Forgotten Book - Silence for the Murderer

Silence for the Murderer first appeared in 1949, the year in which Freeman Wills Crofts celebrated his 70th birthday, and it's been little discussed in comparison to some of his other books. I've had a copy for ages, but I must admit I assumed that the critical neglect meant that it was a minor work. Having recently read it, I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised, and also reminded yet again that it's a mistake to make assumptions about books one hasn't read.

What is really interesting about this book is the structure, which represents a development of some storytelling techniques that Crofts had used previously. I don't want to give too much away, but I think it's permissible to say that it's a story which masquerades as an inverted detective novel. Crofts had used this technique in earlier books such as The 12.30 from Croydon and Antidote to Venom, but here he tackles things somewhat differently.

The bulk of the story is devoted to the relationship of a young woman called Dulcie, who hopes to marry Frank Roscoe. The events described take place shortly after the Second World War, and Dulcie hasn't seen Frank for six years. She finds him almost broken by his experiences, but with her help he finds his feet. Unfortunately, he also leads her into a life of crime...

I found the presentation of the couple's downward spiral to be quite engaging. Crofts was clearly attempting to develop his skills in characterisation and achieves at least some success in this respect. However, he also came up with a tricky plot and he was bold enough to introduce a 'challenge to the reader' on page 115 of a 208 page book (in my paperback edition), long before Superintendent French has even appeared on the scene! I've never seen such an early challenge to the reader in any detective novel. 

French's detective work is pretty sound, but then there's an intriguing twist. I anticipated it (despite not having figured out the technicalities behind the murder method) because Crofts' very attempt to provide greater depth in characterisation meant that he couldn't entirely disguise what he was trying to do. I suspect he may have become slightly frustrated by this, because although the build-up of the story is quite leisurely, the final stages are unduly rushed. As a result, a book which could have been truly excellent is somewhat diminished. Even so, it's a good read and I admire Crofts' willingness to try to do something fresh at a late stage in his career.