The Theft of the Iron Dogs

By: E. C. R. Lorac

Narrated by: David Thorpe

While hot on the heels of serial coupon-racketeer Gordon Ginner, Chief Inspector MacDonald of Scotland Yard receives word of an intriguing incident up in Lancashire – the summer cottage of local farmer Giles Hoggett has been broken into, with an assortment of seemingly random items missing which include a complete reel of salmon line, a large sack, and two iron dogs from his fireplace. What first appears as a simple break-in quickly spirals into a mystery of contested land grabs for fishing between farmers, made all the more enticing to MacDonald when a body is then found in the river – the body of Gordon Ginner. First published in 1946 and set in the fell country of Lunesdale over the course of a rainy September, The Theft of the Iron Dogs showcases Lorac’s masterful attention to detail and deep affection for both Lunesdale and its residents.

©1946 The Estate of E. C. R. Lorac (P)2023 Soundings

Another interesting Lorac

ECR Lorac was a largely forgotten author from the Golden Age until the British Library began reissuing her books. This one is another wonderful story; fairly easy to guess the villian, but the characters and setting are terrific. David Thorpe does a great job with the storytelling. Hoping more of her book are reissued and recorded.

Great Story, Well Read

At first the story seemed a bit contrived. Before too long, though, I was moving right along with the reader. Changing character accents must have been a challenge, but it didn’t feel so. I loved this mystery. Writers in the mid 20th had great command of both vocabulary and concept. Lorac had both.

Good background and characters.

Very nice. Well read. But I liked the next book in the MacDonald series even better. This one was bogged down a bit with all the discourses by diverse people who helped MacDonald to solve the case.

Great narration

excellent characters and sense of place.
evocative and humorous.
best lorac so far to me.

Love MacDonald

I wish more of ECR Lorac’s MacDonald series were on audio. I especially like David Thorpe as narrator and his portrayal of the CID, although MacDonald’s Scottish brogue is not as distinguishable as it was in the initial book narrated by David. Also, even though MacDonald doesn’t show up until a third of the way through (which is typical of most of her books); I enjoyed the back story.

The dialogue was done exceptionally well.. and books from yesteryear are better

I liked all of it...
recommend.
And remember, the older ways DID make for more intelligent populations, world-wide

An enjoyable listen

Such excellent descriptions and enjoyable characters! I feel as if I’m standing right beside them!

engaging listen

characters made real, the location lovingly portrayed, and the clues were given as revealed at the end

Likable characters

Enjoyable listen, perfect for doing housework or other brainless activities to. I always enjoy this narrator. I liked this book better than some of her others.

Well written but Unexciting

A classic English detective story set in an attractive Northern England countryside with a solid lead detective. The story was clever but it was pedestrian