The Markenmore Mystery

"The Markenmore Mystery" by J. S. Fletcher is a detective story set in the early 1900s. The story focuses on the troubled Markenmore family, especially Sir Anthony Markenmore, his son Harry, his daughter Valencia, but especially Guy Markenmore, the mysterious older brother who appears again just before some really bad things start happening. The book suggests hidden secrets, problems within the family, and a creepy feeling around their home, Markenmore Court. We first meet Braxfield, the butler, who is locking up the house at night when he bumps into John Harborough, a friend of the family back after a long trip, who tells him Sir Anthony is very sick. Things feel like they are falling apart, and Harborough and Braxfield talk about Guy, the brother who has been gone for seven years. Things get even stranger when Braxfield hears a knock at the window, signaling Guy's return; setting the stage for mysteries, big reveals, and bad things to come as the family faces its past.