‘Excellent Intentions’ by Richard Hull

Published by The British Library,
10 May 2018 (reprint).
ISBN: 978-0-7123-5201-7

Originally this book was published in 1938 - and has been reprinted this year as one of the British Library’s reprints of classic Golden Age books.  Richard Hull’s skill in managing his material is evident as is his clever use of the title Excellent Intentions.  The characters are very much of their period with a suitably unpleasant victim.

The owner of the local Manor House is murdered as he travels to London by train.  He is disliked by everyone who has come into contact with him and, particularly by his employees.  We follow the Court case against his putative murderer in detail, interspersed with the careful investigations of the police into what has happened.   There are some good touches of humour and a picture of a village world now destroyed.   The identity of the person being tried is not revealed until right at the end and the trial verdict offers some surprises.

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Reviewer: Jennifer S. Palmer

Richard Hull wrote 15 books, commencing with the popular Murder of My Aunt.

Richard Hull (1896 1973) was a chartered accountant who later became a notable writer of detective novels. He is best known as the author of The Murder of My Aunt (also available as a British Library Crime Classic).

Jennifer Palmer Throughout my reading life crime fiction has been a constant interest; I really enjoyed my 15 years as an expatriate in the Far East, the Netherlands & the USA but occasionally the solace of closing my door to the outside world and sitting reading was highly therapeutic. I now lecture to adults on historical topics including Famous Historical Mysteries.