First published 2006
A country shooting party brings together an unlikely collection of guests at the Carter estate. Wally Carter mingles with his wife Ermyntrude, precocious schoolgirl Vicky, sharp Mary, Sir William Dering, and Alexis Varasashvil, who claims to be a Russian prince. Tensions simmer beneath polite conversation as hints of blackmail surface among the party guests. When Wally Carter dies from a gunshot to the chest, Inspector Hemingway arrives to investigate what appears to be an impossible crime. The victim was shot while crossing a narrow bridge, yet no one stood near the weapon when it fired. Every guest harbors a motive for murder and possesses the means to kill, but their alibis crumble under scrutiny. Hemingway confronts a gallery of suspects with secrets to hide. Ermyntrude, the neglected wealthy widow, draws attention from a smitten neighbor. Her resentful daughter nurses old grievances. The dubious Russian prince exploits the widow's loneliness and social ambitions. A blackmail scheme may connect to the killing, though its role remains unclear. The inspector must unravel how someone managed to commit murder from a distance, solving a puzzle that seems to defy logic itself.
Genres: 20th-century, suspense, mystery, crime, detective, mystery-thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: ensemble-cast, locked-room-mystery, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Carter Estate
Period: 20th Century
Mass Market Paperback · Arrow