The Riddle of the Night

A shot in the mist near Wimbledon Common interrupts Superintendent Narkom's return from a coming-of-age celebration. His chauffeur hears a cry and police whistles, and the car races along a lonely lane toward an old railway arch. There, a Common keeper and a constable find themselves grappling with each other while the man being chased seems to have disappeared. Thomas W. Hanshew builds the opening of this detective novel around a puzzle of movement, darkness and conflicting observations.

Hamilton Cleek brings his skill with disguises to the investigation. At Wuthering Grange, information about a secluded guest's room and the servants' clothing becomes material for a possible impersonation, with his assistant Dollops ready to supply an evening suit. The story offers readers an intricate inquiry in which the geography of a lane, the cut of a waistcoat and a casual remark can all demand attention. Its appeal lies in watching practical observation turn an apparently baffling situation into something that can be examined.