Murder in the Gunroom

Henry Beam Piper (March 23, 1904 – c. November 6, 1964) was an American science fiction author. He wrote many short stories and several novels. He is best known for his extensive Terro-Human Future History series of stories and a shorter series of "Paratime" alternate history tales.


MURDER IN THE GUNROOM is H. Piper Beam’s only known murder mystery. It’s a locked-room mystery featuring Colonel Jefferson Davis Rand, a private eye with a law degree. Gladys Fleming hired Rand to evaluate her late husband’s antique gun collection of 2500 or so pieces as Rand was a gun expert. Lane Fleming’s death was officially an accident – he was killed while cleaning a newly purchased gun. But was it really an accident?