The Case of the Frightened Lady

This entertaining British mystery has a great setting. Mark's Priory is an old country house. It is the home of the Lebanons. Lady Lebanon is a "blood-proud" widow who controls everybody with money. She is keen to see her son marry her niece to maintain and consolidate the Lebanon bloodline.

The house has a locked lumber room with "unique door handles." There are two dodgy footmen who appear a bit too sure of themselves. They have complete control of the house after the other servants have left at 8PM. Lady Lebanon's niece is terrified of them and of being locked in her room at night. A manic laugh can be heard in the corridor at such times.

The murders start at an Institute Dance 2 or 3 miles from Mark's Priory. There is some mystifying action involving Indian silk scarves used for strangulation.

Pick of the intriguing characters for me are Lady Lebanon played by Helen Haye. And the footman Gilder played in great commanding style by Roy Emerton with the most menacing and insolent smirk on his face.