The Beacon Hill Murders (Doubleday Doran, 1930; Coachwhip, 2017) was the first of five mysteries by Roger Scarlet, the joint pen name of Dorothy Blair and Evelyn Page, who worked as editors at Houghton Mifflin before undertaking a collaborative writing career. See more about the two on The Passing Tramp, the blog of Curtis Evans who wrote the introduction to the Coachwhip reprints of the entire series: http://thepassingtramp.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-murder-mansions-of-mr-scarlett.html
All five mysteries were set in Boston mansions and, as was typical for the time, set forth detailed floor plans that become essential plot elements. In The Beacon Hill Murders Frederick Sutton, a stock market gambler who has recently made a fortune, is hosting a dinner party in an attempt to break into society. Present is his lawyer Mr. Underwood, narrator of the story; Mrs. Anceney, a widow of impeccable social standing; Mrs. Sutton, shy and ill at ease; Katharine Sutton, the daughter of the house; James, the son of the house; Mr. Gilroy, friend of James; and Bert Walton, Mrs. Sutton’s decidedly odd brother.
It was a mismatched group, and conversation was awkward. After dinner and a hand of bridge, Sutton made an excuse to take Mrs. Anceney upstairs to his sitting room. Shortly afterwards, the son and Gilroy left the room. The daughter excused herself, leaving Underwood with Mrs. Sutton and feeling quite out of place. He made his farewells and left the house, only to return a short time later for his walking stick. While he waited in the hall for the footman to retrieve it, he heard an explosion upstairs and the household rushed to the second floor to find Sutton dead and a handgun nearby.
Underwood telephones Inspector Norton Kane of the police, who comes to the house and assumes command. Before the night is over, despite the presence of multiple law enforcement personnel, another member of the ill-assorted group is killed.
This title is an excellent example of the detective story of the 1930s. Detailed descriptions of the scene are incorporated into the story, which includes timelines, split-second coordination of events, and convoluted murder methods. Kane is the typical know-everything detective. While not as offensive as Philo Vance or Spike Tracy, he does not share information with his police colleagues and he certainly has a tendency to lecture. Clues are not left for the reader, and the murder method is so offbeat it would never have occurred to me. Still, a well-written, fast-moving read with interesting characters. For students of classic crime fiction.