''A Night of Errors'' is a 1947

detective novel Detective fiction is a subgenre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator or a detective—whether professional, amateur or retired—investigates a crime, often murder. The detective genre began around the same time as s ...

by the British writer

Michael Innes John Innes Mackintosh Stewart (30 September 1906 – 12 November 1994) was a Scottish novelist and academic. He is equally well known for the works of literary criticism and contemporary novels published under his real name and for the cri ...

. It is the eleventh in his series featuring John Appleby, recently a

Detective Inspector Inspector, also police inspector or inspector of police, is a police rank. The rank or position varies in seniority depending on the organization that uses it. Australia In Australian police forces, the rank of inspector is generally the ne ...

in the

Metropolitan Police The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), formerly and still commonly known as the Metropolitan Police (and informally as the Met Police, the Met, Scotland Yard, or the Yard), is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement and ...

but currently living in an early retirement in the English countryside. It takes the form of a

country house mystery The closed circle of suspects is a common element of detective fiction, and the subgenre that employs it can be referred to as the closed circle mystery. Less precisely, this subgenre – works with the closed circle literary device � ...

with an extremely complex plot, laced with strong elements of

farce Farce is a comedy that seeks to entertain an audience through situations that are highly exaggerated, extravagant, ridiculous, absurd, and improbable. Farce is also characterized by heavy use of physical humor; the use of deliberate absurdity o ...

common throughout the series.Sceheper p.179

Synopsis

The once wealthy Dromio family of Sherris Hall is in financial trouble and the current

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

Sir Oliver is in America. His mother throws a small dinner party inviting a near neighbour, her brother-in-law Sir Sebastian Dromio as well as her adopted daughter Lucy. When the body of Sir Oliver turns up after dinner partially burnt in the

fireplace A fireplace or hearth is a structure made of brick, stone or metal designed to contain a fire. Fireplaces are used for the relaxing ambiance they create and for heating a room. Modern fireplaces vary in heat efficiency, depending on the design. ...

in his study Inspector Hyland of the local force calls on the assistance of the famed Appleby. The case proves utterly baffling, and proves only more so as the bodies pile up. A drunken Sir Sebastian shoots Grubb the head

gardener A gardener is someone who practices gardening, either professionally or as a hobby. Description A gardener is any person involved in gardening, arguably the oldest occupation, from the hobbyist in a residential garden, the home-owner suppleme ...

, who appeared about to reveal some vital clue and then a major fire consumes much of the house in flames. The whole case seems to have its roots in another mysterious fire forty years earlier, started by the insane Sir Romeo Dromio, that apparently killed Oliver's two triplets.

References

Bibliography

* Hubin, Allen J. ''Crime Fiction, 1749-1980: A Comprehensive Bibliography''. Garland Publishing, 1984. * Reilly, John M. ''Twentieth Century Crime & Mystery Writers''. Springer, 2015. * Scheper, George L. ''Michael Innes''. Ungar, 1986. 1947 British novels British mystery novels British crime novels Novels by Michael Innes Novels set in England British detective novels Victor Gollancz Ltd books {{1940s-novel-stub