I was first drawn to Martin Russell's books many years ago, when I started borrowing them from my local library. His crime novels were a Collins Crime Club staple, and I very much enjoyed the clever plots. I think it's fair to say that characterisation wasn't his main interest, but his ingenuity was impressive. He continued to publish into the 1990s, and is still alive, though I've never met him, which I rather regret.
One day recently, while going through some old crime fiction reviews written by Edmund Crispin, I came across a rave review for Russell's 1975 novel The Client, and I decided to give it a go. It's an unusual stand-alone novel of psychological suspense - although Russell did create a series character, the journalist Jim Larkin, he didn't last long - and my impression is that the author was here aiming to create a more in-depth psychological portrait of a damaged individual, while preserving the mystery element.
Two men and one woman are drawn to a house in Streatham by an advertisement placed by a solicitor. They all had connections to a young and apparently wealthy woman, Susan Bradshaw, who dreamed of becoming a model. But Susan is dead (or is she? nothing can be taken for granted in this story) and she has given the solicitor some very curious instructions, which must be followed to the letter.
It soon becomes clear that the three people who have been summoned all played a negative part in Susan's life. Something sinister is going on, but we can't be sure exactly what it is. As usual with Russell, the story is told fluently, and the pages keep on turning. I wasn't convinced that the ending lived up to the premise, and I didn't love the book quite as much as Crispin did - but even so, its originality was impressive. Well worth seeking out.
7 comments:
I read only one book of his, the only one in fact to have made it to the French market, "Backlash" which I loved enormously but can't remember a single thing of. Time for a reread it seems.
I first read this in about 1978. Have read it 3-4 times since then and am just starting reading it again. A really interesting and unusual plot. It would have made a great TV movie. I can imagine it as part of the ATV “Thriller “ series!
Thanks. I agree, he is in many respects a writer of vivid scenarios and it's a pity that TV never came calling...
Martin Russell was my sub-editor when I was reviewing for many years for Surrey/London area newspapers and we had a very good working relationship when he moved over from Bromley newspapers to Croydon Advertiser group. I have a number of (signed) first editions Collins Crime Club etc that he gave me - he also invited me to go with him to Collins one day when he signed contract for one of his books. We became very good friends and I was very sorry to lose my sub. editor when he left Croydon Advertiser to write full time and live in Kipling country. Later he retired to a small flat in the Bromley area. We kept in touch and I think he stayed fit till last year as he had been a very keen tennis player, but he had an accident and very shortly afterwards developed pneumonia and died. His nephew rang to tell me of his death and of course I was sad as we had met long ago and had been intermittently in touch since the early 1970s. I always felt it was a great pity that his crime novels/plots had not been taken up further for tv/films as they were brilliant: he once said "you don't make money unless you get into films". His crime novels are still around in libraries I believe and one of my e mail friends in USA had not long ago been reading one having found it in a local store. I agree that he was not so good with anything set in the family scene - wives and husbands do not always ring very true unless they are murdering one another! I shall always miss him, he was so honest and we had great discussions, my sons have happy memories of times with him on car trips/picnics.
Thanks so much for your comment, B.M. Telford. It is lovely to hear from someone who actually knew him well - very few crime writers whom I've met seem to have done. I am sorry to hear of his death, which I didn't know about. However, my attempts to contact him in connection with the Detection Club got nowhere and I did wonder if he had died. I'd be glad to know any more you can tell me about this interesting chap if you are able to email me at martinedwards10@btconnect.com
Thanks again
In the middle of answering your comment mine disappeared. A bit of it may re-appear but we have been having very short cuts in our electricity here and maybe the whole was lost ~if so I shall get back again later. Thanks for replying to me..good to hear and of course to remember Martin again. best wishes Betty T.
Thanks, Betty, and do please email. It would be great to continue the conversation.
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