Alibi For A Corpse

I would like to thank Netgalley and Sapere Books for a review copy of Alibi for a Corpse, the third procedural to feature newly promoted Superintendent Poland and Sergeant Toye of Scotland Yard’s Murder Squad, originally published in 1969.

When a couple of children discover a skeleton in an abandoned scrap yard in Twaggerton Pollard and Toye are asked to investigate after the local police get nowhere. Their first order of business is to identify the bones but with no missing persons matching the description it proves difficult.

I thoroughly enjoyed Alibi for a Corpse which has a complicated plot full of twists and turns. I’m not sure I followed Pollard’s logic completely but no matter as the plot is utterly compelling and held my attention from start to finish. It is, however one of those novels which cries out for modern forensics as they have no way of proving the identity of the corpse which nowadays would be easy as pie with either DNA, facial reconstruction or dental x-rays. Instead the detectives have to jump through all kinds of hoops to prove their theorising. It does make for complicated reading but it’s also quite exciting as they build their case. The solution is quite ingenuous and unexpected.

As with most crime novels of the era it’s not big on the detectives’ characters. There is a brief description of them and it’s on with the plot. Pollard is the most developed with a brief description of his thoughts on the job and impending parenthood but it’s hardly penetrating, just enough to make him human. I enjoy these old fashioned plot driven novels which give the reader the opportunity to work out the solution alongside the detective, not that I ever do as the authors are too wily to give it away too soon and Ms Lemarchand is no exception.

Alibi for a Corpse is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

The third outing in the Pollard and Toye Investigations series - atmospheric, nicely constructed with credible characterisation. Village peace is disrupted when a skeleton is found and many more are uncovered as the investigation digs deeper. Dark in places, the plot is a convoluted one. An engaging read from the first page to the last.

I thoroughly enjoyed this police procedural by Elizabeth Lemarchand. This is the third of a series featuring a Detective Superintendent Pollard and Detective Sergeant Toye. Although it was written in 1969, it reminds me of the mystery novels of the Golden Age.

This novel features a twisty, convoluted plot, that keeps you guessing. There are a few red herrings, some interesting and well developed characters and a typical Golden Age English village setting. Gore and violence are absent. It was a bit of a stretch to come up with the solution to the mystery as far as the clues went, but the ending was completely plausible.

This is the second Pollard and Toye novel that I have read, and I was pleased to find that there are a few more currently available and that there were actually 17 novels in the series.

Although this is a police procedural, it would also appeal to lovers of cozy mysteries, and those who like their mysteries without excessive violence.

5 stars

Nine-year old twins find a skeleton in a car trunk. They and their parents are on a visit to a local manor house in Twiggadon that they inherited from a crusty old cousin who held a long grudge against that branch of the family. They have never been there before – or so the father Mr. Derek Wainwright says.

The local police are completely frustrated by the case and Detective Superintendent Pollard and his sidekick DS Toye are called in to investigate the case. As Pollard and Toye interview and toss around theories and scenarios, they are getting nowhere fast. No one claims to have seen any action around the abandoned car, no one had seen any strangers in the area – well there are lots of hikers around in the summer. But who pays attention to them. Pollard and Toye are leaning toward a finding of the body’s being local and he was placed in the trunk by a local. But they don’t even have a clue who the man was; he had no dental work and no obvious injuries. Where to start?

During their interviews, they meet all kinds of people, some odd, some sincere. There is a kindly farmer, a snotty elderly man, a maid/cook who is hiding something, the owner of the manor who is also hiding something, a self-styled medium and so on.

It is possible that the skeleton may be a young man by the name of Steve Mullins. He was in the area at the right time and the description the locals give him fit the body. As the investigation drags on, Pollard and Toye begin to make some small progress. At least they think they are making progress. Those who have not quite told the truth are revealed and their secrets told at last. A young man who was drowned in a nearby flood figures into the story. It seems he might have been misidentified on purpose.

This is a very well written and plotted cozy mystery. It is very well thought out. There is not a wasted word in the book. The transitions are relatively smooth and the story flows nicely. Superintendent Pollard has an understated way of questioning witnesses that is disarming. He is very clear in his questioning and doesn’t get rattled easily. There was enough background information given so as to make the Pollard seem more real, but not so much that it intruded on the story. I enjoyed the rather formal writing style of Elizabeth Lemarchand. The various dialects are very well done. I really liked this book and immediately went to Amazon to purchase the previous books in this series. I am very much looking forward to getting to them in my TBR pile.

I want to thank NetGalley and Sapere Books for giving me the opportunity to read, enjoy and review this book.

This novel was published in 1969; has the ring of the old time crime novels / TV series like Perry Mason, Peter Gunn, Richard Diamond and others. There were no smart phones, DNA was still in the future. To solve a crime took a lot of foot work and investigation.

DS Pollard and DS Toye are called to investigate a crime. Seems like a couple of youngsters found some human bones in the boot of an old car. There's no way to identify the victim, although it is a young man. Upon checking, they find no missing persons who might be this man.

There are plenty of suspects to look at, but no clear motive. The detectives do get a lead or two ... but what connection to this murder would a flood drowning be? Add the long time family feuds and a woman who 'sees' things and the residents, new and old, who all have secrets that they want to stay hidden from the light of day.

The suspense holds steady at a low level. This is not quite a cozy, but a step above... nothing graphic, nothing to give the readers nightmares. It's well written with credible characters with a plausible ending.

Although third in a series, it is easily read as a stand-alone. There are many more in this series to read ad enjoy.

Many thanks to Sapere Books and Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

I love this series and I think this instalment is the best one so far.
It's an atmospheric, complex and engaging book, a travel into another age when CSI was still sort of sci-fi.
The plot is complex, enthralling and full of twists and turns.
I loved the description of the small town where people have a lot of secrets and sometimes it was like looking to an old movie.
I was hooked since the first pages and I loved to read how the culprit was discovered and the logical processes behind this discovery.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Sapere Books and Netgalley for this ARC

The rural community of Twiggadon (2 cottages,a"manor"house,a farm and a car dump) is startled by the discovery of a skeleton in the boot of a car. Scotland Yard is called in and D.I. Pollard and Sergeant Toye are sent to Northamptonshire to assist the local constabulary. The main problem is the identification of the victim (this was written in the sixties so no DNA,no digital database...) and the determination of the cause of death. After some solid detection work,with the help of the local constables, landlords and other inhabitants of the surrounding villages, one after the other suspect is cleared. Finally there is only one left but most of the evidence is circumstantial so they have to find a creative solution to capture their culprit.
Although written in the sixties, it has a Golden Age aura. Probably village life, small police stations and any absence of coarse language or behaviour (barring murder) ensures this atmosphere but that is fine by me!

Thankyou to NetGalley, Sapere Books and the author, Elizabeth Lemarchand, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of Alibi For A Corpse in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
I have never been disappointed with a book by this author. I would have to say, this book is the best I have read by Ms Lemarchand.
The storyline was well thought out and written with well developed characters and an intriguing plot. I really enjoyed reading this book. I was hooked from the start.
Well worth a read.