Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Working with the British Library, Poisoned Pen Press is reissuing a slew of mysteries in very stylish paperback period format, written by some forgotten (but popular in their time) writers of the Golden Age of British crime fiction. John Bude, whose real name was Ernest Elmore, was one of the founders of the Crime Writers' Association and produced 30 detective stories. This one marked the second appearance of Superintendent Meredith, a detective who goes to any length to solve crimes (he first appeared in The Lake District Murder). The mystery centers on a particularly creepy method of body disposal after one of the two brothers who operate a farm featuring a lime kiln disappears, a thigh bone is discovered in a bag of lime delivered to a local shop. A scene that is especially startling in a book filled with jaw-dropping scenes is that of a retired anthropologist (who sometimes helps police with anatomy) picking up the thigh bone and carrying it under his arm as if it were an umbrella. The finding and piecing together of the victim's body, with its sinister but matter-of-fact tone, is worthy of Hitchcock. Superintendent Meredith, in these pre-forensic days, relies on his interrogation techniques and common deductive sense to find motive and murderer. The layers of relationships and secrets Bude unearths through his questioning are riveting. A wonderful rediscovery.--Fletcher, Connie Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
