‘The King and the Corpse’ by Max Murray

Published by Galileo Publishers,
26 October 2023.
ISBN: 978-1-915530-15-8 (PB)
Originally published 1949.

For some years Anthony Tolworth has enjoyed a buccaneering life as the companion and social advisor to King Rudolph, the deposed king of Althenia. After Rudolph lost his kingdom, he, his mother and their trusted advisor, Otto Shavia, have travelled and lived on a large and luxurious yacht, which Rudolph uses as a floating garage cum car dealership. Rudolph and Anthony have worked on the correct assumption that nobody will refuse to sell cars to a king, even when luxurious vehicles are in short supply. They also play on the fact that many people will wish to buy from a king, especially if he adds on the royal coat of arms for a suitable extra charge. By this and other clever schemes, which utilise Rudolph’s royal credentials, Anthony and Rudolph have enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle. However, they both know that this way of life is drawing to an end; the Althenian people are tired of the corrupt government that ousted Rudolph and the way is being paved to invite Rudolph to resume his rule of Althenia.

However, for the time being life is continuing as usual for Anthony and Rudolph, until Anthony goes ashore at a quiet resort on the French Riviera and discovers the dead body of Leonardo Manetti lying on the beach. Anthony’s initial reaction is to tell the manager of the local casino to tidy away the inconvenient corpse, but this proves to be a temporary and unsuccessful manoeuvre. Manetti was a thoroughly unpleasant man who was a manipulator and blackmailer and Anthony’s desire to step away from his murder is doomed to failure. Manetti had been behind the rebellion that had deposed King Rudolph and if the king or his close friend were implicated in the death it could cause a diplomatic incident.

Far more important to Anthony is that Manetti was blackmailing an English resident of the resort, Francis Raymond, and through him Raymond’s daughter, Eve, a very attractive young lady that Anthony cares for deeply. When Eve becomes the police’s prime suspect, Anthony has to take radical action to save her. For most fashionable young men this action would involve rescuing Eve from the hands of the police but would not include sending for his aunt, the headmistress of an English school, to join him on the Riviera. However, Etheldra Martha Truman is not an ordinary woman and she, assisted by two annoying but ingenious small boys, she plays a vital part in assisting Anthony to establish the truth.

The King and the Corpse was first published in 1949 and has just been reprinted. It is a lively, humorous novel filled with engaging, larger than life characters and an amusing if fantastic plot. This is a thoroughly enjoyable book, which I recommend. It should appeal to anyone who enjoys period adventure detective fiction.
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Reviewer:  Carol Westron

Max Murray (1901-1956) began life in Australia as a bush boy. His first job was that of a reporter on a Sydney paper but after a year he set out to work his way round the world. He spent eight months in the US and later worked for the News Chronicle where he was sent to Moscow, Siberia, China, Japan, The Philippines and Australia. During the Second World War he wrote scripts for, and edited Radio Newsreel for the BBC Overseas Programme. After the war, with intervals for travel, he devoted himself primarily to writing fiction.

Carol Westron is a successful author and a Creative Writing teacher.  Her crime novels are set both in contemporary and Victorian times.  Her first book The Terminal Velocity of Cats was published in 2013. Since then, she has since written 6 further mysteries. Carol recently gave an interview to Mystery People. To read the interview click on the link below. 

https://promotingcrime.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/carol-westron.html www.carolwestron.com
http://carolwestron.blogspot.co.uk/

To read a review of Carol latest book click on the title
Death and the Dancing Snowman