Death Of An Author by E.C.R. Lorac

E.C.R. Lorac is one of my favorite authors. She also wrote under the pen name of Carol Rivett. Her Death Of An Author was written in 1935. I’m thrilled Poisoned Pen Press and the British Library of Crime Classics have re-issued this superior mystery for readers to enjoy right now, decades later.

This fast-paced tale is about a reclusive and highly celebrated mystery author, Vivian Lestrange. Vivian never leaves his home. In fact, the public doesn’t even know what he looks like – not even his publishers! But one morning when his secretary, Eleanor Clarke, shows up for her job, she not only finds his heavily gated home locked tight as a drum, but Mrs. Fife, Vivian’s housekeeper, hasn’t shown up for work. Eleanor becomes alarmed, and rightfully so.

What ensues is an intense police investigation. The home is searched. Everything is in order. The only scant clue of a possible crime is a small hole in the top floor window. At first the police think Vivian decided to take a holiday. But when they discover his housekeeper is not only missing, but has no traceable background, Inspector Bond of Scotland Yard and Chief Inspector Warner of the Criminal Investigation Department ramp it up.

Then Michael Ashe, another high profile author with the same publishing company as Vivian, also disappears. A missing housekeeper, 2 missing authors and a burned body found miles away in a cottage; all guaranteed to keep readers on their toes.

Death Of An Author is like a fast-paced shell game. You keep your eye on the prize, but are outsmarted and out-manuevered every time! There isn’t an over abundance of characters in this mystery, but you’ll suspect every one of them of participating in foul play. And is Vivian Lestrange really dead? Or is he the perpetrator of a heinous crime and is on the lam? Is his secretary an innocent bystander or part of a bigger plot? Was a crime committed by Mrs. Fife, the housekeeper, along with a partner?

As you ask yourself these questions, plenty more will come up – hence, a mystery so complex, you’ll want to keep turning the pages.

Crimes from the past, hidden agendas and questionable identities lurk around every corner. E.C.R. Lorac has written a mystery with a plot that is “pure genius.” Death Of An Author moves rapidly with solid and engaging characters. The police are at their wit’s end trying to sort this all out – and you will be too! Armchair sleuths and fans of superior, intricate plots will relish this unexpectedly delicious treat from 1935.

A copy of this book and cover photo were provided by Poisoned Pen Press.