The story begins at a bridge party hosted by the social-climbing Mrs. Heneage, where an unpopular guest is found strangled in a private study. The method of murder involves a length of picture wire, a detail that becomes significant when a second victim is discovered shortly after, killed in an identical manner. Chief Inspector Hemingway of Scotland Yard leads the investigation, navigating a house full of eccentric suspects, including a cynical secretary, a theatrical hostess, and various disgruntled family members. Hemingway must decipher the timeline of the card games and analyze the social friction within the household to identify the source of the double homicide.
Readers of classic British detective fiction choose this title for its intricate plotting and sharp social observation. Those who enjoy the Golden Age style of mystery find interest in the procedural work of Hemingway and the dry wit of the dialogue. The book provides a detailed look at post-war English social hierarchies and the specific logistics of a suburban crime scene. A reader finishes the book with a complete resolution of the logistical puzzles and an understanding of how personal resentment can escalate into a calculated pattern of violence.
Practical, outward-looking, growth-minded, clear-cut and escapist; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Curious Generalist. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1951
- Language
- EN
