Checkmate to Murder A Second World War Mystery
Checkmate to Murder A Second World War Mystery by E.C.R. Lorac is a reprint edition published by Poisoned Pen Press in 2021, featuring 224 pages in English. Set against the backdrop of World War II, this mystery unfolds on a foggy night in Hampstead, London, where a diverse group gathers in an artist’s studio to escape the wartime blackout. The narrative centers around a civil servant and a government scientist engaged in a chess match, while an artist captures the essence of his sitter, adorned in Cardinal’s robes. The atmosphere shifts dramatically when a brutal murder is discovered, prompting Inspector Macdonald of Scotland Yard to investigate the perplexing circumstances surrounding the crime.
Readers will find a classic mystery that intricately weaves elements of police procedural and historical fiction. As Inspector Macdonald navigates the complex web of alibis, he must determine whether one of the studio’s guests is involved in the murder of a miser or if a neighbor is the true culprit. This edition revives a clever narrative that appeals to both amateur sleuths and fans of British historical fiction, inviting them to delve into the intricacies of crime and investigation during a tumultuous period.
Official synopsis Publisher
“[An] excellent fair-play mystery…this British Library Crime Classic more than deserves that status.”–Publishers Weekly, STARRED Review
On a dismally foggy night in Hampstead, London, a curious party has gathered in an artist’s studio to weather the wartime blackout.
As World War II takes its toll around them, a civil servant and a government scientist are matching wits in a game of chess, while an artist paints the portrait of his characterful sitter, bedecked in Cardinal’s robes at the other end of the room. In the kitchen, the artist’s sister is hosting the charlady of the miser next door.
When the brutal murder of said miser is discovered by his nephew, it’s not long before Inspector Macdonald of Scotland Yard is at the scene, faced with perplexing alibis and with the fate of the young man in his hands. In the search for the culprit, Macdonald and his team of detectives must figure out if one of the members of the studio party is somehow involved in the death, or if some other scurrilous neighbour could be responsible.
The British Library of Crime Classics is pleased to revive this clever, classic mystery for amateur sleuths and fans of British historical fiction.
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