Margery Allingham
1927
5/5 stars
Eric Crowther is found dead in his neighbors' cottage and Chief Inspector W.T. Challenor is called to investigate. Everyone in the cottage, plus two of Crowther's employees, had reason to kill him. Challenor finds himself involved in a case with too many suspects and no reasonable solution.
This short novel is well-written, tightly plotted, and thoroughly engaging; I finished it in one sitting. The solution is perfectly plausible, as are the characters and their stories. While I am crazy about her Campion adventures, I do wish Allingham had written a few more like this fantastic mystery.
ooh a brand new author for me. Where are her stories located
ReplyDeleteThis was the first stand-alone novel I have read by Allingham. She mainly wrote a series I love about Albert Campion, a detective/adventurer. They aren't always strictly mysteries; some are more adventure. Skip the first, the Crime at Black Dudley, because he is just a secondary character. The second, Mystery Mile, is the place to start. Like most series, the books get better as they progress.
DeleteShe created him to be a parody of Wimsey at first, but then he developed into a wonderful character in his own right. I have a massive crush on him!