They Watched by Night

UK: The Crime Club, Collins, 1941. 1st Edition 1st Printing. Hardcover. Very Good+/Very Good. They Watched by Night by John Rhode First Edition The Crime Club Collins 1941. A VG+ copy free of inscriptions. No foxing, unblemished throughout. Covers are bright with no toning to spine. In original near VG price clipped dust jacket. They Watched by Night is set in the small town of Market Hanford, where a series of strange occurrences have been taking place. A number of elderly residents have been found dead in their homes, all apparently of natural causes. However, there is something odd about the deaths, and the villagers are beginning to suspect that something sinister is going on. Lancelot Priestley, a retired schoolmaster who is also a renowned amateur detective, is called in to investigate. He soon discovers that the deaths are not as natural as they seem. The victims have all been poisoned, and the killer is someone who is intimately familiar with their habits and routines. Priestley must use all his cunning and deductive reasoning to unmask the killer before they strike again. Along the way, he will uncover a web of secrets and long-held grudges that has been festering in the quiet town of Market Hanford. They Watched by Night is a classic example of the Golden Age detective novel. It is a well-plotted and suspenseful story with a cast of memorable characters. Priestley is a brilliant and resourceful detective, and the reader is kept guessing until the very end.