Smallbone Deceased, British Library Crime Classics

A tale of lethal events at a legal firm by a writer acclaimed as “perhaps the best living master of the classic English murder mystery” (The New Yorker).

One of the Crime Writers’ Association’s Top 100 Crime Novels of All Time

One of the Mystery Writers of America’s Top 100 Mystery Novels of All Time

Horniman, Birley and Craine is a respected legal firm with clients drawn from the highest of society. When a deed box in the office is opened to reveal a corpse, the threat of scandal promises to wreak havoc on the firm's reputation—especially as the murder looks like an inside job. The partners and staff of the firm keep a watchful and suspicious eye on their colleagues, as Inspector Hazlerigg sets out to solve the mystery of who Mr. Smallbone was—and why he had to die.

Initially published in 1950, Smallbone Deceased is a Golden Age masterpiece by a Diamond Dagger Award winner and MWA Grandmaster—an author who “appeals to that ancient and simple need in us, the story” (H. R. F. Keating, The Times).

“First-rate.” —The New York Times

“Ingenious . . . Gilbert expertly combines fairly planted clues and self-referential humor. Well-drawn personalities and plausible twists are additional pluses. This high-quality whodunit deserves a wide readership.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A classic of the genre.” —The Guardian