Taking a page from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, in a brief period of time British author Tom Mead has not so quietly become master of the locked-room mystery. Instead of Holmes and Lestrade, we have amateur sleuth Joseph Spector and Scotland Yard Inspector George Flint working the cases. THE HOUSE AT DEVIL’S NECK is indeed something special and destined to be a future classic of the genre.

The Dramatis Personae listed at the front of the book comes in incredibly handy, not just for keeping all the names straight but also for armchair sleuths to work with when trying to sniff out the murderer, as well as those who are not who they claim to be. What makes this mystery so intriguing is that there are dual cases of locked-room situations.

"THE HOUSE AT DEVIL’S NECK is another triumph for Tom Mead and this series, which is one of the cleverest in the mystery genre today."

Flint is called to what appears to be a suicide by pistol. If it was a murder, there was no obvious way in or out of the room. All Flint is sure of is that the man, whose identity is unknown, was linked to the infamous mystery of the Aitken Inheritance. It began with the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. Among the countless victims was a first-class passenger, the wealthy Dominic Edgecomb, whose inheritance would fall to his 22-year-old brother, Rodney. Rodney’s own story is the stuff of legend and a tad confounding. I will leave it to readers to suss that out for themselves.

Spector finds himself on a coach with a few random individuals, some of whom he knows while others are complete strangers: Imogen Drabble, a reporter; Francis Tulp, a young believer in the spirit world; Madame Adaline La Motte, a spiritualist; Virginia Bailey, an elderly mother; Walter Judd, a detective; and Fred Powell, their driver. Their destination is the allegedly haunted house on Devil’s Neck, which once was a hospital and now is the residence of Clive and Justine Lennox.

Spector knows the history of the house very well, as do some of the others. The intention is not just to investigate the alleged hauntings at Devil’s Neck, but also to participate in a séance conducted by Madame La Motte. The spirit of Virginia’s deceased son, Maurice, might be contacted. As a former magician, Spector is not exactly a non-believer in spiritual matters but is well-versed in the methods used by charlatans.

There is a lot to savor in this twisty narrative, and equally as much that I do not wish to spoil. The séance does indeed occur and produces the expected effects with the contacting of Maurice, among others. Shortly thereafter, someone shockingly turns up dead. What makes matters even more perplexing is that the door knobs of each guest room are tied together in a pattern, and a camera faces the hallway. This ensures that no one enters any room, and the only way through the window would involve a very athletic and risky climb from the lower story where only the driver stayed.

There will be more killings at Devil’s Neck before the arrival of Flint and his officers. During this time, Spector takes charge and in typically brilliant fashion unwraps this extraordinarily complex tale of deceit and murder. THE HOUSE AT DEVIL’S NECK is another triumph for Tom Mead and this series, which is one of the cleverest in the mystery genre today.