[Anthony Berkeley's] tale of petty rivalries, affairs, and revenge
plots is so deliciously entertaining. [Murder in the Basement is] a
pioneering example of the whowasdunin that, like that corpse in the
basement, richly deserves exhumation.-- Kirkus Reviews
When two newlyweds discover that a corpse has been buried in the
basement of their new home, a grueling case begins to trace the identity
of the victim. With all avenues of investigation approaching exhaustion,
a tenuous piece of evidence offers a chance for Chief Inspector Moresby
and leads him to the amateur sleuth Roger Sheringham, who has recently
been providing cover work in a school south of London.
Desperate for evidence of any kind in the basement case, Moresby begins
to sift through the manuscript of a satirical novel Sheringham has been
writing about his colleagues at the school, convinced that amongst the
colorful cast of teachers hides the victim--and perhaps their murderer.
A novel pairing dark humor and intelligent detection work, this 1932
mystery is an example of a celebrated Golden Age author's most inventive
work. This edition includes an introduction by CWA Diamond Dagger
Award-winning author Martin Edwards.