Mr. Marx's Secret

Church bells announce astonishing news in a Midland village: Squire Ravenor has been found alive after six years on a Pacific island. Eight-year-old Philip Morton watches his father celebrate the estate owner's return, while his mother turns pale and withdraws to rest. Soon a troubling letter and questions about a visitor to the farmhouse bring uncertainty into Philip's home. The story begins with a child's memories, giving familiar fields, woods and family conversations an undercurrent of unease.

E. Phillips Oppenheim's mystery novel also takes Philip into a more comfortable social world. At Borden Tower, beside the sea, he notices how Leonard de Cartienne keeps passing wine to Cecil while concealing how little he drinks himself. Such small observations make appearances and motives worth watching. Readers interested in family secrets and suspicious company will find a narrative that builds tension through overheard words, changing surroundings and the narrator's attention to other people's behaviour.