Blood on Lake Louisa

Blood on Lake Louisa, first published in 1934, is a fast-paced murder thriller from the 'golden-age' of mystery writing.

Set in the Florida 'flatwoods' and marshes, the book opens with the murder of a banker; a popular doctor is soon the leading suspect, but the doctor and local sheriff work together to identify the true killer.

From the publisher: "e;This is a murder-mystery story of an unusual kind.

It is laid in a setting of the Florida that neither the tourist nor the resorter know-the Florida of marshland and woods and eerie back-country lakes.

The book rises far beyond the common run of mystery stories in that it is brilliantly written and that its people are real flesh-and-blood characters whom the reader comes to know well. And in achieving a fine quality of drama, horror and suspense, the author resorts to no mechanical aids, long-armed coincidences or other artificial trickery.

Blood on Lake Louisa won third place in a contest conducted by a national magazine in which more than 7,000 manuscripts were submitted.

It is the best story of its kind which we have ever published and is recommended without reservation."e; Baynard Kendrick (1894-1977) was an American lawyer and executive who became a full-time writer in 1932.

Blood on Lake Louisa was his first Crime Fiction, and was followed by many other mysteries, most featuring Duncan Maclain, a blind private investigator.

Kendrick was also a founding member of the Mystery Writers of America.