Writing under the pen name, Josephine Tey, Elizabeth MacKintosh wrote two different mystery series. The Miss Pym series included this mystery Miss Pym Disposes written in 1947.
Interestingly written this plot continues on with Miss Pym visiting a women's college as a visiting guest lecturer for 180 pages of the short book before there is any untoward behavior. Usually a mystery sets up the scene and then someone is killed or something is stolen and the rest of the book is trying to solve the crime. In this novel, Miss Pym comes to the school and gives a talk. Then there are all kinds of developments that entice her to stay on campus. The story is setting the scene and introducing the reader to all the characters in quite a bit of detail. You know the school setting and all the different women involved in the story long before any incident happens.
Then quite quickly the crime is uncovered and Miss Pym wrestles with her conscience and decides who she thinks is guilty and deals out her own form of justice. The novel comes to an as she feels all the pieces are tied up. OF course there is a twist at the end that leaves the reader wondering as Miss Pym takes the train back to London.
Such a different style of mystery writing.
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