Heathcliff Lennox (please call him Lennox) was in WW 1 and his butler Greggs, with whom he has an entertaining and humorous relationship, was his batman. Now back home, Lennox is having a bit of an adjustment to civilian life. He prefers solitary activities like fishing or walking his dog, Mr. Fogg, in the countryside around his slowly declining estate. However, he has friends and family that can bring him out into the world beyond his gates. Lennox is likable and intelligent, tongue-tied around women, but loyal and honest. The Curse of Braeburn Castle is the third mystery I've read featuring him and may be the best so far.
This third one begins when Lennox's newly-married friend, former detective Swift, asks him to come to Braeburn Castle to help with the discovery of a centuries-old skeleton. The discovery of the skeletons has brought a team of archaeologists to the castle, a group Swift doesn't trust, and now the skull and it's...
I'm becoming rather fond of this series. This time around, Lenox visits another country house, this time the home of a childhood friend for her wedding celebration. There are several activities leading up to the wedding including a couple of operas performed in the theater on-site. (Yeah, several of the guests find this a bit odd, too.) During one of these performances, a man is killed when a trapdoor gives way under him. It's considered an accident at the time, but the doctor thinks it's fishy and asks Lenox to do a bit of investigating while he's there.
Lenox is in the difficult position of helping Scotland Yard's investigating, pursuing his own leads, and not disrupting the wedding party. I liked how everything wound together, the paintings, the various characters, the swords. I felt all the clues fell together well, although I'm not sure I actually liked who the culprit turned out to be. It made sense, but only up...
If you know me as a reader, you know a country manor house at Christmas is my favorite setting for a murder. After finding a dead man on his doorstep - apparently from natural causes - Lennox heads to his uncle's manor house for Christmas. Unfortunately, one of the other guests, his uncle's fiancee, is murdered and Lennox becomes the chief suspect. When the house gets snowed in and the police can't come, Lennox does his own investigating. He's a charming character. He fought in the war and is now mostly gathering debt, but he's intelligent and funny and willing to act in his own self-interests. He's a bachelor and has the most adorable dog.
Of course one of the house party must be guilty. Lennox knows it's not him or his uncle, but is suspicious of almost everyone else. They all have secrets and potential motives. Even the servants come under Lennox' scrutiny, if only temporarily. It's a good set...
