With a golden-age mystery plot, The Puzzle of Blackstone Lodge is sure to bring readers fond memories of Agatha Christie and John Dickson Carr. However, I’m not sure about how fair play this mystery was despite the listing of specific sentences shown in the back of the book as the relevant clues. A few sentences among thousands are a tough row to hoe for armchair detectives. But that may just be sour grapes on my part since I failed to solve at least one of the four mysteries found in the book.
Despite what I said in the previous paragraph, I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Puzzle of Blackstone Lodge. It has eerie manors, dangerous fells, ghostly seances, and even a sinister sanatorium. Rachel is an intensely brilliant amateur detective as well as being intensely unlikable. Still, many of the most memorable fictional detectives share her penchant for grandiose behavior.
If you like golden age mysteries or perceive yourself as an armchair detective, don’t miss this excellent modern version. 4 stars!
Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.