In the golden age of the detective genre, the great names included Agatha Christie, G. K. Chesterton, G. M. Mitchell, and many others. However, a special place belongs to John Dixon Carr (1906–1977). In his works, such as “Murder in a Locked Room,” there is no room for wild chases or shootouts—yet the circle of suspects is kept to the maximum. Carr draws the reader into a skillful game, using traps, false leads, misleading moves, and subtle hints, inviting them to participate in solving a clever puzzle. His novel “Murder in a Plague Court,” published under the pseudonym Carter Dixon, opens a series of books about the magnificent Sir Henry Merrivale—an charming, eccentric detective and one of the most unusual characters in detective literature. In the ancient estate Playg-Court, where the executioner was buried during the plague of 1665, murders occur so intricate that only Sir Henry Merrivale can figure them out.