Books like Speedy Death by Gladys Mitchell

When esteemed explorer Everard Mountjoy arrives late for dinner at Chayning Court, the distant ache of that tardiness escalates into a nightmarish scene: he is found slumped dead in the bath, a mystery that throws the house into turmoil. In the wake of the tragedy, Beatrice Adela Lestrange Bradley—an outspoken woman with a reputation for probing eccentricities—takes it upon herself to untangle the motives and alibis of every guest and staff member. As suspicions swarm and tempers flare, the case stalls until the danger of poison is uncovered, cutting through the confusion and pointing the finger straight to the culprit. The novel is set in London, England and slides effortlessly between the realms of crime, detection, and the sharp wit emblematic of Gladys Mitchell’s fiction. With a unique female sleuth at its core, it blends traditional mystery with a touch of sharp psychological insight.

First publish date: 1929