Old school mystery in a country home setting (there's even a mysterious butler!) ( )

Grace Martineau is dying and has invited friends and family for a farewell visit. Her eventual death is not due to disease but to murder. Fortunately Sir John Appleby is amongst the friends visiting and he agrees to investigate.

I last read this 30+ years ago but I remembered that one of the early clues was a clue even if I didn't remember who the murderer was. ( )

You can always rely on Michael Innes to write an elegant story full of literary elusions. This is no exception and takes place in a country house full of suspects. John Appleby and his wife Judith are guests of Charles Martineau and his dying wife. In the course of their visit the wife is found drowned and the husband seems to have shot himself. Appleby decides that all is not as it seems and begins to investigate.
While the crime and criminal are no great shakes,the basic story is an enjoyable one as usual. ( )

Language amusing and erudite, but theme dated ( )