Murder by the Seaside by Cecily Gayford
The Superintendent Wilson of the Coles is a very colourless Scotland Yard detective who makes appearances in most of their mysteries. This is a very brief, very short novella. He is a reasonably senior member of staff, resentful at leaving his position, and forced to go on vacation. Instead of being read on its own, it works best as an introduction to Coles’ writing.
Murder by the Seaside by Cecily Gayford
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The Coles are incredibly fascinating. Margaret Cole is most known for being a prominent socialist and founding member of the Fabian Society in the early 20th century. Her husband was a historian who was well-recognized for writing the history of the working class. He was a communist historian.
However, they quickly realized the financial potential of detective fiction and began to produce roughly a book a year for a considerable amount of time because it was a stable source of income. Much more trustworthy than, say, communist writing.
The books were co-written by them. According to rumour, they alternated between one of them doing the drafting and the other the editing. I’ve heard individuals make claims about who penned each one. Therefore, I am unsure of who was in charge of “Superintendent Wilson’s Holiday.” However, everything was published using their joint names.
It is a part of a larger collection published by Profile Books. There are several that take place around Christmas, one that is winter-themed, and another one called Murder in Midsummer which features mysteries that take place during the summer vacations.
