"Front page murder" by Peter Bartram

 The third (and last?) in the 'Crampton of the Chronicle' series, which started with Headline Murder and continued with Stop Press Murder.

It's coming close to Christmas 1963 and Colin Crampton, crime correspondent of the Brighton Evening Chronicle, is investigating the soundness of the conviction of Archie Flowerdew for the murder of a fellow seaside postcard artist. But Archie is due to be hanged on Christmas Eve, which imposes a deadline more serious than those of the newsroom. 

There is the usual selection of delightfully barmy characters, the usual sprinkling of witty observations , and the usual mixture of conundrums and thrills; this is a most enjoyable and page-turning murder mystery. 

Selected quotes

• "Barry was one of life’s worriers. Give him a million quid and he’d fret about what to spend it on." (C 1)
• "Her feet were shod in a pair of shoes that were so sensible they could’ve taken part in the Brains Trust." (C 6)
• "When it comes to an opportunity to trash a rival newspaper, dog not only eats dog, but it also licks its lips hoping for a second bite." (C 10)
• "Her voice was confident but her gaze slid off to the left as she spoke. It’s the sign that gives away the inexperienced liar." (C 11)
• "She had a look on her face like she’d been locked in the lavatory for a couple of hours – and didn’t even want to go." (C 14)
• "When it came to hell fires, Burke could stoke for Satan." (C 14)
• "the fish-and-chip end of Fleet Street." (C 21)
• "great minds think differently. It’s dim minds that think alike." (C 24)

October 2021

This review was written by the author of Motherdarling  and The Kids of God