Branson (full name Henry Cecil Branson) is a new-to-me author. Looking online The Leaden Bubble is the 6th out of 7 books in the John Bent series. However, I don’t think this negatively impacted my reading of the mystery. I feel like it was one I was able to jump into without having met the series character before. The other John Bent mysteries are called: I’ll Eat You Last (1941), The Pricking Thumb (1942), Case of the Giant Killer (1944), The Fearful Passage (1945), Last Year’s Blood (1947) and Beggar’s Choice (1953).
The Online Archive of California states that Branson ‘was born in Battle Creek, Michigan in 1904, and received his B.A. from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor in 1937. He died in 1981.’ It also appears that he was in correspondence with Kenneth Millar, regarding a Civil War-set novel entitled Salisbury Plain. It would go on to be published in 1964, once Branson had made the revisions required.
The blog Mystery*File posted in 2013 a review by William F. Deeck for The Leaden Bubble, a review which I think originally came from The Mystery Fancier Vol. 10, No. 1, Winter 1988. Interestingly, this reviewer felt that the title (which came from a British poem) gave the solution away too easily. Whilst I won’t mention the title of the poem, I don’t think it is one many would recognise (it’s not as famous as Wordsworth’s ‘I wandered as Lonely as a Cloud’ or Tennyson’s ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’) so new readers going in, don’t need to worry too much.
Overall Thoughts
The novel begins with John Bent arriving as requested at the home of Matthew Gregory, in a response to a letter in which Matthew says he is greatly disturbed. The letter offers John no more details and Matthew, now dying of a stroke/embolism, is unable to provide any further information. Naturally, many readers at this point are thinking this is awfully convenient, but the question is for who?
Early on we find out a little more of John’s background:
“I don’t even know what Mr Bent does. Why should grandfather want to see him?”
“Police work. Crimes. Investigations,” her father said impatiently. “And we don’t know why he wanted to see him. That’s what we’re trying to figure out. We thought you might be able to help.”
The girl turned to look at Bent with an expression that was slightly awe-struck. “Oh, I remember you now,” she said. “Murders, and things like that.”
“Quite a few murders,” Bent agreed mildly. “Also blackmail and conspiracy and fraud. The seamy side of life in general. That’s the question for you: Why did your grandfather want an expert on blackmail, murder and so on? What was bothering him that was in my line?”
Alas though the family are seemingly clueless. Nevertheless, by the end of chapter one Matthew is dead, but John Bent has some ideas of the past and present difficulties of the family, such as Matthew’s son going through an acrimonious divorce.
Prior to his collapse, Matthew made various visits in his local area and one which piques John’s interest is a boarding house. Bent decides to move in there, to see if he can find anything that would disturb Matthew so much, he would have a stroke (as it is suggested that his final illness was brought on by stress/shock). I think that the plot moves along at a good pace and the author does a good job of putting flesh and bones, to what initially appears like a very vague case.
Regarding the fairness of Bent’s discoveries and the overall solution, I would say it is a mixed bag. Some revelations are established with proper clues, whilst there are some aspects of the solution which are flung out at the reader. However, I think the reader should pick up on the final destination of the story before they reach the end. The denouement feels hurried, and it concludes on a jarring note (something I have noticed in my reading a few times this year). Branson’s prose style is straightforward and unadorned. There is some interesting moral ambiguity not fully explored at the end of the book.
Rating: 4/5