Murder by the Clock

NYPD’s Lieutenant Valcour investigates how a philandering husband could have been murdered twice in one night in this Jazz Age whodunit.

The body of Herbert Endicott is discovered by his wife at 8:37 PM, dead in his walk-in closet. The circumstances seem suspicious but there is no evidence of foul play, so Lieutenant Valcour, New York’s most astute investigator, orders an autopsy on site. The doctor discovers a faint heartbeat and, with an injection of adrenaline, Endicott is alive again. But just a few hours later, he has been shot dead—this time for good. 

From this puzzling set-up, an atmospheric and tense mystery ensues, with Valcour’s research turning up more questions than answers. Before twenty-four hours are up, the solution will be uncovered. 

Fans of S.S. Van Dine’s Philo Vance will appreciate the introspective Lieutenant Valcour, who makes his series debut in Murder by the Clock.

After serving in World War I, Rufus King (1893–1966) lived as a beachcomber along the Buenos Aires waterfront for several years before returning to the United States to begin a writing career. His first series character was Reginald De Puyster, the heir to a gigantic fortune, making him the wealthiest detective in the world. Created in the 1920s, his exploits were popular in magazines. King then wrote this first novel, Murder by the Clock (1929), introducing Lieutenant Valcour of the New York City Police Department, his most famous character. The intelligent and intuitive detective was much-loved by readers of the eleven-book series, though a little less so by critics. Valcour’s two years as a private detective gave way to a job with the NYPD, quickly advancing to a position as a lieutenant in the homicide division, where most of his adventures were recounted by King, before he was promoted to inspector.

King’s Valcour short stories were lauded and one collection, Malice in Wonderland (1958), was selected for Queen’s Quorum as one of the 125 greatest mystery collections of all time. Murder By the Clock also received the honor of being named to the Haycraft-Queen Definitive Library of Detective-Crime-Mystery Fiction as one of the milestones of the genre.

Introduction by Kelli Stanley. Kelli Stanley is the Macavity Award-winning creator of the Miranda Corbie series (City of Dragons, City of Secrets, City of Ghosts),  literary noir novels set in 1940 San Francisco and featuring “one of crime’s most arresting heroines” (Library Journal). She is also a Bruce Alexander Award and Golden Nugget Award winner, and a Shamus Award and Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist.