Sunday, November 18, 2018

Review: The Man of Dangerous Secrets by Maxwell March

"In the past twenty four hours he had stumbled into the very midst of something which baffled him completely.  In that brief interval he had caught glimpses of a web of intrigue and danger so closely knit that it seemed doubtful if , once within it, one could ever escape."

The perfect summary for this classic tome from noted author Margery Allingham writing under the pseudonym of Maxwell March.  I love classic crime, especially that written between the 1920s - 1970s.  There is just something about the style, the mystery, the whole set up - which is why they are classics.

In this installment, Robin Grey, who works in the murky shadows of Scotland Yard or the Home Office (one never quite knows), witnesses an incident at Waterloo Station that sets him off on a mission to rescue a damsel in distress.

Without revealing too much of the plot, Grey inserts himself into the life of the damsel, Jennifer Fern, in an attempt to find out why she is being so cruelly persecuted - and who is behind it all.  There are some shady characters with whom Grey comes into contact - however, like all good mysteries, no-one is really who they claim to be, leaving Grey wondering what he has gotten himself into.

The story rolls on towards its inevitable conclusion; however, clues are dropped like the proverbial breadcrumbs, leading this way and that, as each of the five protagonists are revealed for what they really are.

Related imageThis is storytelling at its best - and this was one of three stories Allingham wrote as Maxwell March (the other two being Rogues' Holiday and the Shadow in the House).

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