Murder in the Basement (British Library Crime Classics)

By: Anthony Berkeley

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Synopsis: "[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 ReviewsWhen two newlyweds discover that a corpse has been buried in the basement of their new home, a grueling case begins to trace the identity of the victim. With all avenues of investigation approaching exhaustion, a tenuous piece of evidence offers a chance for Chief Inspector Moresby and leads him to the amateur sleuth Roger Sheringham, who has recently been providing cover work in a school south of London.Desperate for evidence of any kind in the basement case, Moresby begins to sift through the manuscript of a satirical novel Sheringham has been writing about his colleagues at the school, convinced that amongst the colorful cast of teachers hides the victim—and perhaps their murderer.A novel pairing dark humor and intelligent detection work, this 1932 mystery is an example of a celebrated Golden Age author's most inventive work. This edition includes an introduction by CWA Diamond Dagger Award–winning author Martin Edwards.