Tag: Michael Innes

Stop Press

Stop Press

by Michael Innes; audiobook read by Matt Addis (Bolinda, 2013)

originally published as “The Spider Strikes” (Dodd, Mead and Company, 1939)

Book cover: “Stop Press” by Michael Innes; audiobook read by Matt Addis (Bolinda, 2013); originally published as “The Spider Strikes” (Dodd, Mead and Company, 1939)

A triumph of sustained tedium. Innes wields a beautiful turn of phrase, yet Appleby’s only notable achievement across 17+ audiobook hours of pointless, pontificating conversations, plumping out of superfluous characters and mendacious touting of murder in the offing, is to stay awake.

Hamlet, Revenge!

Hamlet, Revenge!

by Michael Innes (Gollancz, 1937); audiobook read by Matt Addis (2015)

Book cover: “Hamlet, Revenge!” by Michael Innes (Gollancz, 1937); audiobook read by Matt Addis (2015)

Poetic and engaging. A clever, complicated mystery, rendered slightly unsatisfying by the lengthy preamble and the shifting narrative perspective. Innes has everything planned out but cannot contrive for Appleby to solve the case alone (or even with the help of Giles Gott).

Appleby Talks Again

Appleby Talks Again

by Michael Innes (Victor Gollancz, 1956)

audiobook read by Matt Addis (Brilliance Audio, 2015)

Book cover: “Appleby Talks Again” by Michael Innes (Victor Gollancz, 1956); audiobook read by Matt Addis (Brilliance Audio, 2015)

A pleasantly diverting collection of murder mystery tales. Appleby has more prominence and presence in the short form, though many of these stories give the impression of being little more than too-good-to-throw-away ideas that Innes dismissed as lacking substance for a novel.

Death at the President’s Lodging

Death at the President’s Lodging

by Michael Innes (Gollancz, 1936); audiobook read by Stephen Hogan (Audible, 2010)

Book cover: “Death at the President’s Lodging” by Michael Innes

Thoroughly ingenious if highly convoluted. Inspector Appleby makes little impression as a character but is active in investigating the murder and reflecting on possibilities. In audiobook form—a confoundedly soft recording!—the similarity between ‘Appleby’ and ‘Umpleby’ (the victim) proves rather distracting.