Wobble to Death
A Sergeant Cribb Investigation by Peter Lovesey
Review: Wobble to Death was Peter Lovesey's first mystery, originally published in 1970, and introduced Sergeant Cribb. Set in the Victorian London, it was the first of eight mysteries featuring the sergeant that involved sports-related deaths. Soho Press is reissuing (at least) the first two as trade paperbacks.
Sergeant Cribb and his assistant, Constable Thackery, are called to investigate the murder of a contender in a race walking competition known as the "wobbles". It is a popular sport also called a "Go as You Please Contest." The object of this race is to see how far a man could walk, run or hobble for six days and six nights. By some it is considered a "bloody fiasco." There is an entrance fee for the observers and participants ("pedestrians"), plus many townsmen put wagers on the outcome. It is an extraordinary occurrence that brings in a lot of money. At the start of the race, on a chilly, foggy November morning there are sixteen participants. Two of the men, Erskine Chadwick and Charlie Darrell, each a five hundred miler, are actual athletes who had trained vigorously for this event, and are the favorites to win. The others are men who joined for the thrill of it hoping to come in third or fourth, but having no real hope of winning. The winner is to receive five hundred pounds and a belt showing him to be known as the Champion Pedestrian of the World. On the second day, Darrell has fallen by severe leg cramps, like he had never experienced in the past. Before the day was over, he was dead — murdered. And soon thereafter, Darrell's trainer is found dead, with what appears to be a suicide note at his side. But Sergeant Cribb is suspicious of this. Those with potential motives are brought in for questioning. These include Darrell's wife Cora, Erskine Chadwick and his trainer, and the sponsor and manager of the race. Although many feel the race should be cancelled, the sponsor, afraid of losing a lot of money, decides to continue the race "in honor of their fallen colleague". Ironically, Sergeant Cribb also wants the race to continue to give him ample time to solve the crimes. This event, as it turns out, becomes a race to nab a killer before the race itself concludes.
Wobble to Death is a fascinating mystery involving an unlikely sporting competition. The author provides a historical background to this unusual event while setting the stage for a cleverly concocted murder. The characters are well drawn, colorful and droll, and the plot fast paced and thoroughly enjoyable. The book was a winner of the Macmillan First Crime Novel Prize in 1970 and later was later honored as one of the top 100 crime novels of all time by the Crime Writers Association (1990) and one of the top 100 crime novels of all time by the Mystery Writers of America (1995). Deservedly so.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Wobble to Death.
Acknowledgment: Soho Press provided a copy of Wobble to Death for this review.
Review Copyright © 2008 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Selected reviews of other mysteries by this author … The Secret Hangman Soho Press (Trade Paperback), April 2008 ISBN-13: 9781569474884; ISBN-10: 1569474885 The Detective Wore Silk Drawers Soho Constable (Trade Paperback), October 2008 ISBN-13: 9781569475249; ISBN-10: 1569475245
Location(s) referenced in Wobble to Death: London, England
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Wobble to Death by Peter Lovesey — A Sergeant Cribb Investigation
Publisher: Soho Constable
Format: Trade Paperback
ISBN-13: 978-1-56947-523-2
Publication Date: October 2008
List Price: $14.00
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Page Author: Lance Wright Site Publisher: Mysterious Reviews
Mysterious Reviews is a Division of The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books and a Business Unit of the Omnimystery Family of Mystery Websites
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