A Woman Named Anne by Henry Cecil
Review by Matt B. (BuffaloSavage)
This 1967 mystery hinges on adultery, not murder. The main thread is the cross-examination between widow Mrs. Anne Preston and barrister Mr. Coventry, conducted to ascertain if Anne actually committed adultery with Michael Amberley, as his unhappy wife Jane claims.
This novel entertains and amuses even though the reader might think one cross-examination doesn’t seem enough to sustain a full-length novel. What draws the reader in and keeps attention is Cecil’s crystal-clear prose. The vocabulary is simple and the dialogue believable. His humor is gently cynical as if his years on the bench, observing the antics of ordinary people, have taught him to be skeptical and tolerant and generous. Cecil has the ability to surprise in abundance. All these features make the story un-put-down-able.
In fact, however, Cecil does digress from the cross-examination. The omniscient narrator gives interesting and funny backstory on the unhappy couple and the lawyer Coventry who finds Anne’s beauty distracting. The characterization of the titular character is the glue that holds the story together; he makes us readers feel sorry for her though we – like the other characters – doubt her veracity.
A county court judge himself, Cecil gives insight into how judges think and why they “win’ virtually every exchange with attorneys. He tells why barristers, solicitors, and judges ought to be above second-guessing themselves and fate, since worrying causes coronaries and premature death. Cecil also explains aspects of the British legal system that may confuse lay observers. He also discusses the vagaries of the legal system as the reasons why we should expect justice about 75% of the time.
So, while this is not a conventional mystery novel, it still has the elements of a courtroom drama. Highly recommended.
