Weight of the Evidence

I have long been a fan of Michael Innes, so I was interested to read what Harriet Devine said about him, and specifically his academic thriller The Weight of the Evidence.  We agree that he is entertaining, and that he tells a jolly good story - but I don't really find him snobbish.  Appleby (Innes' detective) has come from a very humble background - we learn in There Came Both Mist and Snow that Appleby's grandfather baked the best bread somewhere in Yorkshire, for example.  And in The Weight of the Evidence Appleby eats tripe in the station buffet, and refers to someone as a silly old snob becasue he has such limited aspirations for the provincial university.  And Innes himself taught at Leeds, Belfast and Adelaide, aparently with great success and great enjoyment.

But this is to over-burden a slight comment with too much pedantry.  The stories are the thing, and I would recommend them enthusiastically.  Some of the short stories, such as Appleby Talking are very good, and I have a special pleasure in Journeying Boy and Lament for a Maker.  The first is a wonderful psychological novel as well as a thriller of great class; the second is a dramatic and rather sinister detective story with some lovely letters and fantastic characters - the solicitor Wedderburn (who spends Christmas Day in the Library writing a study of sevententh century land tenure, in-rig and out-rig) and the sutor (cobbler) Ewan Bell, whose language is sheer delight.  He add the Scots "stammagasted" to my vocabulary, and there's plenty more like that.  And, as the title will have told you, the whole is woven round Dunbar's great dirge, Lament for the Makaris.

Sen he has all my brether tane,
He will naught let me live alane;
Of force I man his next prey be:—
        Timor Mortis conturbat me.

Since for the Death remeid is none,
Best is that we for Death dispone,
After our death that live may we:—
        Timor Mortis conturbat me.

Enjoy!

Comments

[Harriet]

Good lord yes -- those two books are wonderful. I remember them well and must now immediately get hold of them and re-read them!

[Karen]

It's a few years since I used the word 'dispone' (I had a fair grasp of 17th. century land tenure as well) - you're bringing it all back to me, or reminding me of how much I've forgotten!