Hamlet, Revenge! by Michael Innes

The duke and duchess of Horton were presenting the play Hamlet at their estate, Scamnum Court of which it is said that "Perhaps it is not the stateliest of the stately homes of England. But it is a big place: two counties away it has sort of little brother in Blenheim Palace". The play was to be performed by amateur actors except for Melville Clay who was to be Hamlet, and who had already had great successes in the part in London and New York. The Lord Chancellor of England, Lord Auldearn, was doing the part of Polonius. The duke and duchess had parts as did their children, Noel and Elizabeth. The performance would be attended by Shakespearean scholars and nobility. There were, of course, rehearsals during the two days, before the actual performance. During this period, Lord Auldearn appeared to be troubled and it was suspected that he was considering an important treaty.

Then the evening of the play arrived and all went well until the performance arrived at the scene where Hamlet confronts his mother while Polonius hides  behind the screen. As Hamlet was about to draw the screen aside, a shot rang out. Hamlet found that Lord Auldearn had been fatally shot. The only person who could have seen the shooter was the prompter, Mr. Bose, who would also be murdered later in the day.

Young inspector John Appleby had been at the ballet watching Les Presages. When he arrived at his low cost lodgings, he found the Prime Minister waiting for him. Appleby and the Prime Minister set off rapidly in a fire engine while the Prime Minister explained the situation to Appleby. He also said that Appleby had been selected for this job because he "would not be scared by the high-and-mighty mob" which were assembled there. The PM told him that it was imperative that the murderer be found because there were matters of national security involved.

Thus Appleby arrived at Scamnum Court where he fortunately found Giles Gott, a  friend of his and an author of mystery novels, who could render some assistance in the investigation since he had been at Scamnum in the days preceding the murder. There was, indeed, a document of national importance  involved but it was found. But could it have been copied before it was found? Was the murderer after this document or did he or she kill Lord Auldearn for some other reason. There were many important people to interview and many alibis to examine before Appleby determined the identity of the murderer.

This is a remarkably literate mystery novel, and  it also helps to know your Hamlet. It was published in 1937, and was the second in the Inspector Appleby series. Michael Innes was a pseudonym of J. I. M. Stewart who wrote fiction and nonfiction under his own name as well as the many books which he wrote under the Innes name.