Just Finished Reading: Mystery in White – A Christmas Crime Story by J Jefferson Farjeon (FP: 1937)

Increasingly frustrated by the lack of movement of the train trapped in a snowdrift and the pressing realisation that time is ticking away the moments before Christmas Day a group of passengers consider their options. Some are keen to stay with the train in the warmth and security. Other, more adventurous souls are all for travelling light and making their way to a nearby side-line in the hope that they can catch a connecting train to a main branch from there. The decision is suddenly made with the abrupt departure of one member and the vow from the compartment bore that he is staying put no matter what. At first the going is comparatively easy. The snow has stopped and the way looks comparatively clear. But before long a wind appears out of nowhere and the intrepid passengers are caught in a blizzard. Battling dropping temperatures and snow blindness they stumble upon a house and discover that the door in unlocked and a welcome fire burns in the hearth. In the kitchen food is laid out as if their visit was expected. Calling out to the would-be occupants there is no reply but practicalities dictate that food is eaten, sodden clothes are dried and those in need retire to bed. Not long after the group have settled their growing sense of camaraderie and, to be honest fun, is ruined by the arrival of the carriage bore who decided after all that the train was not the place to remain – not least on his own. But something else has driven him out into the continuing heavy snow. For there has been a murder on the train in the very next compartment and there is a real possibility that one of the passengers drying themselves in the abandoned house is a killer. But there is a deeper mystery to be considered. Where are the occupants of the house and why had things been left as if in anticipation of guests? Why do things feel not ‘quite right’ and why does it look like some sort of scuffle happened in the kitchen moments before they arrived? Will all of them still be alive on Christmas morning?

This is one of a growing collection of British Library Crime Classics from the inter-war years. I’d picked a few likely looking ones but, so far at least, only bought this one. I do enjoy classic British crime novels (such as by Agatha Christie) so was already predisposed to like this one. In some ways it’s not that much of a crime novel. There are a few bodies but they happen ‘off stage’ and are talked about rather than actually discovered. There a tiny bit of violence but nothing to speak of. It’s all very gentile. Most of the characters are stereotypical (including a frankly hilarious Cockney) but fun in their own way. The brother/sister team who aid the ‘detective’ (who is a spiritualist rather than a detective as such) are pretty good in an upper-middle class sort of way. Their bantering is pretty good and generally entertaining. The spiritualist himself is good at figuring things out but doesn’t get everything quite right. The ‘reveal’ is telegraphed a fair bit in advance but is still OK even so. Overall this wasn’t a bad book if rather weak and wishy-washy for today’s hard bitten audience. Because of its gentleness the whole thing is rather comforting and you can’t help but feel nostalgic for a much simpler age (even with a war approaching – something that several of the characters mentioned much to my surprise). I think that I’ll be checking out more from this series. I’m sure that I shall be delighted by each of them.

[2015 Reading Challenge: A book set during Christmas – COMPLETE (19/50)]