The Riddle of the Red Widow

The golden age of detective fiction has left many star names - A. Christie, G. K. Chesterton, G. Mitchell, and others. In this bright array, John Dickson Carr (1906–1977) occupies the most honorable place. The murder "in a locked room," where there is no place for wild chases and shootouts, and the circle of suspects is highly limited, is the author's favorite device. Carr draws the reader into a web of cleverly set traps, deceptive moves, and subtle hints and invites them to participate in solving an ingenious puzzle, unraveling the threads of "impossible" crimes. The novel "The Riddle of the Red Widow" (1935) continues the series of books about the charming and eccentric detective Henry Merrivale. This work is the quintessence of locked room murder stories. In a London mansion, which in bygone days was called the House of the Executioner, several people have gathered to spend time there in a very unusual way. The participants of the evening intend to draw cards and determine who among them will have to go to the room of the Red Widow, locked more than half a century ago. According to family legend, whoever spends two hours alone in this room will not come out alive. Will they manage to dispel this legend, or will someone become the next victim of the Red Widow?.. The novel is published in a new translation.