Friday 6 July 2012

Forgotten Book - The Public School Murder


R.C. Woodthorpe was a pretty successful author in the 1930s, and his best known novel, which I have in a green Penguin edition, is my Forgotten Book for today. This is The Public School Murder, and its school setting, Polchester, is evidently based on Christ’s Hospital, where Woodthorpe taught in the Twenties before going into journalism.

The story is agreeably written, and it makes a virtue of the public school ethos, about which views are probably as divided today as they were in the Golden Age. Much of the tale is told from the viewpoint of one of the teachers, although it is the head of the governing body of the school who eventually acts as amateur detective and comes up with a solution to the mystery of how Polchester’s headmaster died.

I’ve never read anything else by Woodthorpe, but I would like to do so. The trouble is that his books are now rather elusive – it would be good if someone could bring them back into print.  However, very little information seems to be available about Woodthorpe, and such detection work as I’ve been able to do has been rather poignant.

His full name was Ralph Carter Woodthorpe, and he lived until 1971. But he gave up writing following the outbreak of the war, and soon his reputation became shrouded in obscurity. He was a good enough writer to have been elected to the Detection Club in 1935 – yet his name is nowadays not even included on the list of the Club’s past members! Very sad, but at least I can do my best to put that right. He doesn’t deserve to be so neglected, but it’s sobering to be reminded yet again of the transience of success.

17 comments:

  1. The Passing Tramp6 July 2012 at 03:37

    He definitely was a better than average writer. Some of his books are more successful than others, but he's yet another GA writer that GA fans would enjoy if it were allowed that he be reprinted.

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  2. Anonymous6 July 2012 at 08:12

    Martin, here is a link that allows one to read another Woodthorpe novel online. Perhaps you are already aware of this. If not, enjoy!

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  3. Anonymous6 July 2012 at 08:13

    Silly me, I forgot the link: http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/000326378

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  4. Elizabeth Spann Craig6 July 2012 at 17:00

    I love that you're helping us discover some of these forgotten mysteries, Martin. I'm hoping many of these will eventually end up in digital format and maybe find a new audience.

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  5. Martin Edwards6 July 2012 at 17:05

    Anonymous - wow, thank you very much indeed. I've been looking for that book for a while. Greatly appreciated!

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  6. Martin Edwards6 July 2012 at 17:05

    Curt, I'm sure that's right. I've just started Purple Shirt and it has begun very well.

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  7. Christos G. Makrypoulias6 July 2012 at 17:07

    Great, now Blogger thinks I am anonymous! Whatever will happen next?

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  8. Martin Edwards6 July 2012 at 17:56

    Christos, so it was you!! Thanks very much once again.

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  9. Martin Edwards6 July 2012 at 17:56

    Elizabeth, I very much share that hope. A post about Bello on this subject will follow before long.

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  10. Anonymous9 July 2012 at 18:37

    I think writers should realize that fame comes and goes. For movie actors is even worst.
    The most important is love for writing that keeps the writer in a moment.
    Good luck with your writing!

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  11. Miranda James10 July 2012 at 14:56

    Just looked at the digitized book via the Hathi Trust website. It is dedicated to "Philip and Margery." Wonder if they are Pip Carter and Margery Allingham?

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  12. Martin Edwards10 July 2012 at 22:13

    Thanks, Anon.
    Miranda, you are quite right. Woodthorpe was at one time Philip's teacher. In one book he invents "the Marchioness of Allingham"!

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  13. Michael O'Brien26 January 2013 at 12:22

    There was at least one radio drama based on his work "Storm Over Polchester" which I think was on Sat. Night Theatre around 1963.

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  14. Martin Edwards26 January 2013 at 16:42

    Thanks, Michael. I didn't know that. Are you able to tell me any more, please?

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  15. Anonymous8 August 2016 at 08:40

    http://www.radioechoes.com/saturday-night-theatre?searchTerms=saturday%20night%20theat

    radio Play can be found here

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  16. Anonymous2 March 2024 at 18:19

    Thank you Martin for this posting; I have thoroughly enjoyed it. I was particularly interested because, like you, I have a green Penguin (rather battered but fairly sound) and I could find no mention of it anywhere other than on Bookfinders where two 1932 copies were priced at over $210!!! I do like to know about the authors of classic crime, which is why your introductions to the British Crime Library prove invaluable! Keep up the excellent work and once again, thank you.
    Gerry Wolstenholme

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  17. Martin Edwards2 March 2024 at 19:58

    Thanks very much, Gerry. I've never seen a first edition of this one anywhere, not even in a dealer's catalogue, so definitely a rarity. Glad you like the intros!

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