Miles Burton was one of
the pseudonyms used by writer Cecil John Charles Street (1884-1964), a British
Army officer who wrote more than 140 mystery novels. Street used several pen
names, including Miles Burton, John Rhode, and Cecil Waye, and published
numerous non-fiction works under his own name as well.
Street/Burton/Rhode
is best known for his Dr. Priestly and Desmond Merrion mystery novels. Dr.
Priestly solved mysteries using a scientific perspective; Desmond Merrion is
more of the classic amateur detective (usually of independent means) who is
called upon by the police for help in difficult cases.
The
Secret of High Eldersham,
originally published in 1930 and now republished by the British
Library Crime Classics series, is the story that introduced Merrion. Don’t
think this is just another mystery of the Golden Age of mystery novels; the philosopher
and educator Jacques Barzun raved about the book and called it on of the best
mystery novels of the 20th century.
It’s a classic
in the genre, and a classic in the Golden Age. The story is set in the village
of High Eldersham near the coast of East Anglia, where the manager of a pub is
stabbed to death one night, with no suspects and no motive in sight. A Scotland
Yard detective is called in, and keeps running into brick walls. But odd doings
are afoot in the village, and it is those doings, including the appearance of
what we would today call a voodoo doll, that begin the process of solving the
mystery.
The detective
brings in a friend, Desmond Merrion, to help him learn what people might not
necessarily tell the police. Merrion discovers a wartime friend living nearby,
and he discovers a beautiful young woman, daughter of the local magistrate,
with a penchant for piloting speedboats very fast.
 |
| Cecil John Charles Street, aka Miles Burton |
It’s a fast-paced,
action-packed, and well written story. The solution gradually unfolds, and
involves elements of old pagan religious practices, drug smuggling, and old
scores being settled. Something is always happening in this story, including a
bit of romance. Mystery writer Martin
Edwards provides a solid introduction to the book, as he does with all of
the Crime Classics series.
The Secret of High Eldersham is a fun read, with the additional
benefit of being an extremely well-crafted story. The real mystery may be how
Street (or Burton) was able to be as prolific as he was, starting his writing
career after the age of 40.
Related: My reviews of
other British Library Crime Classics
Photograph of an English pub (much like
the The Rose and Crown in the story) by Lisa Baker via Public
Domain Pictures. Used with permission.
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