The Riddle of the Mysterious Light

A supremely atmospheric early mystery that blends gothic horror with the emerging detective genre. Superintendent Maverick Narkom of Scotland Yard expects a quiet last day before his holiday in Margate, but a desperate call from the village of Valehampton shatters his peace. Strange lights hover over the hamlet, villagers have vanished, and deaths defy explanation. His brilliant ally Hamilton Cleek is missing, captured by a gang of Apaches as he investigated the case. What begins as a routine investigation plunges Narkom into a world where the supernatural and the criminal intertwine, where lights in the darkness may be guideposts to either salvation or damnation. The camaraderie between the stolid Narkom and the daring Cleek anchors the novel, offering warmth amid the chills. This is vintage mystery fiction, atmospheric and propulsive, perfect for readers who want their detective stories with a gothic edge.