Lead Review
- Book: Ghosts of the West
- Location: England, United States (USA)
- Author: Alec Marsh
This is the third outing for Professor Ernest Drabble and Sir Percival Harris and they are on a mission to stop the world order imploding. A grave robbery has taken place in Gravesend (no less) and they are convinced of a native American slant.
Their early investigations lead them to attend a Wild West Show at the Earl’s Court Centre in London, culminating in an interview with Black Cloud. Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull and General Custer are all familiar names and characters, all part of the fabric of the ‘cowboys and Indian’ egregious narrative which prevailed for much of the 20th Century.
They follow the cast of the show back to the States, and on the ship they encounter a vessel full of characters, worthy of any good Cluedo game. There is even a whiff of romance in the air…
The year is 1937 and of course Europe is becoming increasingly volatile and the investigation cannot be carried out in a vacuum when the world is about to change. It is so clear that the author is well read in history and the storyline is enriched by the quality of historical facts.
This is a very readable and entertaining mystery novel, with a jolly, bantering relationship between the two men, that feels evocative of the era.
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