High Society Scandal

Mayfair in the late afternoon, and one of those stately London houses where the wealth is real and the display is not — a marble hall, dark polished wood, and the settled warmth of a place that has been lived in for a very long time. The lady of the house is silver-haired, upright, and entirely composed until she is asked about her grandson. Then the composure goes. Edward Winslow is twenty-five. Charming, clever, too easily liked. He has been missing for a fortnight. The police have been informed and treat the matter lightly — young men disappear, they say, and young men come back. There is a note. Eight words, scribbled in haste, left by hand with the servants and signed with a single letter. His grandmother does not believe he wrote it in the spirit it pretends, and she says so to the Belgian Detective with Arthur sitting beside her. They have never had silence between them, and this silence is terrible. There has also been talk. Gambling debts. Questions of money. And an attachment of which the family does not approve. High Society Scandal is an original Golden Age-style mystery about a world that would far rather manage a scandal than solve a crime — and very nearly gets its way. FOR LISTENERS This is an original mystery written by Nocturnal Tales, inspired by the spirit of the great Golden Age crime writers. The plot, characters and text are entirely our own creation, and all characters and events are fictional. This story first appeared in the second volume of our collected mysteries; we have revised it and recorded it as a full audiobook. No affiliation, endorsement, or official connection is implied. The whole thing very nearly works, and it fails for one reason: a grandmother who knew exactly how her grandson wrote to her. At what point did you stop believing the note? CHAPTERS 00:00 - Introduction 02:20 - Chapter One - A Grandmother’s Anxiety 17:34 - Chapter Two - The Ballroom’s Glitter 35:46 - Chapter Three - Whispers in the Rain 52:50 - Chapter Four - A Secret Exchange 1:13:04 - Chapter Five - The Puzzle Takes Shape 1:27:38 - Chapter Six - The Vigil 1:44:14 - Chapter Seven - The Truth Unveiled 2:01:34 - Chapter Eight - Reputation Restored 2:16:38 - Closing SUPPORT & LISTENING OPTIONS CREDITS TAGS / KEYWORDS golden age mystery audiobook, missing person mystery, mayfair london mystery, high society mystery audiobook, belgian detective audiobook, arthur mystery audiobook, 1930s london mystery, long full length audiobook, classic detective story audiobook, original golden age whodunit, vintage detective fiction HASHTAGS