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Division Bell Mystery
Division Bell Mystery | Ellen Wilkinson
10 posts | 5 read | 1 to read
WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY MARTIN EDWARDS AND PREFACE BY RACHEL REEVES MP 'Through the double clamour of Big Ben and the shrill sound of the bell rang a revolver shot.' A financier is found shot in the House of Commons. Suspecting foul play, Robert West, a parliamentary private secretary, takes on the role of amateur sleuth. Used to turning a blind eye to covert dealings, West must now uncover the shocking secret behind the man's demise, amid distractions from the press and the dead man's enigmatic daughter. Originally published in 1932, this was the only mystery novel to be written by Ellen Wilkinson, one of the first women to be elected to Parliament. Wilkinson offers a unique insider's perspective of political scandal, replete with sharp satire.
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review
ErinSBecker
Division Bell Mystery | Ellen Wilkinson
Mehso-so

Worth reading by virtue of being written by one of the first female members of the British parliament. My enjoyment of this was mostly sociological. Writing was decent, and had a free laugh out loud lines, but the solution to "how" of the mystery was immediately obvious and the "who" entirely superfluous. For serious fans of golden age mysteries or sociology buffs only.

#readathon

ErinSBecker @swynn - another golden age mystery. Thought you might be interested. 5y
rabbitprincess I had similar thoughts about this one. 5y
swynn I am interested, though I think I'll skip this one. Thanks! 5y
ErinSBecker @swynn good call! 5y
ErinSBecker @rabbitprincess glad to find another golden age fan! 5y
25 likes5 comments
quote
ErinSBecker
Division Bell Mystery | Ellen Wilkinson

“Oissel was a tough customer, West.“
“So I've gathered. Good many enemies too, I should say?“
“Less than there might have been if so many hadn't died first,“ said Kinnaird grimly.

😆 😆 😆

blurb
ErinSBecker
Division Bell Mystery | Ellen Wilkinson

“No matter how exciting the day, the House of Commons loses all interest between the hours of 7 and 9 pm.“

This is a golden age mystery novel published in 1932 by one of the first female members of the British Parliament, Ellen Wilkinson.

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

review
Verity
The Division Bell Mystery | Ellen Wilkinson
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Pickpick

Clever and very readable, this mystery didn‘t deserve to be forgotten- especially when you realise it was written by an early female MP so it‘s jammed with insider details about the Houses of Parliament!

CarolynM Love the sound of this. Stacked. 5y
Verity @CarolynM it‘s a Parliament geeky delight - but not actually about politics - which is nice! 5y
22 likes1 stack add2 comments
blurb
Verity
The Division Bell Mystery | Ellen Wilkinson
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Aaaand on to the next one! This is from my Heffers haul today!

Lreads Nice cover artwork! 5y
22 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
shanaqui
Division Bell Mystery | Ellen Wilkinson
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Pickpick

Finished, belatedly! Once I had the time to sit down I just tore through it. @rabbitprincess

That ending part was surprisingly sad -- the mystery feels somewhat bloodless, just a puzzle, and often funny (a favourite bit circled above!) and then that ending. "He's gone home..." Annette is such a typical femme fatale in other ways, but those last couple of paragraphs were genuinely sad.

rabbitprincess It was a melancholy ending! It added some emotional heft that I wasn't expecting, because it had been so light and funny. 6y
11 likes1 comment
review
rabbitprincess
Division Bell Mystery | Ellen Wilkinson
Pickpick

I will say this is a Pick for the authenticity of details about parliamentarians' lives, the steady pace of the story, and the solidly Golden Age feel. I am not really much of a locked-room buff, and I think I read the dénouement too quickly, but the actual ending was interesting.

shanaqui I need to catch up! 😱 Last week was... certainly a week. 6y
rabbitprincess @shanaqui I hope this week is better for you! 6y
shanaqui @rabbitprincess Well, at least Eclair can't suddenly be sexually mature two weeks in a row! 😆 6y
rabbitprincess @shanaqui That would take some doing! 😆 6y
18 likes4 comments
blurb
shanaqui
Division Bell Mystery | Ellen Wilkinson

Chapter ten-ish or so. I want to be nomming this down, but the bunnies are defeating me. (They're fine, but hormones kicked in for Eclair so he now has to be kept apart from Biscuit already. So emergency new cage, lots of reorganising.)

I am rolling my eyes a bit about the very Golden Age typical reaction of West to Annette, though.

rabbitprincess Me too! Silly boy 🙄 6y
6 likes1 comment
blurb
shanaqui
Division Bell Mystery | Ellen Wilkinson

Just started tucking into this. I love the description if the author as an MP in the intro! She sounds fascinating. Not really far in enough yet for real thoughts, only chapter one. Work is busy and alas my commute is a five second walk from bed to office. @rabbitprincess

rabbitprincess She does sound fascinating! I'd love to read a book about her actual life. 6y
3 likes1 comment
quote
rabbitprincess
Division Bell Mystery | Ellen Wilkinson
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@shanaqui I've reached the end of Chapter 6. The story is going like gangbusters for me! I like murder mysteries where the murder happens right away 😁 And it's clear that Wilkinson knows her stuff about Parliament; there's a good atmosphere. The above quote is my favourite so far.

shanaqui Snerk. Sounds good! I need to finish a library book tonight, but hope to fit in starting this. :D 6y
19 likes2 comments