Ever dreamed of living in a castle? Or at least one of those marvelous English stately homes? It can be a beautiful dream - or it can be a nightmare. It can even lead to murder. That's what happens in "Corpse in a Gilded Cage," by Robert Barnard, which is reviewed this week on our Classic Mysteries podcast. You can listen to a full review here.
"Corpse in a Gilded Cage" is the story of a working-class Englishman named Percy Spender who finds himself - by virtue of the untimely deaths of some other relatives - a nobleman, the 12th Earl of Ellesmere, complete with a family mansion. Perce wants no part of it - he loves his comfortable, lower-class council flat. But some of his relatives and friends have other ideas. Eventually, the conflict will lead to murder.
The story is told by author Robert Barnard, who continues to turn out literate and often funny mysteries. It's of a later vintage than many of our books - this one first appeared in 1984 - but it's a fine, puzzle-oriented mystery with a fair amount of savage humor aimed at the poor old British class system. It is funny and rather frightening - well worth your time.
Comments