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Henri Castang #8
No Part in Your Death
From an Edgar award winner, French Inspector Castang investigates cases close to his personal life in a mystery rich with “penetrating character sketches” (Kirkus Reviews).
It seems there’s no escape from crime for Police Commissaire Henri Castang. While in Munich with his wife, he becomes embroiled in a child custody case that suddenly turns sinister. Once back at home, Castang is faced with the mysterious disappearance of a friend’s wife, along with what could be a romantic double suicide if it didn’t look suspiciously like murder. It’s all in a day’s work for Inspector Castang in these three interconnected mysteries—crimes which challenge even the enigmatic, brilliant mind of France’s renowned detective. . . .
Praise for Nicolas
“In depth of characterization, command of language and breadth of thought, Mr. Freeling has few peers when it comes to the international policier.” —The New York Times
“Nicolas Freeling . . . liberated the detective story from page-turning puzzler into a critique of society and an investigation of character.” —The Daily Telegraph
“Freeling rewards with his oblique, subtly comic style.” —Publishers Weekly
“Freeling writes like no one. . . . He is one of the most literate and idiosyncratic of crime writers.” —Los Angeles Times
It seems there’s no escape from crime for Police Commissaire Henri Castang. While in Munich with his wife, he becomes embroiled in a child custody case that suddenly turns sinister. Once back at home, Castang is faced with the mysterious disappearance of a friend’s wife, along with what could be a romantic double suicide if it didn’t look suspiciously like murder. It’s all in a day’s work for Inspector Castang in these three interconnected mysteries—crimes which challenge even the enigmatic, brilliant mind of France’s renowned detective. . . .
Praise for Nicolas
“In depth of characterization, command of language and breadth of thought, Mr. Freeling has few peers when it comes to the international policier.” —The New York Times
“Nicolas Freeling . . . liberated the detective story from page-turning puzzler into a critique of society and an investigation of character.” —The Daily Telegraph
“Freeling rewards with his oblique, subtly comic style.” —Publishers Weekly
“Freeling writes like no one. . . . He is one of the most literate and idiosyncratic of crime writers.” —Los Angeles Times
- GenresMystery
317 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1984
3 people are currently reading
27 people want to read
About the author
Nicolas Freeling
88 books59 followersNicolas Freeling born Nicolas Davidson, (March 3, 1927 - July 20, 2003) was a British crime novelist, best known as the author of the Van der Valk series of detective novels which were adapted for transmission on the British ITV network by Thames Television during the 1970s.
Freeling was born in London, but travelled widely, and ended his life at his long-standing home at Grandfontaine to the west of Strasbourg. He had followed a variety of occupations, including the armed services and the catering profession. He began writing during a three-week prison sentence, after being convicted of stealing some food.[citation needed]
Freeling's The King of the Rainy Country received a 1967 Edgar Award, from the Mystery Writers of America, for Best Novel. He also won the Gold Dagger of the Crime Writers' Association, and France's Grand Prix de Littérature Policière.
From Wikipedia
Series:
* Van Der Valk
* Henri Castang
Freeling was born in London, but travelled widely, and ended his life at his long-standing home at Grandfontaine to the west of Strasbourg. He had followed a variety of occupations, including the armed services and the catering profession. He began writing during a three-week prison sentence, after being convicted of stealing some food.[citation needed]
Freeling's The King of the Rainy Country received a 1967 Edgar Award, from the Mystery Writers of America, for Best Novel. He also won the Gold Dagger of the Crime Writers' Association, and France's Grand Prix de Littérature Policière.
From Wikipedia
Series:
* Van Der Valk
* Henri Castang
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 25, 2015
"No Part in Your Death" (1984) is the eighth mystery in the Nicolas Freeling's Henri Castang series. (I had read the seventh one, "The Back of the North Wind" about two years ago, before I started my current project of reading the entire Freeling's opus.) Well, I like "No Part" the least of all Castang novels so far, and it probably is quite close the bottom of all Freeling's books for me. A two-star rating - gasp! - may be in the making. Nah, maybe not.
The current entry in the Castang series is really a trio of novellas, somewhat tenuously connected. In the first one Castang is sent to Munich for a police conference. His wife, Vera, accompanies him, and it is during her leisurely walk in the city that she meets a young woman, who is followed by some sinister characters, and helps her escape the pursuers. This seemingly coincidental event sets up the entire plot. The key scene - for this novella and for the entire three-story set - takes place in a Munich Brauhaus. A "motherly waitress", while serving beer to Castang, jokes: "Hab' kein Schuld an Ihr' Tod..." ("I've no part in your death"). The author continues "In years to come he [Castang] would remember the scene in every minute detail". The motif of being involved, however tangentially, in someone's death is the unifying theme of the volume. Elegant and clever, but not quite convincing.
The first novella, with its dramatic ending, is the best, although some scenes taking place in Germany stretch credulity. I have been unable to connect much with the two latter novellas: in the second one Castang attempts to solve the mystery of disappearance of his friend's wife during a severe storm. The ending is somewhat redeeming here: the reader has really to focus to "get it". The last novella has Castang travel to England to solve an apparent suicide of two young French people. There is even a gun battle in this one. Yuck!
To me, the most disappointing aspect of "No Part" is the paucity of brilliant prose, which is so abundant in other works by Freeling. I have found only a few quotable spots here and there, with the best probably being "[...] no cop wants to start planing fine shavings off shades of meaning."
Two and a half stars (rounded up, because of the "motherly waitress"bit...)
The current entry in the Castang series is really a trio of novellas, somewhat tenuously connected. In the first one Castang is sent to Munich for a police conference. His wife, Vera, accompanies him, and it is during her leisurely walk in the city that she meets a young woman, who is followed by some sinister characters, and helps her escape the pursuers. This seemingly coincidental event sets up the entire plot. The key scene - for this novella and for the entire three-story set - takes place in a Munich Brauhaus. A "motherly waitress", while serving beer to Castang, jokes: "Hab' kein Schuld an Ihr' Tod..." ("I've no part in your death"). The author continues "In years to come he [Castang] would remember the scene in every minute detail". The motif of being involved, however tangentially, in someone's death is the unifying theme of the volume. Elegant and clever, but not quite convincing.
The first novella, with its dramatic ending, is the best, although some scenes taking place in Germany stretch credulity. I have been unable to connect much with the two latter novellas: in the second one Castang attempts to solve the mystery of disappearance of his friend's wife during a severe storm. The ending is somewhat redeeming here: the reader has really to focus to "get it". The last novella has Castang travel to England to solve an apparent suicide of two young French people. There is even a gun battle in this one. Yuck!
To me, the most disappointing aspect of "No Part" is the paucity of brilliant prose, which is so abundant in other works by Freeling. I have found only a few quotable spots here and there, with the best probably being "[...] no cop wants to start planing fine shavings off shades of meaning."
Two and a half stars (rounded up, because of the "motherly waitress"bit...)
February 5, 2010
Read through a fever while caring for a seven year old with a fever, so my judgment might be clouded, but I enjoyed this. Quite good interconnected stories, set in Germany, France, and Britain -but all centered around Castang, a Commissaire of Police in an unnamed French city. They are not elaborate mysteries, what is wonderful are the characters, their social interactions, and the settings. The conversation is brisk, literary, funny, and thoughtful and I did feel sad they came to an end.
Liked this description about interviews: "The bourgeoisie are devious because they think of everything as property. Information might seem harmless but has to be dragged out of them." (119)
Liked this description about interviews: "The bourgeoisie are devious because they think of everything as property. Information might seem harmless but has to be dragged out of them." (119)
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews