Stephanie Jane reviewed The Deadly Truth by Helen McCloy (Dr Basil Willing mysteries, #3)
Intricate plotting
4 stars
The Deadly Truth is the third in Helen McCloy's 'Dr Basil Willing' series of golden age mysteries. It took me a little while to really get immersed in this story but, once I did, I appreciated the intricacies of the plotting. I loved the Long Island setting too, especially the isolated Blessingbourne country house setting. The weekend party gathering brings together a disparate group of deftly portrayed characters all of whom profess to be friends, but whose underlying grievances come to the fore as Claudia Bethune's party rapidly descends into chaos. McCloy had a wonderful talent for writing these crime stories, liberally sprinkling genuine clues and plausible red herrings throughout each chapter. Her central character, Dr Willing, has a greater personal depth than is often the case with classic detective novels, and his bringing of psychological expertise to each case has kept me pleasantly intrigued throughout all three books in …
The Deadly Truth is the third in Helen McCloy's 'Dr Basil Willing' series of golden age mysteries. It took me a little while to really get immersed in this story but, once I did, I appreciated the intricacies of the plotting. I loved the Long Island setting too, especially the isolated Blessingbourne country house setting. The weekend party gathering brings together a disparate group of deftly portrayed characters all of whom profess to be friends, but whose underlying grievances come to the fore as Claudia Bethune's party rapidly descends into chaos. McCloy had a wonderful talent for writing these crime stories, liberally sprinkling genuine clues and plausible red herrings throughout each chapter. Her central character, Dr Willing, has a greater personal depth than is often the case with classic detective novels, and his bringing of psychological expertise to each case has kept me pleasantly intrigued throughout all three books in this series so far. I'm already looking forward to a fourth!