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A review by iphigenie72
Bats in the Belfry by E.C.R. Lorac
5.0
My second read of this series, excellent mystery. This series does not need to be read in order and it's probably why they are issuing them in ebooks out of order too, this one no 13 is the earliest I could find maybe they are choosing the best of the series?
We meet the suspects and maybe the victim at a party where a Elizabeth Leigh introduces the subject (because of a competition for the most clever way to dispose of a body her Club is having) of the best way to make a body disappear, later one, a body will be discovered and one of the ways will have been used in hiding it. Present are her guardian Bruce Attleton, a has been writer; his wife, a famous actress; a journalist who want to marry Elizabeth, a dramatist and a businessman. Attleton might be being blackmailed so the dramatist, Rockingham, wants the journalist to find the blackmailer while Rockingham and Attleton go to Paris separately. The journalist, Grenville, has a confrontation with the person he thinks is the blackmailer in the man's studio "The Belfry". When Rockingham comes back is it to tell Grenville that Attleton never met him in France, but Grenville has found Attleton suitcase and passport in the interim so they decide to get the police involve.
What I really liked about this is I was never sure of my deductions in the end I was right, but I like the feeling of uncertainty in a mystery. I really like how this series is written, getting to know the characters before the murder gives a deeper knowledge of them. It also feels like the detective is not hiding things to the reader, it is something that sometimes annoys me in the Inspector Alleyn series by [a:Ngaio Marsh|68144|Ngaio Marsh|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1237946649p2/68144.jpg] that she will have on the page her detective tell the twist in the ear of his sergeant (keeping the "surprise" for the reader) so I appreciate when that doesn't happen.
A very good mystery, I was a little lost about finding my next Golden Age of Mystery series to explore, but I have found it... I hope they reissue more, but I have some to read for awhile.
We meet the suspects and maybe the victim at a party where a Elizabeth Leigh introduces the subject (because of a competition for the most clever way to dispose of a body her Club is having) of the best way to make a body disappear, later one, a body will be discovered and one of the ways will have been used in hiding it. Present are her guardian Bruce Attleton, a has been writer; his wife, a famous actress; a journalist who want to marry Elizabeth, a dramatist and a businessman. Attleton might be being blackmailed so the dramatist, Rockingham, wants the journalist to find the blackmailer while Rockingham and Attleton go to Paris separately. The journalist, Grenville, has a confrontation with the person he thinks is the blackmailer in the man's studio "The Belfry". When Rockingham comes back is it to tell Grenville that Attleton never met him in France, but Grenville has found Attleton suitcase and passport in the interim so they decide to get the police involve.
What I really liked about this is I was never sure of my deductions in the end I was right, but I like the feeling of uncertainty in a mystery. I really like how this series is written, getting to know the characters before the murder gives a deeper knowledge of them. It also feels like the detective is not hiding things to the reader, it is something that sometimes annoys me in the Inspector Alleyn series by [a:Ngaio Marsh|68144|Ngaio Marsh|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1237946649p2/68144.jpg] that she will have on the page her detective tell the twist in the ear of his sergeant (keeping the "surprise" for the reader) so I appreciate when that doesn't happen.
A very good mystery, I was a little lost about finding my next Golden Age of Mystery series to explore, but I have found it... I hope they reissue more, but I have some to read for awhile.