I’ve been dipping in and out of this short story collection for several months and it seemed like the perfect choice to continue during the busy holidays.
(I have a big weakness for the cover art on most all the British Library Crime Series – just can’t resist.)
From the blurb: The English country house is an iconic setting for some of the greatest British crime fiction. This new collection gathers together stories written over a span of about 65 years, during which British society, and life in country houses, was transformed out of all recognition. It includes fascinating and unfamiliar twists on the classic ‘closed circle’ plot, in which the assorted guests at a country house party become suspects when a crime is committed. In the more sinister tales featured here, a gloomy mansion set in lonely grounds offers an eerie backdrop for dark deeds.
Just as the book blurb says, all these stories share a rural, country house setting– a staple amongst mystery authors from Sherlock Holmes to Agatha Christie. These isolated setting(s) make communication difficult and a limited number of suspects. At the same time, they hearken back to a bygone era of British Manor Houses, with aristocratic, wealthy (and sometimes not so wealthy) landowners who indulge in lavish house parties.
These are not warm and cuddly families. The staff can’t always be trusted, and friendship only goes so far. Each story I’ve read has been clever and entertaining. While I haven’t read all the stories in this collection, I’ve found some familiar, yet others, completely unexpected.
Some of my reads so far: The Secret of Dunstan’s Tower by Ernest Bramah features his blind detective Max Carrados; A Horror at Stavely Grange by J. S. Fletcher, a “who and how” done it; The Murder at the Towers By E. V. Knox which I found very witty; and The Unlocked Window by Ethel Lina White, an good suspense story, even if I did guess the ending.
If you are a fan of classic British mysteries, I highly recommend you add Murder at the Manor to your library. You won’t be disappointed by the quality and the variety of tales within.