one of her best! Macdonald is brilliant - or as Christelle would say: ooo la la ( )

This is clever and if the subject matter weren't so grim it would be very amusing. As it is, Ruth is found dead in her room after taking what appears to be an overdose of sleeping pills, wjich she had been prescribed to counter insomina caused by overwork. The family and guests in the house close ranks to present the minimum of evidence and the coroner comes up with a verdict of death by suicide. All well and good, until a mis-addressed letter arrived at Richard's house, having been delayed by the poor addressing. This is from Ruth and it throws a rather different light on her mental state, such that the suicide is not quite so clear cut as it had been made to appear.
This is set in intellectual circles, with writers, publishers, poets and academics wandering round, throwing facts and random thoughts about like daisies in a meadow - which MacDonald has to pick up and sort through. He's called in by Richard and agrees to get the case assigned to him on nothing more than that he'd consulted Richard on a professional manner and displayed more humanity that a conventional copper might. Richard has more than one qualm about setting such a keen observer onto the problem and not liking the turn that the investigation takes.
All in all, very neatly and intricately plotted. It feels a little like the dark side of a drawing room farce of the interwar years. ( )

This was a slow-paced, somewhat psychological mystery where everyone seems a little on edge and everyone acts like they have something to hide. It went on a little too long for me, but I did appreciate the neatly explained solution. As is the case in the best mysteries, it was left in plain view for the reader to put together if inclined, but so buried under everyone's personalities and personal problems that it's very unlikely you'll catch on.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this advance review copy! ( )

Post After Post-Mortem suggests sometimes it is best to let sleeping suicides lie. When the successful writer Ruth Surray is found dead at a family gathering that included some of her publishing friends, a verdict is quickly decided and the family is spared a lot of unwelcome and intrusive publicity. But then her brother receives a letter from her, mailed the night she died and it’s clear that suicide was not on her mind. So he seeks out the help of CID Robert Macdonald, asking him to investigate as discreetly as possible.

The family is surprisingly unwelcoming. It confused me that her mother would prefer a verdict of suicide over murder. Suicide is not more genteel. But then her mother begins the book by congratulating herself on getting her house just-so and having the youngest of her children graduate with honors. She’s afraid life will be boring now that everything is perfect. But her perfect world starts cracking with Ruth’s death and continues to crack under the pressure of the investigation. After all, the suspect pool is limited to her own family and a couple visitors.

I liked Post After Post-Mortem and thought the mystery was fair. There were no hidden clues or surprises and all the suspects and the villain were introduced in the beginning. However, I thought it truly weird that a family would not jump at the chance of their family member being murdered rather than committing suicide. It is painful to think of family in such despair. I know the aftermath of suicide and cannot imagine preferring that. I also think the motive for the murder is bizarre. I guess someone could think that way, but it is not a very credible motive. However, I liked the successful sense of place, the slow comfort of the country home and the hustle of the city, for example. The characters were well-drawn and distinct. In all, it’s a successful book with a few creaky hinges.

I received an e-galley of Post After Post-Mortem from the publisher through NetGalley.

Post After Post-Mortem at Poisoned Pen Press | Sourcebooks
E. C. R. Lorac at Wikipedia and Books In Order
Fell Murder by E.C.R. Lorac
Murder in the Mill-Race by E. C. R. Lorac
Murder by Matchlight by E. C. R. Lorac

https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2023/02/23/post-after-post-mortem-by... ( )

The Surray family seems to be graced with an inordinate amount of talent. All five children have advanced in academic or professional careers, as has their famous father. When Ruth Surray perishes at her own hand, the family is devastated. However, a letter received by her brother Richard after her death leads to a re-opening of the investigation into her death. As the inquiry progresses, other members of the family meet with mishaps. Scotland Yard Superintendent Macdonald finds this to be a complicated puzzle as he is tasked with unraveling the many threads that lead to the truth of Ruth's death.

This latest addition to the British Library Crime Classics series will keep readers on the edge of their seats as they think through the puzzling circumstances with Macdonald. When the final reveal occurs, the result will no doubt be surprising. Although the story takes some time to develop, it remains a fine example of the classic detective novel of the Golden Age of crime writing.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The ideas expressed here are entirely my own. ( )