Anything to Declare?

Rating:
Summary: Inspector French's Last Case.
Review: Six young Englishmen contribute their various skills to the realization of a clever smuggling racket. They invite holiday makers to take a yachting cruise up the River Rhine to Switzerland. While the travellers are enjoying a few days ashore, before the return journey, illegal consignments of watches are smuggled aboard. Just as immense profits seem assured, a blackmail letter is received. To the crime of smuggling the young men then add the crime of murder, but even this proves not enough to secure their safety.

Admirers of old-fashioned detective fiction containing a mix of escapism, ingenious plotting, and problem solving will welcome this reissue of "Anything To Declare?". Its publication in 1957 occurred at about the time of the author's death. Ill health had slowed Crofts' production rate. It had been five years since his previous novel appeared, and there are signs in this one, especially towards the end, that his energy was flagging. Almost every situation and every detection trick included here may be found in his earlier books. One new trick, however, appropriate to a writer with a long experience in railways, is the tracing of a suspect by checking the halves of return railway tickets collected at a railway station. It was known when and where a suspect alighted from a train, but where did he begin the journey? Because each half ticket has the place of origin printed on it, the search area is reduced, and the question is soon answered.

Freeman Wills Crofts, and his Inspector French, move into final retirement after this book.

Rating:
Summary: Inspector French's Last Case.
Review: Six young Englishmen contribute their various skills to the realization of a clever smuggling racket. They invite holiday makers to take a yachting cruise up the River Rhine to Switzerland. While the travellers are enjoying a few days ashore, before the return journey, illegal consignments of watches are smuggled aboard. Just as immense profits seem assured, a blackmail letter is received. To the crime of smuggling the young men then add the crime of murder, but even this proves not enough to secure their safety.

Admirers of old-fashioned detective fiction containing a mix of escapism, ingenious plotting, and problem solving will welcome this reissue of "Anything To Declare?". Its publication in 1957 occurred at about the time of the author's death. Ill health had slowed Crofts' production rate. It had been five years since his previous novel appeared, and there are signs in this one, especially towards the end, that his energy was flagging. Almost every situation and every detection trick included here may be found in his earlier books. One new trick, however, appropriate to a writer with a long experience in railways, is the tracing of a suspect by checking the halves of return railway tickets collected at a railway station. It was known when and where a suspect alighted from a train, but where did he begin the journey? Because each half ticket has the place of origin printed on it, the search area is reduced, and the question is soon answered.

Freeman Wills Crofts, and his Inspector French, move into final retirement after this book.