Murder in the Basement (British Library Crime Classics)

Murder in the Basement (British Library Crime Classics) by Anthony Berkeley

When two newlyweds discover that a corpse has been buried in the basement of their new home, a grueling case begins to trace the victim's identity. With all avenues of investigation approaching exhaustion, a tenuous piece of evidence offers a chance for Chief Inspector Moresby and leads him to the amateur sleuth Roger Sheringham, who has recently been providing cover work in a school south of London.

Desperate for evidence of any kind in the basement case, Moresby begins to sift through the manuscript of a satirical novel Sheringham has been writing about his colleagues at the school, convinced that amongst the colorful cast of teachers hides the victim -- and perhaps their murderer.

Anthony Berkeley was a pen name of Anthony Berkeley Cox (1893 - 1971), one of the most influential figures in the history of British crime fiction. As well as being the author of many classic detective stories, Berkeley founded the prestigious Detection Club for the finest crime writers.