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Fog of Doubt

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'Fog of Doubt' by Christianna Brand revolves around the mysterious murder of Belgian Raoul Vernet, leading to a tangled web of confessions and false leads within the Evans' family and their inner circle. The plot is intricately woven, with Cockrill from Scotland Yard untangling the case amidst a thick London fog, setting up and eliminating seven suspects in a row. The writing style combines elements of emotional sentimentality with a dense plot, creating an atmosphere filled with memorable characters and red herrings.

Characters:

The characters range from memorable and relatable to eccentric and outdated, creating a diverse but sometimes inconsistent cast.

Writing/Prose:

The author's writing is both humorous and observant, effectively establishing a distinctive atmosphere and character depth.

Plot/Storyline:

The narrative revolves around interconnected characters embroiled in a murder mystery, with significant focus on two houses that add complexity to the unfolding events.

Setting:

The setting is established in foggy London, utilizing two contrasting households to enhance the narrative's tension.

Pacing:

The pacing fluctuates, with engaging starts that slow down mid-story before culminating in a rushed ending.
THE dank grey fog was like an army blanket, held pressed against the windows of the car. It seemed an age before Tedward returned from his reconnaissance, his yellow wash-leather glove looming up star...

Notes:

The story involves two very different houses each belonging to a doctor.
One house belongs to Ted Edwards, a lonely bachelor who is infatuated with Rose Birkett.
Rose, recently returned from finishing school, is secretly pregnant.
The other house is inhabited by Rose's brother, Dr. Thomas Evans, who is unaware of her pregnancy.
Thomas's wife, Matilda, is busy with their young child and housekeeping.
A dotty grandmother causes chaos by throwing furniture from windows and reminiscing about her youth.
The plot thickens with the presence of a communist organizer, Damien Jones, who wants to protect Rose.
An unexpected visitor arrives during a thick London fog, leading to a murder in the family.
Christianna Brand describes this novel as her favorite work, though it lacks the classic status of Green for Danger.
The story offers many Golden Age mystery elements and has a humorous writing style.
Brand is known for crafting complex plots with unexpected twists and a memorable cast of characters.
Inspector Cockrill returns as the central figure, solving the mystery amidst various suspects.
The book features a mix of dark themes and cozy elements typical of Miss Marple mysteries.
There are themes of emotional sentimentality intertwined with a dense plot set during World War II.
It includes a shocking ending that surprises most readers.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include themes of murder, abortion, and mental instability; these topics may be sensitive to some readers.

From The Publisher:

Inspector Cockrill is called in to solve the murder of a most unpopular BelgianFew were disappointed when Raoul Vernet was found with his head bashed in, dead in a pool of his own blood. On vacation in England, the Belgian seducer comes to visit Matilda, an old flame from a few years before. She agrees despite suspicions that Vernet has been deploying his legendary charm on another member of the family: young Rosie, who has returned from her Swiss boarding school carrying a child. None of the family members were in the house when Raoul was killed, but all were within a fog-choked London mile. Rosie calls in the brilliant Inspector Cockrill to clear the family's name, but what he finds is a twisted clan of seven people, each as likely to laugh at a murder as commit one.

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About the Author:

Christianna Brand (1907-1988) was one of the most popular authors of the Golden Age of British mystery writing. Born in Malaya and raised in India, Brand used her experience as a salesgirl as inspiration for her first novel, Death in High Heels, which she based on a fantasy of murdering an irritating coworker. The same year, she debuted her most famous character, Inspector Cockrill, whose adventures she followed until 1957. The film version of the second Cockrill mystery, Green for Danger, is considered one of the best-ever screen adaptations of a classic English mystery. Brand also found success writing children's fiction. Her Nurse Matilda series, about a grotesque nanny who tames ill-behaved children, was adapted for the screen in 2005, as Nanny McPhee. Brand received Edgar Award nominations for the short stories "Twist for Twist" and "Poison in the Cup", as well as one for her nonfiction work Heaven Knows Who. The author of more than two dozen novels, she died in 1988.

 
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