Nemesis at Raynham Parva
| Industry | Publishing |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Books |
Nemesis at Raynham Parva is a 1929 detective novel authored by British writer Alfred Walter Stewart under the pen name J.J. Connington. This work represents the fifth entry in a collection of seventeen novels featuring the Golden Age detective Sir Clinton Driffield. In the United States, the book was released by Little, Brown and Company under the title Grim Vengeance.
As a quintessential example of the Country house mystery genre prevalent between the world wars, this narrative is distinctive for depicting Sir Clinton momentarily stepping beyond legal limits. Following this, Connington introduced a fresh protagonist, Superintendent Ross, in his subsequent two novels before bringing back Sir Clinton in The Boathouse Riddle (1931). In that later story, earlier developments are disregarded, and Driffield adopts a more restrained demeanor. The author himself later described this particular novel as "rather a poor one."
Synopsis
Having stepped down from his role as Chief Constable, Sir Clinton travels to Raynham Parva to visit his widowed sister’s leased estate. He discovers that his niece has married Vicente Francia, an Argentine national, instead of her former fiancé Rex. Francia intends to depart for Buenos Aires with her and three English companions within six weeks.
Sir Clinton collaborates with local Sergeant Ledbury on probing a suspicious automobile accident that resulted in the death of one of Francia’s South American business partners. His investigation reveals that the incident was a cleverly disguised homicide. Another Argentine figure, Dr. Roca—an agent of the League of Nations combating human trafficking—resides nearby and is believed to be tracking the criminal group.
When Dr. Roca is discovered shot near an ancient megalithic monument, Sir Clinton deduces that Francia is engaged in smuggling women into white slavery across the Atlantic. Confronted with the dilemma of whether to reveal Francia’s crimes in England or South America to safeguard his niece’s honor, Sir Clinton ultimately becomes involved in Francia’s murder at Raynham Parva. Meanwhile, Sergeant Ledbury is diverted by misleading clues.
Bibliography
- Barzun, Jacques & Taylor, Wendell Hertig. A Catalogue of Crime. Harper & Row, 1989.
- Evans, Curtis. Masters of the "Humdrum" Mystery: Cecil John Charles Street, Freeman Wills Crofts, Alfred Walter Stewart and the British Detective Novel, 1920-1961. McFarland, 2014.
- Hubin, Allen J. Crime Fiction, 1749-1980: A Comprehensive Bibliography. Garland Publishing, 1984.
- Murphy, Bruce F. The Encyclopedia of Murder and Mystery. Springer, 1999.
- Reilly, John M. Twentieth Century Crime & Mystery Writers. Springer, 2015.