The Shrieking Pit

Description

The Shrieking Pit is an extraordinary thriller and one of the earliest novels by Arthur Rees, Australia’s most well-known mystery writers.

The story starts with the murder of a renowned archeologist in a Norfolk inn. The mysterious crime is surrounded by a matching atmosphere – everything is covered in fog and mist coming from the sea, the inn owner’s mad mother kept confined in a room upstairs becomes restless and harsh winds are blowing over the ancient pits around the town. The region hit by foul weather is also haunted by the legend of the White Lady, the sighting of whom brings death to the beholder.

There are multiple detectives involved in the investigation – Superintendent Galloway suspects a shell-shocked soldier, Mr. Colwyn, a well-known private detective who happens to be spending his holiday in the area is of a different opinion, a nerve doctor comes up with his own solution and so does an old solicitor.

There are other characters in the book who make excellent suspects – there is a strange young man who is also a guest at the inn at the time of the murder, but then he disappears, there is the innkeeper’s daughter and there is the innkeeper himself who proves to be at dire straits. There are lots of puzzling events as well, but everything will fall into place, eventually, even the legend becomes explained and the identity of the spectral, shrieking White Lady is also revealed.

The Shrieking Pit is an old-fashioned mystery and certainly one of the best in the history of the genre. The description of the circumstances and the weather sets the atmosphere for a story full of suspense and the plot is perfectly paced, unfolding one mystery after the other, so if you choose this book, prepare yourself for thrilling action that will keep you engaged and wanting to read the entire book in one go.
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