Dr. Priestley's Quest

Dr. Priestley's Quest is a 1926 detective novel by John Rhode, the pen name of the British writer Cecil Street. It was the second appearance of the armchair detective Lancelot Priestley, who featured in a long-running series of novels during the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. It has been described as the first major detective novel by the author. In its relationship between Priestley and his secretary and future son-in-law Harold Merefield is shown the influence of Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and Watson. Similarly, Inspector Hanslet of Scotland Yard fulfils a similar role to that of Lestrade.

Synopsis
Austin Heatherdale is killed on a lonely in what appears to be a casual robbery. However his brother Gerald demonstrates to Priestley that he believes the attack was pre-meditated and fears for his own safety. When he also then dies Priestley sets out to solve the murders of the Heatherdale brothers using pure logic.