Two-Way Murder by E.C.R. Lorac

Two-Way Murder
by E.C.R. Lorac

ISBN-13: 9781464215780
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Released: April 5th 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
It is a dark and misty night--isn't it always?--and bachelors Nicholas and Ian are driving to the ball at Fordings. There waits the charming Dilys Maine, whom all of the single men would love to win for a wife. Nicholas has arranged to give Dilys a ride home, and he barely stops in time to avoid running over a stranger lying in the road. But he's been dead for hours, and with so many people on the road going to the ball, will the police ever narrow down who killed him?

Written in the last years of the author's life, this previously unpublished novel is a tribute to Lorac's enduring skill for constructing an ingenious puzzle, replete with memorable characters and gripping detective work.


My Review:
Two-Way Murder is a mystery set in 1956 or 1957 in England. It really needed a map showing all of the locations and roads. It was confusing at times to know where a certain significant event happened and why that might be important because there was no map (at least, not in my advanced reader copy). The locals instantly knew any significance and could mull over the possibilities.

The characters were interesting, and several people tried to solve whodunit. They weren't necessarily helping the police. Several people lied or were uncooperative with the police to keep people they cared about out of the investigation for various reasons. The likable policeman did solve the mystery, though, by asking good questions and thinking out the possibilities. I guessed whodunit based on some of the clues, but I didn't quite figure out how (though it felt like an "oh, duh!" moment after the reveal). There was no sex. There was a fair amount of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this engaging, interesting mystery.


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.