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Half-Mast Murder

A Classic Golden Age Detective Mystery

A flag hangs at half-mast above a seaside summer house. No one can explain who lowered it, or why.

Format
Kindle + paperback
Length
288 pages
Published
July 10, 2026
ISBN-13
979-8186598077
Cover of Half-Mast Murder by Milward Kennedy
Clever Girl Press annotated edition

About the book

A compact puzzle at the edge of the sea.

At Cliff’s End, a quiet English estate by the sea, tea, tennis, family visits, and polite conversation give way to a compact Golden Age puzzle.

Every path, errand, glance, and household habit may matter, but Milward Kennedy keeps the mystery cool, precise, and fair: the clues are there for readers who like to match wits with the detective.

First published in 1930, Half-Mast Murder is a classic British whodunit for fans of traditional detective fiction, country-house mystery, locked-room intrigue, and interwar crime fiction.

Inside this annotated edition:

  • Cleaned, source-checked public-domain text
  • Spoiler-free introduction and author biography
  • Character guide and Golden Age context
  • 48 explanatory notes on period language, police procedure, household customs, and fair-play clues
  • Cliff’s End grounds map and summer-house plan
  • Afterword and discussion questions for post-reading reflection
  • Source note documenting the 1930 Crime Club text

Read it for the impossible setup, the seaside atmosphere, and the pleasure of watching a careful detective turn ordinary details into a case that finally makes sense.