British Library Crime Classics

 One of BLCC recent reprints was a new author for them - Leo Bruce.

It's always interesting to read Martin Edwards introductions to these books and their authors. Leo Bruce was the pen-name of Rupert Croft-Cooke (1903 - 1979) who also wrote poetry, plays, novels and non-fiction including 27 volumes of memoirs. Apparently in his obituary in The Times there is no mention at all of his crime fiction which is odd as there 23 titles featuring his school teacher/detective/criminologist Carolus Deene and before that he'd had a successful series featuring Sergeant Beef.

Edwards says that Croft's  Deene series (1955-1974) seem to have never been published in paperback and some  had been out of print for decades. Maybe because they were written in Golden Age style at a time when other authors were writing grittier and more psychological stories.

In Jack on the Gallows Tree (originally published in 1960) Carolus Deene is recovering from a bout of jaundice and is sent off to a health spa type hotel at Buddington. No sooner has he arrived and settled in and there are two murders only linked by a lily being left on the bodies. Deene has been told by the headmaster of his school Not to get involved with any murders again as it will give the school a bad name. But as usual Carolus Deene does get involved and manages to work out the who and the why before the police.

I wonder if BLCC will publish more of this authors books - hopefully they will as it was a good read.

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