He Who Whispers
‘It almost seemed that the murder, if it was a murder, must have been committed by someone who could rise up unsupported in the air…’
When Miles Hammond is invited to a meeting of the Murder Club in London, he is met instead with just two other guests and is treated to a strange tale of an impossible crime in France from years before; the murder of a man on a tower with only one staircase, under watch at the time at which the murder took place. With theories of levitating vampires abounding, the story comes home to Miles when he realises that the librarian he has just hired for his home is none other than Fay Seton, a woman whose name still echoes from the heart of this bizarre and unsolved murder of the past.
First published in 1946, in later years Carr considered this novel one of his finest works. It shows the masterful author at the height of his powers, boasting an ingenious plot delivered with an astounding pace and striking characters including none other than the great detective, Dr Gideon Fell.
JOHN DICKSON CARR (1906–1977) was a hugely popular author of crime fiction renowned for his fiendish puzzles. Born in Pennsylvania, USA, Carr developed a distinctly ‘British’ style to his mystery writing from his time living in England and became one of only two Americans ever admitted to the Detection Club.