The Layton Court mystery

Chapter 30: Transcriber’s Notes

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About This Book

A detective story set in a country estate, where an affable amateur investigator assembles the household's clues and witness accounts to unravel an apparent crime. The narrative lays out evidence as it is discovered, follows multiple lines of inquiry and false leads, and sketches a cast of eccentric residents whose secrets complicate the puzzle. The investigator tests footprints, objects, and alibis, debates rival solutions with fellow thinkers, and ultimately reconstructs the actual sequence of events, exposing motives and method. The tone combines measured observation, wry character detail, and a commitment to fair-play deduction that invites readers to solve the case alongside the sleuth.

Transcriber’s Notes

The Layton Court Mystery was first published anonymously in 1926, the author being identified only as “?”. This transcription follows the text of the edition published by Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc. in 1929 (which identifes the author as Anthony Berkeley). The following alterations have been made to correct what are believed to be unambiguous errors in the text:

“enploymemt” to “employment” (Chapter XIV);
“Alter all” to “After all” (Chapter XVI);
“acquiesence” to “acquiescence” (Chapter XXV);
“whoseever” to “whosoever” (Chapter XXVIII);
“overwheleming” to “overwhelming” (Chapter XXVIII).