The White Priory Murders (Audio Book) by Carter Dickson

 

The White Priory Murders (Audio Book) by Carter Dickson.

Narrated by John Telfer.

Released 1st December 2022 by Ulverscroft Ltd.

Published in print and ebook 10th October 2022 by British Library Publishing Ltd.

First published in 1934.

From the cover: 

James Bennett, nephew of Sir Henry Merrivale (the cantankerous yet genius sleuth), has been invited to stay at White Priory for Christmas, among the retinue of the glamorous Hollywood actress Marcia Tait. Her producer, her lover, her playwright and her agent are all here along with the haughty master of the estate, Canifest and his daughter.

So many suspects they become when Marcia Tait is found dead on Christmas morning in the lakeside pavilion, having been left there alone the night before and with a distinct lack of footprints in the snow to reveal any possible killer. 

When Henry Merrivale arrives to piece together what appears to be an impossible crime, John Dickson Carr, writing under the pseudonym Carter Dickson, treats the listener to sensational twists, febrile tension between the closed circle of suspects and one of the most perfect solutions in the history of the genre.

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Young American diplomat James Bennett is invited for a Christmas sojourn at the stately White Priory, the former hideaway of Charles II, after becoming acquainted with a group of eccentric characters on a transatlantic voyage. However, something about the dynamic between them makes him unsettled. He decides to consult his uncle, the famous sleuth Sir Henry Merrivale (familiarly known as HM), for his opinion, and armed with his wisdom he sets off in the snow for what proves to be a very un-festive break.

At the centre of the circle is charismatic and headstrong Hollywood actress Marcia Tait, in England to star in a new play, The Private Life of Charles II. To establish some historic vibes, the oddball author of the play and master of White Priory, Maurice Bohun, has arranged a Christmas gathering. This is encouraged by his brother John, who is in love with Marcia - although John is less happy about the inclusion of the backer of the play and rival for the hand of the fair maiden, the domineering Lord Canifest. Throw in a famous male lead actor, Marcia's American producer, her stressed agent, Katherine the lovely niece of Maurice and John, Lord Canifest's brow-beaten daughter Louise, with a few loyal domestic servants, and you have the makings of a likely group of suspects for a murder. So it is not really a surprise when someone is killed on the first night of the festive revels, or that the victim is the manipulative Marcia herself, whose body is found brutally battered in the secluded pavilion where King Charles II entertained his lovers. 

Unfortunately for Chief Inspector Masters, who is given the unhappy task of finding the murderer after co-incidentally being in the neighbourhood to play Father Christmas, this is a 'locked room' murder like no other. The pavilion is sited in the middle of a frozen lake, which can only be accessed via a causeway, and there is an undisturbed covering of snow surrounding it. The clues simply do not add up, and as more violence unleashes itself on the party goers at White Priory, Masters is at a loss - until the genius of HM comes to his rescue. 

The format of this mystery is rather unconventional, as you are introduced to the cast of characters through Bennett's consultation with HM, which forms your expectations about their personalities before you meet them - but do not be fooled, as there are surprises to come. You are then tipped headlong into a knotty murder investigation, after Bennett arrives at White Priory in the early hours to discover Marcia Tait has been murdered - and it is clear from the start that the 'locked room' murder scene is going to be tricky to solve. Most delicious of all, is the fact that the one character that sits at the middle of the web, Marcia Tate, is someone you only ever see through the testimony of others - most of whom confess to holding a grudge against her as the threads twist and twist again.

This is very much a book that 'tells' rather than 'shows, and while it is devilishly devious and full of red herrings, it does lack the subtle story-weaving that marks my beloved Agatha Christie as the queen of the country house mystery. However, if you enjoy mystery stories that are driven by clever dialogue then there is a lot here to entertain, and the creepy setting of a snowy White Priors is gloriously atmospheric. I very much enjoyed how every theory about the murder crops up organically through conversation between the characters - both in private moments of disclosure, and through interviews with the adorably bumbling Chief Inspector Masters. My own solution was dashed about half-way through, which left me completely at a loss for how this crime could be solved - until of course, the cantankerous HM enters into the fray, and clears everything up with his sharp insight. 

The jury is out for me on HM's character, as he is quite difficult to warm to. His ways are shockingly brusque and rude (Hercule Poirot would not get far calling his suspects "fat heads" to their faces), but there is no doubt that he has an uncanny ability to get to the heart of the matter in double quick time, and the action certainly hots up a lot once he is on the scene. My favourite characters were James Bennett and Katherine Bohun, who are the most likeable of the bunch, and there is a lovely romantic plotline between them that is much more Agatha Christie than the rest of the novel. This is a good point to shower praise up the narrator John Telfer, because in a book this wordy and dialogue heavy it is no easy task to keep the complex plot flowing, but he does a remarkable job. At no point does this get bogged down, and he carries each character along beautifully, which is vital when you need to concentrate on who says what. 

This is a book that will appeal to the connoisseur of quirky Golden age crime. It is not the most accessible of stories, but I found myself completely caught up in the twists and turns, and the intense attention it demands was ultimately well rewarded. This is so much a 'play for voices' that there is no doubt in mind that listening to the audio format played a big part in this. I highly recommend trusting yourself to the capable talents of John Telfer, and sitting back to enjoy a story-telling ride as the best way to tackle this novel. 

Incidentally, there is a fascinating introduction to the story by Martin Edwards, which helpfully puts Carter Dickson's unusual detective in context before you begin, and I was delighted that this was included in the audio edition.

The White Priory Murders is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Ulverscroft for sending me an audio version of this book in return forvan honest review, and for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the author: 

Carter Dickson was the pseudonym used by the American author John Dickson Carr (1906–1977) for his novels starring Sir Henry Merrivale. Carr was a prolific writer of highly regarded mysteries, many featuring Merrivale or Dr Gideon Fell. He moved to Britain in 1932 and was admitted to the Detection Club in 1936.