Alan Alexander Milne wrote the famous Winnie the Pooh books in the mid-1920s, but before that he was a successful editor, novelist, and playwright in other genres. His poor agent, according to Milne’s introduction, didn’t enjoy his best-selling humourous novellist moving into detective fiction, and could barely stand up when the same writer moved into children’s fiction. This shows me two things; 1) agents only like to bet on a “sure thing”, even today and 2) some authors are capable of writing well in many styles.
Because the most pleasant surprise after finding Pooh’s creator in the mystery fiction shelves, is finding that it’s a good yarn by any standards. Echoing the classic Agatha Christie’s work this story is set at a country house where a murder takes place in a locked room and all the guests are under suspicion. The amateur detective appoints himself Sherlock and his friend as Watson and dives into the pursuit of clues, secret tunnels, red herrings, and mysterious long-lost brothers. The reader is brought along at a fierce pace through the plot, complete with a few twists and lies, to a satisfying conclusion which an astute detective-reader may reach before the fictional detective.
If you like Christie, you will definitely enjoy this book. If you like Pooh, you probably won’t recognise the author here, but it’s a good read anyhow.
(read May 2011, thanks for the loan D)
501 Books 
I had no idea he had written other stuff, it just never occurred to me. Will have to find this and read, thanks!