The Secret of High Eldersham
A Golden Age Mystery with Maps, Notes, and Reader Guides
A murdered landlord, an isolated East Anglian inn, and rumors older than village gossip launch Miles Burton’s first Desmond Merrion mystery.
Available formats
- Format
- Kindle + paperback
- First published
- 1930
- Edition
- Annotated
- Paperback ISBN
- 979-8184769493
About the book
A village mystery shaped by roads, tides, and secrets.
The Rose and Crown should be an ordinary village inn. Its landlord’s murder reveals that High Eldersham is anything but ordinary.
Roads, tides, pub tenancies, police procedure, and local secrets build a classic British puzzle with a gathering atmosphere of folklore and menace.
First published in 1930, The Secret of High Eldersham introduces Desmond Merrion in a Golden Age mystery that rewards readers who enjoy village settings, careful investigation, period atmosphere, and clue-driven detective fiction.
This annotated public-domain edition pairs the complete story with helpful notes and reader guides for classic mystery fans. Spoiler-free aids appear before the novel; the full solution and explanatory diagrams are reserved for the post-novel appendix.
Inside this annotated public-domain edition:
- Gene’s original 1930 dust-jacket design
- A labeled opening map and Rose and Crown floor plan
- Character and place guides before the story
- Notes on period beliefs, older language, tides, boats, and navigation
- Sources for the added notes and an account of how the text was checked
- A full spoiler chronology, clue review, solution, and five explanatory figures
- Discussion questions, an afterword, and a complete Miles Burton checklist
For readers of Golden Age mystery, classic British detective fiction, East Anglian village mysteries, and annotated public-domain classics, this edition offers the original investigation with the context needed to follow its world without spoiling its solution.
From the Publisher
A Golden Age Village Mystery, Thoughtfully Prepared for Modern Readers
An East Anglian Mystery Steeped in Atmosphere
An isolated inn, a murdered landlord, tidal waterways, and a village guarded by old loyalties give this classic mystery its distinctive sense of place. The investigation moves through roads, boats, tenancies, and local rumors as Desmond Merrion looks beyond the village’s respectable surface.
The First Desmond Merrion Mystery
Miles Burton launches the Desmond Merrion series with a puzzle that blends methodical police work, village relationships, and an undercurrent of folklore. Readers who enjoy vintage detective fiction can meet the recurring investigator at the beginning of his long-running sequence.
Maps, Notes, and Reader Guides
A labeled village map, the Rose and Crown floor plan, character and place guides, and contextual notes help readers follow the geography and period details. Spoiler-free material comes first; the case timeline and solution stay safely after the novel.
The Original 1930 Dust-Jacket Design
Gene’s original dust-jacket artwork connects this edition to the novel’s first publication. The preserved design appears alongside newly prepared editorial material that explains the book’s setting, language, and mystery conventions.
An Annotated Reading Experience That Preserves the Mystery
The complete public-domain story is supported by source-checked text, reader-friendly notes, accessible descriptions, and original diagrams. Helpful context appears where readers need it, while solution material is held back for a dedicated spoiler appendix with the chronology, clue review, full solution, and five explanatory figures.