Though I suspected the guilty party almost at once, the case involved intricacies I'd never have figured out. ( )

Lots of travel for the good detective as he attempts to solve a diamond robbery and murder. Not much in the way of suspense, just a concentration on detecting.

I enjoyed it, especially somebody running around London and getting anywhere he wished to be in a matter of minutes! ( )

This is Inspector French’s debut mystery story, written in 1925 or so. French investigates a robbery and murder of a diamond merchant in London’s Hatton Garden. His investigation takes him all around London and also to Europe: Switzerland, Spain, France and Portugal. The exciting capture of the villain takes place in Oporto, Portugal. So in addition to the whodunit, there’s also the adventure of train and ship travel to entertain the reader.

French is the narrator and star of the story. He has no “sidekick” like Holmes had Dr. Watson. His sounding boards are his wife and his superior officer back at Scotland Yard. Readers see the various suspects through French’s eyes and experiences.

The plot is engaging – not overly complicated – and moves along at a good clip. Several times French thinks he has his culprit, only to have them slip away. He is frustrated but keeps going. The resolution comes in the last chapter , with the howdunit details revealed in the following Epilogue. A satisfying conclusion to an interesting murder mystery.

Note: The eBook I read was not a British Library Crime Classic edition, so there was no Martin Edwards’ Introduction which usually appears in them. I enjoy those essays and missed having one here. ( )

This is called "inspector French's Greatest Case" but it was also the first Inspector French case, so it did not have much competition at the time. My recollection is that there are laterFrench cases I liked better. This one involves a clerk reporting finding an open safe at a diamond merchant's office --and the body of the merchant's chief clerk. ( )

This is truly a police procedural because the case is solved by shoe leather and following up each clue over period of weeks. ( )