The Reader is Warned by Carter Dickson

Do you believe that there are people who can read the thoughts of others? This is the question that was to be answered by the six people gathered at the Fourways house in Surrey. There was Dr. John Sanders, an expert in forensic medicine. Also present were Lawrence Chase and Hillary Keen who were lawyers. Of course, Sam and Mina Constable were there because they were the owners of the house. Mina was the author of suspense and detective stories. Her husband Sam was twenty years older than she was, and they seemed to be an unlikely couple because Mina was so active and lively while Sam was rather stodgy and conservative. One more guest, Sir Henry Merrivale, was due to arrive later.

Also present was the object of their investigation Herman Pennik who presented himself as a reader of other people's thoughts. He demonstrated his abilities right away by reading the thoughts of Dr. Sanders about the women in his life as soon as they met. The five guests began to worry that he did have this ability.

The weekend got off to a bad start. The servants who were supposed to arrive for the weekend did not arrive on time because of a difficulty with their train. Herman Pennik volunteered to prepare an edible cold meal, and he went to the kitchen after making the prediction that Sam Constable would not be alive at eight o'clock that evening. Sam Constable insisted that everyone dress for dinner even if it was only a cold meal so the guests retired to their rooms on the first floor at 7:30.

At two minutes to eight, Mina opened the door of her bedroom, and saw Sam collapse and die near the stairs down to the ground floor. The doctor and the police were called in. Forensic analysis on Sam's body showed that there was no cause for his death - no wounds or poison. Chief Inspector Masters arrived on the scene, and Pennik confessed to the murder. He had not however left the kitchen during the time period between 7:30 and 8 and he had a witness to this.

Sir Henry Merrivale now arrived on the scene and his first comment was "phooey" which was the attitude that he maintained even when Pennik predicted another murder and it occurred. The newspapers got hold of this story and started writing about a Teleforce which could murder from a distance. People started to wonder if it could be used on Hitler. Pennik's notoriety grew and he was giving interviews to newspapers and radio stations. The police could not arrest him because there absolutely no evidence against him except for his confessions.

Sir Henry Merrivale did find a solution to how the murders were committed in this impossible manner. The very diligent reader will see the clues laid along the way to the solution of these two complex murders.The solution is intricate and I found it a bit hard to believe.

This book was published by John Dickson Carr under the pen name of Carter Dickson in 1939.  I have read this book for the 2016 Golden Vintage Cover Scavenger Hunt in the category of a book with a mask on the cover.