Post After Post-Mortem by E.C.R. Lorac

Post After Post-Mortem
by E.C.R. Lorac

ISBN-13: 9781728267609
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Released: February 7th 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
The Surrays and their five children form a prolific writing machine, with scores of treatises, reviews and crime thrillers published under their family name. Following a rare convergence of the whole household at their Oxfordshire home, Ruth – middle sister who writes 'books which are just books' – decides to spend some weeks there recovering from the pressures of the writing life while the rest of the brood scatter to the winds again. Their next return is heralded by the tragic news that Ruth has taken her life after an evening at the Surrays' hosting a set of publishers and writers, one of whom is named as Ruth's literary executor in the will she left behind.

Despite some suspicions from the family, the verdict at the inquest is suicide – but when Ruth's brother Richard receives a letter from the deceased which was delayed in the post, he enlists the help of CID Robert Macdonald to investigate what could only be an ingeniously planned murder.


My Review:
Post After Post-Mortem is a mystery set in England and was originally published in 1936. The characters were so little developed that I mostly told them apart by their names and the clues as to who was where and had opportunity. Figuring out the motive was a bit murky going, even at the end. Despite the witnesses repeatedly lying to or refusing to answer him, the detective asked good questions, carefully followed up on investigating the suspect's movements, and found clues. However, a critical clue was hinted at but not fully exposed until we're told whodunit and why. While this clue-based mystery was guessable, I didn't really feel like the author fully played fair with the reader. There was a fair amount of bad language. There was no sex. Overall, I'd recommend this 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.