The name is Bond…Sexton Bond

From the Peter Haining papers, this typed manuscript  by the great researcher and expert on British comics and periodicals W.O.G. ('Bill') Lofts (1923-1997). It is interesting that Fleming got even close to writing a Sexton Blake, a bit like J.K. Rowling deciding to do a new Secret Seven adventure (actually not a bad idea..)



Sexton Blake and James Bond

I must confess that I greatly enjoyed the James Bond novels by Ian Fleming. Alas, there were only about sixteen of them as he died a premature death in 1964. Since then a number of other writers have penned them, but never read as well as the creator.

The first in 1955 was entitled 'Casino Royal' when the author an ex-M.I.5 man, certainly was authentic in every detail. The films that commenced in 1963 with 'Dr. No'*. I also greatly enjoyed, especially those featuring Sean Connery. Roger Moore his successor was just as good, though even more suitable to the Saint character, with his type of humour.

Likewise I enjoyed all the Sexton Blake stories in my younger days, as this world famous character must have entertained millions in his day, now alas seemingly put on the sideboards for quite some years. I must also admit that probably now doing so much detective work one can see the limitations in this field, by sloppy plots, as well as faulty backgrounds by some writers.

As well known, despite the myth of Leslie Charteris, Sax Rohmer, and Edgar Wallace supposed to have cut their eye-teeth early days of penning Blake yarns (records show they did not) there was once a time, when none other than Ian Fleming was contemplating writing a Sexton Blake story,

The Crazy Quilt Murders (1938)

The Crazy Quilt Murders by H.W. Sandberg (Phoenix Press N.Y. 1938)

Rare book (no copies for sale anywhere online) from the Donald Rudd collection of detective fiction. The plot is summarised thus:

When Benjamin Markley willed his nephew Sam a crazy quilt, it seemed like merely one more of his eccentrics on a par with the proviso that Markley legatees spend three days together in Sam's country cabin.

But the Markleys stopped laughing when the three days were blighted by a series of murders more puzzling than any Sam, a mystery writer by profession, had ever imagined. And the colorful crazy quilt enabled Sam to stop the murders before he himself was added to the growing list of victims… 

Everything in life must perforce follow a pattern. Life, death, the very thoughts that idle in your brain at this moment, are guided by a logical, if sometimes confusing, pattern. Witness the crazy quilt; modest or gorgeous, seemingly possessing neither rhyme nor reason, yet behold, you find in it a beginning, a body, a conclusion, the very essence of a pattern.( Sam Markley)

There appear to be collectors of Quilt and Sewing mysteries,

 Clickhare lists these:

Alias Grace by Margaret Eleanor Atwood

Broken Arrow (and more) by Lizbie Brown

The Elm Creek Novels by Jennifer Chiaverini

The Grub and Stakers Quuilt a Bee by Alisa Craig

Persian Pickle Club; Alice's Tulips by Sandra Dallas

Betsy Devonshire Series by Monica Ferris

Goose in the Pond (and more) by Earlene Fowler

Buried in Quilts by Sara Frommer

The Dead of Winter by Paula Gosling

Sew Deadly  (and more) by Jean Hager

Dark Road Home (and more) by Karen Harper

Hearts and Bones by Margret Lawerence

A Phantom Death by Annette Mahon

Sew Easy to Kill by Sarah J Mason

Stitches in Time by Barbara Michaels

Too Many Crooks Spoil the Booth (and more) by Tamar Myers

The Body in the Kelp (and more) by Katherine Hall Page

Crazy Quilt Murders by H.W. Sandberg

The Clue in the Patchwork Quilt by Margaret Sutton

The Crimsom Patch by Phoebe Atwood Taylor

A Piece of Justice by Jill Paton Walsh

Murder at the Quilt Show by Aliske Webb

A Piece of Justice by Jill Paton Welsh