The Secret of High Eldersham - (British Library Crime Classics) by Miles Burton (Paperback)

About the Book

Originally published: London: W. Collins Sons, 1930.

Book Synopsis

Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder

"First published in 1930, this entry in the British Library Crime Classics series evokes a time when stouthearted chaps did their duty for king and country, and the village had only one telephone." --Publishers Weekly

'They're terrible mistrustful of strangers in these parts.'

Samuel Whitehead, landlord of the Rose and Crown, is a stranger in the lonely East Anglian village of High Eldersham. When the newcomer is stabbed to death in his pub, and Scotland Yard is called to the scene, it seems that the veil dividing High Eldersham from the outside world is about to be lifted.

Detective-Inspector Young forms a theory about the case so utterly impossible that merely entertaining the suspicion makes him doubt his own sanity. Surrounded by sinister forces beyond his understanding, and feeling the need of rational assistance, he calls on a brilliant amateur and 'living encyclopedia', Desmond Merrion. Soon Merrion falls for the charms of a young woman in the village, Mavis Owerton. But does Mavis know more about the secrets of the village than she is willing to admit?

Burton's best novels are fast-paced and crisply told, and The Secret of High Eldersham--which uncovers ancient secrets in sleepy rural England--is among the most entertaining of all his crime stories.

Review Quotes

A classic mystery which is interestingly plotted, the people aren't as they seem. All kinds of machinations make for a captivating read.--Virginia Holsten "NetGalley"

First published in 1930, this entry in the British Library Crime Classics series evokes a time when stouthearted chaps did their duty for king and country, and the village had only one telephone... This book marks the first appearance of amateur sleuth Merrion, who went on to feature in nearly 60 novels from Burton -- "Publishers Weekly"

Surprisingly (to me, at least), this is the first of something like SIXTY titles featuring the character Desmond Merrion written over a thirty year span. I've already scoured my usual places for unusual titles and now I'm just left sitting here hoping that PPP decides to re-release all of them ... and quickly.--Karen Quick "NetGalley"

About the Author

MILES BURTON was a pseudonym of Cecil Street (1884-1964), a British soldier who became a prolific novelist in the 1920s. He was the author of approximately 140 detective novels, of which the most highly regarded were published under the names Miles Burton and John Rhode.