This book was initially published anonymously, and the author used a number of pen names throughout his writing career. I don't know how this particular book ended up on my radar, but I'm always ready to give a new author a chance! This one is in the public domain, and I got it from Project Gutenberg.
Roger and Alec are at the home of a wealthy man when he winds up committing suicide. It appears to be an easy crime to solve, but Roger isn't so sure. He wants to play Sherlock, and he enlists Alec to be his Watson. Even though the authorities have ruled it a suicide, Roger won't leave it alone. Alec is along for the ride, but he's also the voice of dissent.
I was on the fence for a long time with this one. I didn't like that Roger kept going after these people after he found out the dead man wasn't a great person. I didn't want it to be the suspect he was leaning toward, and I was going to be bummed. But, the thing with Roger is that he isn't Sherlock. At all. His theories are wrong. A lot. I like how he's a normal guy. He goes into an interrogation with preset notions and expecting certain answers, but when he doesn't get them, suddenly he has to rethink his entire theory.
I think that's what really drew me in at the end. Not only the way Roger was slogging through the mystery with all his missteps, but when he finally gets it at the end, the way he dealt with it made me smile. This is one of the mysteries that stands out for being unique. It's what would happen if normal people tried to be Poirot or Sherlock, and I loved it. I've written this author's name down so I can try and get my hands on more of his books. Good Book!
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