When I was checking out books from the bookmobile in the early Sixties, the fellow who drove it out to our little town every Saturday allowed me to get books from the adult fiction sections even though I was only 10 years old. John Creasey was a popular author in the mystery section, and I read and enjoyed several of his novels featuring Inspector Roger West of Scotland Yard. West, nicknamed Handsome because he’s, well, handsome, stars in 43 novels published between 1942 and 1978. Since I remembered liking them and hadn’t read any in more than 60 years, I decided it was time to give the series a try again.
So when I was in Recycled Books in Denton recently, I picked up several of
them, and I just read GIVE A MAN A GUN, originally published in hardcover in
England in 1953 by Hodder & Staughton as A GUN FOR INSPECTOR WEST and
reprinted in American paperback by Berkley in 1963. That’s the copy I read in
the scan, somewhat the worse for wear because of age (as am I).
A murder has already taken place when this one opens. A pawnshop owner and dealer
in stolen merchandise has been knifed. This killing sets off a string of events
that lead to an organized campaign of violence directed against London’s police
force. Several cops are shot and killed and numerous others are wounded in gun
and knife attacks. The newspapers set up a howl about this and demand that the
police be armed. Vigilante groups form. Roger West is in charge of the effort
to get to the bottom of this and keep the violence from getting worse.
This is basically a police procedural novel, so a lot of pages are taken up
with interrogations and following suspects around, interspersed with scenes of
West’s home life. He’s married and has two young sons. For a book with a bunch
of murders in it, there’s very little action on-screen, although everything
does lead up to a satisfying slam-bang climax.
I enjoyed GIVE A MAN A GUN, but I have to admit I found it slightly
disappointing and thought it didn’t quite live up to my good memories of the
series. I think this is because the plot really just meanders along and despite
the dangers facing the characters Creasey doesn’t generate much urgency or
suspense for most of the book. As I said above, it does end well, and Roger
West is just such a likable protagonist that I want to read more about him.
Maybe this just isn’t one of the better entries in the series. I’ll certainly
read the other two I bought, and if nothing else, I’m glad to have renewed my
acquaintance with the character after all this time.
