''The Golden Dagger'' by E. R. Punshon (d. 1956), public domain. The narrative follows Scotland Yard's Bobby Owen as he investigates a bizarre, body-less murder at a historic country estate.
When Bobby Owen receives an anonymous phone call reporting a murder at the country estate known as "Cobblers," he arrives to find no corpse but discovers an ornate, blood-stained antique knife in a village telephone box. The perplexing investigation quickly balloons to include: two missing persons, including a famous best-selling author; a cast of suspicious characters; a hatchet-wielding housekeeper, a peculiar secretary, and a village full of likely suspects.
A peculiar kind of hat keeps turning up, alongside a haunted, mist-shrouded wood where Owen must attempt a chaotic rescue.
Known for labyrinthine plots and fascinating character studies, Punshon crafts a puzzle where Owen must determine if anyone has actually been killed at all. The book is often praised for its blend of atmospheric suspense and clever misdirection.
