Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A great Golden-Age read. Loved the characters of Tony and Bill.

The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne (the author of Winnie the Pooh) was Milne's only mystery novel. It was written as a gift for his father, who loved detective fiction. The foreword from Milne was very sweet and perhaps my favorite part of the book, though there was quite a lot to like throughout.

The Red House Mystery is a classic locked room mystery that is enjoyable and accessible. The writing style makes it an easy and comfortable read, and the quaint country house setting adds to the story's charm.

The amateur sleuth (Tony Gillingham) and his equally amateur sidekick (Bill) were quite likable and fun to root for. Tony is a clever observant everyman who is good-natured and less arrogant than some of the detectives in classic mysteries of this sort. Bill is a jolly, helpful pal who is eager to assist with every step of the mystery. Tony and Bill fondly refer to each other as Holmes and Watson throughout.

A few other characters are peppered in to provide suspects and help tell the story. Most of them are staying or working at The Red House, a country estate owned by Mark. Everyone is all aflutter at the story's beginning because Mark's ne'er-do-well brother, Robert, is visiting the estate after a 15-year absence.

Everyone is quite surprised when Robert is found shot in the face, and Mark is suddenly missing. Fortunately, Tony has stopped by to visit his buddy, Bill, who also stays at The Red House. The authorities assess the situation and identify the killer, but Tony is not convinced they have things right, so he does a little investigating of his own with Bill's help.

The mystery is not just a puzzle to be solved, but a well-crafted plot that keeps you intrigued and engaged. The solution, explained in detail at the end, leaves no loose ends, satisfying the reader's curiosity.

Overall, I consider this a must-read classic mystery and recommend it to anyone who enjoys Golden Age detective fiction, early Agatha Christie, locked-room mysteries, or A.A. Milne's writing.

Thank you to Net Galley and Pushkin Vertigo for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

The Red House Mystery was first published in 1922 and considered as The Golden Age of Detective Fiction whodunits.

The plots revolve around the “locked room” mystery from amateur sleuthhounds Antony Gillingham and Bill Beverley. Both had become acquainted a few years earlier and happened to meet at the Red House. Red House was owned by Mark Ablett, a philanthropist. The house party was shocked by a gunshot, and it turned out that Robert Ablett was killed in a locked room. Robert was Mark's long-lost brother who just arrived from Australia. The deceased and his brother had never been on good terms. As a result, a court of law has decided Mark guilty by some 'last seen theory'. But it was not an ordinary crime because Mark was never found at the scene. Hah! That's the case.

The author does not provide enough clues for the reader to work out in this soft-boiled mystery, but in the end, it's really all about the final twist and a devilishly family skeleton.

Thanks to @NetGalley and Pushkin Vertigo for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

4.5

Well that was a bit of a revelation. I've been hearing about this book for a while - considered highly in the locked room mystery genre. Now I see why.

I liked everything about this book except the explanation if whodunnit right at the end - not the who but rather the way in which it was done.

The story revolves around the possible murder of an errant brother, Roger Ablett, by his brother, Mark who has disappeared. We are led through the action by the utterly delightful Antony Gillingham and his Watsonian sidekick, Bill Beverley. Bill was a guest at The Red House and Gillingham had called to see him when he happens upon the murder scene quite by chance.

Gillingham is a jack of all trades and appears to be master too as he takes to his self-appointed role of detective like a duck to water. His nonchalant style manages to get more information than the Police do while he and Beverley slink about the house and grounds to find out what really happened in the locked room where Roger Ablett's body was found.

To use some era appropriate lingo I'd say the whole thing is "dashed clever".

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Both Gillingham and Beverley are very likeable. The prose is great and Milne's style is very engaging. Did he write more? I'd certainly love to read more.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Pushkin Press for the advance review copy.

A classic! Need i even write my gushing remarks in a review as you’ll have already seen many reviews raving about it! Nothing does it better than the books that help to create the genres, and this is a prime example
-
Thank you to the publisher for the arc!

This isn’t so much a “whodunnit” as a “howdunnit,” with a lot of focus on logistics. There’s no real character development, and the plot is tedious and s-l-o-w.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

An interesting read that I'd never heard of from this famous author. I'd encourage reading this quick story.

As the only whodunnit AA Milne wrote this is an interesting read; part curiosity, part pastiche. Popular on its original release in the '20s it's probably one for a more niche crowd these days given the quaint style of writing and somewhat meta nature of the narration. The dialogue might seem outdated for the average reader now but there sits a sold locked room mystery behind it all.

The Red House Mystery is an absolute delight! Hailed as a masterpiece of the ‘locked-room’ murder mystery this classic novel is fiendishly clever with plenty of witty send-ups of murder mystery cliches. In the introduction the author even explains what makes a good murder mystery and what many authors get wrong. It’s terrific fun, the “detective” and his sidekick even style themselves as Holmes and Watson. This was AA Milne (beloved author of Winnie the Poo) first and only murder mystery and it is written with a similar warmth and humour. If you are a fan of classics like Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes you will absolutely love this,

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC of the reissue in exchange for an honest review.

A Joy..
A classic of the Golden Age, reissued. A locked room mystery, a whodunnit in the more cozy vein. A country house, a house party taking place when an unexpected guest is found murdered and the host disappeared. Can this confounding case be solved in order that the festivities may continue? Firmly tongue in cheek, laced with satire and wonderfully eccentric and eclectic characters, this really is a joy. A well deserved reissue with some beautiful cover art too.

In his Introduction, A. A. Milne of Winnie the Pooh fame, explains that, as a lover of detective novels, he set out to write the book he would like to read.

Heavily inspired by Conan Doyle's famous detective (who is openly referenced throughout the novel), the story sees our protagonist Anthony Gillingham happen upon a stately home where a murder has just taken place. Teaming up with his friend Bill who happened to be a guest at the house - the Watson to his Sherlock - Anthony sets out to discover who murdered Mark Ablett.

Once you get past the initial set of coincidences required to provide us with our cast of gentlemanly detectives, the rest of the plot proceeds smoothly with the usual cast of dinner guests, secret passages, wastrel brothers and so on and so forth. I guessed the twist about halfway through but it was still entertaining to see it all come together.

A recommended read for fans of Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot and genteel whodunnits.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pushkin Press for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for the ARC

It's sad that A.A. Milne is mostly known for Winnie the Poo, because this crime book is a work of art. It's a golden age mystery with my favorite trope; locked-room. I don't think I should say anything else in fear of spoiling it, but I highly recommend it! Suspenseful and mysterious all the way

The surprise author of this murder mystery (Winnie the Pooh author AA Milne), intrigued me. Turns out he can write mysteries too. This English countryside murder mystery reminds me of Agatha Christie. The writing is crisp, the pace and plot are engaging. It is a tale which some might class with Cozy Mysteries. But do not be fooled! It is a refreshing read, not lazy, not quite old fashioned, but without the gore, excess violence, or sex that may plague more modern murder mystery books.

Thanks to Vintage and NetGalley for a copy of this. Great fun! A very clever, locked room mystery that had me second guessing the whole way through.

The Red House Mystery is a charming and entertaining read, which was A A Miln’s only foray into the crime genre. It may have been meant to kick off a series. The story's clever plot and classic elements would make for an excellent film adaptation. Fans of locked-room mysteries and the Golden Age of detective fiction are sure to enjoy this novel, as I certainly did!

OK, it's A.A. Milne, the man who has defined millions of childhood memories and inspired a love of reading in all of us. So a locked-room mystery from the Golden Age? Yes please.

It's fun and breezy, light years away from gritty (and depressing) crime that people seem to devour these days, so that alone makes it worth revisiting. It took me a while to get into it, and I'll be honest of I said that the exact ins and outs of who, how and why have slipped my mind some time after finishing it, it's a witty and enjoyable read, and stands on its own two feet despite the 'novelty' value. 4 stars.

(With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.)

This was a jolly good time! Who knew the mind behind Winnie the Pooh could write such a fun country house mystery? Mark Ablett: rich, patron of the arts, known as an impeccable host, has done a runner. His ne'er-do-well brother returned suddenly, and unexpectedly, from the colonies - most likely to hit Mark up for money he isn't entitled to. Now the wastrel is lying dead by gunshot in Mark's locked study and Mark is nowhere to be found. Awkward for the house guests, it must be said. Luckily, Antony Gillingham is fortuitously on the scene and along with his pal, Bill Beverly, gets stuck in solving the mystery.

This is everything you would expect if Agatha Christie, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and PG Wodehouse had a book baby. The fun characters are what make The Red House Mystery shine!

Originally written in 1922, I'm glad it is being republished by Pushkin Press in 2024 or I never would have known it existed! I received this for free on Netgalley.

I read this years ago, and enjoyed it, so when I saw it available on here thought I'd give it a reread. I must confess, this time around I could not get into it! I was flummoxed as to why, given that I'd enjoyed it in the past. I found it to be a slog this time around though... It felt clunky and I had a difficult time engaging with the characters and plot. It just wasn't as fun as I recalled...

This was a real treat. I've read a lot of 'homages' to Golden Age fiction but suspected you could always tell the real thing from the tribute and this book proved it. Country houses and hidden passages can be replicated but the tone of the real deal is a lot harder to copy. Highly recommended, what a skillful writer he was

This is such an enjoyable country house murder mystery with a satisfying resolution. A.A. Milne - what a revelation.

A highlight of the story for me, is the characterisation. The detective character, Anthony, is appealing and likeable. trying to be an amateur detective is just his latest fixation, having tried many careers already. The house owner and his annoying ways are also interesting, as is the owner's estate manager. Anthony's sidekick is more simplistic but serves his purpose as foil and helper. There were laugh out loud moments.

The police amusingly give up early on, leaving a clear field for Anthony. Anthony's reasoning process at many points is very engaging. It's such a pity we don't have a full series of Anthony's cases instead of just this one. I'd ecertainly read them. AA Milne missed a calling. I wonder why his publisher (as related in the Foreword) put him off writing another mystery saying that the genre was overloaded, Even if it was, quality writing of this sort would have surely won out?