No Past Is Dead
| Industry | Publishing |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Books |
No Past Is Dead is a detective novel released in 1942, authored by the British writer Alfred Walter Stewart under the pseudonym J.J. Connington. This work represents the fifteenth entry in the series starring Sir Clinton Driffield, who serves as the Chief Constable of a rural county in England. The novel was issued in London by Hodder and Stoughton and in the United States by Little, Brown and Company.
Synopsis
A break-in at a countryside manor leads police to discover a corpse near the main entrance. Initially, it appears the victim was attacked by the estate owner's pet cheetah, which law enforcement then euthanizes. Sir Clinton Driffield supports the investigating officer by applying his previous familiarity with those residing on the property. It is revealed that before the cheetah inflicted harm, the victim—a widely disliked moneylender—had his throat slit. Numerous witnesses provide deceptive testimonies, and the investigation’s roots extend back to events surrounding the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake.
Critical reception
The novel received varied critiques. The New Statesman found the storyline somewhat subdued but commended its intricate alibi construction. Meanwhile, The Observer expressed enthusiasm for Sir Clinton Driffield’s return, highlighting an "engaging, tightly woven inquiry" into a murder within high society complicated by an attack from a cheetah connected to a Creole actress suffering from Jacksonian epilepsy.