Death of a Bovver Boy: A Carolus Deene Mystery

First published in 1974, the last entry in Bruce's long-running Carolus Deene series (At Death's Door, etc.) is perhaps best appreciated as a parody of the classic English murder mystery. When schoolmaster Carolus discovers the naked corpse of Kenneth "Dutch" Carver, a "born delinquent," in a ditch in the rural town of Newminster, Carolus resolves to solve the boy's murder. Carolus discovers that various groups had reason to hate Dutch, including his fellow greasers and even the decent folk of Newminster, fed up with his hijinks. Appearances can be deceiving, and if Carolus can't see past the obvious, a young girl may pay the price. Casual racism, overbearing class consciousness, police reliance on an amateur, and a busybody lead motivated more by officious curiosity and self-aggrandizement than any empathy for the victim are all dialed up to 11. Bruce was the pen name of British author Rupert Croft-Cooke (1903%E2%80%931979). (Nov.)