Somebody at the Door

By Raymond Postgate and Martin Edwards

WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY MARTIN EDWARDS

'The death was an odd one, it was true; but there was after all no very clear reason to assume it was anything but natural.'

In the winter of 1942, England lies cold and dark in the wartime blackout. One bleak evening, Councillor Grayling steps off the 6.12 from Euston, carrying £120 in cash, and oblivious to the fate that awaits him in the snow-covered suburbs.

Inspector Holly draws up a list of Grayling's fellow passengers: his distrusted employee Charles Evetts, the charming Hugh Rolandson, and an unknown refugee from Nazi Germany, among others. Inspector Holly will soon discover that each passenger harbours their own dark secrets, and that the councillor had more than one enemy among them.

First published in 1943, Raymond Postgate's wartime murder mystery combines thrilling detection with rich characters and a fascinating depiction of life on the home front.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
• Release date: Dec 5, 2017
• ISBN: 9781464209130

Raymond Postgate

RAYMOND POSTGATE (1896–1971) was a socialist journalist and historian, and founder of the Good Food Guide. He also wrote highly regarded detective novels; Somebody at the Door and Verdict of Twelve.

Reviews for Somebody at the Door

[brianewilliams · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A Golden Age murder mystery, this is the second mystery by author Raymond Postgate. It's set in 1942 while Britain was at war. The wartime setting sets the tone and provides some dark atmosphere to the story.Mr. Henry Grayling dies by means of mustard gas poisoning, after riding from London to his suburban home in a railway car with several other people. He's carrying a substantial amount of cash, the payroll for his company's staff in the area where he lives. He is responsible for disbursing it. This cash is missing when he shows up at his home in distress and his wife carries him inside. He dies a couple of hours later. At first it looks like a robbery gone bad.As the story unfolds we learn that Mr. Grayling was not a nice person and was not well-liked. In fact, several of the people in the railway coach with him on his last trip had good reasons to want him dead. It's up to Inspector Holly to sift through the various motives and identify the killer. Along the way readers are treated to several interesting backstories about Grayling's fellow passengers, e.g. the mysterious German refugee's flight from Germany. The identity of the killer may catch many by surprise.It's a great read and is recommended.

[thornton37814 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Henry Grayling's dies in his own home a short time after returning home on the train. Mustard gas caused his death. Some of the man's belongings are found along the road, but the payroll he transported was missing. The vicar provides Inspector Holly with a list of persons aboard the train. As he investigates them, he discovers motives for many of them. The solution may be obvious to the reader carefully paying attention to details; however, others may be left guessing until the revelation.This classic crime will appeal to those who enjoy police procedurals. My remarks are based on advance e-galley provided by the publisher through NetGalley with the expectation of an honest review.

[antiquary_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a very competent mystery set on the British Home Front fairly early in World War 2. A disagreeable and mildly corrupt businessman and town councilor dies, astonishingly, of mustard gas poisoning after returning to his home town by train. Originally it is assumed by the police that he was poisoned in the railway carriage by one of those who shared it with him, and much of the book is spent exploring the lives of his fellow passengers and their possible reasons for wanting to kill him. Ultimately there turns out to be a different solution, though one related to one of the passengers. Early on, the stories of some passengers were so depressing I considered giving it up, but I found the final solution more satisfying than I expected.

[rretzler_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Henry Grayling, an accounting clerk in a London firm, takes the train home every evening to the small village of Croxburn, where he is the town councillor. Each Friday evening, he carries home a case filled with cash – payroll that he must deliver on Saturday morning to several offices of the firm that are near to his home. On this particular Friday in January 1942, he shares a train car with several people he dislikes – the Vicar of Croxburn, who is a fellow town councillor, a young man who is a chemist in his firm, a corporal from his Home Guard platoon, a young man with a club foot and a refugee German. Upon reaching his station, he and the other passengers disembark to find their way home in the moonless night. Later that night, the Vicar is called to Grayling’s home by Grayling’s wife, Renata, who informs him that Grayling is dying. Renata has also called Inspector Holly and Dr. Hopkins, as she found her husband on the doorstep, later than his usual homecoming, bloody and in a terrible condition. The empty case has been found down the road. After Grayling dies that evening, it is clear to Inspector Holly that he has been murdered, but he must determine first how Grayling was murdered before he can find the murderer.Somebody at the Door is the second book by Raymond Postgate that I have read, both having been republished by the British Library and Poisoned Pen Press. As he does in The Verdict of Twelve, Postgate proceeds logically through the story, taking each of the suspects in turn and giving us their backstory complete with reasons as to why they may have wanted to murder Henry Grayling. The book doesn’t take the same format as a typical Golden Age mystery; instead, each chapter reads as its own individual story, with Inspector Holly’s investigation tying it all together. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The facts were laid out in a very logical, yet story-like, manner. There was no dearth of suspects; however, I believe one can follow the clues and arrive at the correct solution which was well thought out by the author. The methodical nature of the plot may not appeal to some, but I believe it will appeal to those who enjoy Golden Age detection.I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review.

[lindapanzo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love the fact that the British Library Crime Classics, featuring lesser-known mysteries from the Golden Age, are being made available to a wider audience. I’ve read a number of these and this terrific police procedural of murder during World War 2 is among the best I’ve read in this series.Grayling, a man on his way home from work in a train in wartime England, sits in a railway compartment with neighbors and coworkers. When he is later found dead (and the company payroll missing), many of the people in his compartment are found to have great reason to want to kill the man. This mystery wonderfully tells their stories, including the relationships each had with Grayling, and why each had a reason to want Grayling dead.This is a well-written police procedural which sheds light on wartime life. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend it.

[annarellix-322425 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I always like British Library Crime Classics as they help me to discover hidden gems of the Golden Age of mystery.
This is a hidden gem that somehow reminds me of Christie's Murder on the Orient Express as there are both a train involved and the stories of the different suspects.
The grime atmosphere reflects the historical period and even if it is nearly 70 years old it aged well.
Recommended
Many thanks to Poison Pen Press and Netgalley