A man stands in line for a London theater performance. Moments later, he collapses—murdered in plain sight, yet no one saw a thing. Thus begins The Man in the Queue, Josephine Tey's masterfully plotted debut mystery novel introducing the sharp, quietly brilliant Inspector Alan Grant. Set against the bustling backdrop of 1920s London, this gripping Golden Age mystery blends classic detective fiction with psychological depth and subtle wit. As Grant digs into the victim's shadowy past, what first appears to be a random act of violence becomes something far more intricate—and far more dangerous. With no clear motive, no witnesses, and a trail that twists through the streets of London and into the Highlands of Scotland, Grant must rely on patience, intuition, and meticulous deduction to solve a case that defies easy answers.

An ingenious closed-circle whodunit and classic police procedural, The Man in the Queue is perfect for readers of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and anyone who enjoys classic British crime fiction, vintage detective novels, and Golden Age murder mysteries.