Buried for Pleasure

The title of this Gervase Fen mystery is dredged from English folklore: "Buried on Monday, buried for health, /Buried on Tuesday, buried for wealth; /Buried on Wednesday, buried at leisure, /Buried on Thursday, buried for pleasure; /Buried on Friday, buried for fun, /Buried on Saturday, buried at one; /Buried on Sunday after eleven, /You get the priest and you go to heaven." A more macabre folk jingle than, say "Monday's child is fair of face..." but appropriate for a murder mystery that our detective-don solves while standing for Parliament in rural England. Along with the eccentric detective Gervase Fen, Professor of English Language and Literature in the University of Oxford, Edmund Crispin also features one of his eccentric animals in "Buried for Pleasure." This time it is a `non-doing' pig that falls in love with the village's pub manager. The plot also works in that most obvious of red herrings: an escaped lunatic who believes himself to be President Woodrow Wilson. His normal mode of dress is a pince nez, and he must be the only lunatic in literature who declares, as he is captured and led away, "I warn you that if my Fourteen Points are not adopted, Western Europe will be at war again within a decade." Since "Buried for Pleasure" takes place in 1949, his prophecy was correct, although tardy. We never do find out exactly why Fen is standing for Parliament. One of the other characters challenges him to explain his motives: "'Well, what on earth...I mean, why are you standing for Parliament? What put the idea into your head?' "Even to himself Fen's actions were sometimes unaccountable, and he could think of no very convincing reply. "'It is my wish,' he said sanctimoniously, `to serve the community.' "The girl eyed him dubiously. "'Or at least," he amended, `that is one of my motives. Besides, I felt I was getting far too restricted in my interests. Have you ever produced a definitive edition of Langland?' "'Of course not,' she said crossly. "'I have. I've just finished producing one. It has queer psychological effects. You begin to wonder if you're mad. And the only remedy for that is a complete change of occupation.'" Read this book not so much for the mystery, but for Fen's final campaign speech when he decides that he doesn't want to get elected after all. As for the mystery, Crispin ties all of his loose ends together in a climactic automobile chase that involves the lunatic who thinks he's President Wilson, the Cockney pub manager and her non-doing pig, the murderer, a candidate for Parliament, and the rector who is plagued by a poltergeist. And the poltergeist. "Buried for Pleasure" is vintage Crispin.

The title of this Gervase Fen mystery is dredged from English folklore: "Buried on Monday, buried for health, /Buried on Tuesday, buried for wealth; /Buried on Wednesday, buried at leisure, /Buried on Thursday, buried for pleasure; /Buried on Friday, buried for fun, /Buried on Saturday, buried at one; /Buried on Sunday after eleven, /You get the priest and you go to heaven."A more macabre folk jingle than, say "Monday's child is fair of face..." but appropriate for a murder mystery that our detective-don solves while standing for Parliament in rural England.Along with the eccentric detective Gervase Fen, Professor of English Language and Literature in the University of Oxford, Edmund Crispin also features one of his eccentric animals in "Buried for Pleasure." This time it is a 'non-doing' pig that falls in love with the village's pub manager.The plot also works in that most obvious of red herrings: an escaped lunatic who believes himself to be President Woodrow Wilson. His normal mode of dress is a pince nez, and he must be the only lunatic in literature who declares, as he is captured and led away, "I warn you that if my Fourteen Points are not adopted, Western Europe will be at war again within a decade." Since "Buried for Pleasure" takes place in 1949, his prophecy was correct, although tardy.We never do find out exactly why Fen is standing for Parliament. One of the other characters challenges him to explain his motives:"'Well, what on earth...I mean, why are you standing for Parliament? What put the idea into your head?'"Even to himself Fen's actions were sometimes unaccountable, and he could think of no very convincing reply."'It is my wish,' he said sanctimoniously, 'to serve the community.'"The girl eyed him dubiously."'Or at least," he amended, 'that is one of my motives. Besides, I felt I was getting far too restricted in my interests. Have you ever produced a definitive edition of Langland?'"'Of course not,' she said crossly."'I have. I've just finished producing one. It has queer psychological effects. You begin to wonder if you're mad. And the only remedy for that is a complete change of occupation.'"Read this book not so much for the mystery, but for Fen's final campaign speech when he decides that he doesn't want to get elected after all.As for the mystery, Crispin ties all of his loose ends together in a climactic automobile chase that involves the lunatic who thinks he's President Wilson, the Cockney pub manager and her non-doing pig, the murderer, a candidate for Parliament, and the rector who is plagued by a poltergeist.And the poltergeist."Buried for Pleasure" is vintage Crispin.