Goodnight Irene

by James Scott Byrnside

A brilliant detective...A baffling murder...An isolated manor...A list of less than perfect suspects with perfect alibis...No way out...It's going to be a long and gruesome night.

Hired to stop a murder at a birthday party of invited suspects at a Mississippi Manor cut off from the world by The Great Flood of 1927, Detective Rowan Manory needs to solve a 20-year-old case to save his client from unwrapping a deadly and perhaps deserved gift of revenge.

Can Manory figure out the identity of the murderer before the bodies start dropping?

'Goodnight Irene' is a locked-room murder mystery that will have you guessing until the final reveal.

Genres: Mystery

258 pages, Paperback

Reviews

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘The victim was hunched over his desk with piano wire around his neck.’

Chicago author James Scott Byrnside, unwilling to offer his background as he ‘ despises writing blurbs about himself’, makes a sensationally fine debut fiction novel with GOODNIGHT IRENE – the characters so finely drawn that once the reader is over the jolt that this is a ‘first book’ can only hope that this may be book one of a series of murder mysteries with the cast intact!

The well selected cover art – coffins afloat in a ‘red’ river – suggests the mystery to come and James’ skill at scene setting (there is evidence that the author first composed this story as a play) is on target. He offers a strange back story in a Prologue set in 1907 (keep the seeds sown here in mind…) and then jumps into his story in Chicago 1927. ‘“The time is almost upon us.” Rowan Manory put away his pocket watch and rolled a cigarette under an elm tree. The detective was a stocky box of a man with a black suit featuring wide notch lapels that nearly covered his shoulders. He pushed the cigarette into the corner of his mouth. His assistant, Walter Williams, opted to stand under the sun. Walter was a tall, lanky man, with a thin jazz suit, tinged the slightest possible shade of grey. He inhaled the sublime scent of spring as it breezed through Chicago’s affluent South Shore neighborhood. “Isn’t it grand, Manory?” “You are referring to this neighborhood?” Rowan looked over the row of houses. “No, I mean the season. Hope springing eternal, the butterflies, the squirrels, and the rejuvenation of life—that sort of thing.” Rowan struck a match and puffed the cigarette to life. “For every one homicide during the fall and winter, there are three in spring and summer. It is not only the flora and fauna that flourish with the thaw. There is also the rebirth of the sisters, animus and avarice. They seem to be fanatical about warm weather.” Walter nodded. “You must admit the squirrels are adorable. Look at them, chasing each other up the tree.” Rowan could not suppress his smile. “Are you mocking me, Williams?” Walter held out his thumb and index finger a few inches apart. “Just a little bit. I think one can enjoy a picturesque day without dwelling on humanity’s moral turpitude.” “That is completely dependent on one’s point of view. Now, Williams, before we enter the house, let us go over everything we know thus far.” “We haven’t even talked to the client yet.” “Yes, but the story has dominated the newspapers for the last three weeks. We know some basic facts. Tell them to me.” Walter joined Rowan in the shade and pulled out his notepad. “The victim was Martin Brent, proprietor of Brent Real Estate and Loan. He was murdered on the second of March.” “Who were the last people to see Mr. Brent alive?” “His seven employees. According to their statements, Brent entered his office just before four o’clock p.m. and locked the door. At that point, they went home for the evening, leaving him alone in the building.” Flavor set – so the locked room mystery begins. But keep the title of the book in mind….

James offers a fine synopsis – enough plot to stimulate without including spoilers – ‘ A brilliant detective...A baffling murder...An isolated manor...A list of less than perfect suspects with perfect alibis...No way out...It's going to be a long and gruesome night. Hired to stop a murder at a birthday party of invited suspects at a Mississippi Manor cut off from the world by The Great Flood of 1927, Detective Rowan Manory needs to solve a 20-year-old case to save his client from unwrapping a deadly and perhaps deserved gift of revenge. Can Manory figure out the identity of the murderer before the bodies start dropping?’

Read on – a very fine murder mystery that seems a fine chock block for launching an ongoing series with Manory and Williams. Highly Recommended.

[Eero · Rating 5 out of 5]

A while back I read The Murder Wheel, another impossible crime novel modeled after the Golden Age works. For my taste, that one was a little too smug about directly referencing John Dickson Carr and treating locked-room murders as a fad. This book is much better at creating the atmosphere of the times and a set of believable characters while constructing a devilish puzzle with a plausible solution. I can say that I sort of figured out the vague outlines of what was going on and who the killer must be before the reveal, although I was far from getting the mechanics right. Did Rowan make the right choice in the end?

[Kalpana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel, even though written in modern times, had a century old setting and was written in the orthodox style of locked-room mystery and overall pretty well done especially for a debut novel.
I enjoyed the banter between Rowan and Williams; though the sidekicks job of uttering nonsense which points the detective in the right direction (like Watson) seemed a little bit forced.
The novel's mystery was built of multiple puzzle pieces forming a big puzzle and it was interesting to try and figure out the solutions. I would say that the novel was more or less fair to the readers but you did have to do a little bit of guess-work like our detective (for eg: Ruth being Irene).
I was more or less able to solve all the puzzles except one, i.e. how did Walter see Daniel's face (literally) getting rid of the sacks. The solution did require a certain stretch of imagination though most of the orthodox mysteries rely on presenting an elaborate puzzle which may not necessarily be the most realistic but are definitely possible. Some psychological aspects of the novel were also questionable i.e. why did Dorothy commit suicide after finding out that her daughter was raped and stabbed but she was still alive? I dont think a mother would commit suicide due to her disappointment at her own failings as a mother but would rather think of protecting the child instead. Was definitely weak on the emotional/psychological aspect. Personally I would have liked a bit more of the epilogue or after story to know about Irene but I understand that the orthodox mysteries or not big on motive (why) but more on the how or the puzzle solving aspect, so this is not really a bad thing imo.
One thing which would have really helped the novel would have been a map of the various rooms in the manor; it would have certainly made the deducing task easier.
The length was also perfect (~250 pages) and I enjoyed the mystery.

[Sapphire Detective · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a bit since I've read a James Scott Byrnside book--the perils of having to purchase them myself, as no library in my era I think has even heard of much less considered bringing his stuff into their collection. But for number 175 (and the start of my unofficial run of impossible crime stories leading up to Wake Up Dead Man coming out next Friday) I felt it was time to break out the only other Byrnside I currently have in my collection. And I wasn't disappointed; it's never a bad time for me to read a Byrnside. The previous one I read was a stand-alone, The Five False Suicides, so this is my first encounter with Byrnside's main detective, Rowan Manory, and I quite like him. He and Williams make for another in the Holmes and Watson style mold that a lot of golden-aged authors (and disciples) tended to use that work well. And no one matches with Byrnside in the sheer horror aspect of the crimes. This is a dark read, but impossible crime fans will love it. Well worth the read.

My rating: 5/5
Would I own/re-read?: Gladly I do.
TW: Death, Gore, Abuse, Rape (of a child), Bad Things Happening to Children, Suicide, Gore, Disturbing Scenes
Does the animal die?: No animals are harmed in the events of this horrific night.
How difficult was the mystery?: Good twists and turns here, and as usual the how I leave to be surprised.

[Valery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodnight Irene by James Scott Byrnside is a wonderful example of the classic locked room murder mystery story with the intellectual dectective Rowan Manory, and his goofy sidekick Walter Williams. This is a twisted tale of revenge that might happen at a party where murder could be on anyone's mind. Manory is the man for the job however, and adroitly figures out everything in the end. The plot is engrossing, the dialogue between the characters is well written, and the repartee between Williams and Manory is priceless. For a debut novel, Byrnside has certainly proven himself a formidable writer, capable of great things. Looking forward to reading more from this author, and learning more about the intrepid partnership of Manory and Williams.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review for Goodnight Irene

I absolutely loved it! A bitter sweet ending. I love the characters! This is a must read series! I can’t wait for the next book!

[Juan Carlos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muy buena intriga y un final impecable. Buen comienzo de una saga.

[Barbie Urias · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent murder mystery

I enjoyed the two detectives and their relationship. They are different but that works well for them.
Did not like how every now and than the author used over flowery words for description. A little silly, it felt like the author was try to show off a small form of intelligence. Not needed he is.
Like how the end of the story leaves them better off then the start. 😎

[Janice Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Fair Read!

I liked the story and this does come out to the end a really good read. However I found myself thinking who could be the one, long before I got to the middle of the story and was a little bored. But I continued to read because l wanted to make sure I right. A very good clean story, thank you

[Gabriele Crescenzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The city is gorgeous if you do not have to live in it"

Il giallo classico, si sa, è passato di moda. Ondate di thriller psicologici, romanzi hard-boiled o presunti tali ormai invadono le librerie. Ed è anche giusto così: i tempi cambiano, la società muta e con essa anche i gusti dei lettori. Sopravvive però ancora una piccola minoranza che ancora ama immergersi nel giallo deduttivo, padre di tutta la narrativa successiva incentrata sul crimine.
Se pochi sono i suoi amanti, si può sostenere che altrettanto esiguo deve essere il numero degli scrittori che tuttora dedicano i loro sforzi a questo genere "agé". Ne consegue che i lettori di mysteries classici devono rivolgersi alle vestigia del passato per trovare materiale per le loro avide letture.
Tornando su quei pochi giallisti che si cimentano tuttora nel genere classico, si può dire che pochi sono quelli meritevoli. Ma questi pochi, per la qualità della loro scrittura e degli enigmi che propongono, bastano a farci dimenticare la crisi che il giallo sta subendo in quest'era.
Ecco, tra questi scrittori contemporanei citerei James Scott Byrnside.
Amante dei gialli classici, specialmente di quelli in cui figurano camere chiuse e delitti impossibili (gruppo del quale faccio orgogliosamente parte anche io), è un autore che ha iniziato ad autopubblicare le sue opere, spinto da questa sua passione. Mi sono imbattuto per caso nel suo sito mentre bazzicavo sul web in cerca di consigli di lettura e, catturato dalla trama delle sue opere, ho deciso di dargli fiducia acquistando un suo romanzo.
"Goodnight Irene" è la sua prima pubblicazione. Il romanzo, dedicato alla sua scrittrice preferita, Christianna Brand, si configura sin dall'inizio come un giallo classico intriso di elementi macabri e di una piacevole dose di umorismo.

Il libro si apre nel 1907 a Chicago: una donna, Dorothy Roberts sta cercando un certo Robert nelle gelide strade della città. Preoccupata di aver lasciato sua figlia Irene sola in casa, rientra in gran fretta. Con orrore scopre che sua figlia giace nella sua camera in una pozza di sangue. La donna non sopporta quel dolore e, ormai privata di ogni motivo per vivere, si incammina verso la finestra schiantandosi così al suolo dal settimo piano.
Un salto temporale ci porta al 1927, sempre a Chicago. Rowan Manory e Walter Williams sono soci in un'agenzia investigativa. Il primo dimostra sin da subito brillanti doti deduttive che contrastano con la bonaria ingenuità dell'altro. Questa simpatica coppia di investigatori è chiamata ad investigare su un caso di omicidio: dopo un breve resoconto della vicenda, Manory giunge alla verità grazie alla sua intelligenza ma commette l'errore tattico di svelarla nel momento sbagliato, con la conseguenza che due innocenti ci rimettono la pelle.
Passano i mesi e Manory sembra non essersi ripreso dall'episodio, che continua ad infestare la sua mente tanto da ricorrere ad uno psicoterapeuta. Dopo un lungo periodo di stasi investigativa ecco che arriva una lettera nel suo ufficio da un certo Robert Lasciva, che lo invita a venire nella sua villa a Mississippi per via di alcune lettere che ha ricevuto e che lo minacciano di morte. Ricordando che Lasciva era colui che aveva ucciso e stuprato una bambina venti anni prima, l' Irene del prologo, ed essendosi battuta sua madre, donna poliziotto, in quel caso per chiedere l'arresto dell'uomo, rilasciato per via delle sue conoscenze, Rowan Manory decide di accettare l'incarico.
Arrivati con difficoltà sulla cresta del monte dove è arroccata la villa per via della terribile alluvione che sta inondando la città, i due detective si ritrovano davanti una strana combriccola, che sembra covare non pochi segreti.
Non è ancora passata la serata che già il maniero si tinge di sangue: Jack Tellum, guardia del corpo di Lasciva viene avvelenato e lo stesso Lasciva, rivestito con un'armatura, viene trovato decapitato nel suo studio chiuso a chiave dall'interno. Una delle sue ospiti, la zia Bernice, pare essere svanita nel nulla. Possibile che una signora così anziana sia riuscita a compiere un così orrido delitto? E dove si è cacciata?
Rowan Manory dovrà rispondere a questi quesiti a cui se ne aggiungeranno molti altri, non prima di aver affrontato i demoni del suo passato.

Per essere un'opera prima, "Goodnight Irene" si dimostra un romanzo molto piacevole e ben scritto. Byrnside riesce a mescolare sapientemente enigmi affascinanti, un'atmosfera perversa e inquietante, personaggi ben vividi e sgradevoli e scene degne di un ottimo thriller.
Byrnside immette nell'opera tutto il suo talento e riesce a convincere con il suo stile gradevole, ad avvincere il lettore grazie ad un sapiente uso della suspence e a rendere estremamente godibile tanto la trama quanto le figure dei due protagonisti con i loro intermezzi comici.
È davvero straordinario trovare oggi un autore così talentuoso nel comporre un'opera gialla di ottimo livello ed intrisa di uno humour così accattivante.
La soluzione dell'enigma è logica, razionale e supportata da un saldo apparato di prove che l'autore pone omestamente dinanzi agli occhi del lettore. Buona anche la misdirection, sebbene talvolta si riesca a capire dove l'autore voglia andare a parare. La camera chiusa viene risolta in modo semplice ma coerente con lo schema delittuoso, impiegando, variandolo leggermente, un trucco già usato in altri romanzi della Golden Age, tanto che ne avevo individuato la soluzione.
L'atmosfera da brivido e la tensione continua che sembrano riverberare in queste pagine rivelano la mano di uno scrittore che, a mio parere, può dare molto al genere.

James Scott Byrnside riesce così a creare un giallo classico, ambientato nel periodo d'oro del genere, davvero memorabile.
L'autore trasmette in questa sua prima creazione artistica tutto il suo amore per i grandi del genere, con allusioni e rimandi impliciti che popolano la prima avventura di Rowan Manory.
Innanzitutto non si può non notare nel protagonista una certa rassomiglianza con l'eroe dei libri della Brand, Cockrill, soprattutto nella sua dipendenza al tabacco, nella presenza della sigaretta sempre infilata al lato della sua bocca. Lo humour di Rowan Manory, inoltre, rimarca chiaramente quello sottile e malevolo del detective della Brand. Non solo: l'armatura da cavaliere, che svolge una funzione importante nella trama, richiama alla mente del lettore di gialli navigato, "Death of a Jezebel" della stessa autrice, così come il dettaglio del "bagliore degli occhi della vittima" attraverso l'elmo di ferro.
Ma la somiglianza con Cockrill finisce qui: ai virtuosismi della Brand e delle sue molteplici soluzioni che via via smantellava nei suoi caotici e pirotecnici finali si oppone qui un detective che ha le grandi capacità d'osservazione di Holmes e l'acume deduttivo di un Queen.
La coppia Manory-Williams, con i suoi continui scambi farseschi, è una chiara ripresa della fortunata coppia Poirot-Hastings. Stessa genialità dei detective, stessa endemica stupidità delle loro spalle investigative. Di christiana memoria anche il raduno finale dei sospettati.

"Goodnight Irene" è un'opera che riesce dunque a integrare enigmi di primo livello, grandi qualità narrative e rimandi agli elementi più caratteristici del giallo. Sicuramente un autore da sostenere e di cui certamente acquisterò altri romanzi.

[Dan Seitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bit edgier and gorier than what Golden Age fans generally look for. But I loved it. Definitely worth a shot if you're a fan of locked room mysteries.

[Danielle Urban · Rating 4 out of 5]

The prologue of this book, made me curious. Death, murder, and mystery are found on these pages. The plot was very interesting. It was mostly steady. The dialogue between characters kept me reading. Like the characters, I too, am a Cub fan. Or was in the past...but now, I do not follow any sports teams. Sometimes, it felt like there wepas more telling than showing what was happening. This caused for a feeling of slowness in spots throughout the book. It seems that clues were left and the detectives find a string of murders that might help them solve a current case. The police have no where to go with the investigation. All suspects have a clear alibi. Goodnight Irene by James Scott Byrnside is similar to the style of Mary Higgins Clark and Michael Connelly. The night a mother checks in her daughter everything changes. The daughter's life is never the same. Irene's past comes tumbling to the present, and there's nowhere to hide...overall, I enjoyed the intrigue and suspense of what happened all those years ago and how they related to the present time. I would recommend this fiction title to readers everywhere.


I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.

[Sanjin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pure, classic murder mystery with all the familiar steps and checkpoints along the way to the final reveal.
If you like that kind of a story, this is your thing. Basically, we have a detective as a main character and a bunch of other characters at the birthday party in a mansion. The detective Mallory is a pretty standard character of that type, intelligent, patient, excellent at his job. Nothing unseen in that department. Actually, there is nothing really new in this book, like I mentioned, but everything is done well. Mystery is interesting, suspects are intriguing, the pace is mostly slow, with lots of dialogue and investigative work. Not everyone’s cup of tea, but this isn’t aimed at thriller lovers, this is more old school style of murder mystery. For what it is, it is pretty good, so check it out.

[Theunis Snyman · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a story! A real nasty is murdered in a locked room. And from that moment the mysteries begin. Baffling incidents follow baffling incidents. And all this in a atmosphere of horror. It’s hard to believe that this a a self published book. I did not find any language mistakes or any inconsistencies in the story. The author sometimes use words not commonly used. But what do you expect from an author as brilliant as this. In total there are not more that ten such unknown words. And in the e-book formats in which books are nowadays published it easy to look up the meaning of a word. The locked room solution is not new, but to me it has a new twist. This is a fine story where, as the blurb on the book says, the solution is more horrible than the story.

[Jameson · Rating 4 out of 5]

FIRST READING 1/31/21: 4 Stars

The beginning is brutal but that didn’t bother me since I knew this stuff was the story’s engine rather than a typical scene of the story itself, like most modern grimdark thrillers. Overall, I rate this one lower than Vampire but higher than Opening.

(“nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs”)

Is that a Rogue quote from X-Men: TAS? I’ve never heard the long tailed cat-rocking chair line elsewhere.

SECOND READING 2/15/24-3/15/24: 4 Stars
(Date and rating are both guesses, forgot to update my review until 4/24.)

I enjoyed this a lot the second time around but I utterly forget any new thoughts (or redundant thoughts) I may have had about it.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Page Turner

I enjoyed this mystery. It reminded me a little of And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. The storyline was interesting and easy to follow.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

A twenty-year-old unsolved murder, a birthday party that inadvertently traps all the guests and hosts due to the great flood of 1927 in Chicago. A race against time to figure out exactly what happened 20 years ago even though the involved parties all have alibies. Detective Rowan Mallory does his best to sleuth out the clues and solve the puzzle of this murder mystery before someone else is murdered.
If murder mysteries are your thing, or if you enjoyed playing the game Clue, then this book is for you. A lot of dialogue and there is little to no action. As all the characters are trapped in the house, there is not much in exploring clues and interrogating people around the city. As such, I found the story to be a bit bland. Yes, there was a good plot and the mystery did keep things going, but it was a halfhearted read, I was not immediately grabbed from the beginning (although the author did attempt it), and so I kept reading, hoping it would pick up the pace. Other than that, still a good book.

[Roy Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detective Manory and his sidekick Williams tackle the mystery of a man found decapitated inside a locked room (and other deaths), set in 1927 amidst the raging of the Great Mississippi Flood.
What a great thrilling mystery it is, certainly not of the cozy variety, is mainly of the Traditional school, it has a bit of the Hardboiled school, with a touch of the Italian Giallo. If you like any of these, this book is for you. If you’re an Impossible Crime fan, this book is a must for you. You will be puzzled and thrilled.

[Anya Pavelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is primarily about 2 private eyes stuck in a maelstrom of murder and PTSD (then called shell-shock). The twisty plot kept me entertained as did the detectives' witty banter. The mood of this book recalls classical murder mysteries. I think the early 20th c. setting helped solidify that connection.

[John Keeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall I Was Disappointed With This One

I had read the third book in this series first and really enjoyed it and was really looking forward to reading the other two. I am glad I didn’t read this one first because most likely I would not have read any more of his books. This one was very slow moving to me. I will give credit to the resolution however.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slapstick meets murder mystery. Action 1920's with a Chicago connection. I believe the author entertained himself as he concocted unlikely physical feats in the midst of downpour with a murderer on the loose, yet to be identified.

[Jessiclees · Rating 3 out of 5]

Promising start, exciting middle, rushed and disappointing ending

[Umer Abbas · Rating 3 out of 5]

not a bad first attempt.The locked room and the murderer was very easy to to guess.

[Stephen Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review: https://stephenmpierce.wordpress.com/...