Wobble
to Death
A
Sergeant Cribb Investigation
Peter
Lovesey
Soho
Constable (Trade Paperback)
ISBN-10: 1-56947-523-7 (1569475237)
ISBN-13: 978-1-56947-523-2 (9781569475232)
Publication Date: October 2008
List Price: $14.00
Synopsis (from
the publisher): A strange collection of so-called “proven
pedestrians” starts at 1 am on a November Monday morning. By
Tuesday one of them is dead.
Tetanus from infection of a foot blister is suspected at first, but
when Sergeant Cribb from Scotland Yard is called in he discovers that
strychnine was being given as a stimulant. This is only the first of a
series of revelations.
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 and to Soho Press for providing a copy of the book for this review.
Review Copyright © 2008 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Have you read Wobble to Death? How would you rate it?
Mysteries in this series ...
Wobble to Death
Dodd Mead (Hardcover), February 1970
ISBN-10: 0-396-06233-4 (0396062334)
ISBN-13: 978-0-396-06233-2 (9780396062332)
The Detective Wore Silk Drawers
Dodd Mead (Hardcover), January 1971
ISBN-10: 0-396-06377-2 (0396063772)
ISBN-13: 978-0-396-06377-3 (9780396063773)
Abracadaver
Dodd Mead (Hardcover), September 1972
ISBN-10: 0-396-06627-5 (0396066275)
ISBN-13: 978-0-396-06627-9 (9780396066279)
Mad Hatter's Holiday
Dodd Mead (Hardcover), March 1973
ISBN-10: 0-396-06835-9 (0396068359)
ISBN-13: 978-0-396-06835-8 (9780396068358)
The
Tick
of Death
Dodd Mead (Hardcover), July 1974
ISBN-10: 0-396-06972-X (039606972X)
ISBN-13: 978-0-396-06972-0 (9780396069720)
A
Case of
Spirits
Dodd Mead (Hardcover), January 1975
ISBN-10: 0-396-07218-6 (0396072186)
ISBN-13: 978-0-396-07218-8 (9780396072188)
Swing,
Swing
Together
Dodd Mead (Hardcover), January 1976
ISBN-10: 0-396-07327-1 (0396073271)
ISBN-13: 978-0-396-07327-7 (9780396073277)
Waxwork
Random House (Hardcover), April 1978
ISBN-10: 0-394-50066-0 (0394500660)
ISBN-13: 978-0-394-50066-9 (9780394500669)
Omnimystery
keywords for Wobble to Death
...
Location(s) referenced: London, England.
