Dead Man Inside (American Mystery Classics)

Dead Man Inside (American Mystery Classics) by Vincent Starrett

1930s Chicago is a rough town, but the most recent rash of crime is unusual even by the Windy City's standards. First, a haberdasher whose corpse is discovered on display one morning, dressed as a mannequin in his store's window. Next, the unveiling of a Civil War statue reveals the dead body of a known gambler instead of the bronze likeness of General Burke. As more strange crime scenes follow, it becomes clear that a killer with a sick sense of humor is on the loose and that anyone could be his next victim.

It's a perfect case for scientist, explorer, former intelligence officer, and reluctant detective Walter Ghost, who just happens to be in town to visit the Newberry Library for research. While the local authorities are left scratching their heads, Ghost leaps into action with deductive reasoning aided by unorthodox methods (including consulting an Ouija board). But will his amateur detection be quick enough to find the culprit before they can strike again?

Dead Man Inside is a humorous, literate, and entertaining whodunnit that glimmers with the historical details of its Old Chicago setting.

Vincent Starrett (1886 - 1974) was a Chicago journalist who became one of the world's foremost experts on Sherlock Holmes.