Blood upon the Snow: A Mark East Mystery

Hilda Lawrence

Aug 2018 · Courier Dover Publications

About this ebook

"Miss Lawrence creates horror atmosphere with good skill, the hard way, with a light touch that leaves no brush marks. A few snowflakes, the mere suggestion of sinister sound, the barest hint of screaming silence, and the reader's hackles come away from his collar." — The New York Times Book Review
"Smooth handling by East — and the author." — Kirkus.
Private detective Mark East arrives at Crestwood, an elegant estate, to serve as a private secretary to archaeologist Joseph Stoneman. At least, East is supposed to be a secretary. Mr. Stoneman's nervous manner suggests that he's actually in need of a bodyguard. The estate's other residents—including a troubled hostess who confines herself to her room and a strangely solemn child — contribute to the fearful atmosphere. After a snowstorm completely isolates the estate from outside contact and the occupants start dying under mysterious circumstances, East must identify the murderer before it's too late for the entire household.
A selection of the Haycraft-Queen Definitive Library of Crime

Ratings and reviews

American mystery writer Hilda Lawrence (1906-1976) published her first book, Blood upon the Snow, in 1944. There are no cell phones, no DNA, no forensics, just plain old fashioned detecting and following the clues. Mark East is a private detective who takes a job as secretary to an archeologist, Joseph Stoneman. But it's his talent at detecting that is really needed. Mr. Stoneman's estate is quite large and there are several people staying there. A snowstorm isolates them from any outside contact ... and the occupants start dying. How many are going to die before East discovers who the killer is? This was not highly suspenseful, more a mystery. A lot of time was spent on character development which I felt took a lot away from the crimes. There were moments of brilliance in the writing, but sadly, they were short bursts. Many thanks to Dover Publications and Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

About the author

American mystery writer Hilda Lawrence (1906–1976) published her first book, Blood upon the Snow, in 1944. Its commercial success inspired two more novels featuring detective Mark East, A Time to Die and Death of a Doll. Her other books include The Pavilion and a collection of novellas, Duet of Death.