The Murder of my Aunt by Richard Hull is one of those reprinted books by the British Library that have such excellent covers and informative introductions about the author and their works. It was originally published in 1934 and obviously displays some of the classism and racism which existed at the time but there isn’t that much in this story and it can easily be overlooked.
Edward is an obnoxious young man who lives with his Aunt Mildred in a small Welsh town. He thinks that she is unsophisticated and that the town is unacceptable but he is constrained by lack of money and a dependency on his aunt’s finances and possible legacy. He hates the country, the people and his life. The book is written from his point of view as he tries to overcome the social disadvantages of his position and his dependence on his aunt who he eventually makes the decision to murder. Edward is a narrator with no self-awareness and he is oblivious to the fact that the people he despises find him a figure of fun, although this is very obvious to the reader.
This is a mystery story without any mystery and without any police officers involved and is, therefore, more of a novel about people. I thought that it was brilliantly done. The writing was witty and the characters felt very realistic. There is a lovely twist at the end which experienced readers of crime fiction will see coming but which is still very satisfying. I really enjoyed this story.
Anne Is Reading 