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About the author: Robert Alfred John Walling (1869 - 1949) was an English journalist and author of detective novels. His character Philip Tolefree plays the role of the detective in most of Walling's books. Starting out as a private enquiry agent in non-criminal insurance matters, he takes on his first murder case in the Fatal Five Minutes. ... Tolefree has his own Watson, James Farrar, who narrates the first stories, is dropped, and then appears a character in later works. ("R.A.J. Walling" by Fred Dueren, quoted in wikipedia).
Major characters:
- Philip Tolefree, Secret Service agent
- James Farrar, narrator
- Robert Blenkinsop, a.k.a. "Perry", survivor of S. S. Bridgend
- Charles Black, the other survivor of S. S. Bridgend
- William Hasty Fonthill
- Frank Jackson, a potential witness
- Capt. Barrett
Locale: Westport, England
Synopsis: World War II is in progress, and England is getting regular bombings from Germany. Our narrator, James Farrar, receives a letter from a Robert Blenkinsop, stating he is one of the survivors of the torpedoed S. S. Bridgend, and has a message for him from the ship's captain, Capt. McPherson, who went down with the ship. Farrar meets up with Secret Service agent Philip Tolefree, and they travel to Westport to meet Blenkinsop.
They meet up with Capt. Barrett at the Hotel Imperial in which Blenkinsop is staying. As they arrive, they encounter an injured William Hasty Fonthill fleeing, whom they apprehend. A German blitz is underway, and they take Fonthill to recover in safety at the rural home of Farmer Rawlings. Fontill suddenly recovers and escapes.
Returning to a devastated Westport after the bombing, they find the hotel has collapsed. Two bodies are found in the wreckage: Blenkinsop (who had registered under the name Perry), and Charles Black - the only two survivors of the torpedoed ship. Examination shows both Perry and Black had been shot prior to the bombing. Fonthill is their prime suspect. Another lodger at the hotel, Frank Jackson, is perhaps a witness; so he is sought also.
It is learned Fonthill has sought refuge in the family lodge in remote, mountainous Wales. Tolefree and Farrar travel there to receive a cold reception, and Fonthill again escapes from under their noses.
Review: Philip Tolefree is a series character, but not having read previous titles, I was a bit lost as to who exactly he was; it seemed to be assumed the reader is familiar with him. It was not stated that he was Secret Service until near the end. Farrar's relationship with him, other than being our narrator and Tolefree's 'Watson', is not clear either. I am also not sure about Captain Barrett, if he is a police or military captain.
The last third of the book was a bit of a tiring slog, as every possible sequence of events of who shot Blenkinsop and Black in which order is exhaustively explored.
We never find out what was in the important message from Captain McPherson. Oh yes, the person he gave the message to (Blenkinsop) died before he could deliver it.
I did enjoy the descriptions of mountainous Wales, and also the descriptions of life in England during the blackout.
Note: The acronym H.E. is used throughout - this means High Explosive.
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