Sir Henry Merrivale Series by John Dickson Carr
Sir Henry Merrivale #2
White Priory Murders shm-2
John Dickson Carr
Too many murderers. White Priory was a beautiful old mansion outside London. Its owner, a playwright, had invited some people down to discuss his new play, among other things…But someone had come not to talk, but to kill. When Scotland Yard joined the houseparty, everyone started to talk, but all they did was accuse each other of murder — and all their accounts seemed equally plausible. It was a case for Sir Henry. Only Merrivale could sort out the suspects and mark the murderer before he killed again…
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Sir Henry Merrivale #5
The Punch and Judy Murders shm-5
John Dickson Carr
Sir Henry Merrivale (better known to the public, and to his co-workers of the Military Intelligence Department as "H.M.") had disappeared. Two of his young friends were to be married the following day. Then a telegram arrived: MEET ME IMPERIAL HOTEL TORQUAY IMMEDIATELY EXPRESS LEAVES PADDINGTON 3:30 URGENT MERRIVALE. At once everyone was precipitated into the Punch and Judy Murders… Hours later, the prospective bridegroom, now a fugitive from justice, and dressed in an unlawfully appropriated policeman's uniform, stood at the open door of a small library, confronted with a corpse. He was wondering how he could escape from the house before the bona fide police arrived…
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Sir Henry Merrivale #8
The Judas Window shm-8
John Dickson Carr
The Judas Window by John Dickson Carr (writing as Carter Dickson).
One of the five best locked room mysteries, as selected by 14 established mystery authors and critics (All But Impossible!, 1981. ed. E. Hoch).
The Case: Avory Hume is found dead with an arrow through his heart—in a study with bolted steel shutters and a heavy door LOCKED FROM THE INSIDE. In the same room James Caplon Answell lies unconscious, his clothes disordered as though from a struggle.
The Attorney for the Defense: That gruff and grumbling old sleuth, Sir Henry Merrivale, who proves himself superb in court—even though his gown does tear with a rending noise as he rises majestically to open the case.
The Action: Before H.M. can begin his defense, Answell, his client, rises and cries out that he is guilty. Sir Henry doesn't believe it. But proof, circumstantial evidence, and the man's own confession point to his guilt. So the great, explosive detective gets down to serious sleuthing and at last startles the crowd in the Old Bailey with a reconstruction of the crime along logical, convincing lines.
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Sir Henry Merrivale #9
The Reader Is Warned shm-9
John Dickson Carr
Another of Carr's mysteries with a strong gothic touch, this one involving a psychic. _________________
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Sir Henry Merrivale #12
Seeing is Believing shm-12
John Dickson Carr
Arthur Fane arranges an unusual entertainment for his uncle, a long-term guest, and a few other witnesses — he hires Dr. Rich to hypnotise his wife Victoria. The guests, but not Victoria, have been shown that a gun in the room is actually harmless; everyone, including Victoria, is aware that a dagger provided is made of rubber. The hypnotised Victoria is invited to shoot her husband, and refuses; when told to stab him, though, she agrees. Unfortunately, someone has substituted a real dagger for the rubber one, even though everyone in the room agrees that it would have been impossible to make the substitution. Although Sir Henry Merrivale is busily engaged in dictating his scandalous and slanderous memoirs to a ghost writer, he takes a hand to solve the murder with his friend Chief Inspector Masters, and brings things to a head just as another death occurs.
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Sir Henry Merrivale #18
The Skeleton in the Clock shm-18
John Dickson Carr
Martin Drake meets Jennifer West in an auction house. Three years ago, he had fallen in love with her during a brief but intense encounter on a railway platform — after which she vanished. Now it seems she is engaged to Richard Fleet, whom she's known since they were children together. And when they were children, Richard's father Sir George died when he fell off the roof of their home, Fleet House. It was generally accepted as an accident, but a series of mysterious happenings cause the case to be re-opened. Sir Henry Merrivale, detective and explainer of the impossible, is also at the auction and revives his old antagonism with Sophia, Dowager Countess of Brale, who is Jenny's grandmother. Arthur Puckston keeps the pub across the road from Fleet House and was an eyewitness to Sir George's death. When his daughter, Enid Puckston, is found murdered in what might be a haunted prison, Sir Henry takes a hand and reveals not only the identity of the murderer but the unusual psychology that underlies the case.
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