Bring the Monkey

Bring the Monkey combines elements of crime fiction and social satire in a mystery set at Tattingwood Hall, an English country mansion. The plot centers on a murder investigation and missing jewels, with events complicated by the presence of a monkey. The narrative follows the activities of a wealthy film artist obsessed with publicity and an amateur aviator among the mansion's occupants. The presence of both American and English characters creates a backdrop for cultural observations and social commentary. The story maintains the structure of a traditional English country house mystery while incorporating unconventional elements and satirical perspectives on 1930s society. Franklin's approach to the genre blends criminal investigation with commentary on wealth, celebrity, and Anglo-American relations of the era.

There appear to be very few reader reviews available online for Bring the Monkey, with minimal discussion of this 1933 satirical mystery novel. The book seems to have fallen into relative obscurity compared to Franklin's other works. On Goodreads, the book has only a handful of ratings with an average of 3.5/5 stars. Readers noted the humor and satire of British upper-class society, though some found the plot meandering and the comedy dated. One reviewer on AbeBooks described it as "a playful departure from Franklin's usual style" while another on Goodreads felt the mystery elements were "underdeveloped compared to the social commentary." No reviews currently exist on Amazon. Ratings: Goodreads: 3.5/5 (4 ratings) Library Thing: 3.0/5 (2 ratings) The limited number of reviews makes it difficult to draw broader conclusions about reader reception of this title.

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie This closed-circle mystery set in the 1930s features upper-class characters and social observations mixed with murder investigation aboard a train.

Death in the House of Rain by Szu-Yen Lin A group of travelers becomes trapped in a mansion during a typhoon while dealing with mysterious deaths and complex social dynamics.

The Moving Toyshop by Edmund Crispin Two amateur sleuths investigate a murder in Oxford while navigating eccentric characters and British social circles of the 1930s.

Death in the Garden by Elizabeth Ironside The story shifts between 1925 and modern times to solve a country house murder involving class relations and social intrigue.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie A murder investigation unfolds at a countryside manor house with focus on the relationships and tensions between guests and residents.

🌟 The book's author Miles Franklin was actually a woman named Stella Maria Sarah Miles Franklin, who sometimes wrote under male pseudonyms to be taken more seriously in the literary world. 🌟 Franklin established Australia's most prestigious literary award, the Miles Franklin Literary Award, which has been presented annually since 1957. 🌟 The 1930s setting coincides with the "Golden Age" of detective fiction, when authors like Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers were at their peak of popularity. 🌟 While best known for her Australian-themed works like "My Brilliant Career," this book represents Franklin's rare foray into British-set fiction. 🌟 The inclusion of a monkey character was quite innovative for its time, predating the popular trend of animal sidekicks in mystery fiction by several decades.