Mystery and Crime Sprigg, C St John: Death of an Airman (1934); v1, 3 March 2022

[Pulpmeister]

C St John Sprigg took to writing detective novels and stories in the 30s, and in 1935 had converted from Catholicism to Communism. He joined the International Brigade in Spain and was killed in action in 1937.

A small number of his short stories can be found in the "Past Masters" series in this forum.

in this 1934 novel, a flying school and related air taxi service become the centre of attention when a pilot dies in a crash after spinning into the ground. Somewhat whimsical, as was all Sprigg's stories, it begins with an Australian outback bishop hoping to learn to fly, the better to serve his vast territory. It leads to an international crime syndicate and, of course, murder.

Unusually, Sprigg wrote his detective stories under his own name, and his serious philosophical and political work under the pen-name Christopher Caudwell.

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