Lord Darcy

[scarfman]

Randall Garrett's Lord Darcy series of stories, about a detective in a world of magic instead of science, endeared itself to me when I first read it a quarter century ago because I figured out who the murderer was halfway through the first story, "The Eyes Have It". It all comes of recognizing a, or the, most significant clue when it comes along.

I also figured out the murderer halfway through the only novel-length story, Too Many Magicians - though that wasn't from any internal clue in the story.

Spoiler in the paragraph below

The murderer was the only character in the novel besides the series leads who was ever the point-of-view character in the prose. I figured it out during the swordfight.

End spoiler.

For someone who loves puns, I have a lot of those that reportedly pervade Garrett's works go right past me. In the case of Too Many Magicians it may just be because I'm not particularly an aficianado of the mystery genre and the sources of the wordplay. It's been about twenty years since I last read it, though, so I may have more of the referents this time.

Though, when I first read the novel, Lord Darcy's cousin the Marquis de London caught my attention. de London is corpulent and indolent, and I thought, "Mycroft Holmes." But Mycroft Holmes does get out a little, and de London never leaves his home and his garden. Then I realized the botany aspect was indicative of Nero Wolfe, a character I know of but only second-hand. "de London is Nero Wolfe," I realized, "and his aide Lord Bontriomphe is Archie Goodwin."

Then I thought, "Good win."

Then I thought, "Bon triomphe."

Then I had to put the book aside for five minutes while I calmed down.