Now, being a train obsessive there were a few little details about the train in the story that I wanted to know more about. I have a bias for mysteries of a more reverend vintage (heavy on dialogue and deductions, light on car chases, gunplay and bedroom scenes) and in that respect Mystery in White does not disappoint. When our main characters leave the stalled train for a cross country hike, we don't get a description of what they were wearing, if they were dressed for a blizzard, and if the women were wearing heels and skirts, all of which would have made a difference as they struggle across fields through blinding snow. Fires roar enticingly in the hearth, but a kitchen knife lies on the floor and a pot of water for tea has boiled dry on the stove.

The first half is structured as any mystery would be, which means that at least I was hopelessly disappointed by the resolution of the plot. As anyone familiar with Agatha Christie’s work will know they feature in several of her books (…) but a quick look at the cover art for the BLCC series also shows trains make a regular appearance. Extremely Short Timespan: The entire story progresses between early afternoon of December 24th and the morning of December 25th. Mystery in White is also one of at least three of his novels to have appeared in Italian and French editions, as well as recent German, Spanish, Polish, Portugese and Russian translations.I ended up losing track of all the characters and I still am not sure who the dead body buried in the snow drifts was supposed to be.

I think that's a credit to the British Library, which has not only done the important work of archiving this material, but now brought it to a wider audience," he said. It's a tremendous premise, and as soon as I picked the book up I remembered having read it before, I think in the mid-1980s. If you go much beyond “loved it”, “liked it” or “hated it”, you’re apt to start giving things away and spoiling the fun for everyone else.Inside, tea is laid, a large wood fire blazes in the grate, the larder is full of food, but an exploration of the house soon reveals that there is nobody at home.