I always thought John Mortimer would use the Penge Bungalow Murders would be like Sherlock Holmes’ Rat of Sumatra adventure or Flashman’s US Civil War tale, but no in the autumn of his years Mortimer has decided to finally tell fans what happened during the oft-quoted triumph where Rumpole gets his defendant off alone and without a leader. My reaction was a bit similar to the one I had when I watched The Simpson’s Movie – relief it didn’t suck, and enjoyment at a solid entry into a wonderful series, though it was no masterpiece. But honestly at this stage in the game that’s a bit much to expect.
This isn’t the first full length Rumpole – from memory there was Rumpole’s Last Case, where he went to America. Like that one, Mortimer pads it out with another case (his first encounter with the Timsons which is fun), and a modern day case (Claude Erskine Brown in trouble for sexual harassment, which is not that much fun – hadn’t this story been done a few times before? Maybe it would have been better to do some story which tied back in more with the Penge Bungalow Murders). But it’s enjoyable, I enjoyed the mystery and the early romance with Hilda (including another female who Rumpole was interested in scoring). It was fun to see the Timsons and Rumpole’s old war friends.
I’d love to read more flashback Rumpoles – Rumpole at uni, in the war, with his son as a young men. With Leo McKern being irreplaceable, maybe there’s another TV series here – Rumpole as a young man. But who would play him? A young Leo McKern – good luck finding him.
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