''The Progress of a Crime'' is a 1960

mystery Mystery, The Mystery, Mysteries or The Mysteries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters *Mystery, a cat character in ''Emily the Strange'' Films * ''Mystery'' (2012 film), a 2012 Chinese drama film * ''Mystery'' ( ...

crime novel Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professional detective, of a crime, ...

by the British writer

Julian Symons Julian Gustave Symons (originally Gustave Julian Symons) (pronounced ''SIMM-ons''; 30 May 1912 – 19 November 1994) was a British crime writer and poet. He also wrote social and military history, biography and studies of literature. He was bor ...

.White p.360 It was awarded the 1961

Edgar Award The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America, based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), a pioneer in the genre, the awards honor the bes ...

Synopsis

Hugh Bennett, a local

reporter A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...

, sees what looks like a horrible crime taking place on a village green on

Guy Fawkes Night Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Guy Fawkes Day, Bonfire Night and Fireworks Night, is an annual commemoration observed on 5 November, primarily in Great Britain, involving bonfires and fireworks displays. Its history begins with the ev ...

. Right in front of the

bonfire A bonfire is a large and controlled outdoor fire, used either for informal disposal of burnable waste material or as part of a celebration. Etymology The earliest recorded uses of the word date back to the late 15th century, with the Catho ...

, a

publican In antiquity, publicans (Greek τελώνης ''telōnēs'' (singular); Latin ''publicanus'' (singular); ''publicani'' (plural)) were public contractors, in whose official capacity they often supplied the Roman legions and military, managed the ...

is stabbed to death by a gang of young males. However, once the case comes to court, Bennett begins to have doubts about exactly what he did witness.

References

Bibliography

* Bargainnier, Earl F. ''Twelve Englishmen of Mystery''. Popular Press, 1984. * Walsdorf, John J. & Allen, Bonnie J. ''Julian Symons: A Bibliography''. Oak Knoll Press, 1996. * White, Terry. ''Justice Denoted: The Legal Thriller in American, British, and Continental Courtroom Literature''. Praeger, 2003. 1960 British novels Novels by Julian Symons British crime novels British mystery novels British thriller novels Collins Crime Club books Novels set in England {{1960s-mystery-novel-stub