Name: Thirteen Guests
ISBN: 9781464204890

J. Farjeon

A British Library Crime Classic

Thirteen Guests

J. Jefferson Farjeon

No observer, ignorant of the situation, would have guessed that death lurked nearby, and that only a little distance from the glitter of silver and glass and the hum of voices, two victims lay silent on a studio floor. On a fine autumn weekend, Lord Aveling hosts a hunting party at his country house, Bragley Court. Among the guests are an actress, a journalist, an artist, and a mystery novelist. The unlucky thirteenth is John Foss, injured at the local train station and brought to the house to recuperate - but John is nursing a secret of his own. Soon events take a sinister turn when a painting is mutilated, a dog stabbed, and a man strangled. Death strikes more than one of the house guests, and the police are called. Detective Inspector Kendall's skills are tested to the utmost as he tries to uncover the hidden past of everyone at Bragley Court. This country-house mystery is a forgotten classic of 1930s crime fiction by one of the most undeservedly neglected of golden age detective novelists.

Anna Adams

I was intrigued because this author was supposedly a favorite of Dorothy L. Sayers, and I LOVE DLS with all my heart. Plus, it starts with a train journey to a country house weekend. Who can resist that if you love a cozy mystery from the "Golden" era? I did enjoy it a lot, and I'm definitely reading more by him. It was surprisingly modern, especially one relationship, and the connection between the characters was pretty much instant, but totally believable. Which I didn't expect. I've rated it a 4, but it's at least a 4.5, so I'm going up to a 5. Honestly, I hate judging books anyway. I really liked this, and I'm looking forward to reading his others. That makes it a 5 in my book!

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Thirteen Guests A British Library Crime Classic

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