Death and Letters — Elizabeth Daly

A crossword puzzle leads a 1950s antiquarian book dealer to a puzzling family in this mystery by Agatha Christie's favorite author.

Amateur detective Henry Gamadge is summoned to a secluded estate by way of a crossword puzzle, the only means of communication for a widow being held captive by her relatives. They claim she's lost her mind; she thinks they have shut her away to keep her from spilling on her late husband's suspicious suicide. Gamadge knows that a woman who can convey her situation in the space of a crossword is most definitely in possession of her mental faculties. But can he sort out the secrets of a clan so hell-bent on avoiding a scandal?

“Henry Gamadge is one of the more captivating sleuths in detective fiction.” -- New York Herald Tribune