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3.0 out of 5 stars
Who Done It? "Je Ne Sais Pas!", 12 Sep 2009
A REVIEW OF 'THE PRISONER IN THE OPAL' BY A.E.W. MASON
Before beginning this review, I must confess to having approached this novel from a misguided standpoint. The name of A.E.W. Mason reached my attention via an introduction to Agatha Christie's The Seven Dials Mystery, in which the author was grouped with Sapper and John Buchan as one of the three great thriller writers of the inter-war years. I therefore embarked upon reading The Prisoner In The Opal, expecting an exciting tale along the lines of The Thirty Nine Steps or Bulldog Drummond. I was therefore a little disappointed to find that here we have a murder-mystery novel, and not the 'shocker' (John Buchan's word) that I was expecting.
Once adjusted to the unexpected genre, I was pleased to discover that 'Opal' is a well-paced, stylish work. The story details the rather grisly murder of a young women, Evelyn Devenish, whose naked body (minus a hand!) is discovered floating in a French river nearby the Chateau Suvlac. Devenish had been one of many staying at the chateau, and suspicion soon falls upon her fellow guests, including the young America, Joyce Whipple, who has mysteriously disappeared on the very night that Evelyn was killed.
Although written in the third person, the tale is ostensibly told through the eyes of English guest, Mr Ricardo, who is reunited in the investigations with Inspector Hanuad of the Surete. The relationship between the two men bears a striking resemblance to Captain Hastings and Hercule Poirot. As an investigator, Hanaud is strikingly devoid of modesty and exhibits the annoying trait of keeping the enthusiastic and inquisitive Ricardo in the dark until the mystery is fully solved. Mason injects some nice comic touches into the union, notably via Hanaud's initial appearance in false beard, and his repeated mistakes when using English idioms. Indeed, the book's final chapter is called, 'Hanaud Dots The Ts'.
The setting of the story in the wine-making region of the South of France works well. Good use is made of the chateaux, river and Bordeaux itself. Mason evokes an effective sense of time and place, imbuing the environment with genuine mystery.
Where the novel arguably frustrates is in its placing of the reader too much in the shoes of Mr Ricardo. One of the joys of reading a 'whodunnit' is trying to piece together the clues to discover who the murderer is. Having read virtually all of Agatha Christie's murder mysteries, the sense of satisfaction in having spotted the guilty party is hard to top. However, when reading 'Opal', I must confess to not having a definite clue who might have killed Evelyn Devenish. Hanaud moves from scene to scene unearthing layer-upon-layer of confusion on the way. Then, with a quarter of the book still unread, he announces that the murderer has been arrested! This revelation (the arrest not the name) is the great surprise, and I must confess to feeling a little cheated. The final 25% of the novel fills in the explanation of the random clues. Yes, it all finally fits together, but with what was provided before the arrest, the big question is, "How on Earth, was anyone expected to know it was X who killed her using Y and Z?!" This does rather diminish the reader's interest in the narrative. Consequently, it is difficult to care too much about the remaining characters as the head off into the sunset.
Nevertheless, despite having felt a little cheated out of my moment of glory, the Prisoner In The Opal remains an enjoyable read, more for its characterisation and setting than for the plot itself. If you have exhausted your supply of vintage Dame Agatha's, give it a go. Who knows, you might have more luck finding the murderer than this reviewer...
Rating: 6/10
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