A Talent for Murder: An Everett Carr Mystery
A Talent for Murder is a stylish 1930s locked-room murder mystery, with a disparate mix of characters, all of whom have histories they are not prepared to divulge. All lie when questioned, all have reasons for wanting the murdered man dead, but not all have clear reasons to be there. The victim is a despicable villain, which makes the time and the place significant, since any one of them could have done away with him sooner. The setting is a richly appointed mansion, at some point owned by a necromancer-warlock, and now the singular home of Sir James Ravenwood, a collector of macabre artifacts. The action takes place during a weekend house party, designed to unveil Sir James’s latest acquisition—a knife thought to have slain a vampire. Behold, the murder weapon!
Everett Carr is quiet and unassuming, an observer, the proverbial amateur sleuth, and his approachable manner catches people off guard. He’s a marvellous protagonist, overshadowing most of the other characters, and there is sure to be much more to be learned from and about him.
This is a descriptive, well-paced mystery evoking an aristocratic era of polite behaviour and deceptively genteel conversation. It is complex and takes a bit of untangling, because of the character connections, which appear on the surface to be vague or non-existent. The author’s fascination with all things Sherlock shines through Carr’s logic and deductive reasoning. Although the police inspector concedes that Carr has uncovered valuable evidence, the fact that it is Carr who reveals the murderer at the gathering of suspects, doesn’t quite ring true, although taken in context, it is understandable why the author chose that route. That said, this is a very well-written first in series and a recommended read for mystery lovers.
