Perishable Goods [Paperback]

A REVIEW OF 'PERISHABLE GOODS' BY DORNFORD YATES

'Perishable Goods' (1928), the second of Dornford Yates's thrillers told through the eyes of William Chandos, is the sequel to 'Blind Corner'. Referring back to my review of the first novel, I conveyed a definite sense of disappointment when comparing 'Blind Corner' to the best inter-war thrillers of John Buchan and Sapper. My approach to 'Perishable Goods' was therefore very much one of Hollywood or bust.

So what of it, then? Well I am delighted to report that 'Perishable Goods' marks a definite step up from its predecessor. Indeed, most of my major criticisms of 'Blind Corner' are addressed in its sequel. Firstly, there is far more movement and pace. Indeed, more chasing of 'goodies' by 'baddies' (and vice-versa) takes place in the first 50 pages of 'Perishable Goods' than it did in the entire original. Secondly, the sense of danger and urgency is massively increased. In 'Blind Corner' the heroes were digging for hidden treasure without any real consequences resulting from their failure to get hold of the booty. In 'Perishable Goods', the 'treasure' is the beautiful Adele Pleydell (referred to as "perishable goods" by the kidnappers) who is being held hostage and foully treated in order to lure hero, Jonathan Mansel, to part with the fortune he gained in the original novel. Thirdly, the villains really are worth booing. Their treatment of Adele is genuinely unpleasant and the reader truly wants her to be rescued because if she isn't...! Just to emphasise the criminal gang's 'credentials', Yates peppers their sentences with expletives, but (this being the 1920s) any profanities are replaced by a ---, which provides some entertainment of a fill-in-the-gaps nature for the reader.

So far so good. What is particularly interesting about 'Perishable Goods' is that it pits the same group of heroes against the same central villain in almost the same location as 'Blind Corner'. Again we are in Austria. Again the prize is hidden in an imposing stately home (here The Castle of Gath). Again, the evil 'Rose' Noble fronts a gang of ruthless mercenaries who are thwarted at every turn by Mansel, Chandos and their entourage of trusty servants. It is almost as if Yates is consciously trying to rewrite his original to improve upon its frailties.

However, not everything is perfect. The narrative tone adopted by Chandos remains rather stilted, and his adoration of Mansel is somewhat cloying. Having done some research via Richard Osbourne's excellent, 'Clubland Heroes', it seems that this prose style was deliberately used by Yates to contrast with his lighter 'Berry' books, which included the same characters as the Chandos thrillers. That may be so, but the sycophantic tone does grate at times, especially towards the novel's finale. Another problem with 'Blind Corner' again rears its head, namely the overly-elaborate description of the setting of an action set piece, this time in a wing of the castle. The actual architecture and its ability to incorporate ropes and water is so complex when put down solely in print that it manages to cause confusion and blurs the mental image of the ensuing events. As before, a simple diagram (drawn as if by Chandos) would have made matters so much easier.

Nevertheless, despite its limitations, 'Perishable Goods' is still a cracking thriller. It cranks up the pace and action of its predecessor and truly grips the reader. Fans of Anthony Hope's 'Prisoner of Zenda' and 'Rupert of Hentzau' will find a pleasing familiarity in the setting and outcomes, which is certainly a statement in its favour. I did fear that if 'Perishable Goods' failed to deliver the goods, it might be my final meeting with William Chandos. After reading it, will there be another. You --- bet there will be!

Barty's Score: 8/10

Dornford Yates at his best. This is the sequel to Blind Corner the book which established him as a thriller writer. Tremendous fun and derring do. Baddies who are very bad, goodies who are noble and very good. Lots of chasing around and gentlemanly violence.

If examined critically the plot is ludicrous but typical of the period. Using two Rolls Royces to try and inconspicuously chase a kidnapper across Austria is probably not the best approach but somehow whilst reading the book it seems quite appropriate.