New
AcquisitionsMurder on the Lusitania; Conrad Allen; Duckbacks, 2002; £6.99; CA 16125
In 1907, the newly launched Lusitania made its maiden voyage from Liverpool to New York. Cunard were confident that it would win back the coveted Blue Ribband, which was then in German hands, and this was accomplished on its next voyage.
This sets the scene for Conrad Allen's first novel. He lovingly brings to life the romance and excitement of first class travel on board a luxury liner. At that time passengers still travelled the world aboard the great ships with the prime objective of actually going somewhere for a reason, a practice that was to last until it was ended by the post second world war revolution in air travel and the introduction of package tours.
The central character, George Porter Dillman, is an American detective who had learnt his trade when employed by the Pinkerton Detective Agency. He is employed by Cunard to keep a discrete eye on things and so he travels as an ordinary passenger. During the course of the voyage he is called upon to find a thief, a possible spy and a murderer who may or may not be one and the same person. He finally has to call on the help of the lovely Genevieve Masefield, who had hoped to find a prospective husband rather than a career as a sleuth's assistant.
The suspense gradually builds up to the final denouement even if it was rather slipshod for the spy to give himself away by sending a wireless message to the Deutschland as the two ships passed in the night. Fortunately this is only discovered in the final chapter. All in all it is a first class read and happily devoid of the offensive language which so many modern authors believe must be included in order to achieve authenticity. - GC
Page prepared 31 October 2002
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