Reviews for The Wooden Overcoat

The average rating for The Wooden Overcoat based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2017-10-10 00:00:00 Lee Corbin This was WTF squared. Written in 1951 and it's hard not to feel the experience of massive global war had skewed the author's sense of humour just a tad. Basically a little artists' collective is next door to a club of wrongfully acquitted murderers. Two of said murderers turn up dead in the artists' house and the entire book is an accelerating farce as they try and fail to get rid of the bodies while the murderers try to get them back. It is genuinely extremely funny at points and very well constructed, but seriously marred by casual antisemitism and nasty femmephobia (interestingly it also has a gay main character who is as likeable as anyone else in the plot, which is admittedly not much) so I am not recommending it at all to anyone. Interesting to see the more out-there excesses of the 50s detective novel. You can feel the 60s looming.

Review # 2 was written on 2014-04-06 00:00:00 Penny Smith This is the first of two novels featuring Clifford Flush, founder of the Asterisk Club - a home for wrongly acquitted murderers. Published in 1951, the story begins with Benjamin Cann, who has suddenly found himself back on the streets of London after being found (to his own surprise) Not Guilty of the murder of his mistress. Approached by Flush, Cann finds himself whisked off to No 13 Flood Walk, Chelsea; where a delightfully unpleasant group of murderers live in anonymity. The only thing Cann has to do is make his will in favour of the club, and he will be allowed to join Mr Flush, Mrs Barratt, Colonel Quincey, 'The Creaker' and the very friendly Lilli Cluj. However, as there is presently no room free , and he is undecided about whether or not to take up their offer, Flush boards him temporarily next door. Neighbours to the Asterisk Club, Fan and Peter Hilford and Hugo and Bertha Berko, are two artistic couples currently looking for lodgers for the rat infested house which they share. However, when their new lodger turns up dead, there is the beginning of a delightfully dark murder mystery/farce. For both Mr Flush and his fellow club members have reason to wish the crime solved quietly, and Fan - who discovers the death - has her own reason to wish to leave the police out of the equation. Fan, along with her childhood friend Rex, attempt to hide the body - but that is harder said than done... Before long, we are almost in Ealing Comedy territory, with a cast of wonderful possible murderers in both houses, and everybody getting into all sorts of bizarre situations. This is really a delightful novel, with a great cast of characters and 1951 London as an interesting setting. The next book to feature Clifford Flush was Murder Every Monday, published in 1954. I have to admit that I had not read Pamela Branch before, but I am glad that I have discovered her - this will appeal to everyone who enjoys light hearted mysteries.