Grand Babylon Hotel

Theodore Racksole, oil-rich and restless, purchases the Grand Babylon Hotel on a sudden whim. He's an American with more money than patience, and the grand old London institution seems like the perfect toy. But within hours of acquisition, things go gloriously wrong: a German prince vanishes into thin air, a guest is found murdered in Room 477, and the body subsequently vanishes too. The mystery deepens as quickly as the champagne flows. Bennett wrote this gem in a feverish fifteen days as light entertainment, and it shows in the propulsive energy and sharp wit. His real target isn't the murder plot but the absurd theater of wealth and status - the American millionaire among European royalty, the hotel staff navigating their betters, the sheer ridiculousness of it all. Nella, Racksole's sharp-tongued daughter, proves the most capable investigator, aided by another German prince. This is gleeful, over-the-top Edwardian entertainment: a murder mystery wrapped in social satire, served with champagne and a knowing wink.