Anthony Webb is a fairly obscure Golden Age author who earned some good reviews in his day, especially for his series featuring an amiable amateur sleuth, getting on in years, called George Pendlebury. Webb's real name was Norman Scarlyn Wilson (1901-96) and he also wrote titles for the 'Teach Yourself' series of educational books (I'm pretty sure I recall his name from reading a couple of the books about modern languages many moons ago). I came across him in his Webb incarnation when I had the chance to buy a lovely inscribed copy of his 1939 book Mr Pendlebury Makes a Catch.
As the title suggests, the book opens at a cricket match, although it has to be said that after this good start, there's nothing more in the story for cricket lovers. We settle down to a story that involve three murders investigated not only by a local superintendent but also by Mr Pendlebury's visiting friend, Inspector Wagstaffe, and the old gentleman himself.
I don't really care for the term 'cosy crime', but if it fits any Golden Age book, it fits this one. There may be three violent deaths but the mood throughout is serene and charming - if you're charmed by Webb's light, humorous writing, that is. For me, it's something to be taken in small doses. Mr Pendlebury's circumlocutions and digressions can become a bit much, although he does get to the truth of the case in the end.
Anthony Berkeley, Milward Kennedy and Sir Hugh Walpole were among those who reviewed Webb's Pendlebury books favourably. They retain a genuine period charm, and the mystery plot is competently constructed. I have to admit that I didn't really care too much about the victims or who killed them, but I think that perhaps I wasn't intended to. I read this book in lovely summer weather - ideal for cricket - and it made perfectly satisfactory super-light entertainment.
4 comments:
Worth having for the cover alone! An interesting name, Pendlebury. Stanley Holloway played a character called Pendlebury in Ealing comedy The Lavender Hill Mob, partner in crime with Alec Guinness in what is considered one the best British made comedies. Was the name choice a deliberate steal?
A lesser but still rather lovely cricketing crime comedy caper is It's Not Cricket, which stars Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne. As cricket lovers, whether appearing as Charters and Caldicott or Bright and Early (copyright issues made the change) they featured as silly asses in a series of fun B movies films in the 40's and 50's. In this one the McGuffin is a stolen diamond hidden in a tennis ball, with fine and very silly support from character stalwarts Maurice Denham and Alan Wheatley. A favourite cheerer-upper!
I always associate the name with Runcorn's legendary goalkeeper of the 60s, Brian Pendlebury! I haven't seen It's Not Cricket, but thanks for the tip, Liz!
As I have been Mr ( Alan ) Pendlebury for 72 years...may I say ..what a brilliant title. There is a Mr Pendlebury in Cyril Hare's brilliant 1939 Suicide Excepted ; also a brief mention in F W Crofts The Groote Park Murder. Also of course , as mentioned the brilliant film with Stanley Holloway. A fairly popular name in parts of NW England. A town as well as nearby Pendle Hill. In addition several raods in Gatley/Cheadle with Pendlebury connotations as my great Uncle owned a big farm there in the 20's/30s. eNOUGH!!. Thank you for a brilliant blog and for all the wonderful " crime " work !!!
Thanks, Alan. Yes, it's definitely a name I associate with this part of the world. And I've just acquired the first Mr P book, so another review will be forthcoming at a later date!
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