A new
reissue of Lord Dunsany uniquely overrides this blog's usual
concentrating on work from independents. When that reissue also
features slight, blackly humorous detective tales of the 1930s' and
40s', being entirely new to me, Pan's investigation is warranted.
Smethers is a travelling salesman for Numnumo - a relish for
meats and savouries – with a self-confessed genius for 'pushing' it
on the thresholds of most residences. Looking for a room in central
London, close to the company's head office, he encounters Linley; a
'gent' already looking around the one Smethers has arrived at, who is
interested but concerned at the high rent. Smethers offers to go
halves with him and Linley agrees. Smethers then gives the first of
nine criminal accounts based upon the chess-playing Linley's
Holmesian ability to find the culprit based solely upon his unerring
logic. Inevitably, there is also the Establishment figure already on
the case; here, Inspector Ulton - of the Yard.
In his
first-person narrations, Smethers comes across as a slightly seedy
chancer and spiv, not entirely honest, which begs the question how he
could afford even half of the rent that got him into the property
shared with 'posh' Linley in the first place. (Perhaps Linley was,
himself, a 'chip off the old block'?) Then, such unanswered questions
are all part of the intriguing mythologies spawned by necessarily
brief, swiftly penned, commercial genre fiction.
The
history of the first of Dunsany's Smethers tales is at least
thumbnailed in an Ellery Queen intro from 1948. Editor Lady Rhondda
printed 'Two Bottles Of Relish' in Time and Tide magazine,
November 12-19, 1932. "Lord Dunsany has always thought that Lady
Rhondda, a militant feminist, published the story as an example of
sheer realism, saying to herself, 'That is just how men do treat
women.' Gradually, the widespread nausea (to use Lord
Dunsany's own phrase) seems to have worn off..." The tale itself
concerns the mysterious disappearance of Nancy Elth, and her £200,
who lived with known criminal Steeger. (The Yard's nemesis, who
reappears in the following tale).
The
remainder of the tales, in content, are lightly engaging and
relatively conventional, lacking the promised 'fantasy' element
referred to on the back cover. The major exception is the last; 'The
Shield Of Athene.' I'd be unwise to describe a tale, the denouement
of which is – if you'll pardon the pun – reflected in the title.
It is, however, enjoyably Machen-like, with perhaps a flourish of MP
Shiel.
Unless
Dunsany scholars know better – and why wouldn't they? - the
remaining tales appear to have had their first publication in this
collection. Certainly, his stature by the Forties wouldn't
necessarily have required prior publicity for the rest elsewhere.
Mention must also be made of the cover for this reissue; a beautiful
painting of one standing, and one horizontal, Numnumo bottles,
the red relish dribbling from each like newly-spilled blood, with the
shadow of the one standing ominous and man-like. The Thirties feel,
including the choice of font, is well considered and brilliantly
evoked by Mike Topping.
ALBERTINE'S
WOOERS
Rebecca
Lloyd's latest is a novel, OOTHANGBART, which she describes as a
"subversive fable for adults and bears,"
http://www.beccalloyd.org/oothangbart-subversive-fable-adults-bears/
Over at Egaeus, Mark Beech is about to release A MIDWINTER
ENTERTAINMENT, the highlights of which include a new Connoisseur tale
by Valentine and Howard, a first English translation (by the
excellent George Berguno) of an Anatole Le Braz tale, and the same
tasteful mix of old and new, utilised in last year's SOLILOQUY FOR
PAN. http://www.egaeuspress.com/News_-_Egaeus_Press.html
Finally, both UNCERTAINTIES I and UNCERTAINTIES II are now available
from Swan River Press.
http://swanriverpress.ie/title_uncertainties1.html
Included is a new tale from Lynda E. Rucker whose own latest
collection, YOU'LL KNOW WHEN YOU GET THERE, is also available from
SRP.
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