The Charterhouse Case by Vivian Lestrange

The Charterhouse in London, photos by me

Title: The Charterhouse Case

Author: Vivian Lestrange

Publisher: Langston’s

Source book: Death of an Author by ECR Lorac

Reclusive author Vivian Lestrange is well-known for the popular mystery novel The Charterhouse Case. The book concerns a man who is convicted of a crime he did not commit. After he has served his sentence, the man turns detective, and goes on to commit the crime of which he was wrongly accused. 

Lestrange will soon be famous for different reasons because his secretary Eleanor reports him missing. His housekeeper too has vanished. What’s going on?

Inspector Bond suspects that Eleanor is in fact the author and Mr Lestrange does not exist. Chief Inspector Warner is not so sure.

Also featured in Death of an Author is Michael Ashe, author of Trade Winds, described as “jolly fine stuff” which is 1930s speak for “an extremely good book”, also published by Langston’s. In a somewhat unorthodox move, Michael Ashe posted his manuscript to Langston’s from South America where he was apparently travelling, and although he has written half a dozen books, he does not appear to have a permanent address. He has also written Allen of the Andemans and Before the Mast.

We know that Eleanor has visited the publisher Langston’s more than once, in the guise of Vivian Lestrange, because the publishers were anxious to meet their bestselling author, but Eleanor claims this was at the behest of the author himself. She also meets Michael Ashe at a small dinner arranged by Langston’s but at Ashe’s request, again as Vivian Lestrange. 

There is mention of an author, Philip Gresson, who writes about Peruvian civilisations. He put up Michael Ashe for membership of the Addison Club for travel writers, adventurers and explorers. Ashe is known to be extremely interested in the true identity of Vivian Lestrange. And retired Admiral Staunton, also a member of the Addison Club, is also known as a writer of reminiscences, particularly A Sailor in the Philippines and From Bangkok to Singapore.

Inspector Bond grumpily speculates that a new Vivian Lestrange book will appear in America called Policemen at Play, even though he thinks Lestrange has been murdered. But has he been?

What, if anything, do all these books and all these characters, have to do with the missing persons case? I’m not going to tell you [because spoilers]. But I will say that the source book, although quite tough going at times, has a plot as full of twists and turns as an extremely twisty turny thing. Very pleased to report that I guessed an important plot point quite a bit before the police did.

Well done ECR Lorac for naming a lot of her fictional books, and a publisher, and having her characters read each other’s books too.

NB people these days often forget that Vivian used to be a name for both men and women. I think it was the huge fame of actress Vivien Leigh (she was Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind) that turned the name almost exclusively female.

Cuddly souvenir dogs at the Charterhouse in London