Murder mystery novelist Mr Curran is found dead in a locked room following a dinner party. The disappearance of his fiancé makes her the most obvious suspect – but there is more to this case than meets the eye. Detective Kinney is on the case, but the meddling of the other guests means he needs to call on the services of Detective Fleming Stone. The fourteenth in the ‘Fleming Stone’ series of detective novels by prolific author Carolyn Wells, this is a classic murder mystery.

Carolyn Wells (1862-1942) was a prolific American novelist and poet, best known for her children’s literature, mystery novels and humorous verse. Following school in New Jersey, Wells worked as a librarian, where she developed her love of reading. It was during 1896 that Wells' first book ‘At the Sign of the Sphinx’ was published. From 1900 she dedicated herself to her literary career, writing over 170 novels in total across a range of genres. Some of her most loved works include the ‘Patty Fairfield’ and ‘Marjorie Maynard’ series for girls, as well as the ‘Fleming Stone’ mystery series for adults. Wells is also well-known for her humorous nonsense verse, and was a frequent contributor of verse to magazines. She published an autobiography ‘The Rest of my Life’ in 1937. Wells died in New York City in 1942.