Wynne, Anthony - The Blue Vesuvius (1930)

Locked room w/ second bizarre and nearly impossible murder

Not one of his best. The impossible crime is an actual locked room the solution of which is hardly surprising. What makes the story intriguing is the discovery of what happened in the room across the hall, but this evidence is not revealed until the last third of the book. Up till then we are treated to a long and dreary family history and loads of psychoanalytic discussion of the mindset of the murder victim. The title refers to a "strike anywhere" match found at the scene of a horse riding accident which provides Hailey with a vital piece of information about the first victim. (2008)

J.F. Norris