Dr. Priestley's Quest
Dr. Priestley's Quest is a 1926 detective novel by John Rhode, the pen name of the British writer Cecil Street.[1] It was the second appearance of the armchair detective Lancelot Priestley, who featured in a long-running series of novels during the Golden Age of Detective Fiction.[2] It has been described as the first major detective novel by the author.[3] In its relationship between Priestley and his secretary and future son-in-law Harold Merefield is shown the influence of Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and Watson.[4] Similarly, Inspector Hanslet of Scotland Yard fulfils a similar role to that of Lestrade.
 1935 edition with original image | |
| Author | John Rhode |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | Lancelot Priestley |
| Genre | Detective |
| Publisher | Geoffrey Bles |
Publication date | 1926 |
| Media type | |
| Preceded by | The Paddington Mystery |
| Followed by | The Ellerby Case |
Synopsis
Austin Heatherdale is killed on a lonely in what appears to be a casual robbery. However his brother Gerald demonstrates to Priestley that he believes the attack was pre-meditated and fears for his own safety. When he also then dies Priestley sets out to solve the murders of the Heatherdale brothers using pure logic.
References
- Evans p.60
- Reilly p.1257
- Evans p.62-63
- Evans p.63
Bibliography
- Evans, Curtis. Masters of the "Humdrum" Mystery: Cecil John Charles Street, Freeman Wills Crofts, Alfred Walter Stewart and the British Detective Novel, 1920-1961. McFarland, 2014.
- Herbert, Rosemary. Whodunit?: A Who's Who in Crime & Mystery Writing. Oxford University Press, 2003.
- Reilly, John M. Twentieth Century Crime & Mystery Writers. Springer, 2015.