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About the author: Carter Dickson is a pseudonym of John Dickson Carr, known for his locked room mysteries.
Major characters:
- Professor Gilray, scorpion bite victim
- John Loring (Lord Severn)
- Lady Helen Loring, Lord Severn's daughter
- Christopher "Kit" Farrell, a lawyer, Helen's boyfriend
- Sandy Robertson
- Audrey Vane, Sandy's girlfriend
- Alim Bey, Egyptian fortune teller
- Leo Beaumont, American fortune teller
- Benson, the butler
- Elizabeth Pomfret, housekeeper
- Sir Henry Merrivale, "H.M."
Locale: Egypt (briefly), then England
Synopsis: Professor Gilray, John Loring (Lord Severn), his daughter Lady Helen Loring, and Sandy Robertson are on an archeological expedition to Egypt, and retrieve many artifacts from a tomb. The locals believe they are cursed for doing so, and Gilray is bitten by a scorpion and dies. Lady Helen is given a small bronze lamp as a gift by the Egyptian government, which she announces she is taking back to Severn Hall in England. While travelling, she meets up with Sir Henry Merrivale. As they depart, Egyptian fortune teller Alim Bey prophesies that if she takes the lamp there, she will never reach her room at the hall.
Severn Hall has been closed for years, but is put into shape quickly under the direction of butler Benson and housekeeper Elizabeth Pomfret. The travelers arrive and Lady Helen, carrying the lamp, is the first in the door. When the others follow, they find the lamp on the floor, and Lady Helen missing.
The house is searched and she is not found. Benson shows an architect's book which testifies the house has no hidden rooms or secret passages. The house was surrounded by various workers who swear she did not leave the house. Then Lord Severn disappears in the same manner, again leaving the bronze lamp in his place.
Review: This starts out with some comedy as H.M. has an unruly encounter with a taxi driver, which. is enjoyable and not so long it detracts from the story. H.M is in the action right from the start. The search of the manor is well done, with workers staged around the outside who testify no one left the building.
I liked how the secret room/passage possibility is ruled out right away by the architect's book which so testifies. That was a clever way to dismiss that possibility right from the start.
I had my own idea where Helen was, but of course, I was wrong. There are some red herrings dangled for possible hiding places. Her actual location was quite a surprise.
You may also enjoy this review by Bev Hankins on My Reader's Block.
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