E.C.R. Lorac was a pseudonym used by Edith Caroline Rivett. She also wrote as Carol Carnac.
I had high hopes for this book. It's a British Library Crime Classic, originally published in 1937. I like a lot of books written in mystery's "Golden Age," but I must admit this one was not a favorite. It took me forever to read, and it was only 231 pages long. It should have been intriguing, but it felt as if the author was trying too hard. Many characters vied for attention, with little to distinguish them but their beards or, in the case of the lead detective, his country of origin - Scotland.
I like a good twist, but this book had so many contrived puzzles and twists, almost every page contained a wordy explanation that didn't really clarify anything. Quoting one character, "The whole thing is so demented that its ingenuity staggers me!" I found it tedious rather than ingenious.
I was also put off by the number of racist and anti-Semitic comments. I realize this is not uncommon in books of this period, but examples like this annoyed me: "Our researches revealed the appalling fact that he is a Jew." There follows a discussion about whether to reveal this information to the woman who is planning to marry him, or leave her to find out after the fact since she is considered equally appalling. The speaker goes on to stress that "there is no room for prejudice" in his job.
Anyway. I don't like to leave negative comments but since this book is coming up to 100 years old (well, in the next 15 years or so), I assume most readers will expect the plot to be dated. I'd be interested to find out what any of you think of this book - if you should decide to give it a try. My copy was published by Poisoned Pen Press in 2018.
https://poisonedpenpress.com/authors/e-c-r-lorac/