Literary precedents for the Lathen novels abound because they are descended from the long line of "Golden Age" detective fiction. Two immediate forbears, however, come immediately to mind. Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie both seem to have influenced the John Putnam Thatcher novels.

Sayers's influence is seen in the wit, urbanity, verbal play, and comic tone of the works. Parodies of famous songs, interpolation of excerpts from newspaper articles, and chapter titles rife with verbal play-all remind the reader of Sayers, the erudite and sophisticated creator of Lord Peter Wimsey. Lathen's examination of the intricacies of daily business operations bears comparison to the use of similar detail in one of the lesser-known Sayers novels, Murder Must Advertise (1933).

Christie's presence is seen in the cast of stereotypical characters, and her influence looms behind the closed society format. Lathen substitutes corporate offices for Dame Agatha's country manor and...