediums through superstition and the supernatural.

I wasn’t at all sure where this book was taking me. It’s more a book of suspense than a detective story. There is nothing straight forward about it; it’s richly descriptive and surreal as it proceeds from one absurd situation to the next, but with serious undertones. It predicts that under such a madman as Mr Wine weird fantasies would spread, and sub-rational deceits and mumbo-jumbo would put power in the hands of whoever had control of a vast and efficient organization.

The ending of the book continues the fantastical aspects of this book and as Hudspith considers how they can escape from Wine and his gang he concludes that their only hope is for a ‘deus ex machina to wind everything up happily after all.’ And that is precisely what Innes provided.