Piper, H. Beam 1904-1964 creator text utu 2006 monographic en 1 online resource : multiple file formats "Murder in the Gunroom" by H. Beam Piper is a mystery novel written in the early 1950s. The story centers around Colonel Jefferson Davis Rand, a private detective, who is hired to appraise and negotiate the sale of a deceased collector's extensive gun collection. However, the circumstances surrounding the death of Lane Fleming, the collector found dead in his locked gunroom, raise suspicions of foul play, prompting Rand to investigate both the collection's value and the mysterious circumstances of Fleming's death. The opening of the novel introduces Rand and sets up the central mystery. After Mrs. Gladys Fleming approaches him for help, Rand learns about the peculiar details surrounding her husband's death, including the fact that he was found with a Confederate-made revolver in his hand. The narrative paints a detailed backdrop of gun collecting and introduces supporting characters, such as the suspicious stepdaughters and a rival collector, Arnold Rivers. As Rand begins to untangle the web of relationships and motivations surrounding the firearms and the people who wanted Fleming's collection, he suspects that the death was not an accident but rather a carefully disguised murder. The beginning sets a suspenseful tone as Rand gears up to decipher the truth amidst personal conflicts and potential hidden agendas. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Release date is 2006-02-26 Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net Original publication data not identified Detective and mystery stories Private investigators -- Fiction Murder -- Fiction PS Original publication data not identified https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/17866 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/17866 UtSlPG 260607 20260610133421.0 17866