I found this book boring and I quit it about halfway through . It isn’t for me I guess but some might like it.

I can’t recommend

I do not know why I waited this long before trying the author's works again. It might have been the question of access, but I do not plan to dwell on that for too long. I must admit that I found this book a joy to read. Although it seems to be an odd way to talk of a murder mystery, the writing and characters and their self-deprecating academic behaviour were highly entertaining.
There was one plot point that I felt dragged on for a little too long, but if not for that, I would have given this a full five stars. This series involves a central detective figure, but there is no overlap between the other cases and this, and it can be read as a stand-alone (given how long it has been since my last read of the series, it counts as one for me as well!).
We first meet an overachieving family. They have a reasonably loving relationship among the siblings, and they all have gathered for a birthday meal. This provides the reader with the opportunity to form opinions about the dynamics. Once again, I got a little confused with the 'R' names. There seemed to be a little too many. Some of these older works do that to me since they stick to certain types of names for their cast.
During the birthday gathering, everyone talked about the different plans they had. One of them involved a gathering of mutual acquaintances, and this ends with one of them dead. This leads to a post-mortem, which does not take murder into account. After this post-mortem, against the wishes of most of the family, the author's series detective is brought into the picture, and things take off from there.
The investigation is painstakingly conducted, ensuring the reader has all the clues in front of them at all times. The final reveal will not take everyone by surprise, while not being completely obvious, a tough combination.
I may not have read too many of the author's books, but I will definitely make more of a concentrated effort to find more opportunities to do so.
I highly recommend this book to fans of older mysteries and books that are currently being reprinted.
I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

ECR Lorac is my favorite author in the British Library Crime Classics series--her mysteries will satisfy readers who come to her books primarily for the case solving, but what I really enjoy is her ability to create a period setting that draws one right in. "Post After Post-Mortem" is an excellent example of this: I was intrigued to know what happened to alleged suicide Ruth Surray (and was not disappointed), but I was just as happy reading Lorac's vivid portrayal of the Surray family's life in their Oxfordshire home in the period preceding WWII. Add the welcome return of CID Robert Macdonald, the redoubtable investigator from Lorac's other mysteries, and "Post After Post-Mortem" is another winning entry in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an ARC of this title in return for my honest review.

When I saw a new British Library mystery book by Martin Edwards on Netgalley, I immediately jumped on the chance to read it. I am actually enjoying more and more this collection, and what great discoveries it promises! The name of Lorac was slightly familiar to me, I think I might have encountered it in another British Library Crime classics short story collection, although I haven’t found the proof. I was very pleasantly surprised by the novel. Some classic mysteries have aged better than others, and this one hardly shows that it’s actually 87 years old! It is still full of dynamism and wit, and swiftly moves from charming banter to a breathless bit of action. I hope that at 87 I will be the same!

The story takes place within the Surray family, a well-respected and quite successful family from Oxfordshire. The five adult children have each made a success of themselves, but one of the 3 daughters, Ruth, the successful novelist, seems slightly under pressure after the (successful) publication of her novel. Still, her big brother Richard, the successful London psychiatrist, dismisses it and advises her to take some time off. But just a few days later, Ruth is discovered dead in her room from an overdose of sleeping pills. Should I mention that at this point they don’t seem quite successful anymore?

Indeed the family’s luck has turned, but their first instinct is to prevent scandal, hush it up and have the case closed as soon as possible. Still, after the coroner renders a verdict of suicide, Richard gets her late sister’s letter in the mail (the post after the post-mortem from the title), whose enthusiastic tone casts a large doubt on his sister’s suicidal thoughts. So, if it’s not suicide, then it would be murder, and who would want to kill Ruth?

I really enjoyed the clever plot and the many twists and turns. At some point the action is almost at standstill because all the people that Inspector McDonald interviews are reluctant to tell him secrets concerning other people. That’s a fresh change from the mysteries where everyone is a gossip eager to spill the bins. After the middle the action picks up with some surprise events and revelations.

I felt that the psychology was really a strong point in the story and not what I expected from a book of that era. I enjoyed the family dynamic even more when I learnt from the introduction by Martin Edwards that E.C.R. Loras was indeed a woman! I would really be interested to read other mysteries by this writer, it’s a shame she’s not better known.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley. I received a free copy of this book for review consideration.

This reissue of a 1930s police procedural was entertaining. I waffled between a 3 and a 4 star rating but, because it stuttered a fair amount along the way, it's a 3. Inspector McDonald is called in to investigate the possible murder of famous writer Ruth Surray, one of the famous offspring of a well known Professor. Her death was ruled a suicide. Ruth was at her family home with invited guests, several men including some connected to her writing world. Her younger sister Naomi has just finished school and is competition in some ways for Ruth, particularly in love. She is home too. Richard, their famous brother who is a psychologist is aware Ruth seemed dispirited and the whole family hoped to quickly move through a post-mortem and expose their famous sister/daughter as little as possible to sensationalism. Then Richard receives a letter and Inspector McDonald and his very appealing sidekick, Detective Reeves get involved. The characters are not deep, but enjoyably written. The plot and investigation are fine and all clues are there for the ultimate result. There is humor. There is time spent hither and yon. Others are threatened in menacing ways. Definitely a good read for Agatha Christie fans. The writing, while good of its type, is a bit simple for my taste.

Post After Post-Mortem suggests sometimes it is best to let sleeping suicides lie. When the successful writer Ruth Surray is found dead at a family gathering that included some of her publishing friends, a verdict is quickly decided and the family is spared a lot of unwelcome and intrusive publicity. But then her brother receives a letter from her, mailed the night she died and it’s clear that suicide was not on her mind. So he seeks out the help of CID Robert Macdonald, asking him to investigate as discreetly as possible.

The family is surprisingly unwelcoming. It confused me that her mother would prefer a verdict of suicide over murder. Suicide is not more genteel. But then her mother begins the book by congratulating herself on getting her house just-so and having the youngest of her children graduate with honors. She’s afraid life will be boring now that everything is perfect. But her perfect world starts cracking with Ruth’s death and continues to crack under the pressure of the investigation. After all, the suspect pool is limited to her own family and a couple visitors.



I liked Post After Post-Mortem and thought the mystery was fair. There were no hidden clues or surprises and all the suspects and the villain were introduced in the beginning. However, I thought it truly weird that a family would not jump at the chance of their family member being murdered rather than committing suicide. It is painful to think of family in such despair. I know the aftermath of suicide and cannot imagine preferring that. I also think the motive for the murder is bizarre. I guess someone could think that way, but it is not a very credible motive. However, I liked the successful sense of place, the slow comfort of the country home and the hustle of the city, for example. The characters were well-drawn and distinct. In all, it’s a successful book with a few creaky hinges.

I received an e-galley of Post After Post-Mortem from the publisher through NetGalley.

Post After Post-Mortem at Poisoned Pen Press | Sourcebooks
E. C. R. Lorac at Wikipedia and Books In Order
Fell Murder by E.C.R. Lorac
Murder in the Mill-Race by E. C. R. Lorac
Murder by Matchlight by E. C. R. Lorac

I always enjoy traveling back to the Golden Age of mysteries to be entertained by mysteries and authors no longer as well known. Thanks to the efforts of Poisoned Pen Press here is a new one to try and solve.
Written in 1936, E. C. R. Lorac was the pen name of Edith Caroline Rivett. With 46 books in the Inspector Robert MacDonald series, this is #11. Complex and entertaining, start to finish, the reader is presented with the suicide of Ruth, one of five adult children in a family of very intellagent people. Ruth was a successful author with a new book soon to be published. What reason would she have to take her life? She left a suicide note and authorities declare it suicide. Case closed but her brother Robert isn't so sure and soon receives a delayed letter from her leading him to take his suspicions to Insp. MacDonald. With the entire family plus some house guests making up the list of suspects this is a clever psychological puzzle to solve. I hope there will be more Inspector MacDonald mysteries re-printed.
My thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I love the British Library Crime Classics series of newly published Golden Age mysteries. One of the authors I discovered here and learned to love is Edith Caroline Rivett, here writing under the pseudonym E.C.R. Lorac. This book is another one with the CID Robert Macdonald who has to find out whether Ruth Surray´s death was suicide or murder. In the course of his detections he learns to know the rather odd family members and others included in this case. I liked the descriptions of these characters and their life and connections as well as the investigation of Macdonald in several directions. There are several red herrings till the solution of this case. Another exciting and well readable mystery by Lorac, with an interesting introduction by Martin Edwards.
Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for a free ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

The Surray family seems to be graced with an inordinate amount of talent. All five children have advanced in academic or professional careers, as has their famous father. When Ruth Surray perishes at her own hand, the family is devastated. However, a letter received by her brother Richard after her death leads to a re-opening of the investigation into her death. As the inquiry progresses, other members of the family meet with mishaps. Scotland Yard Superintendent Macdonald finds this to be a complicated puzzle as he is tasked with unraveling the many threads that lead to the truth of Ruth's death.

This latest addition to the British Library Crime Classics series will keep readers on the edge of their seats as they think through the puzzling circumstances with Macdonald. When the final reveal occurs, the result will no doubt be surprising. Although the story takes some time to develop, it remains a fine example of the classic detective novel of the Golden Age of crime writing.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The ideas expressed here are entirely my own.

1930s In the house of the intellectual Surrays a death occurs among the family during a weekend house party. The coroner delivers a result of suicide. Then the oldest son, Richard, receives a letter from the victim Ruth which seems to contradict the verdict. Can Chief Inspector MacDonald find the truth. How many people are hiding facts to hinder his investigation.
An entertaining historical mystery with its varied and at times annoying characters. Another good addition to this enjoyable series which can easily be read as a standalone story.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

To say that I enjoy the British Library Crime Classic's outpouring of forgotten gems of the Golden Age and soon after of mysteries and detective stories would be an understatement. To whomever finds these wonderful books, and Martin Edwards who writes the introductions so well cannot have found all of them, I and other readers owe a debt of gratitude.

ECR Lorac (Edith Caroline Rivett) was a prolific writer of the period, and her Inspector Robert MacDonald appeared in forty-something books, including "Bats in the Belfrey" which was a terrific book and to which I gave a very good review. This is #11 in the series. I detest spoilers, so I shall not say any more; you can read the blurb, and then make sure to read this terrific book, first published, I believe, in 1936.

An interesting murder mystery by an unknown author to me. Both absorbing and interesting and very well constructed, so that my interest was held from the beginning and I didn't guess the who or why. Recommended.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Yet another strong entry in the British Library Crime Classics series, first published in 1936 and reissued by Poisoned Pen Press. This was the author's eleventh book and one in her series featuring Chief Inspector Macdonald, who investigates along with his sidekick, Sergeant Reeves. A family of extremely talented writers, in doctors, and thinkers in Oxfordshire find themselves at a loss when the brilliant middle daughter, Ruth Surray, commits suicide - or is it murder? When her older brother Richard realizes that it is next to impossible for her to have killed herself, he invites the Chief Inspector to investigate.
This was a terrific look at the publishing industry and the often high-strung, temperamental writers, editor, and publishers in that insular community. Some of the clues revolve around bookbinding, typewriters, and handwritten, marginal editorial notations. As a bibliophile, I found all of that detail fascinating! I also loved the plethora of plausible suspects and the traditional country-house setting (although there are memorable excursions by Reeves and Macdonald into Glasgow and London, respectively). I did not guess the killer and was surprised by the big reveal at the end, and I would enthusiastically recommend this to readers of British crime fiction, and police procedurals in particular; I hope to read more Macdonald novels in the future.
I'm surprised that E.C.R. Lorac is not better-known today, along the lines of her contemporaries, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, and Dorothy Sayers. Like those three famous women writers of Golden Age mysteries, she was as member of the Detection Club. This edition includes a fine introduction written by Martin Edwards, who edits many of the volumes in this series. I was pleased to receive an advance reader's copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a new edition of a book first published in 1936 and it can be included in the lists of the Golden Age of Crime. E. C. R. Lorac was a prolific writer. She published no less than 46 books in the Inspector Robert MacDonald series, of which this book is #11, and more than 20 in another series.

The story tells of a very intellectual family with five very successful adult offspring, one of whom commits suicide very unexpectedly. When new evidence arises Inspector MacDonald is asked to consider the events surrounding the incident and he suspects murder.

This a well-constructed and interesting mystery with plenty of suspects and many red herrings. The author misled me completely, using one particular event to redirect me down one path and Inspector MacDonald down another one altogether. Of course he was right. Very enjoyable and I will happily read more of this series when possible.

The British Library is steadily re-releasing the catalog of E. C. R. Lorac, title by title. Edith Caroline Rivett (1894–1958) published more than 70 mysteries under the names E. C. R. Lorac and Carol Carnac. Nearly all of the Lorac titles, about 45 of them, feature Chief Inspector Robert Macdonald, a Scot on the London police force.

The latest Macdonald from the British Library is Post After Post-Mortem, first published by Collins in 1936 and scheduled for release in the British Library Crime Classics series on 7 Feb 2023. On its website the British Library says “This story is one of Lorac’s rarest novels, out of print since its first publication and commanding four-figure prices in the rare books market.”

The eleventh appearance of Macdonald, this book is a big improvement over the last Lorac I read, which wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t remarkably plotted. I can’t say that about Post After Post-Mortem, it’s as complex as one could ask for. And, as Martin Edwards says in his instructive introduction, the reader sees more personal information about Macdonald than usual.

The Surrays are a close-knit family whose grown children are notably successful in their chosen professions. They gather at their country home in Oxfordshire to celebrate the birthday of Mrs. Surray at the beginning of the book, where we get a profile of each of the five children. A week later daughter Ruth, the well-known author, found dead in her bed with a bottle of sleeping tablets nearby, an apparent suicide.

The mandatory post-mortem issues the expected verdict. A few days later one of her brothers receives evidence that makes him question if his sister really did kill herself. He reviews the new information with Inspector Macdonald, who advises him the coroner’s ruling should be re-visited. In due course Macdonald undertakes the official investigation.

Nothing is straightforward about his inquiry, and the safety of the entire Surray family is threatened at one point. The killer and the motive surprised me, although the clues are neatly placed throughout. Suspects include a publisher, another author, and a famous explorer whom Ruth had been seeing. Interestingly enough, in a departure from the books I’ve read, Macdonald took an immediate dislike to the explorer and his antipathy shows in their interactions. I cannot remember a case in which Macdonald’s feelings come into play so clearly.

Lorac had an artist’s eye for nature. Every book shows her love of the countryside. Here it is present in the lavish descriptions of the country house and its gardens, in full bloom at the height of the summer. They are almost photographic in their exquisite detail.

This may be my favorite Lorac story out of the several I have read so far.

Booklist starred review.

The Surray family is well known as intellectuals, prolific writers, and high achievers. Lately the middle sister Ruth has been feeling the pressures of writing weighing on her and ‘decides to spend some time recovering at the family home. Older brother, Richard, believes there may be something more concerning underlying Ruth’s stress. And unfortunately, he is proven right when Ruth is found dead in her bedroom. A box of sleeping tablets is found on the bedside table, along with an apparent suicide note and a newly altered will, There seems little doubt that she took her own life. But when Richard receives a letter from Ruth, posted on the night of her death, he begins to question the verdict. In her letter she was upbeat and full of plans, sounding not at all like someone about to commit suicide. To find the truth he turns to Chief Inspector Robert Macdonald.

I’m so happy that the British Library and Poisoned Pen Press continue to publish the work of E.C.R. Lorac. And Post After Post-Mortem is a very welcome addition to the series. It is (in my opinion) definitely one of Lorac’s cleverest mysteries. We have MacDonald and his team at their police procedural best, with just a bit of psychological thriller thrown in. Lorac’s characterizations are remarkable. Her characters here are not always likable, but all have complexity and depth. Multiple suspects, motives, and some pretty neat twists, will keep the reader delightfully engaged, and guessing, up until the very end.

One of Lorac’s best—highly recommended.

The setting of the story was idyllic. We had the Surrays five children, sensible
loving parents. All the children high achievers - no one failed at anything they
put their hand to. All gathered for the holidays with a handful of friends. Very
harmonious till the body of Ruth their daughter was discovered, dead from an overdose
suicide note by her bed with explicit instructions.

With minimum fuss the coroner gives his verdict and the family curls into itself
to try to heal. The arrival of a letter written by Ruth arrives after the funeral
and all hopes of tranquility is shattered.
It indicates that there is a strong possibility that Ruth was murdered and now Scotland Yard in the form of the affable but determined Inspector Macdonald is called into play.

Deciphering Ruth's life was not easy as many things were not disclosed to anyone and the detective work unraveling her secrets were slow. The story was not boring in the least and one never knew who the final murderer was.

Very descriptive, full of varying characters this held my interest throughout.

How to prove that a young woman didn't commit suicide but that she was actually murdered? That is the central question in this highly entertaining whodunit set in England in the late 20's, an astutely observed and cleverly plotted thriller full of twists ad turns, blessed with a terrific cast of exquisitely drawn characters and an ending that managed to leave me totally gobsmacked!

A highly recommended read that deserves to be enjoyed without any moderation whatsoever!

Many thanks to Poisoned Pen and Netgalley for this fabulous murder mystery!

"Post After Post-Mortem" is the eleventh investigation featuring Robert MacDonald. This time, the daughter in a family of writers, has overdosed, seemingly by her own hand. A letter received by her brother after her death casts some doubt on this, and the CID are called in to investigate.

The Surreys were...a lot. Ruth, the deceased sister, was looked down upon because she didn't write what the rest of the family considered to be worthwhile books. She was also deemed a bit less mentally stable because she wasn't married with a child. Sadly, that was not a minority view in the early twentieth century. Ruth's siblings didn't really seem to care that much that she was dead, and felt that it would be better to leave things alone. After all, if she killed herself, that was shameful, and if she didn't, well, finding the killer won't bring her back.

I prefer MacDonald to Lorac's (aka Carol Carnac) other detectives. While this book was her typical clever concoction of him solving the case by understanding fundamental human nature, I found it hard to like the Surrey family. MacDonald himself found one of them distasteful, and uncharacteristically, let it show.

What worked for me: MacDonald, as always
What didn't work as well for me: the way Ruth was made out to be hysterical and morbid because she didn't fill a woman's "proper role" as a wife and mother

4 out of 5 stars.

I received an advance copy from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I try to save my 5 star rating for books that were special for me and this one ticked off all the best boxes. Yes, it did stay a little slow in moving along in the first half, but, oh that second half was a corker! At one point a character says, "...treat the whole thing as an intellectual problem," and that is going to be your best clue as to what style of book this is. Lorac is a recently discovered author for me and I am always pleased to find the next book written by this talented author. This one puts the focus on the Surray family of intellectuals living at Upwood in Oxforshire. Noted as being highly intellectual can often mean a character is insufferable in a story but such is not the case in this novel. Super-smarts and almost total level headedness are an intoxicating combination in the hands of a superb writer. Even the detective assigned to assist Chief Inspector Macdonald of Scotland Yard is shown to have excellent ability in deductive reasoning. That's quite a gift in a novel of this length.

Read this one with a gentle patience if you are like me and are inclined to want the pace of the story to move along at a canter instead of a trot. Once the gallops start, hang on!

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for an e-galley of this novel.