Dead Man Inside

14 April 2023

Vincent Starrett (Author), Otto Penzler (Introduction and notes by)

Description

A wealthy dilettante is on the trail of a killer with a penchant for theatrics in this cozy mystery by the author of Murder on “B” Deck.

A strange sight greets Chicago haberdashery clerk Rufus Ker as he prepares to begin his workday by unlocking the door to Bluefield, Inc. A sign is attached to the glass. It reads: DEAD MAN INSIDE! I AM DEAD. THIS STORE WILL NOT OPEN TO-DAY.

Once inside, Rufus is relieved to discover the shop is still in one piece and assumes the sign to be a prank. But no one is laughing when Rufus realizes the dummy in the window is no dummy at all. It’s the body of his boss, Amos Bluefield, and unfortunately this is only the beginning.…

Scientist, explorer, and former intelligence officer Walter Ghost has come to Chicago to research some history, but after a stint in the hospital due to appendicitis, he quickly finds himself investigating a string of puzzling murders. Ghost is certainly no stranger to playing detective, but if he’s not careful, he’s about to get more familiar with the hospital.

Reviews

"Starrett makes the most of the setting and populates it with an array of potential suspects. This definitely merits being labeled an American Mystery classic." — Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) on Murder on “B” Deck

"An ingenious plot with enough complications to keep the reader guessing." — The New York Times on The Great Hotel Murder

"Full of puns and literary humor … A bibliophile’s delight." — Booklist

Hardback

9781613163917

145 x 211 mm • 288 pages

£20.99

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