Nick Charles is a retired private detective who, along with his wife Nora, is drawn into solving the murder of Julia Wolf, the secretary of eccentric inventor Clyde Wynant. Charles and the police must navigate a web of lies and suspects, including Wynant’s very dysfunctional family. The novel mixes humour, intrigue, dynamic marital banter and plenty of booze in 1930s New York. This is a witty mystery that feels more like a film script, with almost all dialogue… and it did indeed become a film. A nice little cosy Christmas mystery.
“I’m not as dumb as you think. He told me he knew something that was going to get him big dough and I’ve seen how it worked out. I guess I can put two and two together.” “Sometimes the answer’s four,” I said, “and sometimes it’s twentytwo.”