" A] first-class psychological study . . . the character drawing, although a little cruel, is admirably done and the writing is consistently excellent." - "Times Literary Supplement"
"It is original, it is strangely exciting, and the logic of its plan is repeated in the behaviour of its characters." - L. P. Hartley
"It is really a detective story in which the clues, instead of being actual, are psychological. The reader is made to feel all the tension and curiosity which a good crime novel inspires, and he is not disappointed." - "The Tablet"
Twelve years ago Claude Carlice was found dead of a gunshot wound. The verdict was suicide brought on by a fit of insanity, but his sister Isabel has never believed it. Now the day approaches when Claude's son Ronnie will come of age and take possession of Carlice Abbey. Preparations for the birthday party are underway, but it will not be a festive occasion: Ronnie, who has imbibed Marxist ideas at Oxford, intends to throw his aunt and stepmother out of the house and sign the entire estate over to the Communist Party for use as a propaganda centre. As tensions rise and the big day arrives, a strange series of events will unfold, revealing the scandalous truth behind Claude's death and resulting in an unexpected fate for Carlice Abbey and its occupants.
C.H.B. Kitchin (1895-1967) was both a best-selling crime writer and a critically acclaimed author of literary fiction. In "Birthday Party" (1938), he combined the two, resulting in a novel that is both a fascinating examination of a changing English society on the eve of the Second World War and a suspenseful psychological mystery full of unexpected twists and turns. This first-ever republication includes a reproduction of the original jacket art and a new introduction by Adrian Wright.

"A writer who deserves to be admired and cherished." - Francis King
" O]ne of the most original novelists of his generation. His delicate, witty prose ably evokes the atmosphere of south London in which the story is set." - "British Book News"
" I]ntriguing . . . Short, firmly written, and agreeably unpretentious." - "The Guardian"
Francis Norton is an elderly bachelor who enjoys nothing better than spending a warm day outside in one of London's parks. When one afternoon he innocently overhears the earnest conversation of two young lovers, Edward and Mirrie, whose relationship is complicated by Edward's unhappy marriage to a drunken wife, Francis decides to interfere in an attempt to help the pair. But despite his good intentions, his matchmaking efforts have unexpected consequences, and he soon finds himself caught up in a complicated triangle involving blackmail, a mysterious death, and courtroom intrigue. Will Francis's well-meaning manipulations lead to a happy ending for his two young friends, or will his meddling end in tragedy and disaster?
Found among C.H.B. Kitchin's papers after his death, "A Short Walk in Williams Park" was published posthumously in 1971. As L.P. Hartley writes in his Foreword, this short novel has the same distinction of style as Kitchin's other acclaimed works and displays many of its author's finest qualities. Republished here for the first time, Kitchin's final book joins his "Ten Pollitt Place" (1957) and "The Book of Life" (1960), both also recently reprinted by Valancourt.

'Mr Kitchin is an enjoyably ruthless writer.' - "Punch"
'"Ten Pollitt Place" is written in another language. It is another world. . . . T]he observation is delightful. It is beautifully done.' - "The Observer"
'Mr Kitchin is still writing the traditional, well-bred, upper-English-middle-class novel. He does it finely, with a loving art.' - "The Spectator"
'Before the end of this year someone in this house is going to die.' This is the terrible prophecy of fifteen-year-old Hugo, who possesses an uncanny gift of second sight. But who will it be? Maybe old Miss Tredennick, seventy-six, whose outrage at the prostitute across the street could bring on a stroke. Or perhaps aging novelist Justin Bray, once popular, but increasingly ignored by critics and booksellers. Then there are the Fawleys, trapped in a loveless marriage that Mr Fawley wants to escape so he can marry the housekeeper, Magda. Or could it be Hugo himself, the disabled boy with an unrequited passion for the man who collects the garbage? As year's end approaches and each character's personal tragedy unfolds, tensions are high at Ten Pollitt Place, while everyone wonders which of them may not live to see the new year. . . .
An unjustly neglected novelist, C.H.B. Kitchin (1895-1967) was best known for his early mystery novels and was frustrated later in life when he continued to turn out minor masterpieces like "Ten Pollitt Place" (1957) and "The Book of Life" (1960), which were largely overlooked by critics and the book-buying public. This first-ever reprinting of Kitchin's brilliant novel includes a new introduction by Simon Stern and reproduces the original jacket art by Val Biro.