The Old Battle-Ax / Dark Power

Two classic novels of suspense. The Old Battle Ax (Simon & Schuster, 1943). It all starts with a lie: Mrs. Herriotts sister Madge comes back from Europe, but is found dead on the sidewalk outside the gate the next morning. Mrs. Herriott tells the police that she has no idea who the dead woman is, but one lie leads to another. Her niece Carla even dresses up like her sister to continue the deception. Why is everyone trying to keep Madges death such a secret? Dark Power (Vanguard, 1930) Diana Leonard comes to the Chlet at the invitation of her long-lost uncle, but soon finds the family reunion shattered by dread and suspicion. Her Aunt Emma is a stern, domineering woman, a professor of psychology who conducts experiments on two cretin children who live with her. Uncle Peter himself is either a fool or a sadist, and their son, her cousin Miles, is a guilt-ridden alcoholic, his confidence long ago destroyed by his manipulating mother. Can Diana survive her stay in the Chlet?