Murder in the Basement
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4.2 • 5 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
In this brilliantly unconventional British mystery, a buried body and a novelist’s manuscript intertwine, turning fiction into fatal fact. Literary clues and eccentric suspects collide in a tale perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, and British Library Crime Classics.
When a young couple uncovers a corpse beneath their new London home, Scotland Yard is stumped. Enter Roger Sheringham: novelist, amateur sleuth, and reluctant schoolteacher. While posing as a teacher for research, Sheringham pens a biting satire about his colleagues. But as Inspector Moresby digs deeper, one question emerges: did Sheringham unwittingly describe the victim—and their killer?
A genre-defying gem from the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, Murder in the Basement delivers a mystery as thought-provoking as it is entertaining; with sharp wit, period charm, and a daring narrative twist.
Praise for Murder in the Basement:
“[Anthony Berkeley’s] tale of petty rivalries, affairs, and revenge plots is so deliciously entertaining. [Murder in the Basement is] a pioneering example of the “whowasdunin” that, like that corpse in the basement, richly deserves exhumation." ― Kirkus Reviews
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
First published in 1932, this stellar mystery from British author Berkeley (1893–1971) is believed to be the first-ever "whowasdunin," as mystery expert Martin Edwards notes in his introduction. After Reginald and Molly Dane, a recently married couple, move into their new house, Reginald explores the basement in the hope of unearthing hidden treasure. Instead, he spots a discolored portion of the floor, which, upon excavation, reveals the remains of a woman who was shot in the head. Despite the best efforts of Scotland Yard's Chief Inspector Moresby, he's unable to identify the victim. Moresby gets unexpected help from amateur sleuth and author Roger Sheringham, who shares an unpublished manuscript set at a boarding school that contains crucial clues. That manuscript, provided in full, is entertaining in and of itself, even without the connection to the corpse in the cellar. Berkeley's adroit use of dry humor and plot twists help to maintain suspense even before the dead woman is named. This entry more than exceeds the high standards of the British Library Crime Classics reprint series.
