Somewhere in the House

Somewhere in the House by Elizabeth Daly is a 1984 Bantam Books publication. (Originally published in 1946)

Henry Gammadge has been commissioned to attend a most unusual event. The Clayborn family has been awaiting the moment when they can finally open a sealed room in their mansion, which will free them up to receive their inheritances, at long last. Henry's role is to see that there's no sleight of hand amongst the gathered relatives.

Although this is highly irregular, Henry is accepted by the family, and their attorney, who will oversee the unveiling, if you will.

Henry’s client is mainly concerned about a button collection she feels could be in the room and might be of some value. What they discover instead is not only the macabre show more wax figure of a long-dead relative, but a murder victim. The question is… how was she murdered when the room has been sealed for twenty-five years?

As legend would have it, Elizabeth Daly was supposedly Agatha Christie’s favorite mystery writer. Daly was once dubbed ‘The grand dame of women mystery writer’s’.

Today, Daly has faded into relative obscurity, which is a real shame. So, for the record, Hoopla has most of her Henry Gammagde collection in digital format, so if you enjoy Golden Age mysteries, you should check them out.

As for this book-

Locked room mysteries are very common, of course, but this one is especially unique. I can’t say I’ve encountered a mystery plot quite like it.

A shrine to a lost loved one, in the form of a wax figure, an unusual codicil to a will, a sealed-up room, and twenty-five years of too much togetherness for a family loaded with secrets and in dire need of their inheritance is a strange premise, but it certainly kept me turning pages.

Gammadge is an understated sort of amateur sleuth, and of course his book knowledge makes him very interesting.

The cast of characters are not likeable- with one or two exceptions- but, the mystery was certainly a head scratcher and I can’t say that I ever fully suspected any one person for very long.

The story is rather brief- barely over two hundred pages, so it didn't take me long to read it- but it did require my undivided attention.

This was my only physical copy of Daly’s work- which is why I started with book ten. I didn’t know Hoopla had the collection before I started reading this one or I might have tried to read them in order.

I’m not sure if this installment is the best representation of Daly’s work, but this plot was original enough, I am anxious to read through her entire library.

Overall, a strange, but well executed mystery!

3.5 stars show less

I was pleased to see books again being important in the plot! And the readers finally get to meet (extremely briefly) the young scion of the family :)

Still making up my mind about Daly and this book. A lot of jumps that seemed to take too much effort to follow.

I was pleased to see books again being important in the plot! And the readers finally get to meet (extremely briefly) the young scion of the family :)

I vaguely remember this as being exceptionally grim.

Opening a room sealed up for 20 years. Gamadge asked to be present. Dead body found.