Preview of Come to Grief Summary:

Plot is the most important element in detective fiction, for the author's primary aim is to unravel the mystery that temporarily has disrupted a society's normal routine. Character is next in degree of importance. Although in most crime fiction, fully developed and individualized characters are rare; rather, certain recurring types usually comprise the cast. Thematic content normally is minimal in the genre, except for certain obvious themes propelled by the subject matter: the perennial conflict between good and evil; a facade of civilized morality concealing evil; and acquisitiveness or jealousy as a motivating force. These familiar motifs are present to a greater or lesser degree in Come to Grief and other Francis novels, with his creative variations upon them, but his stories are more theme driven than is typical of the genre.

By having as his detective and narrator as complex a figure as Halley, Francis sets up...