The Lodger by Marie Belloc Lowndes

"Never had there been a more confiding or trusting gentleman than the lodger, and yet in some ways he was so secret, so—so peculiar. She thought of the bag—that bag which had rumbled about so queerly in the chiffonnier. Something seemed to tell her that tonight the lodger had taken that bag out with him. And then she thrust away the thought of the bag ... Of course, the lodger was eccentric, otherwise he wouldn't be their lodger at all—he would be living in quite a different sort of way with some of his relations, or with a friend in his own class"

The Lodger (1913) by Marie Belloc Lowndes has been on my TBR list for some time.  It's a short novel based on the Jack The Ripper murders.  The setting is East London, the 1880's and when the novel begins we are introduced to a middle aged couple, Mr. and Mrs Bunting. A few years back they bought a home hoping they could attract paying guests.  But business has fallen off and the couple has become so poor that Mr. Bunting has given up buying his morning paper.  

And then a mysterious gentleman by the name of Mr. Sleuth arrives. He needs a place to stay and is willing to pay the Buntings generous rent for a few of the empty upstairs rooms which he requires for his privacy. The Buntings are thrilled and Mr. Sleuth becomes their lodger. 

Meanwhile Mr. Bunting can once again buy his morning paper and he becomes interested, like all of London, in reading about the Avenger murders.  Young women are being murdered in the East End. The police know it's the same killer because he leaves a note by their bodies: "The Avenger".  

Mrs Bunting doesn't want to hear about such gory stuff.  Instead she is delighted with Mr. Sleuth.  He is a gentleman, very generous and he gives the Buntings no trouble at all.  And so if he has a peculiar habit of walking outdoors late at night and coming back at 3:00 AM Mrs Bunting isn't concerned until things begin to add up. Mrs Bunting keeps her growing suspicion about the lodger to herself, not informing her husband.  And there is also Daisy, Mr. Buntings' daughter from his first marriage and Joe Chandler, a young police detective.  

The Lodger held my interest but when it comes to mysteries and suspense novels I have read better.  But others over at Amazon have rated The Lodger 4 and 5 stars and this book has the historical significance of being the first novel to be published based on the Jack The Ripper murders.  So you might want to give The Lodger a try.

I wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!