The Naturalist at Law | R. Austin Freeman | A Bitesized Audiobook
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- Опубліковано 27 січ 2022
- When a man's body is found drowned in a shallow ditch, it seems a clear case of suicide. But there are several puzzling features: why did he travel miles from home from an area where he was unknown, and how did he get there? Dr. John Thorndyke is asked by the man's brother to investigate, and he soon becomes convinced there is more to the case than meets the eye...
A new, original recording of a classic public domain text, read and performed by Simon Stanhope for Bitesized Audio.
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Richard Austin Freeman (1862-1943) was born in London and trained in medicine at the Middlesex Hospital. After a spell as a house surgeon, he joined the Colonial Service and spent some years working in Africa. He was invalided home with blackwater fever in 1891. Returning to London he worked as an ear, nose and throat specialist, as well as in general practice and, for a time, as Medical Officer at Holloway Prison. He began writing fiction in the early 1900s, initially under the pseudonym "Clifford Ashdown", including the Romney Pringle stories which were serialised in Cassell's Magazine in 1902. Five years later, under his own name, he wrote 'The Red Thumb Mark', the novel which introduced the character of Dr. John Thorndyke.
Thorndyke is a self-described "medical jurispractitioner", having given up practice as a medical doctor to train in the law, and established himself as what is now known as a forensic scientist. He is accompanied in his investigations by his friend and colleague Dr. Christopher Jervis, who narrates the adventures. Of all the many "rivals" to Sherlock Holmes who appeared in fiction at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the Thorndyke and Jervis partnership is perhaps the closest parallel to the world of Holmes and Watson. The similarities are underscored both by the original illustrators who depicted Thorndyke very much in the mould of Holmes and also by the casting of John Neville as Thorndyke in a 1971 television adaptation of one of his adventures (Neville played Holmes in the 1965 film 'A Study in Terror', as well as on stage in William Gillette's play). Making his first appearance four years after Holmes's 1903 retirement to Sussex to keep bees, Thorndyke takes on the mantle of Holmes for the next generation, and with his medico-legal training is well equipped for the modern scientific advances of the new century. He appeared in 21 novels and 40 short stories between 1907 and 1942.
Freeman continued writing throughout his career, despite suffering the onset of Parkinson's disease in later life. He briefly paused his output at the start of the second world war in 1939 - before resuming writing in an air raid shelter in his garden. He died aged 81 at his home in Gravesend, Kent, in September 1943.
'The Naturalist at Law' was first printed in Flynn's Weekly, a popular pulp magazine, on 11 December 1926. It later appeared in book form in the compilation volume 'The Famous Cases of Dr. Thorndyke', published in 1929.
Recording © Bitesized Audio 2022. - Розваги
![ОРБАН приехал к ПУТИНУ и "отчитался" о поездке в Киев 😁 [Пародия]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/_0ukDovOWq8/mqdefault.jpg)
If you enjoyed this story, you may enjoy 'The Aluminium Dagger', also featuring Dr. Thorndyke: ua-cam.com/video/14WL6ujQP-0/v-deo.html
More vintage detective stories from the Victorian and Edwardian eras can be found in the "Rivals of Sherlock Holmes" playlist on this channel:
ua-cam.com/play/PLi95qAoufCZL5tiXECltwXUI2QDDFrDHD.html
The Buckinghamshire connection was that established?
@Mavis Emberson Do you mean what was the Buckinghamshire connection in the story, or was the author connected to Buckinghamshire? So far as I'm aware Freeman had no particular connection to Buckinghamshire, he was born in London and died in Kent. In the actual story [Spoiler alert for anyone who hasn't listened yet] the only connection is that the murderers brought the victim many miles away from where they killed him (in Essex) in an attempt to throw the authorities off the scent. I don't think the perpetrators had any connection with Buckinghamshire. I hope that helps!
Not that I have missed any of your uploads but I appreciate this nudge to go back & listen to one’s with the same characters. 😊
BBC had a TV series of Thorndyke in 1964 which i recall watching. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorndyke_(TV_series)
@@john-r-edge Unfortunately only the pilot (from the series 'Detective') still exists.
Here's a clip....
ua-cam.com/video/LxI5MJWKCyA/v-deo.html
I'm a biologist, and knew nearly from the outset where all that was headed. Nature has much to say to those as will listen.
Yes indeed. It's interesting (I think) to see how primitive forensic science was at the time this story was written. No doubt modern methods would have exposed the criminal's methods even before the inquest, but the authorities in this story seem by our standards to have been very slapdash...
I keep various types of duckweed in my aquarium so I also knew where it was going. Got so excited to hear duckweed get brought up, then I started wondering which species lol.
i was fascinated by the biological evidence, as i had no idea there were so many kinds of botanical pond life. the little shell evidence was obvious to me. now i want to know all the kinds of plants which grow in fresh water ponds. observation i’ve had, but not the intricacies of plant life. thanks for mentioning this stuff. 😊🌿🌱🌿🌱
Forensics has come a long way, as far as who is listened to, since 1900s for sure! I love that evidence from forensically qualified entomologists and botanists is commonplace now.
Simon always delivers. Listen to all his stories to fall asleep to. I really hope people appreciate all of the work that goes into bringing us just one of these. Simon makes it look, or maybe sound, easy. However, listen to some of the very valiant efforts, it has to be said, of some other channels and you will realise that it is anything but. Simon is gifted with his voice, of course, but there's much more to it than that. I absolutely love some of the older and better BBC stuff. But this is a one man show. He deserves all our applause. His is the only subscription that I have notification alerts for, for the simple reason that it delivers consistent listening pleasure. And he does it, lest we forget, whether we can afford to pay for it, or even buy him a coffee. Good luck trying that out with the BBC! Thank you, Simon.
Thank you so much Michael, I'm touched. I really appreciate your support. All best wishes to you
Hear hear 👏
@@BitesizedAudio I've been a ghost story lover for many years, so I naturally gravitate toward the Victorian ghost stories( all 43 of them)!! I too enjoy not only your voice, but your range of characters. The many works by M.R.James, Amelia B. Edward's, Ms.Croker etc. God Bless YOU dear!!!
@Gloria Hinds Thank you! I'm glad to let you know I have a new ghost story coming up next, a real Edwardian classic by A. C. Benson (brother of E. F.) - I'm part way through the edit at the moment, hoping it'll be ready for upload by early(ish) next week...
I quite enjoy listening to him INSTEAD of the BBC, at times.
Cheers Simon, et al
Excellent reading of a story with limited "The wrong kind of duckweed" scope. Reminds me of the New Yorker cartoon. A snob says to another, at a cocktail party, "Watch how I work the conversation round to my own narrow area of expertise."
Love Quotes
I heard someone talking about how this type of wandering story was out of fashion.
I'm so glad storytellers like you still put out this kind of content.
It was a delightful tale.
I can't read well anymore (vision) and really miss it. But it has opened up a whole world of listening to great stories by wonderful story tellers like you
Thank you
Thank you for your lovely comment, I'm so glad to know that. Best wishes
I also no longer read many books b/c it's so hard on my eyes & I never read from a computer screen ... too much stress on me eyes👀
I developed cataracts and discovered audio books, since I had UA-cam and it was free. Even though I had successful surgery I have actually begun listening even more. It takes me back to Saturday afternoons in my grandmother's kitchen when she listened to radio dramas while doing the weeks cooking prep.
As we are expecting about 40 centimetres of snow…this is a much appreciated thing to snuggle down with! Many thanks for all the hard work. 🙏
Gosh, 40cm is quite a lot... at least where I'm from! Stay warm, I hope you enjoy listening
Am listening on a hot august day, pottering in my garden.....
That was a totally absorbing story Simon. Truly fascinating! Thank You as always
Wonderful, glad to know you enjoyed it. Thanks Carol
Simon, your accents are marvelous & love the detective plots! You are such a gifted narrator. Long time fan from SW Missouri 🇺🇸 ❤️
Thank you! Much as I love Holmes, Dr. John Thorndyke is the definitive scientific detective.
Indeed, although it's slightly unfair to compare them in a way, as Holmes is a whole generation earlier, Thorndyke only came onto the scene (in the "real" time of the stories, as opposed to the publication date) some four years after Holmes had retired to Sussex to keep bees - no doubt the rapid scientific advances of those years would have proved very useful to Holmes had he continued in practice!
The Aluminium Dagger didn't quite quite catch me, but this! Went on to read all the Thorndyke stories I could find :) Thank You for this excellent reading and introducing me to R. Austin Freeman :)
Marvelous! Enjoying every second of this wonderful reading of an outstanding R. Austin Freeman story!!
Thanks David, glad to know you enjoyed it!
Wonderful as always Simon.
I love that you give us a biography of the author in the description. While listening to this I was impressed by the "CSI" action of Dr. Thorndyke. Then I read Freeman's bio in the description and it all made sense. Would love to hear more from him in the future.😊
So glad to know my notes are useful! He's certainly on my list to return in the future...
Me too
The one thing I would wish to see on this channel is a playlist of heartwarming dramas, like "A Shoebox of Snow" and "Apple Blossom Afternoon," both of which aired on the BBC channel. More like those. A lot of audio channels do mystery/detective and ghost/horror stories, but I feel sorely in need of a smile now and then and reassurance that the click-bait garbage on the daily news isn't really what life is all about.
That was really good! Very much enjoyed it! I’m loving these detective stories more & more! Thank you so much Simon!🙏🌟🦋
Hello dear Maria.
Sending you hugs.
I’m trying to figure out how to get an email address to you so we can chat… in the mean time I’m sending sunshine 💛🌞🌻🌻💛
@@auntyJanette Hello Angel girl, Right back at you multiplied! Lovely to hear from you! Makes my day even better!!!🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
@Maria Meere Excellent, I'm so glad to know that, thank you Maria. Also, glad to see your comment got through today! The next upload will be another ghost story, but I've many more detective stories in the pipeline as well...
@@BitesizedAudio Great to hear! And I know you’re working on the very original ghost hunters and the rest of the seven episodes of miss Brooke....(Catherine Louisa) I think it was in total! Love that series! And your ghost stories!!!! I find myself going back and listening to some of the stories again because you always hear something new! Everything is worth at least a second listen listening! Many thanks and blessings!🤍🌟🌟🤍
I couldn’t wait until bedtime to listen!
Thanks for listening Lisa!
You are just amazing , loved this cannot wait for the next one I just love your voice 👍👍👍
Dude has the best reading voice and inflection/emphasis I've ever heard. Truly a cut above the rest. Really helps sell the story and paint a picture in your mind
Been subbed for like 6 months now and im still impressed with every new upload
@carrie-ann and @Bruce The Snoose Thank you both! Very kind
Really looked forward to listening to this and Simon’s marvellous treacley tones 😃👍
@The Last Sausage Thank you! 😊
Have been thoroughly looking forward to this and really enjoyed it, thank you Simon! Freeman is one of quite a few authors I hadn't previously known about prior to listening to your channel, very much appreciated 📖
That's lovely to hear, thanks for listening Binkie!
Dr. John Thorndyke is my favorite detective; as smart as Sherlock Holmes, but not such a jerk.
Precisely
I can't get enough of your stories. It was an excellent day when I found you. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Thank you so much, Simon! I hadn't come across this before and found it most enjoyable- I do hope you will record more Thorndyke stories.
I'm sure I will! Thanks Susan
It is such a treat to hear such delightful prose ( well read !) . Even in the more high brow broadsheets it is rare to come across such fine writing .
Excellant story thank you. Very well done.
Thanks Patty. Lovely to hear from you, I hope you're well
Bite sized audio classics are my go-to commuting companion on the LIRR. Thank you 🙏
Glad to know that, thanks for listening!
I'm not usually a fan of detective stories but this on had me hooked. Thank you for such a good reading.
Thanks for your kind feedback, I'm glad to know you enjoyed it. Next up will be another ghost story, within the next couple of weeks I hope...
That was nifty. Thank you so much.
So glad to know you enjoyed it Julia - lovely to hear from you, I hope you're well
Cracking tale. Lost count of times I’ve listened to it
Like all these wonderful works brought to life by Simon you never get tired of them
I am neither a botanist nor a detective, but I know that it would be near-impossible for an able bodied adult to commit willful suicide in shallow water until the person weighed themselves down. The worst depression in the world is no match for air hunger.
Thank you, Simon, for a good yarn.
You're welcome, thanks Tina
You could dy if it were dark and cold......
Such a clever story beautifully brought round to a very satisfying ending.
Thank you Simon (gushing) 🤗
My pleasure 😊 Thanks aunty!
I didn't know what they meant by "Bradshaw", but evidently:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradshaw%27s_Guide
Bradshaws railway journeys and a map of all the stations including the Halts. Marvellous
@Sandi Jones Yes indeed, thanks for sharing that link. Bradshaw is often mentioned in detective stories of this era, especially Sherlock Holmes. Nowadays we have websites and apps... not quite so satisfying to use, somehow!
Splendid! Thanks for helping me discover another interesting detective story author! Love this genre narrated by the one and only Simon Stanhope 🎩✨
Glad to know that. Thank you!
Thank You Simon. I listened a few weeks ago as I was going to sleep. Today I got to listen again with a sharper mind to this interesting story. As always, your narration is excellent.
Fell asleep before the end but I was really enjoying this. Thank You!
Thank you, Simon 😃 I really enjoyed the story and your narration. I am a fan of Dr John Thorndyke. I discovered him on the Internet Archive, which is another go to place. I look forward to more Bitesized books.
Glad to know that, thank you Celia
Well that was fun!!! Thank you Simon
Thanks Tammy, glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you once again 👏
You're most welcome, thanks Barbara
Again, absolutely wonderful....❤️❤️❤️❤️V.
Thank you, Simon! ❄☃
You're welcome Rosie. Is it still snowing in Michigan?
Not where I live. There is just snow on the ground. Not even windy, just cold!
You put this up on my birthday. A perfect present, as I love Dr. Thorndyke. I saved it for after the big snow storm, when I could relax and enjoy it. My cat Miss Dolly sits with me when I listen, she seems to love your voice. She rubs her cheek on my laptop. Thank you so much. I loved the shepherd's accent.
Belated Happy Birthday Angela, I hope you had a lovely day
Brilliant story! This is forensic botany
I don't fall asleep to his reading. I just try and relax, sometimes I crochet.
Wonderful. Thank you so much.
Nicely done. I love these short stories. I can listen while getting breakfast in the morning or doing chores without worrying that I won't get to the conclusion before finishing up. Thank you.
Mr. Stanhope, your voice holds my interest even when the story doesn't (not referring to this one). How did you develop your cultured, articulate reading style? How many other voices (Scottish, Irish, various British) do you have in your arsenal? Do you select stories to read because the narrative matches your narrative style well? Do you ever struggle with narration but persist because the story is so good? Sorry for so many questions.
@Cryptonite Thank you for your questions and kind comments. As to how many voice I have in my arsenal, I'm not sure... I find some much easier to pick up than others. There are indeed a few stories on my list that I'd really like to do but I'm slightly nervous about getting the accent wrong (not going to mention names in case I ever do attempt them!) So I suppose generally I do pick stories which match my own normal voice reasonably well. I do sometimes struggle with some narratives, not usually the character voices or accents, but just the style of the author... a few are hard going at times, but pay off in the end after a bit of trial and error (Le Fanu for example), whereas some authors I find trip off the tongue beautifully and recording them is a much smoother process: Conan Doyle and Amelia Edwards are two which spring immediately to mind. On the whole, I prefer reading stories told in the "first person", as opposed to third person narratives, because it gives me a central character to hold on to...
@@BitesizedAudio Thank you for your extended reply. Dry wit is often embedded in these antiquated stories and I would not be surprised if you seek out such dialogue. Gruff, skeptical coppers (which you do to perfection) are often drily humorous. British readers seem to have trouble with an American accent, and I haven't heard you attempt it. When I do hear it, I think "Do I really sound so flat and devoid of interest to an Englishman? I'd rather sound like him!"
Another excellent choice and job by Simon Stanhope. I am glad I decided to join this entertaining story time.
Thanks Sharon, much appreciated
I do appreciate the notes you write on the authors in the description section. They all seem such interesting people.
Glad to know they're of interest! Thanks @Jaq Jaq
A great reading of one of my very favourite Thorndyke short stories, thanks so much for this one!
Hopefully there will be more stories from Freeman in the future, though I am really enjoying all the early mystery tales that have been on the channel recently so will wait patiently.
If you have the time and inclination then one of the 'inverted' stories would be amazing. 'Oscar Brodski' is probably the best, though 'Percival Blands Proxy' is another excellent one. They are a bit longer, so would require more time and effort but if that isn't possible I would recommend 'The Funeral Pyre' or 'Gleanings From The Wreckage' as worthy of your consideration. 👍
@REFaust Glad to know you enjoyed it, as a Thorndyke aficionado... Thanks for the suggestions, much appreciated. It's the time rather than the inclination which is my main limitation at the moment, but I'll bear those ones in mind (I do have a few more Thorndyke short stories on my possibles list, including those two, so I hope I'll get to one or more of them again before too long...)
Most enjoyable, not heard of this collection of writings before, would love to hear another tale from the author, thank you for another relaxing reading
You're welcome Irena. So far I've done one other reading from this series, 'The Aluminium Dagger' (link below if you haven't heard it) and will certainly do more in the future ua-cam.com/video/14WL6ujQP-0/v-deo.html
A very enjoyable listen by an excellent narrator! Thank you!!
"I noticed that the deceased had some weed grasped in one hand..." 😂🌿🤪 Big thumbs up! Great channel!
Simon Stanhope you are an excellent 👌 reader of stories.🎙️🇬🇧
Thank you
Always nice to hear these clever ones again!
Odd, given the title, that nobody took their clothes off. Perhaps you recorded it in the buff as a homage, cher Simon? Naturalism aside, it was another cracking story, read with your customary finesse. A triumph! ❤
Ah -I think you're confusing naturalism with naturism...
@@susanhepburn6040 agreed.
@@Bambisgf77 It's a joke, ladies. A play on words. 😉
@Spuktastic Audio Alas no, I didn't... especially with the recent cold snap we've been experiencing! I shudder to think.... Glad you enjoyed it, thanks Bob
@@BitesizedAudio 😁 ❤
"I imagine that he discovered the existence of a gang of evil doers." Pronounced "e-vil"
Love it!!! please don’t stop doing these wonderful stories at least till I die🎉
Wonderful as always! Thank you!
Thanks Gina
You do a wonderful job reading these books and deserve many more subscribers. I really enjoy that you include the author's bio.
I'm sorry you're having trouble with You Tube and hope you have a speedy resolution.
One of your best!
Excellent story and narration!
Amazing narration!
thank you
"I see the deceased had some weed grasped in one hand" says the police sergeant .(5.08)... I hope it wasn't the illegal sort LOL . Maybe why he ended up in the ditch! Haha 😄
Thank you Sir Simon! 👑
You're welcome KiKi! Thanks so much for your support
Relisten ... one of my favorites⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Very entertaining, thank you.
What a great story, really enjoyed it. Thankyou for reading it.
What an amazing story. So vivid was the narrative that it felt that I was on the ride for the investigation. Also enjoyed the accent. Well delivered Simon.
Thank you Sarah, much appreciated!
Very enjoyable as all his readings are.
Hi Simon - r austin Freeman has many other stories and books i’d love you to read. the only ones i can find are by librivox, which, with very few exceptions, i just cannot listen to.
i really liked the scientific bent of this story. thanks much from New York. 😊🌷🌱🔬
Thanks Alexa. I definitely have more from RAF on my to-do list, I hope to get back to him before too long...
Thanks Simon, this is a great reading. I think there isn't a word wasted in Freeman's stories. Thorndyke is a similar fan of observation and deduction as Holmes, but seems more dogged. I can't imagine Thorndyke breaking off to admire the beauty of a rose, for example!
Thanks Tony, an interesting observation... I do find Freeman a drier and less lyrical writer than Doyle, but I've certainly read criticism in the past of the "rose" passage in The Naval Treaty, as being out of character for Holmes too! (It's always amused me that Holmes often berated Watson for his "poetic" narrative style, but when he eventually narrated two adventures himself in retirement his own style was virtually indistinguishable!) Anyway, glad to know you enjoyed this story, especially as I think this was one of your requests a while ago? I've had it on my list for a long time, but in fact it's only just come into public domain as of 1 January this year (published in 1926) so I had to wait!
I listened to this story years ago. By accident I left a “Dislike” not a thumbs up.
An old mistake, made on a sleepy night.
I put it right today.
UA-cam must have thought I wasn’t a fan of R Austin Freeman or Maybe I liked all Simon’s readings except this single one, where he dropped the ball 😂
Wonderful, thanks for letting me know! I do wonder sometimes how many of the dislikes are inadvertent, especially as in the analytics it looks like about half the dislikes on my videos come from subscribers... seems a bit odd to subscribe if you don't like the content! I know I've clicked dislike by accident in the past, easy to do on a small screen, but actually I've never consciously "disliked" anything, if I don't like something I just don't "Like" it, if you know what I mean!
This was a goodie. Thanks!
Glad to know you enjoyed it!
very good thank you
Wonderful reading!
Thanks Missy
hi ~ thank you for your brilliant reading! and a ripping good story, too! :) 🌷🌱🌼
wonderfully read, thank you
Thanks Noreen, appreciated
A nice afternoon listen
👍👍👍👍👍 Good story...enjoyed it much as presented by *Simon Stanhope* 😁
Thanks Miji Yoon, I recalled you were an "Aluminium Dagger" fan: glad to know you enjoyed this one
Salmon l love your voice and such good story’s thank you .
2 feet of snow coming! I hope all is well. Thank you!
Stay safe and warm PB!
That was a wild ride
Thanks.
That was an interesting mystery.
You may like to know that the comments about pondered are precisely accurate!
More Thorndyke please!
King's Evidence, indeed! Doesn't that worthy know that snitches get ditches?
Please read more Austin Freeman.
Glad to say I have another Dr Thorndyke already in the pipeline, hoping it will be ready in the coming weeks
Thank you. I love his short stories. They give such a fascinating picture of London life at the time.
I wish this was called: *The Duck Weed Murder* easier for me to remember 🤔
,,, ✨ SPLENDIFEROUS✨ ,,, THANKS FOR THE ENJOYMENT
You're welcome!
Those dash foreigners again!😉
What is the name of the television adaptation?
This particular story was never adapted for television unfortunately, but a few of the Thorndyke stories have been. There was a black and white British television series (simply entitled 'Thorndyke') in the early 1960s, but sadly all six episodes are now lost (it was then common practice to wipe the tapes after broadcast). In the early 1970s two Thorndyke cases were adapted as episodes of an anthology series called 'The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes'. The two adapted stories were 'A Message from the Deep Sea' with John Neville as Thorndyke, and 'The Moabite Cipher', in which the role was re-cast with Barrie Ingham as Thorndyke. They may be available on UA-cam - they certainly were at one point
👍👍👍👍👍
Spelt
How did the victim's door get locked if the keys were on the table inside.
That's a very good question, and I have to say it occurred to me too and I wondered why Thorndyke didn't pick up on it. However, on reflection there was an old fashioned style of lock which was operated by a Chubb key (as specified in the story) which operated in a similar way to a modern Yale-style lock - it sort of works a bit like a barn-door handle, where the key lifts a series of levers off a latch in order to open the door, but the door can be pushed (or pulled) shut and locks itself without the key. My grandmother had exactly such a lock on her front door. Of course the story doesn't go into detail on the point, but that's the only explanation I can come up with...
@@BitesizedAudio Thanks for the excellent explanation. I was thinking that it might be the case that it locked itself somehow.
Why didn't I know this writer before?
Try listening to The Uttermost Farthing by the same author. Strange but brilliant story.
💙🎙📚💙
Constitutional Catchem
A good name for the policeman
Victorian CSI 😎
It's surprising that they felt convinced a man would try to commit suicide in a roadside pond that looked as if it could be shallow. He would surely choose a place that would be easier to drown in with certainty. The mysterious death would probably more likely be due to something like a heart attack, a road accident or murder. This story is silly, but well narrated.
Thanks @B, appreciated. Yes, a few commenters have made a similar point. I think in the story it does say the ditch is four feet deep at the centre, so definitely deep enough to drown in (and only his boot is showing above the water when he's found) - but actually I think it's the relative shallowness that makes some people argue the suicide theory, i.e. to drown in such shallow water he must have really wanted to do it, otherwise he'd easily have got out...
I enjoyed the story greatly although I couldn't think why anyone would have thought the death of the man a suicide, at the very start (drowned in a shallow ditch!)
Thanks Steve. A few people have raised this point, and I can see what you mean - I think the word "ditch" does convey to us very shallow water, but IIRC the policeman in the story says the ditch is four feet deep at the centre, and only the man's boot is showing above the water when he's found. But I think the rationale used to argue the suicide theory is actually based on the relative shallowness, i.e. he must have been really determined to drown himself because otherwise he could easily have got out... Anyway, glad to know you enjoyed it - thanks for listening, and taking the time to comment!
Opps sorry l spell your name wrong Simon my apologies .
Thanks Eileen, glad to know you enjoy the stories!