The Viaduct Murder (Murder Room Book 764)

One of the seminal works of the genre, The Viaduct Murder was first published in 1925. It was selected by Howard Haycraft to be included in the ultimate mystery list: The Haycraft-Queen Definitive Library of Detective-Crime-Mystery Fiction, Two Centuries of Cornerstones 1748-1948. Marryatt (the clergyman), Carmichael (the retired don), Reeves (the former member of the military intelligence), and Gordon (the vacationing golfer) are playing golf in Paston Oatvile when Reeves slices his drive from the third tee. In searching for the ball they come upon the dead body of Mr. Brotherhood below the railroad viaduct. When they find his hat 15 yards away from the body they suspect 'there's been dirty work.' The foursome set out to solve his murder. Father Knox has provided us with a witty, clever, and thoroughly delightful, classic British mystery story. When four friends stumble across the body of a fellow club member during a game of golf they suspect murder. The police aren't so sure, and when it looks as though the official verdict will be suicide the men are outraged. Convinced that there had been 'dirty work' and that 'the police aren't very good at following up clues', they undertake their own investigation. A classic Golden Age whodunit that involves the reader in a charming game of detection as the protagonists use Sherlockian methods to unravel the mystery.