Obelists en Route
Obelists en Route by C. Daly King, published by Penzler Publishers in April 2025, is a 384-page work in English that transports readers to the luxurious world of mid-1930s train travel. Set aboard the magnificent Transcontinental Express on its inaugural journey from New York to San Francisco, the story unfolds among a select group of invited guests, including notable figures from various professions. The tranquility of the voyage is shattered when a prominent banker is found dead in the swimming pool car, prompting a mystery that unfolds against the backdrop of opulent staterooms and elegant dining.
Readers will find themselves immersed in a classic whodunit as the conductor enlists a group of passengers, including the astute Dr. Pons, to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death. The narrative weaves together elements of fiction, mystery, and literary criticism, all while exploring themes of intrigue and deception within the confines of a luxurious train. With its rich period detail and complex plot, Obelists en Route offers a captivating glimpse into a bygone era, making it a notable addition to the genre of cozy mysteries.
Official synopsis Publisher
The magnificent Transcontinental Express, showcasing the cutting edge of mid-1930s luxury train travel, is making its first trip from New York to San Francisco. For its record-breaking maiden voyage-coast to coast in three days with no passenger stops-the express carries only invited guests, among them renowned businessmen, physicians, psychologists, and even a high-ranking member of the NYPD.
Among refined staterooms, an elegant dining car, and a “recreation room” for bridge, ping-pong, and dancing, the vehicle’s most lauded feature is the swimming pool car-which is precisely where the waterlogged corpse of a prominent banker is discovered just one day into the journey. Uncertain of the cause of death and fearing negative publicity, the conductor drives on for the West Coast, charging a select group of passengers, including the sharp-witted Dr. Pons, with the task of uncovering what has occurred-even as every new piece of evidence seems to suggest more perplexing possibilities.
Hopelessly rare in first edition and never before published in the United States, Obelists en Route is a brilliantly complex Golden Age mystery from one of the greatest American authors of the period. Besides its intriguing whodunit plot, the book’s period detail and locomotive setting make it a welcome rediscovery today.
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