Poacher's Bag: Review

Poacher's Bag (1980) is the twelfth novel in Douglas Clark's Masters and Green police procedural series. The series is quite solid in both procedure and characterization--and it has the added bonus of educating the reader on all sorts of medical topics. At the time this novel was written, Clark had worked in the pharmaceutical industry for 18 years and was well-up on diseases, drugs, and their effects and the information he used to spice up his mystery novels was not as well-known to the general public. You didn't have various drugs appearing in every other commercial on the television. And he managed to drop the information in--primarily through dialogue--without it feeling like a lecture.

Poacher's Bag is no different. Superintendent George Masters and Inspector Bill Green take off for a rare weekend getaway. They have been invited to spend their holiday at the home of Master's force-of-nature mother-in-law, Bella Bartholomew. They think it's just a spur-of-the-moment invite, but it turns out that Bella intended them to make up her wedding party. She had planned on marrying her neighbor, ex-Cambridge don, Haydn Prior. 

They've barely begun to congratulate her when she tells them the wedding's off. No, they haven't had a falling out. Hadyn is dead and, though he was a man well along in years and his death has been attributed to a heart attack, both she and the police insist he was murdered. The local force believe they have their man--a poacher who shot Hadyn (he says because he was startled) and then chased the poor man causing a heart attack from over-exertion. The poacher was found over the body with his hand inside Hadyn's coat. He says to check for a heartbeat. The police say caught in the act of attempted robbery.

Bella knows the poacher and insists that he did not deliberately shoot her fiance and that he would never have tried to rob him and she wants Masters and Green to discover the real cause of Hadyn's death and the real murderer. This puts the two men in a bit of a spot. Being Yard men, they can't just start investigating on someone else's patch without cause--and a mother-in-law's "feelings" and intuition don't exactly constitute "cause." But the more she tells them about Hadyn's odd behavior in the days leading up to the shooting, the more interested Masters gets. And when a surprise claimant shows up to contest Hadyn Prior's will, Masters really begins to smell a rat. But how can he find out what he needs to know and manage to help the local constabulary to the solution without stepping all over their toes?

Clark does his usual fine job with the mystery set up and getting all the players in place. This one is a bit less of a puzzler--it doesn't take long to know who the villain of the piece is. The real question is how was it done and how Masters will diplomatically bring the dirty work to the attention of the local police. It is great fun watching his verbal fancy footwork. His mother-in-law is a finely drawn character and it's worth the ride just to see her interactions with Bill Green. A highly enjoyable entry in a consistently entertaining series. ★★★★

**********
Fulfills the "Green Object" on the Vintage Silver Scavenger Hunt card. 
 

February Wrap-Up & P.O.M. Award

I'm ready for another year of tracking reading progress and statistics for all things bookish on the Block. I will also be contributing to Kerrie's Crime Fiction Pick of the Month. So, here we go--let's take a look at February....

Total Books Read: 15
Total Pages: 3286 

Average Rating: 3.4 stars  
Top Rating: 5 stars 
Percentage by Female Authors: 40%
Percentage by US Authors: 33%
Percentage by non-US/non-British Authors:  13%
Percentage Mystery:  87% 
Percentage Fiction: 93%
Percentage written 2000+: 13%
Percentage of Rereads: 0%
Percentage Read for Challenges: 100% {It's easy to have every book count for a challenge when you sign up for as many as I do.}    
Number of Challenges fulfilled so far: 3 (10%)


AND, as mentioned above, Kerrie had us all set up for another year of Crime Fiction Favorites. What she was looking for is our Top Mystery Read for each month. February was a very full month--nearly all were mystery or mystery-/crime-related. Here are the books read:

The Clock Ticks On by Valentine Williams (3.5 stars)
The Clue of the Judas Tree by Leslie Ford (2.5 stars) 
The Doberman Wore Black by Barbara Moore (3 stars) 
The Fifth Passenger by Edward Young (4 stars) 
The Bridal Bed Murders by A. E. Martin (2 stars) 
The April Robin Murders by Craig Rice & Ed McBain (3 stars) 
The Silver Anniversary Murder by Lee Harris (3 stars) 
Poacher's Bag by Douglas Clark (4 stars) 
The Spiral Staircase by Ethel Lina White (4 stars) 
The Black Rustle by Constance & Gwenyth Little (3 stars)
The Bachelors of Broken Hill by Arthur W. Upfield (4 stars) 
Gently with the Painters by Alan Hunter (3 stars) The Calcutta Affair by George S. Elrick (3 stars)
 
And one non-fiction entry with a coffee table book celebrating the spy genre send-up: 

The Avengers: A Celebration by Marcus Hearn (5 stars)

This month four books earned four stars out of five: The Fifth Passenger the lone mystery novel for Edward Young, Poacher's Bag by Douglas Clark, The Spiral Staircase by Ethel Lina White and The Bachelor's of Broken Hill by Arthur W. Upfield. Both Clark consistently entertains with his novels featuring Masters and Green--but I have already awarded him with a coveted P.O.M. Award. White's book is a classic example of good suspense done right without blood and gore or explicit scenes. It is also a terrific character study with plenty of misdirection to allow the reader to question each person's motives and whether they are really what they seem. A very good read for a dark and stormy night of your own.  Upfield not only gives us the usual police procedural, this particular outing provides an interesting character study. Bony must first understand the character of the victims before he can begin to understand the character and psychology of the woman who kills them. The ending is a bit darker than the usual fare by Upfield--giving the reader a very intimate look at what could drive someone to kill in the manner portrayed in the book. These are all excellent reads and well worth the time, but this month's  P.O.M. Award goes to The Fifth Passenger by Young for providing such a delightful surprise from an author I knew nothing about. 

As mentioned above, this was Young's single foray into the espionage/mystery field. It is a pretty nifty story for a first and only fiction effort. Carrington's adventures as he tries to make contact with Howard--all while avoiding the men who are on Howard's trail (including one of Howard's oldest friends, Tony Gardner)--are played out like a chess match, particularly with Gardner. There is also a love interest for Carringtion that actually fulfills an important role in the game rather than serving as a distraction. Overall, a well-done, yet low-key espionage thriller.

Mad Reviewer Reading Challenge

The Mad Reviewer Reading Challenge is to read and review (either on Goodreads, Amazon or your own blog) 104 books in one year starting January 1, 2016 and ending December 31, 2016.

Carrie is fully aware that not everyone has time to read 104 books, so she has set up various levels:

1.  Mad Reviewer: 104 books in one year. (2 books a week all year.)

2.  Crazy Reviewer: 52 books in one year. (1 book a week all year.)

3.  Slightly Sane Reviewer: 26 books in one year. (1 book every fortnight all year.)

4.  Sane Reviewer: 12 books in one year.  (1 book every month all year.)

She also has a full set of rules at the sign-up link. Head on over and check it out!

My Goal? Oh, you know me--I'm in at the Mad Reviewer Level. At least 104 reviews coming at you on the Block. I'll start listing them below....

1. The Purple Cloud by M. P. Shiel (1/2/16)
2. Hunt with the Hounds by Mignon G. Eberhart (1/3/16)
3. Murder at Arroways by Helen Reilly (1/7/16)
4. The Girl in the Cellar by Patricia Wentworth (1/9/16)
5. Red for Murder by Harold Kemp (1/13/16)
6. Hardly a Man Is Now Alive by Herbert Brean (1/16/16)
7. Imagination Unlimited edited by Everett F. Bleiler & T. E. Dikty (1/18/16)
8. Puzzle in Petticoats by Samuel M. Kootz (1/20/16)
9. The Platypus of Doom & Other Nihilists by Arthur Byron Cover (1/23/16)
10. Oh My! by George Takei (1/24/16)
11. Four Against the Bank of England by Ann Huxley (1/25/16)
12. Which Doctor by Edward Candy (1/28/16)
13. The Triumphs of Eugene Valmont by Robert Barr (1/30/16)
14. Who's Calling? by Helen McCloy (1/31/16)
15. The Clock Ticks On By Valentine Williams (2/3/16)
16. The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham (2/5/16)
17. The Clue of the Judas Tree by Leslie Ford (2/6/16)
18. The Doberman Wore Black by Barbara Moore (2/9/16)
19. The Fifth Passenger by Edward Young (2/10/16)
20. The Bridal Bed Murders by A. E. Martin (2/13/16)
21. The April Robin Murders by Craig Rice & Ed McBain (2/17/16)
22. The Silver Anniversary Murder by Lee Harris (2/17/16)
23. Poacher's Bag by Douglas Clark (2/19/16)
24. The Spiral Staircase by Ethel Lina White (2/20/16)
25. The Black Rustle by Constance & Gwenyth Little (2/22/16)
26. The Bachelors of Broken Hill by Arthur W. Upfield (2/24/16)
27. Gently with the Painters by Alan Hunter (2/27/16)
28. The Calcutta Affair by George S. Elrick (2/28/16)
29. The Avengers: A Celebration by Marcus Hearn (2/29/16)
30. Make Death Love Me by Ruth Rendell (3/1/16)
31. The Day He Died by Lewis Padgett (3/3/16)
32. House of Darkness by Allan MacKinnon (3/7/16)
33. The Philomel Foundation by James Gollin (3/11/16)
34. A Lesson in Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear (3/13/16)
35. Elegy for Eddie by Jacqueline Winspear (3/15/16)
36. The Old Battle Axe/The Obstinate Murderer by Elisabeth Sanxay Holding (3/17/16)
37. The Big Smoke by Adrian Matejka (3/20/16)
38. Leaving Everything Most Loved by Jacqueline Winspear (3/24/16)
39. Dead Against My Principles by Kenneth Hopkins (3/29/16)
40. The Third Encounter by Sara Woods (4/1/6)
41. Death in Profile by Guy Fraser-Sampson (4/3/16)
42. The Jade Venus by George Harmon Coxe (4/7/16)
43. The Indigo Necklace Murders by Frances Crane (4/12/16)
44. The Case of the Black-Eyed Blonde by Erle Stanley Gardner (4/12/16)
45. The Limehouse Text by Will Thomas (4/13/16)
46. One Foot in the Grave by Peter Dickinson (4/18/16)
47. The Chalk Circle Man by Fred Vargas (4/21/16)
48. Death in Cyprus by M. M. Kaye (4/22/16)
49. The Pocket Book of Ghost Stories edited by Philip Van Doren Stern (4/24/16)
50. Death by Hoax by Lionel Black (4/25/16)
51. Chili Con Corpses by J. B. Stanley (4/28/16)
52. Line Up for Murder by Marion Babson (4/28/16)
53. Our Jubilee Is Death by Leo Bruce (4/30/16)
54. Powder & Patch by Georgette Heyer (5/4/16)
55. Dead Man's Riddle by Mary Kelly (5/9/16)
56. The Family Tomb by Michael Gilbert (5/10/16)
57. Running Blind by Desmond Bagley (5/11/16)
58. The Bobbsey Twins at London Tower by Laura Lee Hope (5/13/16)
59. Gownsman's Gallows by Katharine Farrer (5/16/16)
60. Murder at the Savoy by Maj Sjowall & Per Wahloo (5/20/16)
61. The Litmore Snatch by Henry Wade (5/21/16)
62. Good Blood by Aaron Elkins (5/23/16)
63. The Paper Thunderbolt by Michael Innes (5/29/16)
64. Murder in Amsterdam by A. J. Baantjer (6/3/16)
65. Midnight in Lonesome Hollow by Kathleen Ernst (6/4/16)
66. The Cinnamon Murder by Frances Crane (6/6/16)
67. A Is For Arsenic by Kathryn Harkup (6/8/16)
68. The Mystery Woman by J. U. Giesy & Junius B. Smith (6/12/16)
69. The Silent Women by Margaret Page Hood (6/13/16)
70. Certain Sleep by Helen Reilly (6/16/16)
71. The Seven Wonders of Crime by Paul Halter (6/19/16)
72. The Eagle Has Landed by Jack Higgins (6/19/16)
73. Murder in Any Language by Kelley Roos (6/21/16)
74. Bodies & Souls edited by Dann Herr & Joel Wells (6/28/16)
75. The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The Titanic Tragedy be William Seil (6/28/16)
76. The Norths Meet Murder by Frances & Richard Lockridge (6/30/16)
77. High Rhymes & Misdemeanors by Diana Killian (6/30/16)
78. The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji (7/3/16)
79. A Pinch of Poison by Frances & Richard Lockridge (7/5/16)
80. All Fall Down by L. A. G. Strong (7/6/16)
81. The Ticking Clock by Frances & Richard Lockridge (7/8/16)
82. Checkmate to Murder by E. C. R. Lorac (7/10/16)
83. The Poet's Funeral by John M. Daniel (7/12/16)
84. The Devil in Bellminster by David Holland (7/13/16)
85. The Red House Mystery by A. A. Milne (7/15/16)
86. The Warsaw Anagrams by Richard Zimler (7/17/16)
87. Too Good to Be True by J. F. Hutton (7/20/16)
88. A Cold Day for Murder by Dana Stabenow (7/22/16)
89. A Dead Man in Athens by Michael Pearce (7/28/16)
90. The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L.Sayers (7/28/16)
91. The Mirabilis Diamond by Jerome Odlum (7/31/16)
92. Servant's Problem by Veronica Parker Johns (8/4/16)
93. Murder on Trial by Michael Underwood (8/7/16)
94. Invitation to Murder by Leslie Ford (8/11/16)
95. Murder Every Monday by Pamela Branch (8/13/16)
96. A Parade of Cockeyed Creatures OR Did Someone Murder Our Wandering Boy? by George Baxt (8/14/16)
97. A Death for a Darling by E. X. Giroux (8/19/16)
98. Design for Murder by Erica Quest (8/20/16)
99. Unhallowed Murder by Simon Nash (8/20/16)
100. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carre (8/24/16)
101. The Silent Witness by R. Austin Freeman (8/25/16)
102. The Master of Mysteries by Gelett Burgess (8/30/16)
103. The House of the Arrow by A.E.W. Mason (8/31/16)
104. The Enchanted Castle by E. Nesbit (9/3/16) 
 Challenge Complete: I will, of course, keep reviewing the rest of my books this year...