About the author: Ernest Bramah (1868 - 1942) was an English author. He published 21 books and numerous short stories and features. Bramah created the characters Kai Lung and Max Carrados. (excerpt from wikipedia)
Major characters:
- Max Carrados, blind amateur detective
- Parkinson, his butler/guide
- Louis Carlyle, private inquiry agent
- Charlie Winpole, the sick child
- Irene Dupreen, his aunt
- Philip Loudham, Irene's brother
- Robert Slark, M.D.
Locale: London
Synopsis: 12-year old Schoolboy Louis Carlyle, an orphan, lives with his aunt and guardian, Irene Dupreen. He becomes sick one day and she keeps him home from school, thinking he has the flu. She offers to prepare him a meal of his choice, and he asks for mushrooms. She purchases some from the local greengrocer, prepares and serves them. Later the boy is found dead.
Examination by physician Robert Slark shows death from bhurine poisoning, a component of poisonous mushrooms. The greengrocer is adamant he does not deal with any poisonous variety. Soon, Irene's brother, Philip Loudham, is arrested for the death. It is found that he and Irene will jointly inherit a substantial sum if they survive the boy, thus a motive.
Private Inquiry Agent Louis Carlyle had been retained by the prosecution. Meeting with his friend, amateur detective Max Carrados (who is blind), they discuss the case with Carrados taking a position for the defense of Loudham.
The case rests on the source of the bhurine - was it from the mushrooms, or was it introduced separately? It has only one legitimate use, that in photography. Carrados finds it may be obtained from certain chemists, and finds a local chemist, Lightcraft, had supplied a quantity to a Mr. Paulden recently.
Review: Max Carrados and Louis Carlyle remind me of Inspector Richard Jury and his friend Melrose Plant, in the series by Martha Grimes. In both cases, the investigator has a society friend who does the legwork, and has the assistance of a worldly-wise servant (Ruthven for Jury, Parkinson for Carrados).
In this short story, the bulk of the action is an academic discussion between Carlyle and Carrados, as they discuss the case with Carlyle arguing from the prosecution's side (against Loudham), and Carrados arguing from the defense side. This is an interesting way to bring all the evidence in, since these two are usually allies.
A lot of work is done tracing mushrooms and bhurine. It is a bit unfair to the reader, as the person responsible for the death - lets just call it a third party - is only introduced at the very end; and all the mushroom and bhurine tracing turns out for naught.
The physician Robert Slark is an enjoyable character. I hope he reappears in the other stories.
You may also enjoy this review by Bev Hankins on My Reader's Block.
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