The Theft of the Iron Dogs

E.C.R. Lorac must be seriously considered for the position of leading writer of classic detective stories. – Birmingham Post

While hot on the heels of serial coupon-racketeer Gordon Ginner, Chief Inspector MacDonald of Scotland Yard receives word of a peculiar incident up in Lancashire. The fishing cottage of a local farmer has been broken into, with an assortment of seemingly random items missing, which include a reel of salmon line, a large sack, and two iron dogs (or andirons) from his fireplace.

This incident becomes all the more enticing to MacDonald when a body washes up on the banks of the River Lune not far from the cottage in question; the body of Gordon Ginner.

First published in 1946 and set in the fell country of Lunesdale over the course of a rainy September, The Theft of the Iron Dogs is the very picture of a cosy crime mystery. It showcases Lorac's masterful attention to detail and deep affection for both Lunesdale and its residents.