In what is becoming a Christmas tradition of the blog, I am reviewing another festive issue of the Union Jack magazine, this time one published on 10th December 1927. The magazine is one of six I received in a collection called Crime at Christmas. That was published in 1974 and previously I have reviewed the first two magazines included: 12th December 1925 and 25th December 1926. The main story in each of these magazines is either written by Gwyn Evans or Edwy Searles Brooks.
In keeping with the other Union Jack issues that I have read, ‘The Affair of the Black Carol’ is a Sexton Blake tale. The story begins at Baker Street. The snow is falling, and it is four days before Christmas. As usual Tinker, Blake’s young assistant, is overflowing with enthusiasm for the big day, unlike Blake who prefers to appear more as a curmudgeon. Although reflecting upon the other Blake Christmas mysteries I have read, Sexton Blake does enjoy the festive season, but it seems to prefer to save his Christmas cheer for the 25th.
Due to Tinker’s love of all things Christmas, the initial conversation is concerned with how the pair should spend Christmas Day:
“Talking of Christmas,” continued Tinker, who was a youth with a single-track mind when an idea obsessed him, “what are we going to do about it, guv’nor – spend it quietly at home, or at one of the big hotels?”
“Christmas in a hotel, Tinker!” he echoed. “I trust I am fairly progressive, but this modern, new-fangled idea of Yuletide at a West End hotel, with jazz bands and cocktails, is to me disgusting. Christmas is essentially a private affair – where there is a reunion of old friends to yarn over old times.”
Well, that’s you told Tinker!
It’s not long until some of these old friends in question make their appearance. Splash Page, a journalist pops up to cadge a free Christmas dinner, but Ruff Hanson, an American gunman sleuth, has different ideas for his pals. Ruff is in London acting as a bodyguard to a Hollywood film magnate, Benjamin Cayterer’s, son. Cayterer has been trying to reform and clean up Hollywood, but this has made him enemies, especially one particular rival, and recently he has received threats to drop his reform bill, otherwise his son will be kidnapped. I think we can all guess what will happen later in the story…
Cayterer decides to come to the UK, and he has ‘rented from Lord Slyvester a fine old English manor house in the heart of the Dickens country in Kent […]’. He plans to reside there for three months ‘before embarking on the film production of the great novelist’s works.’ Inspector Cotts, Page, Blake, Tinker and Ruff are all invited to a Christmas party at the manor. There will be a party for the local children of the area, where they can receive a gift from Father Christmas and for the adults it will be a fancy dress occasion with a Charles Dickens character theme. Yet all is not well, as the reader is made aware that there are crooks plotting against them…
This Sexton Blake Christmas tale is not using half measures, practically throwing every festive trope at the plot, yet it does not buckle under the weight of them. Splash Page even hires a stage coach to take them to the venue, to be in keeping with their Dickens character costumes. It is interesting seeing which characters they are dressed up as, and Ruff’s bemusement at his costume choice is entertaining:
“Say, can’t you give me a line on this guy Sikes?” pleaded Ruff Hanson, as he dubiously tried on his faded felt hat. “Was he a second-story man, or a dip, or what?”
“He murdered Nancy and kidnapped Oliver Twist,” explained Splash soothingly.
Ruff picked up his nankeen trousers and scratched his head dubiously.
“I’m all of a twist myself, I guess,” he remarked. “But I’ll try anything once. Let’s go.”
Not only do we have a country house manor hosting a Christmas party, but the building itself has a ghostly legend attached to it. The Christmas theme is incorporated well into the plot as the reason why Benjamin’s son does not cry out when he is kidnapped, is because his kidnapper was dressed as Father Christmas.
I was surprised with the note of violence or potential violence which plays out in the final third of the story. I think it made for a gripping read with the tension mounting. Moreover, I love how this tension is dispelled, with a good reversal of hero expectations. The safe retrieval of the son (you knew he wasn’t going to die!) is wonderfully and comically done. I did feel like doing a little cheer. The rosy ending of the story is excessive, bordering on the miraculous, but Gwyn Evans gets away with it.
This issue of the Union Jack also included a section called: ‘Tinkers Xmas Note Book’, which is a rambling double page spread where Tinker comments on the story in a stream of consciousness fashion. He operates slightly like a standup comedian and also offers a random ghost story.
Compared to the previous issues of this magazine that I have read, there were significantly fewer extra sections, as there is only one other story and there are no true crime or non-fiction articles. ‘Dead Man’s Rock’ by Sir A. T. Quiller-Couch a.k.a. ‘Q’ is the first in a new serial that Union Jack were starting. It is described as ‘a tale of treasure – and vengeance!’ The story opens as follows:
‘My father was hounded to death by a scoundrel named Simon Colliver. He had been searching for clues which, according to the will of my grandfather, Amos Trenoweth, would reveal the hiding-place of the Great Ruby of Ceylon and other treasure, and I, Jasper Trenoweth, with naught in the world save the apparently useless clues to the treasure which my father had discovered before his death, and a burning desire for vengeance on Simon Colliver, had come to London to seek my fortunes.’
Part of this seeking involves Jasper and his friend Tom, betting everything they have in a gambling den, including one of the clues, a gold buckle clasp. Mysteriously they keep winning time after time and break the bank. Did the clasp mean something to the female croupier? The remainder of the instalment is concerned with Jasper wandering off by himself and falling in love with a young woman who happens to be singing near a river. He rescues her boat by diving into the water to retrieve it. She is a well-borne lady, and no doubt class division will try to keep them apart. And who wants to bet that Simon Colliver, or his son is engaged to her? What else do you think will happen next?
—
I am doing pretty well at working my way through my Christmas TBR pile. I only have one of my original titles left to read (reviews to follow), although a new Christmas mystery has recently entered the list…
