A ghost prank by a bunch of youngster goes horribly wrong when one of them gets fatally injured by a loaded revolver. Was it really an accident or was it a pre-planned murder? Excerpt: "Moy was about the same age, around twenty-five; small of stature, quick and eager in eye and movement. Tark, the third man, struck such a different note that at first glance one would have taken him for a foreigner. Moy liked Haliburton, but he did not care for his companion, whom he had met in his company a couple of times lately. But, though he did not like Tark, Moy was interested in the man. For the young solicitor was writing a play in secret, and was keenly interested in finding characters for it. Haliburton, he had decided, was no earthly good to a writer. Rich. Easy going. Kindly...but this other, the chap with the name that suited him somehow—because it rhymed with shark probably, Moy decided—he might be very useful. He turned to him now."

Rose Charteris' dead body at the bottom of a sand pit let the onlookers believe that probably she died due to a freak accident… But Chief Inspector Pointer is deeply suspicious as there are many people who will directly benefit from her murder! Excerpt: "Cockburn thought that the colonel looked vexed. An old scar on his forehead blazed a bar of crimson. A sign of anger. Yet he could hardly be annoyed with the girls for knowing where the professor was. But already the colonel had puzzled him on the courts. Generally a fine player—to-day! Cockburn eyed him as he cut a cigar unevenly, and decided that something was up. It was not Colonel Scarlett's habit to chip a Corona like that. Nor to hold it so tightly that it leaked. Nor to smoke it at a pace which would turn it into an overheated cabbage stalk."

Ronald Craig's death from arsenic poisoning riles up lot of feathers in a small country side with each person having a strong motif! Excerpt: "You say you're going up to town, Bob, as soon as you've left here. Anywhere near Pont Street? Good. Then do you mind wheeling that nearer to me?" The sick man waved a thin, but still brown hand, to where a little writing cabinet, shaped like a miniature roll-top desk, stood on a swing table. "Thanks," he went on. "Just wait a minute, will you, while I write a note. If you'll drop it in Houghton's letter-box, or hand it in yourself, I shall be much obliged." He hesitated. "Yourself," he repeated. "It's most important, and I don't want to wait for the post."

A gift of an ornate Chinese chest ends up becoming the coffin of the receiver. Who killed him? And, why was his body put inside the same chest that was supposed to be exhibited in a party? Chief Inspector Pointer must solve the clues to this locked-room mystery and find the killer before it's too late! Excerpt: "Mr.Farrant to see you, sir, Very urgent.Mr. William Farrant." The private inquiry agent smoothed his forehead and nodded as he glanced at a calendar of social events which his clerk prepared for him daily. A moment later a young man was shown in. He was of big build, but moved with a step so noiseless that even now, when he came forward and shook Schofild's outstretched hand, no footfall could be heard, and the room had parquet flooring."

Josephine Tey's novel, 'The Man in the Queue', is a masterpiece of the classic mystery genre, blending elements of suspense and psychological depth. Set in 1920s London, the story follows the investigation of a murder case at a theater, with twists and turns that keep the reader guessing until the very end. Tey's writing style is both elegant and engaging, with a keen attention to detail that creates a vivid and immersive reading experience. The novel is a reflection of the Golden Age of detective fiction, with its focus on careful observation and logical deduction. Fans of Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers will find much to enjoy in Tey's work. Josephine Tey, a pseudonym for Elizabeth Mackintosh, was a Scottish author known for her skillful plotting and character development. Her background in theater and her interest in psychology are evident in 'The Man in the Queue', as she explores complex motives and relationships among her characters. Tey's ability to create richly drawn and realistic personalities adds depth to the mystery at the heart of the novel. I highly recommend 'The Man in the Queue' to readers who appreciate a well-crafted and compelling mystery novel. Tey's writing is timeless, and this book is sure to captivate fans of the genre with its intricate plot and intriguing characters.

Richard is set to join a new law firm owned by his friend's (Eleanor's) father. Inevitably he is dragged into the murder mystery of Eleanor's fiancé Henry. With detective Burton in tow, Richard must find the clue that is hidden in plain sight as a "dead letter" in the post office! Excerpt: "I paused suddenly in my work. Over a year's experience in the Dead Letter office had given a mechanical rapidity to my movements in opening, noting and classifying the contents of the bundles before me; and, so far from there being any thing exciting to the curiosity, or interesting to the mind, in the employment, it was of the most monotonous character.Young ladies whose love letters have gone astray, evil men whose plans have been confided in writing to their confederates, may feel but little apprehension of the prying eyes of the Department; nothing attracts it but objects of material value—sentiment is below par; it gives attention only to such tangible interests as are represented by bank-bills, gold-pieces, checks, jewelry, miniatures, et cetera..."

Hugo's legs have run away. They simply didn't want to stay at home where they just lay about. Hugo's legs just wanted out! Hugo Holt's legs have run away and jumped on the bus! Hugo can't do without them. How on earth will he catch his runaway legs?

A group of guests gather in a large country house, owned by the dying Lord Warbeck, who wants what is left of his family around him to celebrate what he assumes will be his last Christmas. The guests are a motley bunch, including Sir Julius Warbeck, Chancellor of the Exchequer, the wife of one of his underlings, the fascist son of the present Lord Warbeck, and the Chancellor's bodyguard. Also present is foreign historian Dr Bottwink, and the traditional faithful butler. When the first murder occurs, the house is cut off from the rest of the world by a heavy snowfall, and it is left to Sir Julius's bodyguard to initiate a preliminary investigation before contact can be made with the local police force.

The Wedding-Chest Mystery is a novel by A. Fielding. A body is found in a ceremonial Chinese wedding chest with no clue of the perpetrator. In comes Inspector Pointer, a soft-spoken and modest policeman with a knack for solving difficult cases.

When the body of Rose Charteris is found at the bottom of a sand pit off Medchester Common, everyone assumed it was the result of a tragic accident, but when Chief Inspector Pointer of Scotland Yard discovers certain discrepancies, it becomes clear the death of the young woman is a case of murder. There are plenty of suspects for the chief inspector; the dead woman's jealous Italian fiance, her cousin who would gain an inheritance, even a mysterious man who spent the night in the summer house unknown to anyone else. Yet Pointer finds himself drawn into a political intrigue that takes him to Genoa and the Italian Tyrol before finally resolving the case in his chambers in New Scotland Yard. The Charteris Mystery is the second of the Chief Inspector Pointer mysteries.