a puzzle in pearls

A stolen necklace has British detective Patrick Dawlish running in circles to find the culprit in this classic Golden Age mystery.

A famous jewel thief has struck again, stealing a fortune of gems from Lord Hillmorton and kidnapping his daughter to ensure his silence. But there’s one man to call when there are no other options: Patrick Dawlish.

Hot in pursuit, Dawlish, his wife, and Cedric Forbes find themselves caught between a notorious gang of thieves and a quirky family who may or may not have their own part to play in the crime. As a strand of valuable pearls changes hands, it’s up to Dawlish to orchestrate a plan to root out the fakes from the genuine article--and bring the innocent home alive . . .

John Creasey, born in 1908, was a paramount English crime and science fiction writer who used myriad pseudonyms for more than six hundred novels. He founded the UK Crime Writers’ Association in 1953. In 1962, his book Gideon’s Fire received the Edgar Award for Best Novel from the Mystery Writers of America. Many of the characters featured in Creasey’s titles became popular, including George Gideon of Scotland Yard, who was the basis for a subsequent television series and film. Creasey died in Salisbury, UK, in 1973.