Murder in the Basement

October 1, 2022
A newlywed's hunch that a treasure is hidden in the Middlesex house he's rented leads to an unwelcome discovery in this forgotten golden age gem first published in 1932. The corpse buried beneath Reginald and Molly Dane's basement is too decomposed for Chief Inspector Moresby to identify by any of the usually obvious ways, but it's clear that the remains are those of a woman in her 20s with perfect dentition and a baby sadly no longer on the way. Doggedly pursuing the slim leads he unearths, Moresby eventually traces the woman to Roland House, a boys boarding school in Allingford. When he shares the news with his friend Roger Sheringham, he's surprised to learn that Roger, after spending some time a few years ago at Roland House, started a novel about the people running the place. So Moresby's announcement of the victim's identity is delayed for 60 pages while the author provides what amounts to an extended flashback of the events leading up to her death. Sheringham's tale of petty rivalries, affairs, and revenge plots is so deliciously entertaining that many readers will forget that they're supposed to be keeping an eagle eye out for the future victim and will be surprised when her name is finally revealed. Moresby and Sheringham soon zero in on an obvious suspect who all but admits his guilt but sneers that there's no evidence against him. But those familiar with the peerlessly tricky mysteries A.B. Cox (1893-1971) published as Anthony Berkeley and Francis Iles, from The Poisoned Chocolates Case (1929) to Trial and Error (1937), will know enough to keep an open mind. A pioneering example of the "whowasdunin" that, like that corpse in the basement, richly deserves exhumation.

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Starred review from October 10, 2022
First published in 1932, this stellar mystery from British author Berkeley (1893–1971) is believed to be the first-ever “whowasdunin,” as mystery expert Martin Edwards notes in his introduction. After Reginald and Molly Dane, a recently married couple, move into their new house, Reginald explores the basement in the hope of unearthing hidden treasure. Instead, he spots a discolored portion of the floor, which, upon excavation, reveals the remains of a woman who was shot in the head. Despite the best efforts of Scotland Yard’s Chief Inspector Moresby, he’s unable to identify the victim. Moresby gets unexpected help from amateur sleuth and author Roger Sheringham, who shares an unpublished manuscript set at a boarding school that contains crucial clues. That manuscript, provided in full, is entertaining in and of itself, even without the connection to the corpse in the cellar. Berkeley’s adroit use of dry humor and plot twists help to maintain suspense even before the dead woman is named. This entry more than exceeds the high standards of the British Library Crime Classics reprint series.