Well by Jove, what an amusing read this was !

I was directly charmed by the introduction, where Milne describes his ground rules for a good mystery. I couldn't have agreed more. No focus on romance, a preference for an amateur detective over a professional police investigator and giving the detective no more knowledge than the average reader. I loved the man immediately.

Then the proper book starts and it is very clever and witty, with little hints towards the self-declared rules. If I would have to define one fault, it would be that the second half stalled a bit, but then towards the ends the pace picks up again and it delivers a very satisfying resolution.
I would absolutely recommend it to readers who like a good locked room mystery, set in a grand house in the 1920's.

Thank you NetGalley and Pushkin Press for the opportunity to read this little gem.

It took me a bit to get into The Red House Mystery, but I enjoyed it once I pushed through the first few chapters. The best part of this novel was the relationship between Antony and Bill. While it was published around the time Agatha Christie was starting, rather than drawing inspiration from her works, it's unavoidable to compare the two authors. This novel lacks some of the complexities of Christie’s works, but it was still fun.

Thanks to Pushkin Press for the free e-arc, in exchange for an honest review.

A country house locked room mystery, first published in 1922. Robert, the estranged brother of Mark, a wealthy man, is found dead with a bullet through his head. Mark subsequently disappears, leading Bill and his friend Anthony to decide to play Sherlock and Watson to solve the mystery.
This book paid homage to the Sherlock novels with a proportion of the book spent with Anthony and Bill playing Sherlock and Watson trying to solve this case. It had the classic style of the golden age of detective fiction, with the sleuths being both English gentlemen and a rather twee way of life presented.

The tension in the book really got going for me in the later half of the novel when Bill and Anthony started to take a more active role in the investigation. I thought that in the first half there was a lot of theorising going on as to whodunnit and why. However, there were some very intriguing points of interest, especially with regard to a secret passageway. Although the novel is a bit archaic in the style that it is written, it does take many turns and gives the reader the opportunity to guess at various points alongside the sleuths. At times, it was written like a play with the narrator leading the reader into the narrative. Overall, it is a clever mystery with a unique style of murder. It is very sad that A.A Milne did not write many detective novels, although he did go on to write the very famous Winnie The Pooh stories. 3.5 stars.

I'd been wanting to read the much-loved mystery novel by Milne and am so glad I saw this on NetGalley (eye-catching cover!). Yay for reissues! I very much enjoyed this and have to admit that the mystery pulled me in and kept me turning pages. I had suspicion but couldn't work out the whole thing and I loved that. I would definitely recommend it as a wonderful option if you're wanting to read a Golden Age mystery.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the Advance Reader's Copy.

I didn't know A. A. Milne wrote such different genre from Winnie the Pooh! It's very unexpected!

This is a fun light-hearted locked room mystery/detective story and definitely worth a read!

This was such a fun surprise! Who knew that the author of Winnie-the-Pooh wrote murder mysteries. This is a re-release of a story originally published January 1st, 1922. Anthony Gillingham, a newly fashioned amateur detective (who appears to have very convenient photographic memory) is visiting his friend, Bill Beverley, while he is visiting the English countryside home of Mr. Mark Ablett. They take it upon themselves to investigate Ablett's disappearance and a mysterious locked-room murder.

The story and the writing felt very similar to Agatha Christie, his contemporary, with a good-hearted, yet heavy handed, homage to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. The reveal was fun, if not a little drawn out, but I will happily admit that I did not see it coming, which I enjoy as a murder mystery reader. I would rather a surprise, albeit slightly convoluted, reveal over an ending I can see coming within the first few chapters. The beginning dragged a bit, but I flew through the last half of the novel within a single sitting. I'll have to look more into Milne's adult works because I would enjoy reading another story with these characters.

Thank you NetGalley and Pushkin Vertigo for a free copy of this eARC in return for an honest review.

#TheRedHouseMystery #NetGalley

I'm a lifetime fan of classic Golden Age Detection but I'd never read this one-off by AA Milne, better known as the author of poetry and stories for children, but I saw that it was being reissued and decided I might as well take the time to read it. I had made an Instagram post a few days ago about the covers over various editions for the last hundred years (!!) and at the time I was about 30% in and I wasn't that excited by it. However, the plot picked up and I enjoyed all the detecting by Anthony Gillingham and suitably dense sidekick Bill Beverly. I got especially excited by the secret passage and the midnight trips to the lake. Silly but fun. It wasn't hard to guess who done it but “why done it” remained a mystery until the end. I thought I'd see what my go-to expert said and went back to Caroline Crampton's Shedunnitshow podcast episode on The Red House Mystery. She liked it too, but I was amused to read in her transcript that Raymond Chandler criticized it quite thoroughly… considering that there's a quote from Raymond Chandler endorsing it on this edition of the book. It's too bad Milne didn't write more novels with Anthony browsing around England finding murders everywhere. 

Can we talk about naming chapters for a minute?  These adorably named chapters added to my enjoyment of the book and I think more writers should do it. That is all.

As Anthony Gillingham approaches the country house where his friend, Bill Beverley is staying he walks straight into a mystery. A man who turns out to be Matthew Cayley and who is obviously distressed needs help getting into a locked room in the house. Cayley has heard a gunshot and is very worried about his uncle and employer, Mark Ablett. After they force their way into the room, Cayley and Gillingham discover a body. It is not Mark Ablett who is dead though but, much to Cayley’s relief, Ablett’s ne’er-do-well brother Robert. Of Mark, who was seen entering the office to meet with his brother there is no sign. While the local police are on the case, Anthony Gillingham and Bill Beverley decide to conduct an investigation of their own with Bill Beverley playing Watson to Gillingham’s Sherlock Holmes.

This is the most British of stories. In fact, if it had been written one or two decades later, I would have called it a spoof version of a Golden Age of Mystery story. This is by no means a criticism. In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the picture it painted of Edwardian Britain. I figured out part of the solution to this locked-room-mystery early on but that didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the rest of the story. It was a joy to follow Anthony and Bill as they followed the clues and Gillingham’s intuition until they found the answers.

This was A.A. Milne’s only mystery despite the fact that the last paragraph of the book seems to imply there might be more to come. I for one would have happily read more stories featuring Anthony Gillingham and Bill Beverley.

This book was not for me, but it’s definitely someone’s favorite.
I just couldn’t get into the characters or the story because of how it was written. Sometimes the old way of writing just makes me space out and not get interested in the story.
For me it felt boring and the ending was anticlimactic. Even though the whole story was somewhat boring.
I couldn’t connect to the characters either as we were just thrown into everything without any good background.

I did not guess the ending though so that was something!

The Red House Mystery
by A.A. Milne
Pub Date: September 3, 2024
Thanks to the author. publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
The Red House Mystery marked Milne’s first and final venture into the detective genre, despite the book’s immediate success. Praised by Raymond Chandler and renowned critic Alexander Woolcott, this gem of classic Golden Age crime sparkles with witty dialogue, an intriguing cast of characters, and a brilliant plot.
The main sleuth and his sidekick style themselves, playfully, as a modern Holmes and Watson, modern, as in the 1920s, when this was written.

The phrase "a classic" tends to be bandied around with great regularity when referring to murder mysteries of the 1920s and while many works are indeed classics, no work is more worthy of the title than The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne.

A few years ago, I was listening to the wonderful e-audiobook of Peter Swanson 's "Rules for Perfect Murders " (aka "Eight Perfect Murders, depending on your region), I first heard of The Red House Mystery. Now, not only did the storyline sounds fascinating, I was intrigued to learn that the author was the same A.A. Milne as the creator of my beloved Winnie the Pooh. And so I eagerly ordered a copy. I've read the novel several times now and it still continues to delight.

In this classic of the 'locked room' murder mystery genre, our story begins at the eponymous Red House, where owner Mark Ablett is entertaining friends when he receives a message that his brother (long banished to Australia) Robert has unexpectedly returned home.
Mark quickly proceeds to warn his friends against his brother and the story moves along rapidly. And then .... murder! While the members of the household are busy playing golf or preparing for the visit (staff), they are all gossiping about the new arrival when a gunshot is heard. They race to the office, only to discover a locked door and eventually, the body of Robert. Mark is nowhere to be found. And so our mystery begins.
Interpersed with wry social commentary, and tropes of the murder mystery genre - a locked room, unreliable alibis, multiple motives, this is an ingenious mystery and I only wish that Milne had written several more.
Read it and love it.

I loved it and read it in one sitting, I just couldn’t put it down! It was such a good book, I just wish there were more.

I would highly recommend reading this book if you like a cozy mystery as you won’t be able to put it down.

I would like to thank Grapevine India and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

es, it is that Milne! What many may not know is that the author of the Winnie-the-Pooh stories also tried his hand at detective fiction. It is a shame that he only wrote one story since, as it turns out, he was pretty good at it!

This is a classic, country house mystery. There are a murder, many suspects, a prodigal brother’s return, an amateur detective (and his friend) and more than enough to keep the pages turning. There is even some humor.

It is very easy to recommend this reissue to fans of the Golden Age of Detective fiction.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Pushkin Press-Pushkin Vertigo for this title. All opinions are my own.

I read this book because of the legacy it holds and came away with the same feeling as everyone else - genuinely sad that this was AA Milne's only murder mystery because that man knew how to write a good detective story.

I had been spoiled for this book but had kind of forgotten the specifics of it and I really appreciated how well-done the mystery was. I appreciated that there aren't that many red herrings or misdirects in this book. Tony actually has the right idea with a lot of his theories and investigating but is simply missing a vital clue to put things into context. I liked that the reader was taken along on the journey of figuring things out - rather than the author trying too hard to misdirect the audience.

The banter was FLOWING in this book both between Tony and Bill and also in AA Milne's winks to the audience. I'm always pleasantly surprised when humour from almost 100 years ago still translates when reading it in the modern day (but I guess that is the mark of a good book/joke).

I will say I didn't love the plot device of 'exposition by way of the murderer writing a letter to the detective explaining everything' - it's something we see in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd as well - but I can appreciate the exposition dump of an explanation at the end of the book is always a tough one to pull off.

I couldn’t resist reading this novel by classic mystery novel by author A.A. Milne’s best known for his much loved Winnie-the-Pooh series. “The Red House Mystery” is a well written locked-room mystery that is set in an English country house and bears the similarities of an Agatha Christie novel.

Mark Ablett is hosting a house party that turns sour when his estranged brother Robert arrives unexpectedly. Robert has returned from Australia but but shortly after his arrival is found shot dead through the head and his brother Mark mysteriously disappears.

Tony Gillingham enjoys playing an amateur detective and along with his friend Bill they decide to try and unravel the mystery surrounding Robert’s death and Mark’s disappearance. AA. Milne manages to write a cosy thriller with an excellent mix of humour and suspense that made it a very enjoyable read.

Together Tony and Bill bring this book to life with their friendship while investigating much in way Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson did. with both humour and clever deductions. With the backdrop of the English countryside and it’s idyllic settings this cosy mystery was a very enjoyable read.

As expected The Red House Mystery was well written but the clever plotting, well developed characters and twists and turns made this read very entertaining.

Perfect read for readers who enjoy classic whodunits and cosy mysteries and this novel is proof that good writing can stand the test of time.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Pushkin Press for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Pretty good vintage mystery written by A. A. Milne the author of Winnie the Pooh. It’s nice that it’s being republished. Agatha Christie was in the beginning of her career, in fact her second book was published the same year. That being said, he was a creative mystery writer on his own strength not a Christie copycat. Though he does bring Holmes and Watson into his story as an example of what he wants to be as a first time amateur detective with an old friend who happens to have been staying at the house where the murder takes place. There was a nice rapport between those two characters and a bit of fun. The murder had taken place when there had been a house party staying there, but he did little to develop those characters. Though that’s not uncommon in a lot of the older mysteries. And I do prefer a bit more character development as well as all the clues there. This seemed a bit unlikely and I don’t think the reader was given all the clues. But definitely a quick and enjoyable read. And it’s really too bad that he didn’t write more with his amateur detective Gillingham and his sidekick Bill. It could have been developed more and been a nice series. Stop it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Pushkin Press.
#theredhousemystery #netgalley #pushkinpress

I’ve never read anything else from A A Milne beside Winnie The Pooh. A lovely quick read, a very English locked room mystery perfect for all the crime aficionados .

What a unique and quaint story! The author of Winnie the Pooh tries his hand at Agatha Christie!

Mark Ablett is planning a party in his English Country home when his brother arrives unannounced. Robert is angry and rough around the edges and easily insults or scares everyone in the home. When he turns up murdered and Mark is missing no one is sure what to do. Anthony Gillingham and his sidekick Bill take their turn at solving a crime. It's a Golden Age Crime Thriller and Milne's only story for adults.

It's lighthearted and well crafted. A gem for all detective story lovers!
#aamilne #winniethepooh #redhousemystery

How have I never read this classic before, A.A. Milne’s only mystery? The Red House Mystery, now in the public domain, has been available for free in the Kindle format since at least 2012. I probably own it; however, I never read it.

Antony Gillingham stumbles onto a murder mystery when he arrives at the Red House just as a pistol goes off. The owner of the house, Mark Ablett, in the midst of a house party, disappears, just after a long-lost black sheep brother has returned from his exile in Australia. Did Mark kill his brother? Antony enlists a houseguest, Bill Beverley, as his Watson and tries to make the many bits of this puzzle fit together into a coherent whole.

Thanks to Pushkin Vertigo, Milne’s clever cozy has been re-released. I’m enjoyed it, but I’m sad that The Red House Mystery is Milne’s one and only mystery novel; I should have loved to see Antony Gillingham in yet another book.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Pushkin Vertigo in exchange for an honest review.

What a fantastic golden age surprise! “The Red House Mystery” is a short 1922 novel from A.A. Milne, yes the same A.A. Mine who wrote the Winnie-the-Pooh stories. Here we have all of the elements of a classic British country house mystery set among the upper class with a locked room puzzle thrown in as well.

Mark Ablett is a rich bachelor living in the Red House in the English countryside, along with his servants and his cousin Cayley, who manages all of Mark’s affairs for him. As we always see in these novels, Mark has a house full of guests who have come to visit and engage in leisurely activities, from lawn bowling to golf to croquet, even one of the crowd dressing up as a ghost as a practical joke. During breakfast one morning Mark announces that his wayward brother Robert is suddenly returning later that afternoon, a brother that had been quite wild and had shipped off to Australia 15 years earlier.

As soon as Robert arrives he and Mark are behind closed doors arguing in the office, when a shot rings out across the house. Cayley runs to the door, but it is locked from the inside. Quickly (and unexpectedly) joined by Anthony Gillingham, a stranger who happened visit the house to see his friend Bill Beverley, the two run outside to force the French windows after they see a body on the floor. The body belongs to the brother Robert, shot in the head, with no revolver and no Mark to be found.

Anthony Gillingham, who has been idly spending his time trying out different things that interest him, decides that he would like to try his hand at being an amateur detective, and enlists his friend Bill Beverley to act as his Watson. Together they engage in pursuing the answers to several questions, such as what happened to Mark, why is he missing? Was Robert killed in self-defense? What was the threat that led to the argument?

And off our wannabe Sherlock and Holmes go, with plenty of witty banter and interesting theories. Mr. Milne treats us to secret passages, missing keys and mysterious locked cupboards, following suspects in the middle of the night, searching a lake for a hidden clue, and a potential romance off on the side. Will our amateurs solve the case before the inspector and catch the murderer?

In the introduction Mr. Milne gives us his opinion on what a murder mystery story should contain and he delivers on all of his requirements. The only small quibble is that the guests are quickly shuttled off out of the picture, leaving only our protagonists and the household. And the solution isn’t really that difficult to figure out. But we still have the witty dialogue, the hidden passages, the shadowy secrets. A fun ride, too bad Mr. Milne didn’t provide some further adventures for Tony and Bill.

I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Pushkin Press Pushkin Vertigo via NetGalley. Thank you!