What Happened at Hazelwood by Michael Innes

"Nobody could have predicted just what has happened at Hazelwood, and at the moment it appears as if nobody can elucidate it either" These are the opening lines of the first section of this book which is being written by Nicolette, Lady Simney. Nicolette had been a successful actress before she married George Simney who was twenty year older than she. The local cleric, Mr. Deamer, believed that George Simmey was totally evil and believed that he had sold his soul to the devil. Nicolette found him to be abusive.  Simney had gone to Australia when he was young, engaged in some kind of illegal dealings and returned accompanied by Owden, who had one eye and looked like a pirate, and who was now the butler.

There are others in the Simney family. There is George's brother,  Bevis,  and Bevis' son Willoughby who is twenty and seems to be trying to be an artist. There are George's sisters, Lucy and Grace. Lucy is widowed and has a son Mervyn who is nineteen and an outspoken pest. Grace is unmarried, but seems to her eye on Mr. Deamer. Then there is Timmy who is supposed to be Owden's son. Teenage Timmy bears a very stong resemblence to the Simneys, and it is supposed that Owden fathered the boy with one of the Simney sisters. George uses Timmy as a footman.

If this were not enough Simneys, more arrive from Australia in a very unexpected visit. There is cousin Hippias Simney, his son Gerard, and Gerard's wife Joyleen. They seem to be there to settle some business dealing about the Dismal Swamp. An argument occurs between members of the family and a whiskey bottle is thrown. On the second day of the visit, George appears to have a romantic encounter with Joyleen and Nicolette is kissed by Gerard.

Late in the evening of the second day, George was murdered in his study by being struck over the back of his head with a heavy object. Looking away from his body collapsed on the study table, you would see that George had decorated his study walls by alternating paintings of his illustrious ancestors with paintings of nude women. These nude paintings have been done by artists such as Caravaggio, Titian, and Bordone and are not to be taken too lightly.

The second section of the book is narrated by Harold who is a young policeman helping Inspector Cadover in his investigation. This narration takes the form of letters to his father with some side comments directed to his Aunt Flo. They have arrived at Hazelwood in Appleby's Bentley. Cadover asks himself what Appleby would have done? Harold thinks that Appleby would have "Talked Greek and swopped tags out of Shakespeare". Cadover and Harold do conduct an investigation which Appleby would have approved of. All is revealed in the third section of the book which is narrated by Nicolette again.

If you are the type of mystery reader who likes a logical, believable solution of a crime, this is possibly not the book for you.  If you, however, like wit and humor in your story, you will enjoy this novel. Both Nicolette and Harold are delightful writers, and I enjoyed their accounts very much. For me, it was this type of book which made the Golden Age golden.

This book was published in 1946, and fortunately still in print. If you are wondering who Appleby is, then you should dash out and acquire some of the novels which Michael Innes wrote about the detective exploits of Appleby.