Preamble
If you’re interested in reading my academic work about detective and crime fiction (free PDFs available), check it out here. Or you can take a look at my short story collection of cosy mysteries featuring Victorian “lady detective” Meinir Davies; order now!
See also
These lists capture other stories and characters that I thought of as I was reading this piece. I won’t explain why, to avoid spoilers, but they’re associations and not ‘if you liked this, then you’ll love…’ recommendations!
- When the Sea Gives Up Its Dead (Elizabeth Burgoyne Corbett)
- Thou Art the Man (Mary Elizabeth Braddon)
Review
A while ago I bought a compendium of four novels entitled, gloriously, The Penguin Book of Victorian Villainies, edited by the authors Graham Greene and Hugh Greene. Not strictly detective or crime fiction, it includes some less commonly read novels, including this one, the longest in the group. I haven’t read anything by Henry Hawley Smart before, as his usual fare of horse racing and the military aren’t generally my interests. But I enjoyed reading this one.
Any novel that ends with twin weddings might be called a society novel, but it’s a novel that dwells mostly on the cunning deceptions that large sums of money and avarice can produce. It spans an extensive period of time, with a short mid-century section setting up the lottery that motivates the rest of the action. The titular tontine is a sort of life insurance lottery, and the action begins when there are only a few names left alive, with the nominator of the last person standing set to win the whole pot. The final competitors enter a complex game of their own: the louche nobleman (Lord Lakington), the cunning country lawyer (Pegram), and the respectable old aunt (Miss Caterham). All three have young people in their lives who will serve to gain from their win (a daughter, son, and niece), but one of the nominees is missing, presumed dead, and so the clock is ticking for the final two to secure their fortunes.
The detective work involves lawyers, rather than the police, as it’s unclear that there has been any crime committed, but there are potential frauds being perpetrated, and they are duty bound to do right by their clients. Their investigations centre first around the hunt for Miss Caterham’s missing nominee, but soon spiral into a further investigation into Pegram and his conduct, with the aide of Lord Lakington’s nephew who is scandalised by the proposed marriage to connect the Lakington and Pegram families and prevent him from marrying his beloved cousin, Beatrice.
The narrative is a little slow in places, but it’s an enjoyable read with an interesting premise, and I’d certainly recommend for those with an interest in late-C19 detective stories!
Take a look at my short story collection featuring Victorian “lady detective” Meinir Davies; order now!
Dominique Gracia 