The Murder of Cecily Thane

R. Montgomery Tracy, District Attorney of New York County is not having a good day. He has just had to bail out his brother Spike, who has been arrested for drunken disorder. Worse still Spike has decided to abandon an elk-shooting excursion in British Coulumbia in order to accompany his brother (strictly on sufferance) to the house of jewel merchant Elton Thane, whose wife Cecily has been found murdered in front of a rifled safe. Initially regretting his decision, Tracy soon discovers that behind Spike's playboy exterior lies a keen analytical brain. Facing mounting pressure from the New York press, Tracy is forced to admit that his wastrel brother might just be his best hope of solving the case...

Originally published in 1930, this is the first in Harriette Ashbrook's series of lively golden age murder mysteries featuring the exploits of amateur detective Spike Tracy.


Genre: Cozy Mystery