So Few

Dorothy Bowers (1902-48) produced only five detective novels in her short lifetime. Here are some readers' reactions to them; follow the links to the full reviews:

~ POSTSCRIPT TO POISON (1938):

"The plot is ultra-traditional but well executed . . ." — Nicholas Fuller, GAD Wiki

~ SHADOWS BEFORE (1939):

"Solidly constructed puzzle . . ." — THE SATURDAY REVIEW (January 13, 1940)

"What remains a disappointment is the solution: although ingenious, it is not quite convincing . . ." — Nick Fuller, GAD Wiki

~ A DEED WITHOUT A NAME (1940):

"Excellent writing and convincing detection . . ." — THE SATURDAY REVIEW (November 30, 1940)

"Along the way a kidnapping mystery is solved and another murder is attempted. They get there in the end . . ." — Jon, GAD Wiki

~ FEAR AND MISS BETONY (1941):

"Good." — THE SATURDAY REVIEW (February 7, 1942)

"The book is literate and cleverly plotted with one of the best uses of misdirection in a detective novel of this era." — J. F. Norris, GAD Wiki

~ THE BELLS AT OLD BAILEY (1947):

"Satisfactory." — THE SATURDAY REVIEW (November 22, 1947)

"Suffice it to say that Bowers has written a charming novel about an English village, with all that that implies—to wit, blackmail and murder—and including an antiquarian bookseller, a detective-story writer, and a mainstream novelist for the biblio enthusiasts." — William F. Deeck, MYSTERY*FILE (28 September 2011)

Category: Detective fiction