mandag den 22. november 2010

Else Fischer, Testamentet der dræbte (1958)

Stenrige, gamle Henriette Fram har besluttet sig for at ændre sit testamente, men nogen forhindrer hendes plan ved at forære hende en æske chokolader, som smager usædvanlig bittert.

Bonnie Marshall er journalist og har netop interviewet Henriette Fram om de velgørende foretagender, som kan se frem til at modtage legater, men efter dødsfaldet begynder mærkelige ting at ske. Bonnies notater forsvinder, dernæst er det selve artiklen, og på vej hjem fra avisen bliver hun udsat for et mordforsøg.

I begyndelsen er hun vis på, der ikke er nogen i hendes nærmeste familie eller omgangskreds, som vil hende ondt. Hun bor i en stor villa med sin tante, en fætter og kusine. Desuden optræder to trofaste tjenestefolk og et par tilbedere: landsretssagfører Gregers og kriminalreporteren Morten Skov. Bonnie stoler så meget på den lille, lukkede kreds af mistænkte, at hun underdriver begivenhederne for politiet i første omgang, og derfor kommer hun snart til at fremstå som en utroværdig fantast.

Som læsere af Else Fischers puslespilskrimier vil vide, er alle i huset på et tidspunkt dræbt eller under mistanke. Men bare rolig, alt ordner sig til det bedste for de gode i sidste kapitel. Her er intet nyt under solen. Jeg købte bogen brugt & billigt i en rodekasse i Thisted. 


Else Fischer, The Will that Killed (1958)
(My translation, these Danish books have not been translated into English)

Rich, old Henriette Fram has made up her mind to change her will when someone prevents her from doing it by giving her a box of chocolates which taste oddly bitter.

Journalist Bonnie Marshall has just interviewed Ms Fram about the good causes which can look forward to legacies from her, but after the death strange things begin to happen. Bonnie´s notes and her article disappear, and she is almost killed on her way home from the paper.

Bonnie is so certain that no one from her small circle of relatives or friends will cause her any harm that she does not tell the police everything from the beginning. Therefore she seems fanciful and unreliable when she really needs them.

Readers of Fischer´s puzzles will know that before or later, everybody in the house is either dead or a suspect. But don´t worry, all ends well for the good guys in the last chapter. This is a real comfort read, or perhaps a cosy mystery. I bought six old books for next to nothing in a second-hand shop, and this one kept me entertained for two-three hours.
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7 kommentarer:

Jose Ignacio Escribano sagde ...

Glad for you Dorte. Isn't it great when, almost by chance, one finds a book of this nature?

Anonym sagde ...

Dorte - Thanks for this :-). I like those "comfort books," too! Especially when one finds them unexpectedly.

Elizabeth Spann Craig sagde ...

Sounds like a great series...love the idea of the almost-murdered victim being unreliable!

Dorte H sagde ...

Jose: when I find good stuff at bargain prices, I never think twice.

Margot: they are nice to have on the shelf because you know exactly what you´ll get.

Elizabeth: well, if you didn´t wary your plots more than she did, you´d never have sold more than one or two books these days. But if you only read one a year, it doesn´t matter too much.

Anonym sagde ...

That sounds like a really fun book! A nice easy read.

Dorte H sagde ...

Judith: the good thing is that you know exactly what you get. No nasty surprises there.

Kelly sagde ...

1958 was an awfully good year.
:)