3.5 stars

I found this Appleby, originally published in 1959, to be a bit uneven. There are times when it is delightful. I particularly appreciate the fact that often older books take for granted that the reader is intelligent.

Sir John Appleby, head of Scotland Yard, is called in when a scientist working on a critical germ warfare project goes missing. He immediately interviews the scientist's identical twin brother, a schoolmaster, who agrees to impersonate his brother at the lab to delay any concern. After a somewhat obscurely philosophical first chapter, the plot begins to roll and it's a wildly improbable ride. An enjoyable read, despite the decidedly abrupt ending. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

As a Michael Innes (J. I. M. Stewart) fan, I was thrilled with the opportunity to read this for the first time. Originally published in 1959, it is being re-published. This is a great era from which to read mysteries. Though not my favourite by this author, this book is unique and spellbinding enough to seriously consider.

This mystery primarily revolves around twin brothers, Howard and Miles. Howard is a professor and biology researcher; Miles is a headmaster. When one disappears the other is involved in finding him with Appleby who is with the police. Other characters are introduced, along with ornithology (study of birds). Parts of the story take place in a rambling manor which houses more birds than people! Howard's research is important and relates to biochemicals. So, you can imagine fascinating plot possibilities.

My rating for this book is 3,5 rounded up to a 4. The book is definitely interesting but it seemed to fall flat in spots and the characters aren't explored enough in my view. However, the brevity likely contributes. My favourite part was the beginning first few chapters. I would have loved more suspense and tension later on.

Readers who gravitate to 1950s mystery books will likely enjoy this book. It's solid but not the best representation of its era out there. Still well worth a read. And that title!

My sincere thank you to Agora Books and NetGalley! Re-publishing and bringing attention to older books is to be lauded.

Thank you Netgalley and Agora books for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

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So, I was, indeed, happily browsing through Netgalley and stumbled upon this book. I saw the cover (which was a great deal different from what is portrayed here) and was mystified by it. Me being me, I decided to check the premise and oh, my! It sounded interesting enough, and I've never heard about this type of book in my life, so I thought I'd give it a try.

As a side note, I may just suppose this book is a “newer” version than the one published before. Alas, I'm also ignorant on whether I should have read the 17 books before (although I don't think so, because it wasn't marked as it) to actually get sucked in. But well... If I had to, my bad.

Additionally, I was also incredibly excited because the main themes of the book were biological warfare, disappearances and the Cold War. The Cold War is something I've been also studying a great deal in my field so well, would there have been any losses? No, not at all.

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Anyhow, having said that its only fair to flesh out the plot of the book, isn't it? The book is about two 52-year-old identical twins. Miles is a headmaster and Howard is a bacteriologist with a fascination for birds. Anyways, one day, out of the blue, Howard disappears and so, Miles is contacted by an investigator, John Appleby.

The main problem with the brother’s disappearance was not the brother himself, but the fact that he could have in his hands an incredible dangerous weapon during this era. Unfortunate indeed...

So, what happens? Well, conveniently enough, John Appleby goes on and tells Miles about his brother’s disappearance, urging him to tell him anything that could be of use to him. After their short conversation, he proceeds to tell Miles he must cover up for his brother, so he has enough time to investigate without people noticing Howard’s disappearance.

And well, after that, we have the investigation going on... Conversations leading to clues, brooding, you know the drill...

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Anyways, this book presented itself with some interesting conversations. (concentration and destructiveness of power) My main problem alas, probably was the writing. I sometimes found myself questioning my ability to read. On top of that, I wasn't exactly keen on the characters and I might even consider it had purple prose, which is not something I enjoy.

In conclusion then, I had incredibly high expectations for this book. 1) Because I'd never heard a similar premise, 2) The time period, 3) The title!! and 4) the setting.

I really do hope, however, that someone comes to enjoy it and cherish it. It definitely wasn't something for me, but it might be for someone else.