The Doors Open

(CC) Photo: Jerry Bauer
Michael Gilbert on the back cover of Mr. Calder and Mr. Behrens, 1982

The Doors Open, published by Hodder and Stoughton in England in 1949 and by Walker and Company in the United States in 1962, is the third novel by the British mystery and thriller writer Michael Gilbert. Like his first two books, it features Inspector Hazlerigg, although not in a major role. It is, in fact, a very diffuse book in terms of its characters. Angus McMann, who was the chief protagonist of Gilbert's previous book, They Never Looked Inside, is briefly mentioned on the first page and makes a later appearance as a minor character. Hazlerigg does not appear until page 24 and then only at intervals throughout the book. There are, in actuality, three other protagonists who, along with Hazlerigg, share the role of driving the narrative. One is Noel Anthony Pontarlier Rumbold ("Nap"), a junior solicitor in his father's London firm. Nap had spent four months on dangerous missions with the French maquis in occupied France during the war and is, apparently, still a Lieutenant-Colonel, D.S.O. A few years later he will be a main character in Gilbert's well-received novel Death Has Deep Roots. Patrick (Paddy) Yeatman-Carter, an acquaintance of Nap's is another lead character, as is his uncle, Alfred Lord Cedarbrook, a man with an astonishing background, much sought after by both the Foreign Office and the War Office during WWII and now, apparently, still affiliated with the Secret Service. As well as being a linguist, explorer, soldier, and diplomat, he also has a law degree.

Plot and Title(s)

Stripped of all narrative complications, the basic story is simple. A venerable, well-known London insurance company is now being run, unbeknownst to its Board of Directors, in a fraudulent manner by its manager, James Legate. Although he is a long-time Communist, possibly even being a Soviet agent, he is a competent director who has apparently made Stalagmite an important company and himself a very wealthy man. He is, however, in actuality both defrauding the company and bringing it close to financial ruin.

Reception

Upon its publication

Style and Contents

Like some of other earlier novels, Gilbert doesn't seem to have made up his mind about what kind of a narrative style he wants to use. It is a third-person narrative, told by an omniscient narrator, but it veers between straightforward description, somewhat chatty semi-humorousness, and occasional hard-boiled grimness.

Credibility

As in many crime or mystery stories,.

Notes

Patrick (Paddy) Yeatman-Carter is the hero. One evening on the way home by train he deters Mr. Britten, a fellow passenger WWWW (and nearby neighbor), from shooting himself because of having just been fired his job as Junior Cashier at a large insurance company. The following evening, however, he learns that his neighbor's body has been found in a nearby river. The local police have no reason not to consider it suicide. Paddy, however, has vague suspicions and goes to long to interview Legate, the director of the company. He notices an employee, Brandison, the Chief Cashier, acting suspiciously and soon after he himself is let go from his own job at a Chartered Accountant's office. He begins to follow the employee, who, he thinks, has been involving with his firing. This leads to a situation where he is about to be badly beaten up in a tony Italian restaurant but is saved by the fortuitous intervention of Major McMann, whom he had known during the War. He has also enlisted another youthful ally, a Mr. Noel Anthony Pontarlier Rumbold ("Nap") a junior solicitor in his father's firm. Had spent four months on dangerous missions with the French maquis in occupied Franceduring the war and is a Lieut.-Colonel, D.S.O. They suspect that the Chief Cashier may be up to "funny business" and that Britten had discovered it.

"Paddy... was typical of his class. A good regimental officer, with a capacity for hard work, a measure of persistence, and a good deal of loyalty towards that institution with which he happened to be connected. Not overgifted with brains perhaps...."

McManns attempts to interest Hazlerigg on page 79 with the events up till then but is brushed off.

An elaborate, and well-organized attempt to frame Paddy for a murder is carried out -- the victim fortunately survives, but Paddy is charged by the police. He is released but Nap realizes that they are out of their depth and that help is needed. He brings in his uncle, Alfred Lord Cedarbrook, a man with an astonishing background, much sought after by both the Foreign Office and the War Office during WWII. As well as being a linguist, explorer, soldier, and diplomat, he also has a law degree. After being told the story, he instantly decides that Brandison, the Chief Cashier, is obviously involved with drugs. He also knows of Legate, who, he says is a man of somewhat mysterious background. He also recognizes him from sometime in the past but is unable to recall precisely where.

On page 112 Hazlerigg begins to take a more active interest.

Cedarbrook spends days going through thousands of old newspaper photographs and eventually finds a photograph of Legate taken in 1911. This leads them to look for a doctor who might have also been in the photo. They eventually track him down in the coastal town of Seaport. Paddy goes to interview him.

On page 144 Hazlerigg becomes more active and starts an active intervention. Complications ensue. Dr. Potts is found dead in his garage of carbon monoxide poisoning, an apparent suicide. But Hazlerigg is suspicious.

Page 153, Hazlerigg becomes a main character and has a meeting with Paddy and Nap. Asks them to keep their eyes open in their professions. Lord Cedarbrook has vanished, however. Hazlerigg warns the private detective who found Dr. Boggs.

GILBERT RECURRING THEME: CRIMINAL GANG ORGANIZED AND DIRECTED BY someone who is no obviously of the criminal class or underground, generally a respected businessman.

A month passes. Paddy has drinks with City types who talk about Legate and some hard-assed things his company has recently done. Or stupid. He and his financial paper editor talk about this. There are hijinks and crime at high levels in prominent insurance companies over the years.

The Lion of Scotland (James Watson) appears as a Hyde Park speaker and is arrested several times. A populist type. The police (higher-ups) want him left alone. Is it Lord Cedarbrook?

Lengthy scene in a Bankruptcy Court, in which Lord Cedarbrook reappears amonst the spectators. And it becomes clear that Legate, at the insurance company, is using his position to both avenge old (from 1911) injuries and to put companies out of business. It is now possible that a Russian spy, yyyy, is also involved.

Diffuse protagonists. Lord Cedarbrook is back. Nap is chased by Italian gangsters but another gang intervenes to save him. Paddy is also chased but escapes with only relatively minor injuries.

General (or someone) Rockingham-Hawse is a brief character in Sky High also.

Lord Cedarbrook sets a trap and two escapes being beaten up or killed. The two gangsters are arrested by Hazlebrook. Legate, who was probably working for the Russians, has fled. Cedarbrook recalls that Colonel Vassilev had been a flying ace during the war and might have flown himself secretly into England. And might have fled with Legate.

Lord Cedarbrook, who has now become the protagonist, arranges a meeting of the Insurance co. directors and tells them that Legate was both a long-term communist AND someone who plotted to destroy their company.

Vassilev vanishes from the story but Legate attempts to fly his own small plane out of England and to safety, presumably in Russian-occupied Germany. Hazlerigg and Cedarbrook, however, have just enough time to arrange for an Air Force anti-aircraft battery to shoot it down just as it reaches the English Channel.