The Player on the Other Side

On a sprawling estate belonging to a wealthy family, cryptic anonymous notes lead to a series of deaths in this classic mystery. York Square is a private garden surrounded by four matching castles, each home to a different branch of the York family: Robert, who is commanding and icy; Myra, who is gentle and ill; Emily, who would prefer to live elsewhere; and Percival, who harbors many secrets. The gardener Walt observes them all and notices more than they realize. When an anonymous correspondent begins sending Walt letters of praise, he becomes happier than ever before. However, when a strange card marked with the letter J announces Robert's death, the peaceful garden begins to deteriorate. Ellery Queen takes on the task of solving the puzzle of the bizarre notes. He discovers that the York family is bound by a ghoulish bargain—one that can only be broken through death.