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.
Choose your format
- 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 Classic — Fully Annotated
The Complete Novel
Read the complete novel text of The Secret of High Eldersham, first published in 1930 and the debut entry in Miles Burton's Desmond Merrion series. Set in a brooding English village in East Anglia, this Golden Age mystery follows Inspector Young and the perceptive Desmond Merrion as they unravel the secrets a tight-knit community will do anything to protect. This annotated edition delivers the full, unabridged story exactly as it was written.
Rich Historical Context
This annotated edition places the story in its proper setting with historical context that illuminates the world of 1930s Golden Age British detective. Helpful maps and guides bring the English village setting of High Eldersham to life, letting readers trace the shadowed roads and quiet waterways alongside the characters. Every detail is designed to deepen your appreciation of the atmosphere and era without interrupting the story.
In-Depth Reader Guides
Once you've finished the novel, unlock a full suite of reader tools included in this annotated edition. A detailed clue analysis highlights the puzzle's key evidence, while a thorough solution discussion examines how the mystery unfolds. All spoiler content is carefully reserved until after the story, so your reading experience remains completely intact. It's the ideal companion for fans of Golden Age mystery who love to dig deeper.
An Accessible Mystery Classic, Thoughtfully Enhanced for Modern Readers
Explore the annotated edition of The Secret of High Eldersham by Miles Burton through a clear landscape infographic featuring supportive illustrations, preserved text, detailed image descriptions for accessibility, and reader-friendly footnotes. This enhanced Golden Age mystery edition adds historical context while keeping the classic detective story intact.