Murder As A Fine Art by Carol Carnac
The British Library of Crime Classics along with Poisoned Pen Press, brings back another classic from the 1950’s. Murder As A Fine Art by Carol Carnac (best known by the pen name E.C.R. Lorac) will have armchair detectives taking a serious interest in solving a murder on the premises of the Ministry of Fine Arts.
The tale opens after World War II. Minister Humphry David is just settling into his new job. The building is huge. He’s still getting acquainted with the large staff filling up the various departments.
He’s only been 3 months into his new job and already suspects that someone is tampering with important files in his office.
While that is weighing heavily on his mind, it’s nothing compared to what comes shortly thereafter: A hideous, but valuable marble bust of the Earl of Manderby topples off its pedestal. A nightwatchman finds the bust in pieces at the bottom of the stairs with an unfortunate civil servant found crushed to death beneath it.
Julian Rivers and his men of Scotland Yard are quick on the scene. At first it appears to be an unfortunate accident. But then they realize the bust weighs at least two tons and sat securely on a pedestal – there’s no way it could have fallen on it’s own. On the other hand, no one could be strong enough to move it, even an inch, IF the intention was, indeed, to commit a brutal murder. No signs of any apparatus that could have been used to push the statue. Puzzling indeed!
Minister Humphry not only finds this extremely unsettling, but also the fact that none of his predecessors lasted very long at their job (they all died).
As Detective Rivers and Humphry try to figure out how an impossible crime was committed, they are quite sure it was an inside job – someone who knew the layout and was familiar with all the various winding corridors and departments. The watchmen? The cleaning people? Someone from one of the many departments? A surreal artist who was a regular at the Ministry? With 1,000 people employed at the Ministry of Fine Arts, it’s an overwhelming amount of suspects!
To make matters worse, there’s no apparent motive. The victim wasn’t very popular, but that’s a lame motive to crush someone to death. Rumors of art forgeries and irregularities had occasionally been whispered about. Was there something going on behind the scenes at the Ministry and was the victim somehow involved?
Murder As A Fine Art is another quiet, well-done crime classic. Those fans who not only enjoy a good mystery, but are also fans of the fine arts, will get a double treat from the author, Carol Carnac.
A copy of this book was provided by: Poisoned Pen Press/Sourcebooks