Death at the Chase

J.I.M. Steward has written broadcast scripts and many crime stories under the pseudonym of Michael Innes, most prominent among them his Inspector Appleby detective novels. John Appleby begins as a mere inspector of the Metropolitan Police (New Scotland Yard) in the early novels such as "Death at the President's Lodging" (1936) and eventually retires as Sir John Appleby, Commissioner of said organization."Death at the Chase" (1970) takes place after Sir John's retirement, and begins as he is taking a long walk and comes up against a rather high wall that marks his reclusive neighbor's property. On impulse, he scrambles over the wall and is met by an infuriated old gentleman."'What the devil do you mean,' the old gentleman demanded, 'by pitching yourself into my property like that?'"Unfortunately Sir John has decided to explore beyond the wall on a very peculiar anniversary---it is on this date each year that someone attempts to assassinate his old neighbor, who had been captured by the Germans during the last war and made to betray his comrades in the Maquis. The date marks a terrible massacre of the French by the German occupation troops.Sure enough, as Appleby and his neighbor, Martyn Ashmore draw near an ancient, tumble-down mansion, someone shoves a large stone off of the roof, nearly killing them both. Sir John hears someone running down an uncarpeted staircase, then the roar of a motor-cycle engine."'Another failure,' Ashmore said. 'Three hundred and sixty-five days to go.'"His prediction turns out to be inaccurate. Meanwhile we meet more of Ashmore's relatives, including a distant French connection who shows up shortly after the stone came tumbling off the roof.There are plenty of suspects to choose from when real murder is finally committed. In spite of a multitude of red herrings, "Death at the Chase" is one of Innes's more straightforward mysteries. This author can switch from farce to horror better and faster than any of his contemporaries. You'll laugh at the antics of Bobby Appleby and his college friends right before your hair starts to stand up the back of your neck, as they accidentally intrude on murder most foul.