Murder in the Telephone Exchange

by June Wright

Overview

First published in 1948, when it was the best-selling mystery of the year in the author’s native Australia, Murder in the Telephone Exchange stars feisty young operator Maggie Byrnes. When one of her more unpopular colleagues is murdered — her head bashed in with a “buttinsky,” a piece of equipment used to listen in on phone calls — Maggie resolves to turn sleuth. Some of her coworkers are acting strangely, and Maggie is convinced she has a better chance of figuring out who is responsible for the killing than the rather stolid police team assigned to the case, who seem to think she herself might have had something to do with it. But then one of her friends is murdered too, and it looks like Maggie might be next. Narrated with verve and wit, this is a whodunit in the tradition of Dorothy L. Sayers and Josephine Tey, by turns entertaining and suspenseful, and building to a gripping climax.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781891241376
Publisher:	Verse Chorus Press
Publication date:	06/24/2014
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

June Wright (1919–2012) was born in Melbourne, Australia, and in her lifetime published six mystery novels, beginning with Murder in the Telephone Exchange in 1948.

Editorial Reviews

"A classic English-style mystery with a perky heroine reminiscent of Georgette Heyer’s clever sleuths, packed with detail and menace." (Kirkus Reviews, April 1, 2014)

"An engaging porthole into the past, with lively characters and inventive plotting." (Publishers Weekly, April 7, 2014)

From the Publisher

2014-03-20
A best-seller when it was first published in 1948 in Australia: A telephone operator turns sleuth when a colleague is murdered. Maggie Byrnes and her co-workers are not really surprised when someone bashes in Sarah Compton's head with a piece of equipment known as a buttinsky, because Sarah, widely disliked for her nosy, interfering ways, was something of a buttinsky herself. But it's still nerve-wracking to know that a murderer is loose in the telephone exchange. The exchange, a hive of activity, quiets down a bit during the night, when the mostly female staff has more time for gossip, jealousy and backbiting. Maggie thinks the police would be very interested in her inside knowledge should she ever decide to share it with them. She and her best friend, Mac, are both romantically interested in supervisor John "Clark" Clarkson. So Maggie's not sure whether it's jealousy or Mac's desire to beat her to the mystery's solution that suddenly turns their friendship cold. Though Maggie gets surprising latitude from DI Coleman and DS Matheson of the Melbourne police, they both warn her of the dangers of hiding information. Maggie's sleuthing turns up a great deal of information that people would prefer remain hidden. When a co-worker commits suicide, Maggie feels guilty but can't give up the hunt. When Mac becomes the next victim, however, Maggie is devastated, especially since what she knows adds her to the killer's list. A classic English-style mystery with a perky heroine reminiscent of Georgette Heyer's clever sleuths, packed with detail and menace.

Kirkus Reviews