Forgotten Book - Life Cycle

Life Cycle is the rather poignant title of a novel published by Harry Carmichael in 1978, the year before his death. It is the last entry in the long series featuring the hard-drinking newspaper reporter Quinn and the insurance assessor Piper, although in this story Quinn takes centre stage. An apparently popular doctor called Wingate is found battered to death in the very first chapter and from that point on, the pace is maintained well.

Quinn is immediately interested in the doctor's widow, an attractive woman who may have been having an affair. Is that where the explanation for the crime lies? Or is it in the doctor's unexpected deviation from routine on the last evening of his life? And what is the significance of the patient who called on the doctor regularly without ever giving his name to the secretary, Leila Farrow?

For anyone who has struggled to get an appointment to see their local GP, there's an element of nostalgia about the description of Dr Wingate's house calls and ready availability. Quinn is fairly likeable, but his attitude to women leaves quite a lot to be desired. In many ways he is his own worst enemy.

Carmichael had a very readable style, and in his day he was one of the stalwarts of the Collins Crime Club list. I enjoyed the story all the way up to the concluding scenes, when one or two developments stretched my credulity to the limit. Once all had been revealed, I felt Carmichael had an interesting story idea but didn't work hard enough on his characterisation to make it as compelling as it might have been. So Life Cycle isn't the best of his books, but it's still a light, fast-moving read - good, undemanding entertainment.