Murder In The Basement By Anthony Berkeley

Once again, Poisoned Pen Press and Martin Edwards bring us another stellar mystery from the British Library Crime Classics. Murder In The Basement is by Anthony Berkeley (1893-1971), a prominent figure in the history of British crime fiction.

What I love about these stellar British Library Crime Classics, is that they come with wonderful intros and biographies about the authors’ lives.

It’s always fascinating to take a step back in time to a totally different era. Writing styles were so different back then, and it doesn’t matter that our modern technology didn’t exist. As any true mystery fan will tell you, what matters is a cleverly woven plot with solid characters.

Here we have one such mystery. Murder In The Basement begins with newlywed couple, Molly and Reginald Dane moving into their new home, previously occupied by an elderly spinster who had recently passed on. It doesn’t take the new lovebirds long to get curious about things left behind in the basement – and the title of the book says it all.

Chief Inspector Moresby from Scotland Yard and his staff are desperately looking for remnants left behind to not only help them identify the victim, but provide clues to a cold-blooded killer. The only thing Moresby knows for sure, is the murder occurred roughly 6 months before the Danes acquired the home. Now the trail is cold – a serious problem.

It’s almost impossible for Scotland Yard to even figure out the identity of the female body found in the basement. Was she a jilted lover? Could she have been a blackmailer? Maybe she was a woman who was simply in the way. There are no clear answers. No identity plus no motive equals no killer brought to justice.

But as the Chief Inspector Moresby pursues the investigation with additional help from Mr. Sheringham, an old colleague, the story takes you to a gallery of suspects all tied into the local prep school. The prep school is a hotbed of feuding staff, including insidious staffers trying to force each other out of the school. Even the head master and his conniving, ruthless daughter add to the chaos.

But what about the cheating wife – and what about a social climbing staff member? As both the victim and killer’s identity continue to elude Scotland Yard, it becomes a challenging puzzle.  Unfortunately, the pieces just don’t fit.

In this mystery, there’s plenty of animosity and hatred to go around. And finally, Anthony Berkeley gives us a chilly cool as a cucumber suspect. But proving his guilt is a whole different matter.

Enjoy this quiet twisty mystery on a sweltering summer evening or a fog-laden rainy day. Murder In The Basement is a complex mystery with a gratifying and unconventional ending.

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