The book I’m trying to find was a mystery written by an Italian Psychologist. I believe he wrote three books, all mysteries with different modes of transportation as the setting (an airplane, a train, and a ship.) The book I’m looking for was the mystery on an airplane. The murder occurred during the flight and the killer was exposed during the end of the flight. The author being a psychologist introduced some of his psychological theories into the story and I believe that this was the purpose of the three books – to explain his theories.
The book was probably written prior to the 1960’s but after the 1920’s. The title was short. I’m not sure if all the books were translated into the English language.
I enjoyed the story and wish I wouldn’t have sold my copy (it was a nice English first edition.) If you need more details, I’ll try to recall what I can. Thank You and good luck.
Stump the Bookseller
New format, same book stumper solving.
This is a long-shot. With a recent english translation, and no author psychologist, there’s a reprint available of ‘The Flying Boat Mystery’ 1935, by Franco Vailati (pseudonym of Leo Wollemborg jr).
He also wrote the novel ‘Elena’ in 1932.
https://classicmystery.blog/2019/12/30/the-flying-boat-mystery-1935-by-franco-vallati-trans-igor-longo/
There’s an essay within this book on Italian ‘locked door’ mysteries, and it might be worth contacting the publisher to see if it contains helpful information.
Various author directories haven’t thrown up likely candidates – some Italian psychologists/psychiatrists writing within the time period were listed, and it looks like some were using psychological methodologies within fiction, but not any obvious mystery writers or mystery books.
One or two potential avenues aren’t available to search e.g. Dunnett’s treatise on Interwar Italian crime fiction.
https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa14018
If you’ve got any more details, I can give it another go.