Appleby Talks Again by Michael Innes

From a British mystery author "in a class by himself among detective story writers," eighteen classic crime stories, perfect for astute armchair detectives (The Times Literary Supplement).
Scandal is at stake for London's fashionable society when Edwardian playwright Richard Dangerfield's sordid diary falls into the hands of a blackmailer. Though Dangerfield is long dead, those who consorted with him are all very much alive and at the respectable old age where they'd hoped such stories would follow them to their graves. Fortunately, Scotland Yard's most brilliant inspector is on the case. Sir John Appleby wittily reveals his intellectual prowess in solving this crime, as well as seventeen other puzzling mysteries in this stimulating collection of short stories. From acclaimed Scottish author Michael Innes, Appleby Talks Again is a must-read for fans of classic crime fiction.
Praise for Michael Innes and the Inspector Appleby series
"Wickedly witty." —Daily Mail
"As farfetched and literary as Sayers" —The Cambridge Companion to Crime Fiction