The Uncollected Cases of Solar Pons (1979) by Basil Copper was the final Solar Pons volume from Pinnacle, published as their 11th volume.
I found it several years after I got the rest, and figured that was it. I got hints of further works from August Derleth and Copper, but wasn’t able to afford or to obtain them, so the next volumes I only recently obtained and am reading.
While these were the four stories in that collection, “Singular Sandwich” is the reworked version that first saw print in Recollections, which was published by Fedogan & Bremer, and “Haunted Rectory” is the reworked version that saw print in Sarob Press‘ Final Cases, though I have no idea what the differences are. As noted, I am reading the PS Publishing edition, which retitled the volume as Some Uncollected Cases of Solar Pons, Vol. 4.
A young lady comes to Pons with “The Adventure of the Haunted Rectory.” Her father, the rector of a small church, passed away suddenly a couple of years ago, apparently of fright when he saw a horrible bearded face at the window. In recent months, someone has been trying to break into the rectory. A horrible, bearded figure seems to be trying to get into it, searching through the books in the library for something. But there is never any evidence of his presence. Is he real or supernatural? Can Pons work out what is going on before it turns deadly?
Parker is horrified to find that an old friend, now an artist, is accused of murder in “The Adventure of the Singular Sandwich.” He apparently strangled his estranged wife while she sat for a portrait in a locked studio. It seems a clear open-and-shut case. But Pons takes a look at it, as there are elements that make no sense. The artist was delirious when found. And the “singular sandwich” winds up telling the whole tale.
“Murder at the Zoo” is what it sounds like. Someone is found murdered in the gorilla cage, after several strange incidents at the zoo. Pons investigates and works to clear a young zookeeper accused of releasing various animals. As with many tales, our mystery is due to deeper issues within the zoo.
Another young lady comes to Pons in “The Adventure of the Frightened Governess.” She has been engaged as a governess, but the whole affair is strange. She was engaged to be the governess of two children at a very grand estate and was promised a very high salary. One thing was they wanted candidates who were orphans and unmarried. Her two charges don’t speak English, and she is asked to wear fancy outfits and jewelery, and be out on the estate at night. And then someone tried to shoot her from a distance! Can Pons help her in this before it turns deadly?
I found the “Haunted Rectory” to be a great read, with a very interesting mystery and gothic setting. “Singular Sandwich” is a interesting take on “locked room” mystery tale, and the solution is good. I do wonder if it would have worked at the time. And “Frightened Governess” is another interest tale with a young lady at the heart of it.
Now we move on to the next Solar Pons collection from August Derleth. The next two Copper collections will be my first read of those stories.
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