The Case of the Gilded Fly by Edmund Crispin: A review by Warren Bull

   

The Case of the Gilded Fly was published in 1944. Edmund Crispin is generally considered a literary mystery author. The novel makes many references to classic literature and music, most of which I did not know. I’m sure much of the wittiness and humor went over my head. Maybe that is why I did not like the book. The Case of the Gilded Fly is the first Gervase Fen mystery.

So much of reading is a matter of taste. Someone else, especially someone well versed in the classics, might enjoy the book. For me, by not introducing the main character in the prologue or the first chapter the author had me following a secondary character for most of the novel. It was sort of like trying to understand a Sherlock Holmes mystery by paying close attention to Dr. Watson. 

I found it disturbing that the murder victim’s death was nearly celebrated by the majority of the characters who compared it to drowning unwanted kittens or exterminating vermin. Even the protagonist had mixed feelings about telling the police who committed the crime and how it was done. Personally, I don’t find drowning kittens with exterminating termites or ants to be morally equivalent. In my opinion neither comes close to the immorality of killing a person.Although the woman killed was a truly awful person, I think discovering and punishing murder is part of a civilized society.

The novel was written and set when World War II was part of everyone’s life. In that war millions of people were slaughtered. The perception of a single death might well have been different back then.

I can report that the writing is well done and quite literate.  The manner of presenting the crime was fair. The method of death was ingenious. 

One of my quirks is that I rarely like books in which I do not find any character compelling. That does not mean the character has to be likeable, but I prefer having someone to root for. I will settle for having someone to root against. In this book I thought all the main characters in the novel were obnoxious in one way or another. Characters treated each other with condescension, which I did not find amusing. The Case of the Gilded Fly was not my cup of tea.