The Deadly Truth by Helen McCloy is a fun read. There is the standard houseful of odd characters each with a reason to murder the hostess. Our hero is psychiatrist Dr. Basil Willing who discovers the dying woman and proceeds to track down the murderer. The only stumbling block for me is the tendancy of the characters to deliver a monologue when they finally admit to whatever guilty secret has been burdening them.

This is the second of Helen McCloys' Dr Basil Willings books I've read and the one I enjoyed the most .Its a taut little thriller set around a murder.
Basil is a psychiatrist and specialist in criminal psychology attached to the New York District Attorneys office. spending the summer in a rented beach house some 30 miles fro New York. The beach house is owned by Claudia Bethene a rich socialite who lives in the mansion nearby.Claudia is an ageing beauty rich from 2 previous husbands and now married to a wannabee author and ne'er do well. the young and handsome Mike.
She is well known for her cruel practical jokes and takes advantage of infatuated scientist Roger to steal his truth serum ,a derivative of scapolomine without the side effects. She arranges for a weekend dinner party and invites those closest to her Her husbands ex wife, Phyliss Charles the general manager of her textile factory and main source of her wealth Roger the aforementioned scientist Peggy a teenage girl with a dark secret .She also attempts to get Basil to attend but he isn't interested True to form Claudia plays one of her cruel 'jokes' administering the truth serum to her guests in cocktails then enjoying the fallout..But that evening on his way home he sees what appears to be a fire in the darkened house he stops and enters the house through the french windows and finds Claudia strangled with her emerald necklace.
The police are called and Basil is asked to assist in the enquiry..This of course he does picking up clues and piercing the wall of silence put up as the guests band together fearing for their reputations.. A convoluted plot with all the guests having motives and little or no love for Claudia .I was thrown by one of the many red herrings but really enjoyed the book. Set during WW2 and written around that time this is an old fashioned who dunnit and all the better for it.Well written with an interesting group of characters and at 190 pages a brisk tale without the padding often associated with this type of book..Would recommend it.

While visiting biochemist Roger Slater, in his laboratory at the Southerland Foundation, the eccentric and glamorous Claudia Bethune manages to get hold of an aluminium tube. The tube contains a new form of scopolamine, popular name “truth serum” because it creates a twilit state that kills the inhibitions making anyone under its effects to speak always the truth, regardless of its consequences. When Claudia leaves, Roger realises that one of the tubes is missing. Knowing Claudia, he runs off but can’t catch her up on time. Claudia, a wealthy socialite, is known for playing pranks at her wild parties, and Roger fears Claudia might turn out being dangerous with the drug in her possession. Besides, the drug belongs to the lab, and he might looses his position as a researcher if it is found he has lost one of the tubes. Roger’s worst omens come true as soon as he finds out Claudia has organised that evening a small party dinner at her place in Blessingbourne, High Hampton. She has invited a small group of friends, all them under the pretext they are the only ones she really wants to see. Before dinner is served, Claudia offers her guests a welcome cocktail of her invention which she dubs “Moment of Truth. Roger no longer has the least of doubt that Claudia took away the tube and is concerned she would have mix the drug with the drink. It is known that the drug takes effect in fifteen minutes and lasts for about three hours. After that time, you fall asleep and, on waking, you revert to your normal estate.

Coincidentally, Dr Basil Willing, a psychiatrist who occasionally acts as a medical adviser to the New York district attorney’s office, has rented a summer hut that belongs to Claudia near Blessingbourne. In fact Claudia had invited him to her dinner party, but Willing had politely excused his attendance. However, upon returning at his hut during the early hours of the morning, he believes to have seen some flames through the window of Claudia’s house and he gets close to investigate. But there’s no fire. Instead Dr Willing finds Claudia slumped at the dinning table, strangled by her own emerald necklace. When the police arrive Dr Basil Witting, for the first time in his life, finds himself among the main suspects. And the question is what dark secrets could have come to light during the party, as to have caused Claudia’s murdered?

The Deadly Truth is the third instalment in Dr Basil Willing series, the second book I have read so far, and it won’t be the last. The story is highly engaging and unfolds at a nice pace. The plot is well crafted and the writing is superb. McCloy plays fair with the reader and, simultaneously, she makes us believe that anyone may have been the murderer and she will only unveiled us the truth of what has occurred in the last pages. Even when all the clues are within sight, I must admit I wasn’t able to properly read its true meaning. And yet, it might not be that important to discover who did it, as to discover the motivation of the murderer. Dr Basil Willing character may turn out being quite anodyne and he certainly doesn’t have the personality of other fictional sleuths, but this doesn’t worried me at all. McCloy’s strengths are in her writing, the description of the characters and the settings to which she brings to life in her books, and her dialogues. Helen McCloy has been a true discovery for me this year and I’m quite convinced she will soon become one of my favourite writers. I’m already halfway through her second book The Man in the Moonlight and I have more waiting to be read soon. It is a real joy to read her books.

I have to thank Crime Classics Advance Readers Club for providing a digital copy of this book for review through NetGalley, in exchange of an honest review.

3 ½ stars really. Another Dr Basil Willing mystery, book 3 in the series. I have read the first 'Dance of Death' and was not overly enthusiastic. I enjoyed this one much more although the characters are all a bit over the top. I think this book would make a very good stage play, maybe it has already been dramatised! I did guess 'whodunit' about halfway through but then changed my end only to find out I had been correct in the end. Although, the plots, locations etc do feel rather dated, I do enjoy this sort of mystery so shall definitely be reading the other 'Willing' stories. Thanks to Netgalley.

In "The Deadly Truth," Dr. Basil Willing, a psychiatrist attached to New York City's district attorney's office, rents a summer beach house on Long Island from Claudia and Michael Bethune. Dr. Willing has managed so far to avoid attending any of the numerous parties thrown by the Bethunes at Blessingbourne, their large home. Claudia is known for her party practical jokes, which don't always end well for her guests. Dr. Roger Slater, who formerly owned Blessingbourne, is a scientist who has just developed Novopolamin, a "truth serum," and fears Claudia has stolen a vial of pills to use on her unsuspecting guests at her latest party. Doctors Willing and Slater meet by chance on Long Island and Dr. Willing gives Dr. Slater a ride to Blessingbourne where other guests have assembled. Dr. Willing has a previous engagement that evening and leaves. When returning to his beach rental in the wee hours of the morning, his car stalls near Blessingbourne and it looks like the big house is on fire. It isn't, but he does stumble upon a murder.

First copywrited in 1941, "The Deadly Truth," is an interesting country house murder with characters that you love to hate, with the exception of young Peggy Titus, who doesn't seem to be the type of person normally associated with the Bethunes. Without resorting to a new drug, Dr. Willing must discover the truth of what happened at the party to find a killer. The book is a product of its time and there are a some stereotypes and assumptions made about women and others. It is well paced and an enjoyable mystery.

The books featuring Dr. Basil Willing are a great read and really enthralling to the very end. They certainly give Agatha Christie a run for her money! The plot here is ingenious and keeps the reader guessing all along. I would love to read the entire catalogue of books by Helen McCloy. I'm definitely a big fan.

‘A butterfly in a beehive could not have looked more out of place than Claudia Bethune in the vestibule of the Southerland Foundation.’

Biochemist Roger Slater is working in his laboratory at the Southerland Foundation when Claudia Bethune drops in for a visit. She seems interested in his work:

‘Is this that truth serum you said something about last spring?’

He describes the properties of the drug: a ‘truth serum’ based on scopolamine. Shortly after she leaves, he realises that one of the tubes containing the drug is missing. He sets off in pursuit: Claudia Bethune has a reputation for playing practical jokes on her guests, and this drug has dangerous properties.

Dr Basil Willing has rented a cottage on the Bethune’s Long Island estate. He is hoping to have a vacation and has been refusing Claudia Bethune’s invitations to dinner. Wise man. Yes, Claudia Bethune has arranged a dinner party. Roger arrives in time to join the guests, but not before Claudia Bethune mixes a special cocktail.
Later, Dr Willing thinks he can see flames through the window of the Bethune house. He investigates. There is no fire, but slumped at her own dinner table, is Claudia Bethune. She has been strangled with her own emerald necklace.

Who strangled Claudia, and why? Given that she has been awful to every guest at the party, there is no shortage of suspects. Dr Willing substitutes investigation (with the full support of the local authorities) for his vacation.

This is the second Dr Willing mystery I have read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It took me a while to work out who strangled Claudia and then, of course, it seemed obvious. Ms McCloy introduces several interesting ideas into this novel: fact supports fiction and flawed humans provide any number of possibilities. Dr Willing is both observant and persistent, and I am looking forward to reading the other novels in this series. This novel was first published in 1941 and is being re-published by Agora Books.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Agora Books for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

GOOD READ, BUT NOT THE BEST OF HELEN McCLOY

It's a quite good mystery, with intriguing characters, but the plot is too complicated and not completely satisfying.
The NY psychiatrist Basil Wlling is a very interesting detective and I love McCloy's mysteries. I will continue to read other books by this author.

This was my first read of a Helen McCloy book but definitely won't be my last. It had a bit of everything in it and for me was very atmospheric. I also appreciated McCloy's descriptions of clothes and decor which made it very easy to 'see' it all. The author also knew some history of Scottish surnames, it's not everyone that realises that the name Bethune became Beaton over the years although there are still Bethunes where I live.

I'm always happy to see that another Basil Willing mystery has been republished. Excellent Golden-Age mystery with interesting clues (a stolen truth serum!), a small group of compelling suspects, and plenty of clues to the solution along with a skillful use of red herrings. I loved it.

The Deadly Truth is the third in the Dr. Basil Willing series. I have previously read Dance of Death, which is the first in the series, and was looking forward reading this one. I was not disappointed. It is a classic crime written in 1941.
The story takes place at Blessingbourne. The owner is Claudia Bethune. She is married to handsome Mike (aspiring writer). Claudia has invited guests:
Dr Roger Slater- a scientist researching a truth serum
Charles Rodney - president of Renfrew Textile Mills (majority owned by Claudia)
Phyllis Bethune - Mikes former wife
Margaret Titus - a young girl acquainted to the Bethunes

Basil Willing is renting a shack on the beach at Blessingbourne.

Claudia steals some of the truth serum from Roger Slaters lab and mix it in drinks served for her guests. This leads to murder and as Basil Willing is first at the crime scene he is helping the police.

It is a classic whodunit and I enjoyed reading it very much.

When psychiatrist Dr Basil Willing rents a cottage on Long Island for a vacation, he falls into the company of his landlady, Claudia Bethune and her friends.
But when Claudia throws a last minute dinner party with a special cocktail, Basil’s relaxing holiday takes a turn. It seems Claudia’s drink du jour has in fact been laced with a new truth serum. And as secrets begin to spill, everyone is on edge.
When morning comes, it seems there are some lasting effects to the night’s imbibing: the hostess herself is found dead at the table.
Now, all thoughts of holiday set aside, Dr Willing finds himself at the heart of the murder case. Will he be able to use his skills to untangle the lies from the truth and bring the killer to justice?

There are 5 main suspects that sat around a table with the deceased. Her husband Mike who claims to be a writer but seems to have writers block. His ex-wife Phyliss who was paid her alimony by the present Mrs Bethune. Charles Rodney, the foreman of Renfyre Textiles which belonged to Claudia's first husband and is where her money comes from. Dr Roger Slater, a scientist that sold the Bethunes his old house and with his employers discovered the "truth serum" Claudia laces the cocktails with. Finally we have Peggy, a young girl that seems out of the Bethunes league. All 5 have secrets that get blabbed on the night in question and they form a pact to not disclose what the conversations were but Dr Willing worms it out of them to unmask the killer.
Claudia Bethune is a particularly nasty woman that delights in playing jokes on people and it is hard not to feel she got what she deserved. This is her third marriage and her background and family history seems to be known to no-one. She picks foreign servants with no english so they can't eavesdrop. When she administers the truth serum to her guests she has an alterior motive rather than just pure boredom. She finds out that Mike and Phylis are still in love and are actually after her money which Charles says she no longer has because of the strike at the textiles mill. But the other confessions are not made public knowledge until the denouement but can be guessed by the discerning reader.
This was my third Dr Basil Willing book and was quite enjoyable. It is an easy to read book that does not suffer from being written back in 1941. A big thumbs up from me and I look forward to reading more Helen McCloy books in the future

The premise is an enticing one: selfish socialite Claudia Bethune appropriates a vial of experimental truth serum from the laboratory of a scientist who is infatuated with her. Her objective is a mischievous, malignant one and the cause of her undoing. At a dinner party, her carefully chosen guests are served drinks spiked with the serum, while a sober Claudia has a ringside seat to watch the fun as inhibitions are shed and secrets are revealed. But two of the revelations provide nasty jolts for the hostess, and later that evening she is found by Dr. Basil Willing at her dining room table, strangled with her own jewel-set necklace. By morning, the effects of the drug have worn off, but the guests are hesitant to describe the scene from the night before. As Dr. Willing conducts his interviews, he needs to determine whether his subjects are telling everything or hiding important truths that someone has killed to conceal.

I am always excited to celebrate the return of classic mystery authors and their books after years or decades of unavailability, and this time it is Agora Books which offers readers the first three Dr. Basil Willing titles of American novelist Helen McCloy. Hopefully there will be many more to come. The Deadly Truth is the third book in the series, first published by William Morrow and Company in 1941. While years ago I read the Crippen & Landru Publishers collection of McCloy’s short fiction, The Pleasant Assassin and other Cases (2003), I never tried one of her mystery novels until now. Truth is engaging, well plotted, and nicely paced, even as the author’s series detective proves to be a little sedate and nondescript. McCloy’s cerebral psychiatrist Dr. Willing is highly capable and keenly observant, and perhaps it is wise for the detective to be relatively featureless compared to the flamboyant cast of characters he must investigate.

McCloy builds the backstories of her victim and suspects by employing some admirable twists and turns. In addition to the ambitious and trouble-stirring Claudia Bethune, Claudia’s husband Michael has cast off his first wife, Phyllis, for the wealthier and more attractive socialite. Michael and Phyllis both attend the truth-telling party, as does financial manager Charles Rodney and aspiring debutante Peggy Titus. The secrets revealed by the guests under the influence of the serum are unpalatable indeed, and Dr. Roger Slater, who has followed Claudia from his laboratory to recover the drug she stole from him, is a witness and reluctant conspirator at the fateful dinner.

McCloy peppers The Deadly Truth with some interesting clues, even as at least one – involving proving an individual’s real or feigned deafness – carries a questionable physiological explanation. I also enjoyed identifying the differences between this New York-set 1940s murder mystery and its traditional British equivalent. For one, American genre writers of this time often (unconsciously?) replicated the patter and archetypes of the characters from a Hollywood movie, so there is a glamour and archness to dialogue and dress that you don’t find in a village like Miss Marple’s St. Mary Mead. Additionally, business and finance are often more actively incorporated into the plots of American mystery writers, who seem to enjoy exploring the minutiae of directing board motives and office appointment alibis more than their British counterparts. (See Rex Stout or Emma Lathen, e.g.) In Truth, labor strikes, stock buyouts, and cumulative assets are all avenues of investigation.

Thanks to Agora Books for starting to reprint the Basil Willing books of Helen McCloy; may there be more to come soon. I received an advance reading copy through NetGalley in exchange for a forthright review.

Dr Roger Slater has developed a new 'truth drug' which he believes friend and socialite Claudia Bethune has stolen a sample because she believes that it would be fun to use on her house guests at Blessingbourne. Dr Basil Willing is her tenant for the season, and investigates the aftermath of the dinner party with the aid of the local police.
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery with its cast of varied characters. A good addition to the series which can easily be read as a standalone story.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The third of Helen McCloy's Basil Willing novels, here reissued as part of Agora Books' enterprising Uncrowned Queens of Crime series, features beautiful prose and an intricate plot about ugly people with shallow lives. With a few exceptions, the characters are outrageously awful, self-centred and self-serving.

Again the worlds of rich socialites , big business and scientific endeavour are highlighted in a somewhat heady mix.

The plot rattles along at an involving pace with plenty of smart chat and red herring to keep the holidaying psychiatrist/detective hero occupied.

i found this again a good, recommendable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Agora Books for the digital review copy.

I loved this. Total escapism. A really well written golden age whodunnit set in the Hamptons, with great characterisation, a complex plot, truth serums, double cross and scandal.

This is the second Dr Basil Willing book that I've read from the republished series by Agora Books. I liked the first book, but I really enjoyed this one.

The seaside setting was very memorable and I loved all the deliciously dysfunctional characters and the experimental truth serum plot. None of the guests want their dirty secrets revealed, but which one killed to hide the truth?

A quick, entertaining read and a satisfying denouement. Just what I wanted.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a review copy in exchange for honest feedback.

Helen McCloy’s The Deadly Truth is her third book featuring Dr Basil Willing, first published in 1941. I was really lukewarm about the first book, but the second was much better and this third one maintains the standard.

Dr Willing is having a vacation (yes, I found it hard to believe too!) in a beach cottage belonging to Claudia and Mike Bethune. Claudia is not a nice lady. She’s given to vicious practical jokes and this time she’s stolen a truth serum with which she wants to lace guests’ drinks at a dinner party. We all know that the truth can hurt and it looks like maybe it hurt someone a lot as Claudia is found dead the next morning.

Although Basil has no official standing out here on the coast, he still gets drawn into the case, partly because he found the body. I was torn on that point: would local police allow someone (who should be considered a possible suspect) to roam as freely as Basil? Or would they be grateful for some professional help? I really don’t know, but am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

The mystery aspects (whodunnit and why) are good: we see why each of the suspects might have had a motive; but my delight in the novel is based upon discovering Basil is human: (a) he takes vacations; (b) he gets caught speeding; (c) he spends an evening out with a woman. The book shows us a new aspect of Basil Willing. I hope Agora publish the next book in the series soon, so I can find out whether he continues to demonstrate more aspects of his humanity.

#TheDeadlyTruth #NetGalley

First published in 1941, this is the third book in Helen McCloy’s Dr Basil Willing mystery series. Although I’ve been reading the books in order so far, it’s really not necessary and you could start anywhere. I think the first one, Dance of Death, is still my favourite but this one comes close.

The Deadly Truth begins with biochemist Roger Slater being visited in his laboratory by the glamorous Claudia Bethune and telling her about a new drug he is developing: a ‘truth serum’ based on scopolamine. After Claudia departs, Roger discovers that one of the tubes containing the drug has disappeared; aware of Claudia’s love of practical jokes and of the drug’s dangerous properties, he sets off in pursuit but, by the time he catches up with her, it’s too late. Guests are arriving at Claudia’s house for a dinner party – and are about to be served a very special cocktail.

Later that night, Dr Basil Willing, who is renting a beach hut on Claudia’s land, thinks he can see flames through the window of the Bethunes’ house and decides to investigate. It turns out there is no fire, but what he does find inside the house is just as shocking – Claudia, slumped at the table, strangled by her own emerald necklace. As the details of the dinner party begin to emerge, Basil learns that, having had their drinks spiked with the truth serum, each guest had revealed truths about themselves that they would have preferred to keep secret. Now that the effects of the drug have worn off, can Basil separate the truth from the lies and identify the murderer?

Helen McCloy’s novels all have such unusual and intriguing plots! They may seem far-fetched and unlikely at first, but really the murder in each one is just a starting point for McCloy to introduce some fascinating psychological and scientific themes and ideas; in this book, as well as the discussions of truth and lies, there’s also an interesting exploration of sound and deafness. As a New York psychiatrist, Basil Willing solves the crimes through his understanding of the human mind, looking at personalities and motives rather than spending too much time on technicalities such as alibis, and this is the kind of mystery novel I prefer. Basil does have some specialist knowledge which plays an important part in the solution of this particular mystery, but even without this knowledge the clues are there for an observant reader to pick up on. Unfortunately, I was not observant enough and allowed the red herrings McCloy drops into the story to lead me away from the correct suspect!

I think Helen McCloy is one of the best of the ‘forgotten’ crime authors I’ve discovered recently. She also seems to have been quite prolific; there are ten other Basil Willing novels and lots of standalones, so I’m looking forward to reading more of her work.

This is a very good classic crime novel from 1941, which I really enjoyed. Basil Willing is a psychiatrist working with the NY District Attorney's office. He is vacationing on Long Island at the cottage belonging to Claudia and Michael Bethune. The Bethunes like to give parties, and on this particular weekend, present are Phyllis Bethune (Michael's prior wife); Margaret Titus, a young woman; Charles Rodney, President of the Renfrew Textile Mills (Claudia is the largest share holder); and Dr. Roger Slater, who showed up at the last minute because Claudia had stolen truth pills from his lab earlier that afternoon and he wanted to get them back. However, Claudia had already put them in the mixed drinks by the time he arrived. Although Basil Willing was not at the party, he was out with a friend, and sees a light on when he is driving home. He goes to the window and sees Claudia at the table alone with face down. As he rustles a vine, he hears footsteps mounting the stairs. On getting in the room, he finds Claudia has been strangled by her emerald necklace and by time he can get it loosened, she is dead.

Although the local police come, Basil finds himself very involved with the investigation. He interviews the party goers, and finds a lot of unpalatable truths came out during dinner. The police are having their troubles, but Basil gradually gets some clues. He also wonders why someone keeps searching his cottage when he is out! As we are wondering whether the real truth of what happened will be laid bare, Willing has the guests do a reenactment of the dinner. At the end, he annouces the true murderer, and the murderer confesses.