Series debut
In 1910 many people thought that poison gases in the tail of the soon to be arriving Halley’s Comet would mean the end of the world, providing a memorable milieu for this clever mystery set in England. At Tithe Hall in remote World’s End, the Lord of the manor, Viscount Stockingham-Welt, is so convinced of the coming apocalypse that he’s filling his house full of guests (as well as servants) and sealing them in their rooms to prevent entry of poisonous gasses. Into this “Masque of the Red Death” steps Stephen Pike, recently released from prison, thinking he’s secured a job as a second footman.
The butler appears to have not been notified of his arrival, but because Stephen has been endorsed by a family member, he takes him on, not least because there’s a massive amount of work involved in sealing off the house. As the newest employee, the unpleasant job that falls to him is securing the crazy auntie, the fearsome Lady Decima, in the attic (actually the nursery) and spending the night with her.
While Decima is indeed as opinionated and profane as advertised, she’s no dummy, and far from a bore. Scientifically trained, she scorns her nephew’s fear of the comet and demands that Stephen wheel her outside to view it and take notes. After the rest of the house is locked up that’s exactly what they do, enjoying a view of a comet that no one would see again until 1986. When Stephen finally gets her back inside, he falls into an exhausted sleep, only to be awakened by the butler demanding he begin unsealing the rooms.
He starts with the Viscount’s, and, seeing bloody cotton wadding protruding under the door, enlists the first footman to help him break it down, only to find Stockingham-Welt’s corpse within. Somehow the man has been shot through the eye with a crossbow, most probably with the missing bolt from on a nearby suit of armor, setting up a classic locked room conundrum. With everyone sealed in their rooms (except Stephen and Decima) how was the Viscount murdered inside his own locked chamber? And why are all his fish dead?
These questions are supposed to be answered by the detective who arrives punctually, immediately concluding that an ex-con like Stephen must be the guilty party. Disgusted, Decima decides that she and Stephen will instead lead their own parallel investigation, assisted by housemaid Temperance. The trio uses rational and scientific deduction to eliminate suspects, but as first one promising theory and then another are disproven, they become discouraged, even as the bonds between Decima and Stephen grow.
There are several other deaths before they are finally able to come up with a common solution. The pairing of these two well drawn, contrasting personalities is one of the strengths of the novel, as are the evergreen golden age tropes and old school methods of detection. Although set in 1910, it doesn’t have the stodgy feel of some historical novels, instead relying on the depiction of social classes and the appearance of Halley’s Comet to serve as a fascinating backdrop to a snappy story. A fun read, The Murder at World’s End is an extremely promising first in a series outing. — Robin Agnew