Lead Review (The House at Devil’s Neck)
- Book: The House at Devil’s Neck
- Location: Essex, London
- Author: Tom Mead
The House at Devil’s Neck is a Golden Age mystery with a difference. It is brand new, written by Golden Age aficionado Tom Mead. It is absolutely true to the era and genre it portrays.
Devil’s Neck is an allegedly haunted manor house situated on an island off the Essex Coast just across a causeway from the mainland. It is completely cut off at anything other than low tide. Hence why it is the setting for a locked room mystery. During and immediately after WW1 it served as a field hospital and convalescent home for wounded servicemen. It was not a pleasant place. It then fell into disrepair until, a couple of years before the book commences, it was bought by a mystery buyer who installed a couple to run the house and be ready to be tour guides for those it was hoped would visit. The couple were paid considerably over the odds.
A coach tour is heading for Devil’s Neck. it contains a somewhat curious mix of would be visitors. There is one who hunts the paranormal (the manor house is said to be have ghosts), another who is a fake spiritualist and tricks others into believing what she ’sees’, an illusionist turned amateur detective who can work out exactly what tricks are being played on whom, a lady whose son died shortly after the war having spent time at Devil’s Neck, the coach driver who brings them to Devil’s neck, and a young lady who is a companion to the spiritualist. Once they. are all settled in – and cut off by the flooded causeway – a series of ‘impossible’ murders begins to take place. Near panic reigns.
At the same time as all this is happening, a detective in London – who has worked with our illusionist turned amateur detective in the past – is addressing a very complicated murder. Eventually he works out that the events in London and Essex are connected and heads off to Devil’s Neck – hopefully in time to cross the causeway, solve the case and prevent any further murders.
The story is pretty complex with many a red herring being floated.There are issues over the identity and motivation of certain individuals. As is often the case in Golden Age mysteries, all the clues are there in plain sight – but, nevertheless very hard (for me at least) to work out.
The House at Devil’s Neck is a really good read that will stretch your powers of deduction and concentration – and immerse you in the Golden Age.
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