The Floating Admiral

More about the book

In this clever and forgotten crime novel, first published 80 years ago, a group of legendary writers from the Detection Club, including Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers, come together to craft a unique narrative. Inspector Rudge, accustomed to the quiet life in the seaside town of Whynmouth, is thrust into a murder investigation when an old sailor brings in a rowing boat containing a corpse with a stab wound. The case quickly presents challenges, as the vicar, whose boat the body was found in, seems to be hiding something, and the victim's niece has mysteriously vanished. As Rudge delves deeper, he questions the very identity of the victim and suspects that multiple individuals may be involved in this intricate crime. In 1931, the authors engaged in a literary game where each contributed a chapter, culminating in G.K. Chesterton's paradoxical prologue and Anthony Berkeley's resolution. Each writer also submitted their own solution, revealed at the book's end, with Christie's conclusion noted for its brilliance. The collaboration features contributions from notable authors like Canon Victor Whitechurch, G. D. H. Cole, Henry Wade, and more, making this a remarkable collective effort in the crime genre.