Review: The Wells of St Mary’s by R C Sheriff

So, the hiatus has been slightly longer than intended, as I'd forgotten quite how labour-intensive newborns can be - not to mention their scornful disregard for the concepts of night and day and having the appetite of some unlucky lovechild of Obelix and Scooby Doo (what, you didn't see that episode?). So, blogging will continue …

Review: Murder isn’t Easy by Richard Hull

Nicholas Latimer is a noble artiste, the underappreciated copywriter for - and by far the most important director of - that exceptional advertising agency NeO-aD. Alas, his need for extensive imaginative thinking time and flexible hours of work, along with his robust ideas about approaches to advertising and his stunning ability to enliven a campaign …

How not to be the murderer: A little GAD Guide

So, you find yourself in a typical, charming village with picture-postcard views and nosy, backbiting neighbours. Or - perhaps - you have ventured on a weekend at a country house, whether in the bosom of your witch’s brew of a family, over at a friend’s, or even at the home of a mortal enemy (for …

Review: The Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie

Consummate young silly ass, Gerry Wade, is the despair of hosts and hostesses across the land, with his inability to make it to breakfast before the eggs are congealed, the toast has wilted and the coffee has grown chill and distinctly unwelcoming. And so, a small group of sundry other young silly-asses and interchangeable girls …

Agatha Christie’s Nemesis: A Health and Safety Guide

So, you’re a long-time Agatha Christie fan. You’ve read all the brilliant ones, the good and the decent ones and tackled most of those filed under ‘meh!’ and now you feel bound and obliged to complete the set. You’ve heard the rumours: but, hey, opinions differ, your expectations are set sensibly low and even an …

Review: Dead Mrs Stratton (AKA Jumping Jenny) by Anthony Berkeley

“From the triple gallows three figures swung lazily, one woman and two men. Only a gentle creaking of their ropes sounded in the quiet night. A horn lantern, perched above the triangle of the crosspieces, swayed in the slight wind, causing the three shadows to leap and prance on the ground in a grotesque dance …

Rules and how to fail at them

Inspired by some excellent recent posts by Noah Stewart and Dan at thereaderiswarned, and by reading several GAD books recently in which the standard template of 'murder is committed; murderer is detected; murderer gets it in the neck' is somewhat monkeyed with, I began wondering vaguely about the application of justice in detective novels - …

Review: Death by Request by Romilly and Katherine John

Yet another recommendation from Martin Edwards' "The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books" and a worthy one.   “It is not without a feeling of horror and reluctance that I take up my pen.” If you were to construct the paradigmatic Golden Age mystery you might start by building a Country House and populate …

Review: The word is murder by Anthony Horowitz

Having read Magpie Murders quite recently and been impressed, I was very much looking forward to this one. So here we go: A woman arranges her funeral: six hours later she is murdered. Is there any connection with a tragic car accident that took place ten years ago? What does her famous son have to …

The Verdict of Twelve by Raymond Postgate

Having learnt from past experience that if there is something I particularly want to fail at in the year, I should make a resolution to do it, I have avoided the formation of any firm plans or goals for 2018, whether to do with life in general or reading in particular.  But I have formed …