Faintley Speaking by Gladys Mitchell

Mandsell was broke. He had no money and his landlady was threatening to throw him out of his room. He was an author, and his book had been accepted for publication but he desperately needed some payment before publication. He was wandering the streets in the rain when he decided to call his publisher to ask for some kind of payment. As he neared the phone booth, he saw a man leaving it. Just as Mandsell was about to make his call, the phone rang. Mandsell answered it when he had no reason to do so. The voice on the line told him that it was Miss Faintley and she would not listen to Mandsell saying that she had the wrong person. Miss Faintley told him to go to Hagford Station and pick up a parcel on deliver it to Tomson, and ask for a receipt.

Mandsell had no reason to do this, but he decided to do it because it would give him something to do. He went to the station and picked up the package. He remembered seeing Tomson's shop so he went to the dingy shop and gave Tomson the package. He demanded a receipt, but Tomson offered him five pounds instead. To a man with no money this seemed like a very good deal, and he took the money. Finally he could pay part of his rent.

This is the opening of Faintley Speaking by Gladys Mitchell. This mysterous phone call and package would get Dame Beatrice Lestrange Bradley and her secretary. Laura Menzies, involved in a very complicated crime. Laura discovered the body of the murdered Miss Faintley in a deserted house. It was found that Miss Faintley was a teacher at Kindleford school. In order to learn more, Laura volunteered to take Miss Faintley's place at the school. Here she began to suspect other members of the school staff might be involved in whatever it was that Miss Faintley was doing. There are many choice comments on the behavior of school students which make for fun reading. The final solution of the crimes in this novel requires Mrs. Bradley, Laura, the police, and a even a cooperating school teacher.

This novel was written in 1954. I have always enjoyed the novels of Gladys Mitchell. Mrs Bradley is a delightful sleuth with her knowledge of psychoanalysis, and just about everything else under the sun.