The Paton Street Case by John Bingham
Review by Matt B. (BuffaloSavage)
John Bingham’s fourth novel, The Paton Street Case (1955), was also published as Inspector Morgan’s Dilemma.
With his hard-hearted Anglo-Saxon partner Shaw, the Welsh inspector uses his Celtic intuitions as he investigates the murder of a gambler who lived a shabby double-dealing life. Sometimes Morgan’s gut feelings are spot-on but sometimes they lead him astray.
One suspect is Otto Steiner, who escaped the Nazis after a beating. The fallout of the attack, however, lingers. He’s scarred psychologically and in crisis acts unpredictably.
After questioning another person of interest, adultery is revealed, which leads to the aggrieved spouse taking irrational actions.
James Sandoe, a critic for NY Herald Tribune Book Review, described this novel as “an uncommonly compelling narrative artfully wrought and compassionately conceived.”
