The Moving Toyshop by Edmund Crispin was first published in 1946 and it’s a Gervase Fen mystery. The book was dedicated to Philip Larkin who of course was offered the post of Poet Laureate in 1984, but decided against taking up the offer. The Moving Toyshop was published just after Larkin’s first book of poetry was published, I mention this because one of the main characters in the book is a young poet.
I had a vague idea that this one had been made into a film but it seems to have been a TV series, way back in 1964, you can at least see who was in it here.
I think this is the third Gervase Fen mystery which I’ve read and although I’ve liked them all, this one is definitely my favourite. Apart from it being a good mystery it’s also a good laugh, Crispin obviously didn’t take himself too seriously. He does the bookish equivalent of an actor looking into the camera and speaking to the audience. When asked which way to go at a fork in the road he has Cadogan the young poet saying – Let’s go left, after all Gollancz is publishing this book. Obviously referring to the original publisher of the book Victor Gollancz a well known supporter of left-wing politics. There’s a lot of humour but I’m sure that for his friends there was a whole lot more in the way of in jokes.
Anyway, to the book: Richard Cadogan a young poet who has been living in London decides to have a holiday in Oxford where he had been to university. He’s looking for romance and a bit of excitement. Due to a mix up with trains he ends up having to hitch a lift there from a lorry driver and gets to Oxford late at night. He’s dropped off just outside the centre of town and passes a shop on the way to a place where he can sleep, such as one of the colleges. An awning has been left out over one of the shops and on the spur of the moment he tries the door, it’s a toyshop and the door isn’t locked. Stepping into the shop and half expecting an irate owner to come downstairs and accuse him of burglary, he has a look around, and then he trips over a body!
When he returns later with the police, there’s no body and not even a toyshop. Where the toyshop had been there is now a grocery. With the help of his friend Professor Gervase Fen he sets out to solve the mystery.
This is a great read and a good laugh too. P.D. James named The Moving Toyshop as one of the top five mystery books.
