The Red House Mystery

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

1872

Title

The Red House Mystery

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

A. A. Milne's witty detective tale features amateur sleuth Mr. Beverley and his companion Bill as they investigate a mysterious body found in a pond at the Red House. Blending humor with classic mystery tropes, the story explores themes of disguise, identity, and the thin line between innocent pastimes and criminal plots.

Summary up to 500 words

In A. A. Milne's *The Red House Mystery*, the tranquil bachelor home of Mr. Mark Ablett at the Red House becomes the stage for a peculiar crime. The mystery begins when Mark's brother, Robert, arrives from Australia after fifteen years, sparking gossip among the household staff. Shortly after his arrival, a body is discovered in the garden pond. During the subsequent inquest, the deceased is identified as Robert, yet inconsistencies immediately arise. Robert had previously asked for directions at the second lodge, implying knowledge of a secret passage, yet his body was never recovered from the water. Suspicion falls on Matthew Cayley, the housekeeper's cousin and Mark's own cousin, who acts suspiciously by guarding the scene and claiming to have found the body himself. Mr. Beverley, a former actor with a flair for disguise, and his friend Bill begin to suspect Cayley of foul play. Through careful deduction, Beverley realizes that the 'brother' was likely a disguise worn by Mark Ablett himself, who had been murdered by Cayley. Cayley attempted to frame Mark's brother for the crime, using a dummy figure to mislead investigators. The narrative balances comedic dialogue with suspenseful plotting, featuring characters like the frightened Audrey Stevens and the pragmatic Bill. Beverley eventually uncovers the truth, revealing Cayley's guilt and his own tragic end. The story culminates in a clever resolution that exposes the amateur criminal's ingenuity and ultimate downfall, highlighting themes of deception, the nature of identity, and the thin line between comedy and tragedy in the English countryside.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

Download URL

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1872.epub.noimages

Local file path

data/epubs/pg1872.epub

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Categories

• Fiction
• Mystery