The Red House Mystery.

A gunshot in a comfortable English country house, and suddenly the weekend guests are players in a puzzle none of them expected.

What it's about

The Red House Mystery is A.A. Milne's single venture into detective fiction, a classic golden-age whodunit set at a genteel house party. When a death disrupts the leisurely gathering, an amiable amateur takes it upon himself to play detective, complete with an admiring companion who serves as his Watson. What follows is a carefully constructed investigation, full of clues, alibis and the pleasures of deduction, unfolding with the author's characteristic lightness and wit.

Themes

The novel plays affectionately with the conventions of the detective story, delighting in the ritual of observation and inference. Friendship gives it warmth, as the sleuthing pair relish their game as much as they pursue the truth. Beneath the surface runs a gentle interest in appearance and disguise, in how easily the surface of respectable life can conceal something darker.

Why it still matters

Written by the man who would become famous for Winnie-the-Pooh, this book shows a different side of a beloved author, and it stands on its own as a well-turned example of its genre. It has been admired as a model of the fair-play mystery, in which the reader is given every chance to solve the case. Its charm and craftsmanship have kept it in print and in affection for generations.

Who it's for

Lovers of Agatha Christie and the classic English mystery, and anyone who enjoys a witty, good-humored puzzle, will feel instantly at home. It is a perfect fireside read for a rainy afternoon.