Wolf in Man's Clothing

This book provides a glimpse of upper class life in 1942 through the lens of a mystery. Two nurses who journey to a remote mansion to care for a man suffering from a gunshot wound discover a poisonous atmosphere among their hosts and other guests. After the host is killed, suspicion falls on one of the nurses. Clues, some of them false leads, are dropped into the story at intervals. Unsuspected relationships become known. Our narrator, nurse Keate, discovers connections to the German-American Bund. The early phases of World War Two are off screen but contribute to the atmosphere of suspicion. Innuendo plays as big a role as action. The resolution of the mystery is reasonably satisfactory, with a climax that is notably less violent than modern Americans have come to expect. This book is one of a series in which Nurse Keate gets involved in mysteries. The writing is competent, though not brilliant. The biggest problem is the large number of characters; readers may need a list of dramatis personae to keep track.