''The Riddle of the Roost'' is a 1939

mystery Mystery, The Mystery, Mysteries or The Mysteries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters *Mystery, a cat character in ''Emily the Strange'' Films * ''Mystery'' (2012 film), a 2012 Chinese drama film * ''Mystery'' ( ...

detective novel Detective fiction is a subgenre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator or a detective—whether professional, amateur or retired—investigates a crime, often murder. The detective genre began around the same time as s ...

by the Irish-born writer

Lynn Brock Lynn Brock (1877-1943) was the pseudonym of the Irish writer Alister McAllister, who moved to England and wrote a series of mystery novels. Brock is best known for his series of Colonel Gore detective novels, which enjoyed popularity in the 1920s ...

. It was the third and last in his trilogy featuring the characters of

Scotland Yard Scotland Yard (officially New Scotland Yard) is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, the territorial police force responsible for policing Greater London's 32 boroughs, but not the City of London, the square mile that forms London's ...

detective Sergeant Venn and Constable Kither.Reilly p.198-99 It was Brock's penultimate novel, followed the next year by '' The Stoat'' a final entry into the series of his best-known character Colonel Gore.

Synopsis

In the picturesque settlement of Pinehill the peace and quiet is disturbed by the double murders of Winfred Dorbin and his twin brother Hector, at their

country house An English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a town house. This allowed them to spend time in the country and in the city—hence, for these peopl ...

. The local police and inhabitants suspect a simple-minded villager of the murder. Only the arrival of Sergeant Venn towards the end of the story brings some clarity.

References

Bibliography

* Hubin, Allen J. ''Crime Fiction, 1749-1980: A Comprehensive Bibliography''. Garland Publishing, 1984. * Reilly, John M. ''Twentieth Century Crime & Mystery Writers''. Springer, 2015. 1939 British novels British mystery novels Novels by Lynn Brock Novels set in England British detective novels Collins Crime Club books {{1930s-crime-novel-stub