Death In Ambush by Susan Gilruth – Review
By Sarah Morgan
You can hardly turn the TV on these days without being confronted by an adaptation of some crime novel or other.
Netflix is about to launch its take on Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials Mystery, while the BBC will soon be broadcasting a new version of Elizabeth George’s Inspector Lynley books.
But perhaps it’s time programme-makers looked further afield for tales to tell; at least that’s something Mark Gatiss has done during the past few years of his annual A Ghost Story for Christmas by turning to Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle, Edith Nesbitt and, in 2025, EF Benson.
So, if a producer or director is looking for something a little left-field for Christmas 2026’s schedules, I’d like to suggest Susan Gilruth’s Death in Ambush, which has recently been dusted down and republished, after decades of being out of print, by the British Library as part of its excellent Crime Classics series.
The story takes place in the days running up to December 25 in the village of Staple Green, where Liane ‘Lee’ Crauford is staying with her friends, the Sandys, and where she will eventually be joined by her husband, who’s been called away.
“Twists and turns”
It’s certainly not an uneventful trip. After meeting the locals at a drinks party thrown by the Sandys, Lee is shocked when one of them, the hugely unpopular retired judge and vintage china-collector Sir Henry Metcalfe, is found dead in very mysterious circumstances.
Scotland Yard is called in to investigate in the shape of Detective Inspector Hugh Gordon, an acquaintance of Lee’s. The fact they know each other means that she ends up being involved in finding out whodunit, although her tips and advice aren’t always welcome – or accurate.
Acclaimed author Frances Iles, when reviewing Gilruth’s work in the 1950s, described her as having “a pleasant, light touch,” which is spot-on. Although the subject matter is deadly serious, there are comedic moments, not least in Lee’s relationship with Gordon – there is some mild flirting going on and it’s clear that if she wasn’t married, they would be more than just good friends.
The characters are well-drawn and the mystery at the heart of the tale has plenty of twists and turns, while the snowy setting makes it perfect reading for this time of year; it would certainly go down well in front of a roaring fire with a glass of sherry.
Here’s hoping that the British Library rediscovers more of Gilruth’s work soon – a TV version would be the icing on the (Christmas) cake.
Death In Ambush: A Lost christmas Murder Mystery by Susan Gilruth is published by the British Library
Sarah Morgan studied film journalism at post-graduate level with the BFI and has been writing about TV and film for PA Media’s newspaper, magazine and new media customers since 1996. She’s also written for a wide range of other publications, both online and in print, including the book Offbeat and Intermission magazine, and is a regular contributor to the Talking Pictures TV podcast. When she isn’t watching movies, she’s collecting and reading vintage crime and horror paperback books or, for her sins, watching her beloved Sheffield Wednesday.
