I looked into this book’s background and its Scottish author, Margot Bennett. This 1958 novel won the annual Crime Writers’ Association’s award (Golden Dagger). After winning, Bennet never returned to crime writing, instead moving on to work in science fiction, science, and television. This context makes the novel feel like a singular moment, both in her career and in the wider history of mid-century crime fiction.
At its core, this is a novel about female friendship. Nancy and Sarah are roommates, close friends, occasional rivals, and longtime confidantes. They’ve weathered romantic disappointments and professional struggles side-by-side while trying to carve out careers in London’s publishing world, rising from a shared damp rented rooms to respectable flats.
The novel opens with Nancy running into Sarah after some time apart. Sarah confides that she’s receiving threatening letters, and that one of her ex-lovers is behind it. Nancy, who knows Sarah‘s romantic past—and is even dating one of her exes herself—takes it upon herself to solve the mystery. As Nancy digs deeper, the story weaves between past and present, unraveling both the emotional complexities of Sarah’s relationships and Nancy’s increasing desperation.
What makes the novel stand out is its psychological depth and emotional realism. Nancy’s choices may be erratic and self-destructive, but they’re grounded in a fierce loyalty.
The plot is well-structured, but it’s the tone that elevates it—sharp, cynical, intelligent, and filled with clever one-liners and keen observations about relationships and ambition.
All in all, Someone from the Past is a brilliant and underappreciated gem of crime fiction—both gripping as a mystery and rich in character. It’s a must-read for anyone interested in crime novels with emotional and psychological resonance. It’s anchored in a 1950s London of gas fires, sharing digs, and brandy cocktails.
One word: clever.
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