THE MYSTERY OF THE DOWNS

London and New York: John Lane Company, 1918. First edition. Some light wear, spine slightly darkened, some lettering is flaking else a very good-near fine, tight copy. Features private investigator Crewe. "Arthur Rees was fond of locating his mysteries in remote seaside villages. Here the setting is the coastal downs surrounding a fishing village. The landscape is full of dangerous roads skirting treacherous cliffs. The scene of the crime is a gloomy old farmhouse, partly ruined by weather, that has been inhabited by generations of eccentrics. One old recluse hid his money somewhere on the property, and it was never found. His grandson, also reclusive, is found murdered in the farmhouse at the onset of the story. The narration opens with a violent rainstorm that portends the violence to come. Our sympathies are immediately engaged by the agreeable young man caught in the downpour who is destined to find the body of the murdered man. The Mystery of the Downs, first published in 1918, is very much a product of its times. World War I is just ending, and several characters have been wounded at the front. One of the minor characters is a medium, reflecting the current fascination with Spiritualism..." --Amazon Review . First Edition. Hardcover. Very Good-Near Fine/No Jacket. Book.