Mystery of the Hidden Room

Description

If you are a fan of classic, Sherlock Holmes-style mysteries, you will surely have a blast reading Mystery of the Hidden Room by Marion Harvey. The story is riveting, keeping the reader engaged and guessing all the way to the end – an excellent whodunit that will challenge the reader’s deductive capacities.

The story is told in first person singular, making it all the more engaging for the reader. The narrator is a young gentleman by the name of Carlton Davies who finds himself involved in a murder case and in the ensuing investigation, participating in the cat-and-mouse game played out masterfully by Detective Graydon McKelvie of the New York Metropolitan Police and the murderer.

The story starts a bit slowly and unfolds gradually, but it keeps surprising the reader up to the very last word and is told in an intriguing manner that lacks violence, making the novel suitable for young and adult readers alike. There is a love story involved as well – the lady accused of the mysterious murder is the narrator’s former fiancée blackmailed to leave Davies who is convinced of the woman’s innocence, despite their break-up and is willing to do whatever he can to prove he is right.

First published in 1922, Mystery of the Hidden Room is nowadays considered to be a true classic of the genre of mystery stories. Being a product of the 20’s, Harvey uses the beautiful, flowery language of the era and the love story line does involve a bit of melodrama (again, typical for the age), but without hindering the qualities of the novel. Besides the suspense, the novel can also be interpreted as a period piece, providing the reader excellent insight into the way police investigations were conducted at the beginning of the 20th century as well as about how true love and a gentlemanly attitude were perceived back then.
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