Armitage Trail fu uno scrittore di romanzi polizieschi americano, noto soprattutto per il suo romanzo Scarface. La sua opera esplorò in modo incisivo il mondo criminale e l'ascesa di figure gangsteristiche, caratterizzata da un crudo realismo e una narrazione avvincente. Trail si concentrò sulla psicologia dei personaggi e sulle dinamiche di potere all'interno della criminalità organizzata, affermandosi come una voce significativa nel genere.
Maurice Coons, writing under the pseudonym Armitage Trail, gathered the elements for 'Scarface' when living in Chicago, where he became acquainted with many local Sicilian gangs. He prowled the murky streets of Chicago's gangland with a friend every night for two years, returning home to put to paper and write a book which somewhat documented his experiences.
The story unfolds as District Attorney Gerard Winston receives an enigmatic note that leads him to the eerie Morgan mansion. Inside, he finds a dining room prepared for thirteen, alongside a corpse. Teaming up with Detective Grump, Winston delves into the dark secrets of the mansion, uncovering a web of intrigue surrounding a concealed inheritance that others are also eager to claim. The investigation reveals not only the mystery of the murder but also the greed and deception lurking within the shadows of the house.
Marie Morgan wird mit einem gefälschten Brief in ein altes, unheimliches Haus gelockt – das Haus ihre Großvaters, der dreizehn Jahre früher dort starb, während einer Dinner-Party für dreizehn Gäste, von denen indessen nur zwölf erschienen sind. Dreizehn Jahre hat Mary darauf gewartet, dass das Testament ihres Großvaters eröffnet wird ... und plötzlich ermordet jemand die zwölf vor dreizehn Jahren anwesenden Gäste der Reihe nach und platziert die Leichen in der ursprünglichen Sitzordnung in dem alten Haus ...