I finished this one myself only a few days ago. It's the fourth book of his that I've read and all of them have been extremely well written and also original in both structure and plot. I used to have some qualms about the surpassing ineptitude of some of his characters but that was before Trump. Now I am more able to believe that such persons can be found in positions of responsibility. Hull has the ability to make a character reveal himself in his own words by ostensibly saying one thing but allowing the reader to see an entirely different effect that I only wish more authors were able to achieve.

I have read quite a lot of Edgar Wallace over the years, including the Just Men series. Most recently I finished The Black Abbott, but I cannot say that I am in agreement with you as regards thrillers. While I have a definite preference for Golden Age mysteries, when it comes to thrillers my preference is very much for those from the modern age. I find the older ones tend to be lacking in actual thrills since the stakes usually seem to be lower and the villains not sufficiently facinorous. (A lovely word that I picked up from a Brian Flynn mystery.)

I was not impressed with the Basil Willing short stories I read in The Pleasant Assassin but this sounds much better. I've never yet read any of her novels.

I am reading my way through these but have yet to get to any of the three recommendations. I have only read the first two in the series and the third is sitting on my desk once I get finished with the Coles' novel The Murder at Crome House. After your review I might skip to The Book of the Dead. If she can rival Carr then I'm in.

I'm a huge fan of Sgt. Beef and his common sense approach to mysteries. I still have a couple of them to read. The Carolus Deene series I have read little of and am not very impressed with what I have read. Fortunately you continue to find better mysteries for me so I can read those and not need to read lesser books. It's a great time for GAD readers, what with the many, many reprints becoming so readily and cheaply available.