Till Death Do Us Part by John Dickson Carr
Till Death Do Us Part is another British Library Crime Classic by my favorite Golden Age author, John Dickson Carr (1906-1977). Hailed as “the king of the locked room mystery,” this book was first published in 1944 and was the 15th novel to feature Dr. Gideon Fell, a formidable expert on locked room mysteries and impossible crimes. The story takes place before the beginning of the Second World War.
What would you do if you found out that the person of your dreams – that one special person you want to spend the rest of your life with, is “not” who they appear to be? As if that isn’t bad enough, what if you found out their background included cold-blooded murder?
That’s exactly what crime author Dick Markham found out about his bride-to-be, Lesley Grant. The setting opens at a charity garden party at Ashe Hall, the estate of his friends Baron and Lady Ashe.
He and Lesley are enjoying a wide variety of entertainment that includes cricket matches, a shooting gallery and even a fortune teller.
But the splendid event is spoiled when there’s an accidental shooting in the tent of the Great Swami, the fortune teller who “knows all and sees all.” From that point on, the story takes dark and mysterious turns involving Lesley and a locked-room murder.
Even though Dick Markham has been quietly told that Lesley is tied to poisoning several husbands, he is still madly in love with her. Maybe she is innocent – nothing could ever be proved so she was never convicted. But on the other hand, one day she suddenly just appeared in their village – a woman with a secretive past. As he tries to shake the feeling that he’s going to be next on her list, a trap is set to discover Lesley’s ulterior motive.
Cynthia Drew has had her eyes (and heart) on Markham for quite some time, and she’s going to do her best to protect Markham and expose Lesley as the femme fatale she really is, even if it means putting her own safety in jeopardy.
As Markham finds it impossible to put the pieces together, he’s soon asking himself who can I really trust?
Enter Dr. Gideon Fell. He’s traveled from London and he’s hot on the case, eventually unmasking a clever killer. Mystery buffs who enjoy tantalizing twists and turns while they try to solve the locked room murder, will delight in this superb and atmospheric mystery.
Grab your copy of Till Death Do Us Part, recently re-released by Poisoned Pen. Be prepared to be intrigued by yet another impossible locked room mystery from John Dickson Carr.
A copy of this book and photo was provided by the publisher.