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The Ponson Case

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What to expect

From the Collins Crime Club archive, the forgotten second novel by Freeman Wills Crofts, once dubbed ‘The King of Detective Story Writers’ and recognised as one of the ‘big four’ Golden Age crime authors.

When the body of Sir William Ponson is found in the Cranshaw River near his home of Luce Manor, it is assumed to be an accident – until the evidence points to murder. Inspector Tanner of Scotland Yard discovers that those who would benefit most from Sir William’s death seem to have unbreakable alibis, and a mysterious fifth man whose footprints were found at the crime scene is nowhere to be found . . .

Critics Review

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‘I could find you a sentence or allusion I loved on every single page, and it offers some well-motivated multiple-alibi shenanigans, rich contemporary details, and rigorous, rich, detail-obsessed detection.’ The Invisible Event

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‘Of its type, a supremely good example.’ Yorkshire Post

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User Reviews

Book 5.0
Narration 5.0
5.0
5.0
Fantastic narration by Stephen Critchlow of a great police procedural/whodunit by a sadly overlooked novelist of the Golden Age of crime fiction. Freeman Wills Crofts was a much-vaunted peer of Christie, Marsh, Allingham et al. It's regretful to think that he doesn't hold similar recognition to those equally brilliant authors of the genre. I hope that xigxag, in selling many of the great man's works, can somewhat rectify this oversight. While the Ponson Case reminds me very much of some of the best works of Conan Doyle, baring more similarities to Holmes than Poirot, Alleyne and Campion, nonetheless, it's authorship is more closely aligned to the writing and speech of the aforementioned alumni. The story races to a thrilling and unexpected denouement in the last few chapters, the groundwork having been expertly and meticulously set beforehand.
Thomas Reilly 01/09/2025
5.0
5.0
Geoff Miles 03/01/2025

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