The House of the Arrow

Two demanding letters from Dijon disturb the orderly business of the solicitors Frobisher & Haslitt. Boris Waberski expects a share of the fortune belonging to his ailing relative, Mrs. Harlowe, and asks for money in advance. Jeremy Haslitt knows that her will leaves everything to Betty, her husband's niece and adopted daughter. After Mrs. Harlowe's death, Boris doubles his demand and threatens trouble. Haslitt asks his young partner, Jim Frobisher, to be ready to travel to France.

This detective novel begins with the tension between a carefully drawn will and an aggrieved relative's claims. Haslitt's amused responses to the first letter give way to concern as the correspondence grows more hostile. Jim's deliberate judgments and fondness for solitary expeditions add another perspective to the firm's handling of its clients. Readers who enjoy inheritance mysteries can find suspense in the details of paperwork, the shifting tone of a letter, and the difficulty of judging another person's intentions.