Murder Underground by Mavis Doriel Hay

Murder Underground by Mavis Doriel Hay ISBN-13: 9781464206610 Paperback: 270 pages Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press Released: Nov. 1, 2016

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
When Miss Pongleton is found murdered on the stairs of Belsize Park station, her fellow-boarders in the Frampton Hotel are not overwhelmed with grief at the death of a tiresome old woman. But they all have their theories about the identity of the murderer and help to unravel the mystery of who killed the wealthy Pongle. Even Tuppy the terrier has a part to play in the events that lead to a dramatic arrest.

This classic mystery novel is set in and around the Northern Line of the London Underground. It is now republished for the first time since the 1930s.


My Review:
Murder Underground is a mystery that was originally published in 1934 and is set in London. We don't follow the police interviews but instead follow the gossip of the people at the victim's rooming house and the antics of her relatives.

It's more a comedy of errors than a puzzle-type mystery, and the story had a humorous, lighthearted tone. One of the main characters--a potential heir of the victim--lied to the police about his movements. This caused no end of trouble, and his efforts to set things right without making the police suspect him only made things into a worse muddle.

The critical clues were only uncovered once people stopped hiding secrets. You can guess whodunit from the clues, and some characters figure it out about the same time that the readers can. There was no sex. There was a minor amount of of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.