The Red Widow Murders

How could a room only be deadly for a solitary individual? That’s the baffling question at the heart of this ingenious 1935 mystery from Carr (1906–1977). Lord Mantling invites Sir Henry Merrivale to test a curse at his London home, which contains a room that’s been locked and sealed for 60 years. Over the decades, four healthy people entered it alone, only to be found dead, apparently from poison, but no source of the toxin was ever found, and the chamber was harmless to anyone not alone in it. The aristocrat’s grandfather died inexplicably in 1876, and Mantling’s father’s will dictated that the deadly room remain off-limits while the house still stood. With the property scheduled for demolition, Mantling has members of his household and some guests draw cards to determine who will spend time locked in the room. But despite Merrivale’s presence and all possible access points tightly sealed, the experiment’s subject dies from curare poisoning. Carr provides vital clues in plain view that will elude most readers. Fair-play fans will be eager for more reissues in the American Mystery Classics series from this master of the impossible crime. (Feb.)