This title is part of a series that features Mordecai Tremaine and his police counterpart and friend, Chief Inspector Jonathan Boyce. The two are off to Brighton to investigate a case in which a doctor may not be an upstanding citizen. After all, why would he take a gun to a home visit? And, what will happen to him? After all, there will be a murder.

Overall, this is a more quiet and puzzle based story that is representative of the mysteries that were written at the time of its initial publication in 1952. Those who enjoy classic style novels in the genre may well enjoy this title and the others in the series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this title. All opinions are my own.

This is a cozy and quaint read which takes you to another time and place in order figure out a mystery, solved by a team of 2 unlikely allies.

Number 4 in the Mordecai Tremaine series and the first I've read. This is a re-release, having been written in the post-war years.

A gentle mystery with a good puzzle, if not particularly exciting. It moves along quite slowly with even the climax being not particularly dramatic. Enjoyable and well-done, however, with good characters. It did take me a long time to read simply because it moves so slowly - there's nothing to grab you and rush you along.

Definitely worth the read, though, and I would read another in the series quite easily.

Very enjoyable, particularly as the novel written over 50 years ago and gives us insight into how crime investigation took place as compared to today's modern techniques and analyses. A great classic detective story.

Amateur detective Mordecai Tremaine is back is the fine mystery In at the Death.

Dr. Hardene is found bludgeoned to death inside a vacant house. When Chief Inspector Boyce of Scotland Yard is called to investigate, he brings his buddy Mordecai Tremaine. Numerous questions emerge. Why was the Doctor carrying a gun in his bag? Why was his car parked down the street? Why does everyone in the small town seem to be hiding something?

Written in 1952, In at the Death showcases the puzzle making skills of the author. He seems to be hitting his stride in the fourth Mordecai Tremaine mystery. I was totally blindsided by the conclusion. If you want to play armchair detective too, I highly recommend reading this book. Hopefully, you will have better luck guessing the murderer. 4 stars!

Thanks to the publisher, Sourcebooks Landmark, and NetGalley for an advance copy.

When the body of a doctor is discovered in the town of Bridgton, the local police call in Scotland Yard and Chief Inspector Jonathan Boyce. Amateur detective and friend Mordecai Tremaine has permission to travel with Boyce and become involved in the inquiry.
I enjoyed this well-written mystery and liked the style of writing. The author did provide clues so that it was possibly to find the guilty party. The two main characters are interesting ones, and I may prefer Boyce to Tremaine.
Originally written in 1952 before all the modern forensics were available to the police force.

Reminiscent of the Hercule Poirot series by Agatha Christie, Duncan conjures a benevolent, kindly faced detective that many mistake the sharpness of intellect behind the kind eyes. Remembering everything and making note of the sublte nuances communicated by the suspects and witnesses, Tremaine keeps his cards close and his suspicions to himself for the most part. He wouldn't want to mislead the police or the yarn during an investigation after all.

After the murder of the local doctor a known womanizer, Tremaine and his friend Boyce are called in to investigate. Many people close to the doctor act suspiciously and hold back information to protect loved ones or close friends. How can Boyce and Tremaine sort through all the clues and come to the correct conclusion?

I am so glad these books are being reprinted for our reading pleasure. They are enjoyable and so well written.

I’ve been reading a lot of vintage mysteries lately, Hercule Poirot, Roderick Alleyn, Sherlock Holmes. Mordecai Tremaine is one of the lesser-known detectives of the era, at least now, I’m not sure about when the stories were originally published. I like him though; I’m glad the books are being reissued. Mordecai is a retired tobacconist, a bachelor, and a bit of a romantic. He’s an amateur detective who solves mysteries by observing, by understanding people. He also blends in well, he’s unobtrusive and people tend not to notice him or not be threatened by him, which allows him to sometimes learn things quicker and easier than the police.

In In at the Death, Mordecai is actually invited by his friend Chief Inspector Jonathan Boyce to tag along on an investigation, beginning to end. Mordecai can be rather introspective too. “It was when you came up against the thing in its actuality that its atmosphere changed; from being a fascinating problem to intrigue the brain, it turned into a dreadful darkness in which your mind was squeezed in a dry, numbing horror.”

The dead man was a fairly successful doctor who is found dead at an empty house. Boyce and Mordecai work together well to solve the mystery. Mordecai does not consider the detective stupid and the detective for the most part respects Mordecai’s contributions, which makes it a little different from so many of the amateur detective series.

The plot is good, with several suspects and enough clues that you can see how the detectives came to the right conclusion. It wasn’t my favorite of the series, but still a fun read.

I really enjoyed this vintage mystery by Francis Duncan. Vintage mysteries set in England are among my favorite books to read, and I would rank this book as being among the best in that genre. Francis Duncan was relatively unknown to me until a few months ago, when I borrowed one of his books from the library. In that case, I was attracted first by the cover art and then by the book description. In this case, just the name of the author was enough to make me want to read this book, and I was not disappointed.

Mordecai Tremaine, Duncan’s detective character, is an unusual sleuth, being an elderly gentleman, a retired tobacconist and having an interest in romance, both in real life and in reading material. Despite this somewhat unorthodox combination of life experiences, he is sharp and intuitive. The impression that you get of him, is that he is a mild mannered, somewhat quiet individual...but nevertheless, he has an uncanny ability to decipher the clues and pick out the murderer.

This novel could be characterized as a vintage, cozy, police procedural. Violence is just hinted at, not really described and it’s focus is just as much on the work of the professionals, as it is on Tremaine’s contributions.

Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. I highly recommend it, especially for readers who enjoy the slightly more leisurely pace of the older mysteries.

"In at the Death" is a mystery set in England that was originally published in 1952. It is the fourth book in a series, but you don't need to read the previous books to understand this one. The amateur sleuth of the series, Mordecai Tremaine, has permission to follow Chief Inspector Jonathan Boyce around as he investigates.

The mystery was a clue-based puzzle. Whodunit can be correctly guessed before the big reveal, though the author tried to create uncertainty about who Mordecai's main suspect was near the end. Both the detective and Mordecai asked good questions and observed important clues. Since Mordecai wasn't official, he was able to see things that the detective didn't. He passed on useful information and solved the mystery.

There was no sex. There were only a few uses of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable puzzle mystery.

Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for my free copy of this book. I don't give 5 stars to a book to often, but Francis Duncan does it again. Mordecai Tremaine's fourth book is just as well-written, with an unpredictable plot and fun as the previous installments in the series. Mr. Tremaine has every quality of the Golden Age's amateur sleuths, but manages to be unique in his own manner, making him distinguishable from other lovable detectives. What makes "In at the Death"unique though, is the collaborative work between Mordecai and Chief Inspector Boyce, a plot device that is not common in other murder mysteries, but works marvelously for this story. I can't wait to keep reading other Francis Duncan books, a underrated crime author who deserves way more recognition for his books.

This is a fabulous book, it tells a good story and has a good mystery. I particularly like the fact that the private detective did not know all the answers, and did not make the Inspector and the police look silly. The story flowed really well with both clues and thinking times. A very vintage style of writing but with a twist, very enjoyable

When Dr. Graham Hardene is found murdered in rather odd circumstances, the Bridgton police are quick to call in Scotland Yard.

Chief inspector Boyce and Mr Mordecai Tremaine find local Inspector Parkin and Chief Constable, Sir Robert Dennell, somewhat preoccupied, while ostensibly giving them every assistance.

The murdered doctor had made some enemies while dabbling in local politics, but it is his past which may hold the key. Why was he so interested in two unsolved local murders? Who is the mysterious women with whom he was romantically involved?

Slowly Boyce and Tremaine unravel the tangled strands which make up the doctors’s life. Lies and deceits abound and there is a further murder before the chilling finale where Mordecai’s life is endangered.

This is a well-constructed mystery with good psychological insights.

Very readable and highly recommended, especially to fans of classic detective fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the digital ARC.

I love Francis Duncan's mysteries and I love Mordecai Tremaine, a wonderful character.
This is a bit different from the other books I read as it's more a police procedural than Mordecai sleuthing.
It was a wonderful and enjoyable read, a bit slow at the beginning but once you're hooked it was impossible to put it down.
I loved how the psychology of the different suspects was analysed and how the plot kept you guessing till the unexpected discovery of the culprit.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to You Like Them Sourcebooks Landmark and Netgalley for this ARC