The Desert Lake Mystery

By: Kay Cleaver Strahan

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Synopsis: The Desert Lake Mystery, first published in 1936, is a ‘golden-age’ mystery involving two corpses and two missing bodies. Set in Nevada, the plot revolves around local magnate Adam Oakman and his family, with a brother shooting his sister. The story is narrated by the town’s sheriff.The characters rather than the incidents, provide the special problem in untangling of two tangible corpses and two missing ones. Essentially the plot revolves around a powerful man, within his little pond, Adam Oakman; his daughter he hadn’t seen since a baby; his adopted son; a crippled lad whose sweet on Oakman’s daughter; the crippled man’s beautiful sister; Adam’s sister in law, or cousin, some kind of relation; and her fat, fastidious son. Naturally there are other people thrown in for red herrings—an old judge, his son, Indians, a couple of deputies, and Bridget O’Dell who essentially solves the murders. The sheriff narrates, but Bridget O’Dell, with the off stage help of the female detective, Lynn Macdonald, comes up with the solution.