Curved Blades

A wealthy dowager is found murdered in her private chambers, both poisoned and struck down, her body positioned before her mirror in full evening dress, draped in pearls and gems worth a fortune. The scene is theatrical, almost mocking in its elegance. Fleming Stone, the celebrated criminologist, takes the case, but finds himself drawn to the primary suspect in ways that might cloud his legendary powers of deduction. The suspects include the victim's niece, her social secretary, a cousin who manages her finances, a mysterious Count, and a maid whose behavior grows increasingly suspicious. Carolyn Wells, writing at the height of her powers, constructs a puzzle that rewards careful attention while delivering the elegant social satire the Golden Age did so well. This is mystery as performance: everyone is playing a role, and the murderer has stage-managed this death as carefully as any playwright stages a final act.