By contemporary standards most older mysteries have tepid thrills and unfold at the speed of grass growing.

This 1929 mystery (which takes place in one night) moves swiftly, has Law & Order-like time checks, and is full of sharp observations of human nature. It has a world-weary detective, a wealthy client with vague anxieties for her husband, a basket full of twists, and a brief passage by the victim (and not by letter or flashback).

Well worth seeking out: telling more would spoil the story.

(Rufus King's books are not easy to find and they have not made it onto the free-book-online sites the way many of his contemporaries' books have. That said, a perfectly acceptable copy of one of his mysteries should not cost more than $10. (If it does the price is either silly or the book ought to look brand new.))

-Kushana ( )