Here we have the second volume of Solar Pons stories by Basil Copper: The Further Adventures of Solar Pons.
It first appeared in 1979 as volume 9 in the Pinnacle series, and was reprinted in 2017 by PS Publishing and edited by Stephen Jones in the definitive edition. Three of these stories appeared in the Pinnacle edition.
However, “The Baffled Baron” is the restored version that first saw print in The Final Cases from Sarob Press in 2007. The original published version, “The Defeated Doctor,” can be found in the Solar Pons Companion. The titles are different, as Copper originally planned for Baron Kroll to be the villain, but it was suggested he change it to Dr. Fu Manchu, which lead to a title change. But I have a problem with that as in Derleth’s use of Fu Manchu, Pons didn’t oppose him. So we get the villian as originally planned, which is better.
Pons and Dr. Parker are on vacation in Bath when they are pulled into “The Adventure of the Shaft of Death.” A scholarly man approaches them about events at his estate, built by his grandfather. A series of bizarre thefts and break-ins culminated in the death of an ex-con at the mausoleum that holds the bodies of his grandfather and grandmother. What is this all about? Who killed the ex-con, and was he behind the thefts or someone else? Can Pons solve it before anything else happens?
Inspector Jamison brings “The Adventure of the Baffled Baron” to Pons. A celebrated sculpter is found dead in his studio. He has been beaten to death with one of his own mallets, which could only have been done by a large man. But who did it and why? Was it a rival sculpter, who is the right size? Or was it someone else? Complicating thing is we learn the sculpter had rented out his house that is next to the studio, as well as the garage and storage room below it. And how does the Baron tie to this?
In “The Adventure of the Surrey Sadist,” Pons is approached by a young man who is close to a nervous breakdown. He apparently is being haunted by his deceased, estranged parents! He had had a falling out with his parents over career and marriage, and was disinherited. Sadly they passed before they could reconcile. Now he is seeing their spectors, and had received a message written by his father! But if ghosts don’t exist, there is a human element behind this all. Can Pons figure out the who and why before things go too far?
Bancroft Pons brings in “The Adventure of the Missing Student” this time. An associate of Bancroft’s has been receiving messages about his kidnapped son, including severed fingers! Except that he has no son! What is going on? Has a kidnapping really occured, or is it something else? Will Pons be able to get to the bottom of things, and if someone has been kidnapped, rescue them before things get worse?
While all the stories are enjoyable, I found that at times Pons poking fun at Parker’s inability to notice things go a little too far at times. I wish Copper had dialed it down a little. It is nice that Copper made use of Baron Kroll, though he doesn’t himself appear.
We now move on to the next Solar Pons collection, the third of the August Derleth Pons collections.
