The case of the counterfeit colonel

Ludovic Travers #41

by Christopher Bush

His head went sideways, like a hopping sparrow's on a lawn.The man who saves Henry Clandon's life during the campaign in Sicily visits him once in hospital, gives his name as David Seeway, makes vague and apparently pointless reference to somebody else called Archie Dibben and a country town called Bassingford, and then virtually disappears. Eight years later, Henry Clandon, now a director of a London publishing firm, sets out to try and find his rescuer.This is how he comes to be shown into Ludovic Travers' office at the Broad Street Detective Agency. Something about the case provokes Travers into following a trail by way of dusty newspaper files and the intricacies of theatrical gossip, to a pleasantly prosperous house in which a gentleman of military aspect had just died with his boots on. Travers polishes his spectacles and puts through a phone call to George Wharton at the Yard, for now there is a taker as well as a saver of life to find.The Case of the Counterfeit Colonel was originally published in 1952. This new edition features an introduction by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans."Bush gets better and better . . . And Ludovic Travers is becoming one of our favourite sleuths" San Francisco Chronicle

Genres: Mystery

240 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1952

About the author

Christopher Bush was educated in the local school. He then won a scholarship to Thetford Grammar, and went on to study modern languages at King's College London, after which he worked as a school teacher.

He participated in both world wars.

He was a prolific writer of detective novels, wrote three autobiographical novels and nine books about Breckland life using the nom-de-plume Michael Home.

He lived in Great Hockham.

Reviews

[Puzzle Doctor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review at classicmystery.blog

[Lisa Kucharski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would like to say 3.5 stars. A highly enjoyable read. We follow Ludovic Travers’ (of his detective agency) and Scotland Yard working together. It begins with a man trying to find someone who helped him in a battlefield. He has his name and a name of another man that he remembered the man talking about.

I like they way Travers digs about for information and all the descriptions he gives along the way. It is in the details where information is found. I did figure out some of the aspects of the mystery before Travers did but wanted to know so much more about the details, that it didn’t matter- there were a lot of elements that could have twisted in different directions here; and when most of the suspects/players have made a living lying and changing their identities it really is hard to sift the truth from falsehood.

Enjoy this author quite a bit.

[Jessi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ludovic Travers runs a private inquiry agency in the days after the great war. One day, a man named Henry Clandon comes to him and asks if Travers can find a man by the name of David Seeway. Apparently, Seeway saved Clandon in the war and now Clandon would like to talk to him again. Seeway also mentions the name Archie Debbins and the town of Bassingford. So, Travers is off on a journey that twists and turns around itself. A fairly straightforward mystery throughout most of the book, Travers is able to locate one of the men, but, when he shows up, the man has been murdered. Then, it just gets really complicated and there is a giant exposition dump at the end of the story that I felt didn't so much fill in holes in the solution as create it from whole cloth.
I picked up this as a result of listening to the Classic Mysteries podcast.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read 1-27 in this series in order as they were republished, I decided to rest Ludo Travers and now, a year on, I was tempted back in on receiving a review copy of this which is No.41.

The pause has done me good. I struggled with the last Bush I read, but this was different. The Counterfeit Colonel first appeared in the same year as I did, 1952, but it has probably worn a little better!

The plot is classic, with lots of people masquerading, inventive alibis, a few red herring and Ludo acting both as private detective and adjunct to Scotland Yard. It is not complex, but is very entertaining, and just difficult enough in the solving.

Highly enjoyable and recommended.

Thank you to DSP for the digital review copy.

[Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable outing for Ludovic Travers, this time commissioned to find a man who disappeared and then seems never to have been to the place he was last reportedly seen. Blackmail, alibi-busting and murder all combine to entertaining effect in this one.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

For my full review click on the link below:
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...