The Red House Mystery

This is indeed the author's only full-length detective novel, written during his career as a playwright and humorist before he achieved global fame for his children's stories.

The story intentionally mirrors the classic Holmes and Watson dynamic, with the protagonist Anthony Gillingham acting as the brilliant lead and his friend Bill Beverley serving as a more grounded, relatable companion.

Milne explicitly chose to send the female guests back to London shortly after the murder to ensure the narrative remained focused on the logic and deduction of the investigation rather than romantic subplots.