Originally published in 1937, THESE NAMES MAKES CLUES is a highly entertaining traditional Golden Age detective novel.  Eight writers have been invited to participate in a treasure hunt at a book publisher’s home and the night ends with the death of a well-known detective novelist.  Now all in attendance are suspects, and Chief Inspector Macdonald must uncover each character’s flaws and secrets to learn the culprit and motive behind the crime.

It’s 1936 and Scotland Yard Chief Inspector Macdonald has been invited to join a treasure hunt at the home of book publisher, Graham Coombe.  The treasure hunt will include literary, historical, and practical clues which must be solved by the guests.  In attendance are several writers, who are all using pseudonyms to hide their true identities.  The fun is uncovering the identities of the other guests.  The clues are complicated, and just as the guests are making headway, the lights suddenly go out.  As the guests fumble in the dark, a murderer makes their move, and when the guests reconvene by candlelight, one of them is missing.  A corpse is found in the telephone-room and the dead man is revealed as a popular detective novelist known for inventing unique killing methods which involve complicated mechanical contraptions.  At first, it appears to be a heart attack, but Macdonald has his doubts, and upon further investigation, he believes the man may have been murdered by an electrically rigged contraption, similar to those found in his novels. The game is afoot and the suspects are scrambling to learn who did it and why?  When a second man, connected to the first, is also found dead at another location, the mystery becomes a race for the truth.   

THESE NAMES MAKE CLUES was reprinted in the British Library Crime Classic series and is a closed-circle mystery with a limited number of suspects.  It is a clever puzzle mystery with hidden identities and clues based on word play and anagrams.  As we learn more about each suspect, we anticipate a complex reason behind the man’s death.  Lorac does not disappoint and takes us on a wild ride culminating with a young journalist in a new location and a regathering of the suspects.  Told from multiple viewpoints, this mystery will keep readers guessing.  There are several twists and revelations and the ending, although sad, is fitting.  In the author’s own words, “Death in this case is a solvent of old miseries” rings true.  

There is also a fascinating Introduction that provides details on E.C.R Lorac and her involvement with the Detection Club, a social network for detective novelists established in 1930.  Adding to the mystery is that E.C.R. Lorac is also a pseudonym and word play for the author’s real name.  Filled with clues, suspects, puzzles, and twists, THESE NAMES MAKE CLUES is highly entertaining and enjoyable.