A psychological crime novel rather than a mystery, which was a little disappointing. However Forester's prose and characters made this book a compelling read. Those readers who like this subgenre might even rate it higher! ( )

Until I picked up a few books at a second hand shop recently (including this one), I had not realised that C S Forester also wrote crime novels, though I have read a few others (The Gun; Brown on Resolution; The African Queen (another surprise!); The Ship), though I am disappointed that I am yet to be a fan of the Hornblower novels which I very much wanted to enjoy, if only because so many friends like them so much.

This is the story of a London based man (William Marble) who, in the between the wars years was financially struggling, as some many others were, and yet succumbed quickly to a reprehensible 'solution'. That 'solution' had a profound influence on him for the balance of his life, and as it ate him up, it had an adverse, indeed in some cases tragic) impact on his family (wife, son, daughter).

The book reads as if it was a stereo pumping out music, with the volume being increased up a notch each chapter. Except it is not volume but rather paranoia on the part of Marble. Marble escapes his job, but it is no escape at all.

A liaison with an expected outcome brings greater grief to the family, with an unexpected outcome for one of them.

A twist at the end brings a neat end to the tale and, in some respects, a justified one.

Another reviewer whom I respect( https://theinvisibleevent.com/2022/11/17/payment-deferred-c-s-forester/) has given this a 1 * rating and I think would give a lower rating if possible, on the basis that the actions of Marble are reprehensible. I agree with that later assessment, but I do find some value in stories (whether books or movies) that take a line of thought and carry it through its logical conclusion, to see what that is). And I place this book in that category. An example in the movie sphere is Duel, starring Dennis Weaver and s 1955 Peterbilt 281 semi trailer. have a look!

Big Ship

29 November 2022 ( )

discussed as a pair with: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2324897153

What a fascinating pair to read back to back. Payment Deferred is a very modern psychological thriller which hooks the reader in from the start: an astonishing work to come up with in the 1920s by a young man at the start of his career. The Snow Kimono might also be defined as a psychological thriller, as long and meandering as Forester's is to the point. And, again in contrast, Henshaw's novel is the first he'd written for 25 years, having a normal career after realising that there would be no money in writing for him.

I suspect that Henshaw is too clever for me. I spent too much time wondering what I was doing. Whereas CS Forester knows exactly what you are doing. Following the journey this simple question takes you on: will the murderer get away with his deed? And despite - or perhaps because of - the implications of the title, the reader is sort of barracking (in the Australian usage of the word) for the petty man who acts on this big idea.

rest here: https://alittleteaalittlechat.wordpress.com/2018/04/20/payment-deferred-by-cs-fo... ( )

discussed as a pair with: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2324897153

What a fascinating pair to read back to back. Payment Deferred is a very modern psychological thriller which hooks the reader in from the start: an astonishing work to come up with in the 1920s by a young man at the start of his career. The Snow Kimono might also be defined as a psychological thriller, as long and meandering as Forester's is to the point. And, again in contrast, Henshaw's novel is the first he'd written for 25 years, having a normal career after realising that there would be no money in writing for him.

I suspect that Henshaw is too clever for me. I spent too much time wondering what I was doing. Whereas CS Forester knows exactly what you are doing. Following the journey this simple question takes you on: will the murderer get away with his deed? And despite - or perhaps because of - the implications of the title, the reader is sort of barracking (in the Australian usage of the word) for the petty man who acts on this big idea.

rest here: https://alittleteaalittlechat.wordpress.com/2018/04/20/payment-deferred-by-cs-fo... ( )

When William Marble poisons his rich nephew, fresh off the boat from Australia, he thought his troubles were solved - but they had just begun. So states the cover of the book. William Marble is a desperate man, he is in debt and cannot see any way out of it. He is not is debt for any of the 'normal' reasons but rather he has a wife who lives slightly outside their means and so their debts have increased until he is borrowing from his fellow workers. This is a bad sign - he works in a bank yet he can't think up a solution until he kills his rich young nephew and all seems well and good. Not only does William pay off his debts but he participates in some clever insider trading enabling him to finally live in financial comfort. But what if the body is discovered? William has buried it in the back garden or rather bare patch of land - this is no secret, it is the foci of the tale. William becomes obsessed with ensuring that patch of soil is undisturbed, his habits change, in that he becomes more introverted and more obviously drunk, he reads all he can on crime and the detection of criminal activity. However, this is also a morality tale, as it shows how the one act also affects William's wife and two children sometimes for the better, often for the worse. On the back book cover, under the minimal blurb, is the warning "DO NOT READ THE LAST PAGE FIRST" or indeed don't read it until you get there. A wonderful read and one that can be reread several times as once you have made the journey, like other great mystery writers, you can reread for indepth clues. ( )