Murder at Bridge – Public Doma

The scene of the crime is a country house where old friends are playing bridge.

The scene of the crime is a country house where old friends are playing bridge. The hostess, Nita Selim, is new to this social circle -- a seductive Broadway performer who has turned the heads of most of the men in the group. When Nita is dummy, she steps away from the game, and is shot dead in her bedroom.

"Bonnie" Dundee, as Special Investigator to the office of the District Attorney, takes the lead on investigation. Also on the case is Dundee's former boss, Captain Strawn of the Homicide Squad. Strawn is chary of accusing anyone in this elite group of murder. He evolves elaborate theories to support an outside job. Dundee has no such scruples and feel certain that one of the rich respectable bridge players killed Nita. But which?

There are detailed descriptions of bridge playing in the plot. I know nothing about bridge, so I waded through these passages without much pleasure. Bridge players may have a different experience. In any case, Dundee is an appealing investigator, so I stuck with the book.

Anne Austin aims for a fair play mystery, but in this book the solution of the crime is so contrived as to be unforeseeable.