This book does not claim to be definitive; what it does offer is an accessible view of the impressive spectrum of imaginative writing which the genre's classic period has to offer.

[A] twisty "snake in the garden" country-house mystery [where] Lorac constructs a challenging puzzle and provides a marvelous glimpse into pre-WWII Oxford life." — Booklist, Starred Review "Lorac keeps everything professional and smartly ...

This collection of fourteen stories corrals plots centered around cats, dogs, and insects alongside more exotic incidents involving gorillas, parakeets, and serpents—complete with a customary shoal of red herrings.