Classicly

The Blotting Book is a detective mystery novel written by Edward Frederic Benson, an English novelist, biographer, memoirist, archaeologist and short story writer.

Excerpts:

Mr. Taynton lived in a square, comfortable house in Montpellier Road, and thus, when he left Mrs. Assheton's there was some two miles of pavement and sea front between him and home. But the night was of wonderful beauty, a night of mid June, warm enough to make the most cautious secure of chill, and at the same time just made crisp with a little breeze that blew or rather whispered landward from over the full-tide of the sleeping sea.