Classic Crime for Winter Time: Beattie Cavendish and the Highland Hideaway by Mary-Jane Riley, The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie, As If By Magic Edited by Martin Edwards

Beattie Cavendish and the Highland Hideaway By Mary-Jane Riley (Allison & Busby £22, 352pp)

Beattie Cavendish, a war hero who fought in the French Resistance, realizes he will not give up after peace is declared.

As an undercover agent posing as an administrative consultant, he is sent to an intelligence outpost in the Scottish Highlands where a suspected spy ring has accessed state secrets.

Aided by a high-powered private investigator more professionally concerned with his partner’s welfare, Beattie rekindles memories that are too raw and too close to home for comfort.

The story moves at a crunching pace, which is at its best in a narrative that slightly skips illogical twists and turns in the plot. And he likes clichés.

That said, Beattie is an intriguing character with staying power for a fascinating series.

The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie (HarperCollins £14.99, 272pp)

The extensive treatment of Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot overshadows Agatha Christie’s standalone mysteries. The Gray Horse is an example of this.

Mark Easterbrook, a young writer with a penchant for adventure, is distracted by a cafe fight between two female dropouts.

He later learns that one of the contestants, a spoiled rich girl, has apparently died of natural causes. But when his name appears on a list of prematurely reserved victims, Mark faces a criminal mastermind who offers death on demand under the guise of black magic and witchcraft.

With her customary skill, Christie charts a complex misguided path for Mark to navigate. But with the support of a clever police officer, Mark reaches the truth. This is an old Christie.

Arranged As If By Magic by Martin Edwards (British Library £10.99, 288pp)

In this jumbled bag of tricks, Edwards describes the twists and turns of events that can roughly be described as locked room mysteries, a murder without a clear perpetrator or explanation.

Long regarded as the leading exponent of the seemingly impossible crime, John Dickson Carr, his boisterous alter ego Dr. He sets the tone with Gideon Fell.

As a general rule, the shortest stories have the best value. The always reliable Michael Gilbert offers a wonderful piece on how police tenacity can lead to unexpected results. A personal favorite is The Last Meeting of the Butlers’ Club, in which former servants reminisce about famous murders committed during their service.