Freeman Crofts is an often-overlooked author of the "Golden Age" of British dective stories. This new series from Poison Pen Press is bringing many of these classics back into print.

This volume is a great addition to the series for many reasons.

First it is a double mystery. The first part of the book is told from the point of view of the criminal, azoo director who is having money troubles. After the crime and inquest, the second part of the book focuses on the re-opened investigation and Crofts' main dectective Chief Inspector French of Scotland Yard.

Second, it's a great crime, almost perfect. It's complex, but not unbelievably so. The criminals are smart and cover their tracks well. The result of the inquest is satisfactory. But French has a very innocent question that leads him to investigation and, finally, to the correct solution.

Third, the concluding chapter looks at what happens to the criminal after conviction. Few novels go to this point. Although the writer of the introduction finds this a fault, I liked it. We find mysteries satisfying because the balance of the world is upset by the crime. The job of the dectective is to rebalance by discovering the solution to the crime. But almost always it leaves out the criminal and the lack of balance in his soul that led to the crime.

Crofts' concern both for the more psychological aspects of his characters as well as his concern for their souls looks at this aspect and creates a satisfying conclusion.