Murders in the White Monastery

The golden age of detective fiction left many star names — A. Christie, G. K. Chesterton, G. Mitchell, and others. In this vibrant pantheon, John Dickson Carr (1906–1977) occupies the most honored place. “The Murder in the Locked Room,” where there is no place for wild chases and shootouts, and the circle of suspects is maximally limited, is a favorite device of the author. Carr pulls the reader into a web of cleverly arranged traps, deceptive moves, and subtle hints, inviting them to participate in solving a convoluted puzzle, unraveling the threads of “impossible” crimes. In the novel “Murders in the White Monastery” (1934), the reader will once again meet the charming and eccentric Sir Henry Merrivale, who was recognized as one of the most extraordinary detectives in detective literature. A young diplomat named James Bennett, the American nephew of Sir Henry, arrives in London and receives an invitation to spend Christmas in Surrey, at the estate White Monastery. Among the guests is a Hollywood movie star, whom Bennett met back in America, as well as her numerous entourage. Bennett is tormented by heavy premonitions, and he turns to Merrivale for advice…