From the Collins Crime Club archive, the second Inspector French novel by Freeman Wills Crofts, once dubbed ‘The King of Detective Story Writers’.
THE RETURN OF INSPECTOR FRENCH
When young Maxwell Cheyne discovers that a series of mishaps are the result of unwelcome attention from a dangerous gang of criminals, he teams up with a young woman who is determined to help him outwit them. But when she disappears, he finally decides to go to Scotland Yard for help. Concerned by the developing situation, Inspector Joseph French takes charge of the investigation and applies his trademark methods to track down the kidnappers and thwart their intentions . . .
While I was entertained and interested in the explanation of what was going on, I did feel that the story’s resolution was underwhelming. Much of the reason for this is that much of the denouement occurs “off screen” and is related to a character after the fact. This feels somewhat anticlimactic and a little rushed after so much patient build up.
Read my full review at Mysteries Ahoy!