The Strange Crime in Bermuda

The Strange Crime in Bermuda follows Mrs. Carstairs, who arrives at a Bermuda resort with her adult daughter Pamela for what should be a peaceful vacation. Their trip takes an unsettling turn when a fellow guest at the hotel dies under mysterious circumstances. Mrs. Carstairs becomes drawn into investigating the death, despite resistance from local authorities who seem eager to dismiss the case. She navigates the complex social dynamics of the hotel guests while pursuing her own theories about what occurred. The story moves between mother and daughter perspectives as they each pursue different paths at the resort - Pamela becoming involved with a charismatic young man while her mother continues to probe into the death. The small resort setting creates a pressure cooker atmosphere as suspicions mount. At its core, this 1938 crime novel examines the relationships between truth, perception and social conventions, particularly through its portrayal of mother-daughter dynamics and gender roles in upper-class society.

There are not enough internet reviews to create a summary of this book. Instead, here is a summary of reviews of Elisabeth Sanxay Holding's overall work: Contemporary readers praise Holding's psychological depth and ability to build tension through ordinary domestic situations. Many note her skill at depicting seemingly normal characters whose lives spiral into darkness. Reviews frequently mention her clean, understated prose style and realistic dialogue. What readers liked: - Complex female characters making morally ambiguous choices - Natural progression of suspense without relying on violence - Period details and social observations of mid-century America - Economical writing style that maintains momentum What readers disliked: - Slower pacing compared to modern thrillers - Some dated social attitudes and character behaviors - Limited action or overt drama - Occasional predictable plot developments Ratings across platforms: Goodreads: The Blank Wall - 3.8/5 (500+ ratings) Net of Cobwebs - 3.7/5 (100+ ratings) Amazon: Limited reviews but generally 4+ stars Library Thing: Average 4/5 across titles One reader noted: "Her ability to create suspense from everyday situations makes the stories more frightening because they feel so possible."

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier A psychological suspense novel centered on a new bride who uncovers dark secrets at her husband's coastal estate.

Laura by Vera Caspary A detective becomes obsessed with solving the murder of a woman whose portrait haunts her Manhattan apartment.

The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart A spinster's summer rental becomes the scene of unexplained occurrences and murder when she discovers hidden passages and family secrets.

Green for Danger by Christianna Brand A nurse investigates mysterious deaths at a wartime hospital where patients die during routine operations.

Beast in View by Margaret Millar A woman receives threatening phone calls that lead to multiple deaths while exposing the connections between seemingly unrelated people.

🌺 Elisabeth Sanxay Holding was praised by Raymond Chandler as "the top suspense writer of them all," placing her above even Dashiell Hammett in his estimation 🌺 The book was first published in 1937 during the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, a period that saw the rise of complex puzzle-style mysteries 🌺 The author specialized in domestic suspense novels, helping pioneer a subgenre that focused on psychological tension within seemingly normal households 🌺 The Bermuda setting was relatively unusual for mystery novels of the time, which typically favored either British country houses or American urban environments 🌺 Despite being largely forgotten today, Holding's work influenced Patricia Highsmith and other prominent thriller writers who followed in her footsteps