Today I read the short story “What’s in a Name?”, a mystery by Isaac Asimov. I enjoyed reading the story because the detective knew who had committed the murder almost immediately, but couldn’t prove it easily. Two girls—librarians often referred to as the “Library Twins” because they looked similar at first glance—were drinking tea in the back room of the library when one of them—Louella-Marie—gave a cry and then died from potassium cyanide poisoning. The other girl, Susan Morey, had almost certainly killed her, but how could the detective prove it? She said that Louella-Marie had prepared the tea while she was at the front desk, and since it was during intersession and few people were around, no one could prove otherwise. At first, the detective wondered as to how the poison had been brought in, thinking that there would be a record, and his partner suggested that it had been smuggled in and hidden inside the Beilstein, but Professor Rodney disillusioned them quickly. There was potassium cyanide in his laboratory, and practically anyone could take it during the daylight. They tried to prove that it had been Louella-Marie at the front desk, but the few people who had visited—a German furrier and five students—didn’t know who had been at the desk, not having looked closely enough. Professor Rodney’s solution was quite ingenious and based on a simple name. The plot was carefully woven, and I would recommend the story to anyone who likes mystery, Asimov, or is just looking for an interesting book to read and rate it 9.8/10.
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