# John Prince — The Layton Court Mystery character guide

> John Prince in The Layton Court Mystery by Anthony Berkeley.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Prince, Master Prince, Mr. Prince, Mr. John Prince, the late lamented Mr. John Prince

**First appearance:** 0001-the-layton-court-mystery

## Snapshot

The dead man at the center of Layton Court's locked-room puzzle, whose carefully guarded life leaves behind more questions than grief.

## Who they are

Prince is the murdered man found in the library, and the discovery of his body shatters the country-house gaiety that Mr. Stanworth had so carefully arranged. His death is announced with brutal brevity, and the reactions around him—Lady Stanworth's calm, the guests' shock—reveal how little anyone truly knew him. What matters for the early arc is not who he was but what his death exposes: a household full of secrets, evasions, and motives that Roger Sheringham must begin to untangle.

## Relationships

### [Roger Sheringham](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_layton_court_mystery_se/characters/roger_sheringham)

_friendship_

John Prince is a young, earnest friend of Roger Sheringham, often acting as a sounding board for his theories.

### [Alexander Grierson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_layton_court_mystery_se/characters/alexander_grierson)

_friendship_

Alexander Grierson and John Prince are amiable acquaintances, often found in each other's company during social gatherings.

### [Lady Stanworth](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_layton_court_mystery_se/characters/lady_stanworth)

_social_

John Prince and Lady Stanworth are polite, distant acquaintances, with Prince being a guest in her home.

### [Roger Sheringham](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_layton_court_mystery_se/characters/roger_sheringham)

_friendship_

John Prince is a young, earnest friend of Roger Sheringham, often acting as a sounding board for his theories.

### [Alexander Grierson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_layton_court_mystery_se/characters/alexander_grierson)

_friendship_

Alexander Grierson and John Prince are amiable acquaintances, often found in each other's company during social gatherings.

## In the story

### [XIV: Dirty Work at the Ash Pit](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_layton_court_mystery_se/chapters/xiv-dirty-work-at-the-ash-pit)

Identified from the note as the man Stanworth feared; described as having attacked Stanworth a week earlier and now working on a nearby farm.

### [XV: Mr. Sheringham Amuses an Ancient Rustic](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_layton_court_mystery_se/chapters/xv-mr-sheringham-amuses-an-ancient-rustic)

The prime suspect; described as a large, cunning man who was at the Elchester Agricultural Show and returned late.

### [XVI: Mr. Sheringham Lectures on Neo-Platonism](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_layton_court_mystery_se/chapters/xvi-mr-sheringham-lectures-on-neo-platonism)

Referenced in Roger's speculation about the mysterious stranger.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_layton_court_mystery_se/characters/john_prince
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_layton_court_mystery_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_layton_court_mystery_se/characters