The Singing Bone

Silas has diamonds in the heel of his shoe. He is a thief, but until the night he meets Oscar Brodski on the footpath near his house, he has never considered murder. A diamond dealer, Brodski’s pockets bulge with more precious stones than Silas has ever dreamed of, and they will be his with one swift, violent act. Silas does the deed and arranges the diamond dealer’s body to make the death look accidental. He has provided for every contingency—except for the arrival of a doctor named Thorndyke...


"The Singing Bone" is a collection of stories featuring Doctors Thorndyke and Jarvis. Many of these stories are "inverted mysteries" - the reader is told who did it, why and how. The remainder of the book deals with how the crime is solved. What makes these mysteries special is their refreshingly unusual style and their detailed approach to solving crime.