[carmenchu]

Piper is chiefly know for his Science Fiction works, but this is a very straightforward whodunnit, published in 1953 and set perhaps a couple of years before.

There are other versions in this Forum, but none in this format. Moreover:
The book, as retrieved from Proyect Gutemberg, had ‘blurb’ (which stands) but no illustrations.
The ones I have added reflect my own search to clarify references in the text to:
(a) guns
(b) other material, familiar for the period / place, but not to me.
I have also added an Appendix, with animations answering my curiosity about the differences between the kinds of antique guns cited in the work: it is entirely immaterial to the plot.
The References include links to further information and origin of the material.