Disclaimer: ARC provided by publisher for an honest review

An intriguing mystery with some very neat twists. The pacing was a tad too slow for me, but I can see why it needed to be that way. This is proper pen and paper mystery, no chases and no suspenses. It's about clever questioning and finding the contradictions.

A fun read for a rainy day with a good cup of tea by your side.

Slow going in the first half since the erudite Shakespearean discussions slowed down the progression of what happened and why.. Hard to get into the mystery and. get to know the characters. The final denouement dragged on.. I'm not inclined to read another of this author's books.

This book is the 17th in the John Appleby series. It was first published in 1958 and has now been reprinted by Agora Books and released on 12th December 2019.
Lewis Packford, a flamboyant Shakespearean scholar drops hints of a major literary acquisition by him. He invites a number of his colleagues to his country house to reveal his discovery.
Though Lewis is regarded as a bachelor by others, he is a secret bigamist. Just before the country house party, the two wives receive anonymous letters informing them of his double marriage and they also arrive at the country house to confront him.
At about 10.30 p.m , a shot is heard from the library of the country house and when the housekeeper rushes there, she finds Lewis dead, slumped over his desk and shot in his head with the gun lying on the floor. A message is scrawled on a postcard on the desk,”Farewell, a long farewell.”
His death is treated as a suicide by the local police especially since he has been exposed as a bigamist but his solicitor Rood thinks it is murder and tells so to John Appleby, Assistant Commissioner at Scotland Yard. Appleby decides to investigate.
Appleby finds a mixed bag of suspects. Any of the scholars and bibliophiles who make up the house party might have killed him to steal his precious literary acquisition. One of Packford's wives may have killed him in a fit of passion. And then there's Packford's younger brother who might have killed him to inherit the family home and fortune.
The plot is intricate with several eccentric and improbable characters. The dialogue is interesting and often witty. There is an entertaining midnight farce in the library. The suspense is maintained till the end. However, I found the language a bit too academic, improper for a murder mystery. Hence I rate the book as 3 stars, otherwise I would have given 4 stars.

A very intellectual mystery. Perhaps he makes jumps in inference which would escape those of us with less academic background. However, Innes still rates as a classic golden age writer, if perhaps on a lower tier than those more popular. I have a particular fondness for the erudite sentence, which you rarely find in the narrative, let alone the dialogue of novels today. It’s a pleasure to think that people once owned the English language so thoroughly, and used it to drive their minds to clever solutions to unsolvable puzzles.

A good Innes, though not a great one. The fun, as always, is to watch the author get his plot into more and more impossible convolutions, then get himself out with one additional, origami-like fold. The most attractive character, alas, is the victim, so our time with him is limited.

A country house full of eccentric scholars, a disputed suicide, bigamy and lots of Shakespearean quotations - this was a fast moving and fun mystery, with lots of unusual characters. Sir John Appleby investigates with his usual determination. As always with Michael Innes each novel manages to be different, but also a great classic crime read.

Sir John Appleby Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police is on holiday in Italy when, on the way to meet his wife in Verona, he drops in on old chum Lewis Packford, learned but eccentric Shakespearian scholar, in his picturesque rented lakeside villa where they have a pleasant meal.
On his return to England Appleby is soon attending the man’s funeral.He was found in his study having apparently shot himself, leaving a note with a Shakesperian quote beside him.
His solicitor suspects foul play, so Appleby visits Packford’s country house, peculiarly named Urchins, to find his brother is also not convinced it was suicide.
Throw in two women who have turned up claiming to be married to Packford, one an academic like him, one a barmaid, and you have a nice classic crime style plot.

If you like plenty of action this is not for you, but I enjoyed the languid pace and country house setting, with rumours of a newly found Shakespearian manuscript, a plethora of eccentric characters, a touch of light farce in the library in the middle of the night and a bit of bigamy thrown in for good measure.
A reliable, satisfying mystery from Michael Innes to pass an evening or two.
Highly recommended in my opinion.

I have been an Inspector Appleby fan since I discovered him a few years ago. I found the beginning of this mystery to be a bit slow and it took a bit of perseverance to make it through the first chapter or two. However, once the “scene was set”, so to speak, it gathered momentum and turned into a really absorbing and enjoyable book.

An acquaintance of Appleby’s has apparently committed suicide, but doubts arise, and Appleby investigates. Some surprising motives are uncovered, but are they strong enough for murder? I liked the plot, and found the characters interesting and so well developed that I had no problem keeping them straight. There’s humor in this novel, it’s subtle but it’s there, plus a somewhat surprising ending.

Reading a book by a Michael Innes makes me feel like I’m being entertained and educated at the same time. There’s something timeless about his writing. This novel is around 60 years old, but somehow it never really seemed like an old book. I enjoyed it very much.

Certainly this is one of the more readily-accessible of the Appleby books, wearing its erudition and cleverness a little more lightly than many. However a reasonable knowledge of Shakespeare will greatly enhance the casual reader's enjoyment. It is also relatively short and, after the somewhat lumbering first chapter, the plot moves along at an enjoyable pace.

The opening chapter is decidedly off-putting but is necessary to the plot, so it is worth persevering with it to reach the richer pastures beyond.. Sir John is in good form, investigating the suspect suicide of a literary scholar. There is some good characterisation and the prose style is a little simpler than usual.

A relaxing and enjoyable read which would provide an easy introduction for new readers.

Thank you to the Crime Classics Readers" Club and Agora Books for the digital review copy.

The Long Farewell is the 17th Inspector Appleby mystery by Michael Innes. First published in 1958, this reformat and re-release from Agora Books, out 12th Dec 2019, is 184 pages and available in ebook format (other editions in most other formats). Worth noting for Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book, along with most of the rest of the series, are included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.

I have been a fan of the Inspector Appleby mysteries as long as I can remember and I revisit them regularly. They're a lighthearted brand of classic British mystery with intricate plots and well defined (if archetypal) characters and the dialogue is often witty and stylish. They're self aware and not above poking good-hearted fun at everything from the class system to academia to police procedurals. They never devolve into mean-ness or ad hominem attacks and the good guys generally get their man (or woman) in the end. This one is true to form and I am not quite sure how it happened, but I don't remember having read it before.

The book has aged well, despite its 60+ years. The prose is crisp and nuanced. The language is possibly slightly more academic than modern cozies. Due diligence in reading is richly rewarded with many subtly humorous exchanges. There's a scene between Inspector Appleby and Professor Prodger which was perfect and surprised a chuckle out of me. It's lovely to read a classic, very well written, good humored, solidly British mystery.

This edition includes a very short informative author bio. The ebook format also has handy interactive links to some of Michael Innes' works. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

Four stars. A fun light read and very well written.

This was off to a slow start. I found the first chapter, with its detailed discussion of Shakespearean textual theories, a bit of a trial, even though I have some interest and background in the field. It proved, however, to be a device for setting the scene for the mystery, and the narrative soon swung into the familiar ease and rhythm of an Appleby mystery. As such it did not disappoint.

I liked the tensions created by the relationships, the need to maintain position, whether social or academic. It is a nice study in human behaviour and motivation. I also appreciate the light touch on who asks questions and who is prepared to accept the seemingly obvious explanations - very credibly managed.

There are red herrings and twists, deftly managed. Perhaps what I like most of all is the insight into social pressure of the period - why a man - or a woman- would take huge social risks, what risks might have been worth taking and why, and what moves others to conform.

I still think the first chapter could have been improved by editing - but I’m glad I persevered!

I do love a classic style murder mystery, especially when the reader is transported back to a genteel time of gentlemen detectives, knighted ones in this instance.
It took me a minute to slip into the archaic language but the rewards of stepping back in time through the pages more than made up for the discombobulation.
I was delighted at the dry humor that interspersed Sir John's investigations and loved his gentle unraveling of the situation, picking up clues even during the most innocuous conversations. The plot had twists and turns and a few red herrings which kept me turning the pages.
Many thanks to Agora Books and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy.

A well crafted and engrossing Golden Age Mystery, I found it enjoyable and it kept me hooked till the end.
I loved the description of the Garda Lake and I liked the solid mystery that kept me guessing.
The cast of characters is fleshed out and interesting and I like the Shakespeare quotes and the discussion.
The solid mystery kept me guessing till the end and it's well thought and fascinating.
I look forward to read other books by this author.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Agora Press and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Sir John Appleby, Assistant Commissioner of Scotland Yard, while vacationing in Italy, visits Lewis Packford, a friend and literary scholar. Packford hints that he may be on the threshold of a major Shakespearean find. Not long afterwards, Packford dies of a gunshot to the head and it's ruled a suicide. However, at Packford's funeral, his lawyer believes it may have been murder and urges Appleby to investigate. Appleby arrives at Packford's country home in England and finds numerous houseguests present at the time of the shooting and two Mrs. Packfords. It's up to Sir John to sort them out and get to the bottom of the mystery.

Whilst I really enjoy the writing of Michael Innes, most times it is very hard to get past the start of the books, this one is no exception. Once past the first few chapters the book snakes its way through a very intriguing mystery, with a satisfying ending if not a little shocking.
The golden age writers really know how to create mysteries and false turns.

As expected Detective Inspector Appleby triumphs in this book _ and so does Micheal Innes. The plot is unusual and different and one is only fully informed right at the end of the book. The Appleby stories are intellectual and definitely belong in the classic crime section. They deserve to be republished for new readers to find this author.

I received this book from Netgalley for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Inspector Appleby has enjoyed a lovely Italian repast with a beloved, intellectual friend when he is drawn into a murder of literary proportions.
Smart, funny at times, with literary references to enamor the most intrepid of bibliophile; this book was an immense pleasure to read.
Highly recommend this for all classic crime lovers as a gift to bookish friends.

I was given a copy of this novel by Crime Classics to read and review honestly and I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed the novel. The question I have been asking myself is when would the Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police take on a case that has already been investigated by one of his staff? The novel starts with Sir John Appleby in Italy on his way to Verona to meet his wife when he decides to break the journey and call on his friend Lewis Packford who has rented a villa for the season, the next thing he hears is that Lewis Packford is dead having committed suicide. Sir John attends the funeral of his late friend and is informed by his solicitor that he thinks it was murder and the case should be reopened. On his return to Scotland Yard Sir John requests an audience with the detective who investigated the case and he still thinks it was a case of suicide and so Sir John decides to do a bit if sleuthing himself. Real old style police procedure and very well written.

On holiday in Italy, Appleby pays a brief call on a learned acquaintance, Lewis Packford. Almost the whole chapter is taken up with this old windbag’s ‘whimsical’ conversation, which consists largely of quotations. Appleby, like Innes himself, is well up to this but I found it extremely tedious. Persevere, though, because there are clues buried here.

Back in England, Packford is found shot dead. Suicide or murder? Appleby is called in and uncovers a web of lies, scholarly rivalry and collecting shenanigans. It takes two more deaths before the case is resolved and Appleby is right, as always. This is a short book (a plus with me) and entertaining once you’ve ploughed through the first chapter.

I read this as a member of the Crime Classics Readers’ Club, thanks to Agora books.

This is an enjoyable and clever classic crime.

Sir John Appleby visits an acquaintance, Lewis Pickford, in Italy. Pickford is a scholar in Elizabethan literature. He invites Sir John for dinner, bu is very secretive about his apparent excitement. Not too long after, Sir John goes to Peckford’s funeral. He shares a cab with Peckford’s lawyer who doesn’t believe Peckford killed himself. Although a colleague had already declared it suicide, Sir John goes to Peckford’s home Urchins to do his own investigation.

There is a houseful is suspects, including two wives. The first is also a scholar, and the second is a bar maid. There is a competent housekeeper, and several other scholars, who had come for Peckford’s new discovery. Arriving after Sir John were a rich American collector, the editor of a scholarly journal, and the lawyer with the will. Sir John realizes many of those present would be interested in Peckford’s supposed Shakespeare find. After much questioning and two more deaths, Sir John tells the remaining folks what had happened and why.