I find that despite making up roughly half of the Golden Age of detective fiction (1920-1939), the decade of the 1920s tends to be rather overlooked in mystery genre studies today. On the whole I too prefer the 1930s to the 1920s; but nonetheless I thought I would give the 1920s some overdue attention with this list. --The Passing Tramp
The top 1920s authors from this list, accounting for 65% of the titles listed, are:
Freeman Wills Crofts (4), R. Austin Freeman (4), John Rhode (4)
Agatha Christie (3), J. J. Connington (3)
G.D.H and Margaret Cole (2), Gladys Mitchell (2), Dorothy L. Sayers (2) and Henry Wade (2)
Looking overall at the Twenties list, we have 24 authors, eighteen men and six women. Eighteen of the books (45%) come from just two years, 1928 and 1929, suggesting that the quality of the books written in the genre was improving as the decade wore on and indeed that the genre was heading into its most golden years yet, those of the 1930s.
NOVELS (36)
Notable missions include Herbert Adams, Anthony Berkeley, Lynn Brock, A. Fielding, Ronald Knox, Philip Macdonald and Victor Whitechurch; but I am not crazy about Brock and Whitechurch, I have not read enough Adams, and I believe the other four did superior work in the next decade.
1. Agatha Christie, The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920)
A fine country house mystery that gave the world Hercule Poirot. A bit old-fashioned, but surely one of the strongest debuts in the literature.
2. Freeman Wills Crofts, The Cask (1920)
Composed roughly the same time as Christie's debut opus but very different in style, this is another significant debut, both for its apotheosis of alibi-busting and its astonishing devotion to material detail. Over-long, as the author himself admitted, but one that should be read.
3. A.A. Milne, The Red House Mystery (1922)
Infamously eviscerated by Raymond Chandler for its sins against literary "realism," this abundantly charming tale is still enjoyable even if one concedes logical faults in the plot structure.
4. Edgar Wallace, The Crimson Circle (1922)
A deservedly once-celebrated tale by the British Golden Age King of the Thriller. This one allows scope for deduction by the reader and clearly influenced the genre. Has a wonderful female character, who would be right at home in a Christie tale, as well as a classic amateur detective.
5. R. Austin Freeman, The Cat’s Eye (1923)
Another thrillerish tale, but still one with plenty of ratiocination by the author’s Great Detective, Dr. Thorndyke.
6. Dorothy L. Sayers, Whose Body? (1923)
Another fine debut. Some may find Great Detective Lord Peter Wimsey too facetious here (and perhaps there and everywhere as well), but the tale is very clever, with a memorable culprit.
7. Freeman Wills Crofts, Inspector French’s Greatest Case (1924)
The debut of Inspector French sees the author moving away from dependence on alibis, but still prolific with clever devices of deception. Too much travelogue and dialect speech, but still a good case, if not the very greatest.
8. A. E. W. Mason, The House of the Arrow (1924)
A major work by an author who contributed only sparingly to mystery. Beautifully written.
9. G. D. H. and Margaret Cole, The Death of a Millionaire (1925)
While flawed in some ways, this tale demonstrates that British Golden Age mystery could be used as a vehicle for leftist-tinged satire.
10. R. Austin Freeman, The Shadow of the Wolf (1925)
Freeman’s most famous inverted mysteries are the tales collected in The Singing Bone and the 1930s novel Mr. Pottermack’s Oversight, but this inverted tale, an expansion of an earlier version, is very good indeed.
11. Eden Phillpotts, A Voice from the Dark (1925)
With a nicely turned hint of the supernatural, this is the best venture into crime and detection in the 1920s by this respected mainstream novelist (and mentor of a sort to Agatha Christie).
12. Anthony Wynne, The Mystery of the Evil Eye (1925)
The debut of Great Detective Dr. Hailey, who later revealed a marked penchant for locked room problems. No such problem here, but a noteworthy entry.
13. Agatha Christie, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926)
Brilliant; one of the landmarks of the genre and the archetypal twenties detective novel.
14. G. D. H. and Margaret Cole, The Blatchington Tangle (1926)
A humorous country house tale, but with more detection than we get in, say, Agatha Christie’s similar (and better-known) The Secret of Chimneys (which was published the previous year).
15. John Rhode, Dr. Priestley’s Quest (1926)
The author’s second Dr. Priestly tale, but more striking than the first in its impressively rigorous application of the principles of logical deduction.
16. & 17. J. J. Connington, Murder in the Maze and Tragedy at Ravensthorpe (both 1927)
Two country house classics from an underappreciated master of the classical form. In some ways Murder in the Maze is repellent in attitude, yet it is inspired in its central notion (multiple slayings in one of those country house garden hedge mazes) and is told with verve. Ravensthorpe is a dizzyingly ingenious tale of multiple robberies and murders at yet another country home. Connington's no-nonsense police detective, Sir Clinton Driffield, presides in both.
18. Freeman Wills Crofts, Inspector French and the Starvel Tragedy (1927)
One of the great original uses of burned bodies, with well-managed shifting of suspicion.
19. Dorothy L. Sayers, Unnatural Death (1927)
Offers a celebrated how? problem and an interesting why? one, plus amusing writing and a very well-observed spinster.
20. Freeman Wills Crofts, The Sea Mystery (1928)
One of the author’s shorter works. Some very clever devices, and characters less stodgy than the norm. It should have been called The Crate, however!
21. Anthony Gilbert, The Murder of Mrs. Davenport (1928)
One of the early detective novels by a prolific author (real name Lucy Beatrice Malleson) who was more comfortable, in my opinion, with mystery than true detection. But this is one of her best efforts at true detection.
22. Robert Gore-Browne, Murder of an M. P.! (1928)
One of two mysteries by a forgotten playwright and mainstream novelist. The second, a thriller, is much inferior. The first, justly praised in A Catalogue of Crime, is a clever tale with detection and a memorable amateur detective.
23. R. Austin Freeman, As a Thief in the Night (1928)
A truly impressive achievment. Though somewhat old-fashioned in tone, the novel boasts good characterization, suspense and fascinating science. Has rather the flavor of a Victorian sensation novel--one of the good ones--but with greater genuine detection and sound (and ingenious) science.
24. John Rhode, The Murders in Praed Street (1928)
Notable use of a particular plot gambit involving serial murders (the first?). Good opening setting, some good characters and fiendish murders, though Dr. Priestley, Rhode’s Great Detective, is a bit imperceptive on one matter!
25. Henry Wade, The Missing Partners (1928)
Second genre effort by one of the major figures of the period. More “Croftsian” than later works, but with interesting and original characterization and a good plot.
26. Agatha Christie, The Seven Dials Mystery (1929)
The Crime Queen’s take on an Edgar Wallace thriller, but with the clever clueing and misdirection of her straight detective novels. Some good humor as well.
27. J. J. Connington, The Case with Nine Solutions (1929)
The Case with Nine Possibilities might have been a more accurate title, but this is a strong, acerbic work, with an interesting situation and fascinating detective case notes at the end.
28. C. H. B. Kitchin, Death of My Aunt (1929)
Once celebrated (and still fairly well-remembered) detective novel by a mainstream novelist successfully aiming at a more realistic treatment of character in a genre novel.
29. & 30. Gladys Mitchell, Speedy Death and The Mystery of a Butcher’s Shop (both 1929)
An impressive one-two debut punch by a truly unique mystery writer. The first, a country house tale, is original in myriad ways. So is the second, though for many it may be too farcical and bizarre. Both have Mrs. Bradley, one of the great women detectives--scratch that--great detectives, period.
31. E. R. Punshon, The Unexpected Legacy (1929)
First of five Inspector Carter and Sergeant Bell mysteries by a longtime mainstream novelist who had written mystery before but not really detection. There is detection here, though the author would produce better examples of it later. What appeals most are his two police detectives, who are amusing and very original for the period.
32. E (dward) J. Millward, The Copper Bottle (1929)
An impressive murder tale (with one of the best endpaper maps ever), by an author about whom I know little, beyond his full first name and that, after some delay, he also wrote three additional genre novels: The House of Wraith (1935); The Body Lies (1936); and The Aero Clubs Mystery (1939).
33. & 34. John Rhode, The Davidson Case and The House on Tollard Ridge (both 1929)
The first novel boasts one of the most complex plots of the decade, the second pleasingly adult characters, a spooky house and some neat gadgets. Both have the brilliant Dr. Priestley.
35. P[eter] R[edcliffe] Shore, The Bolt
A strong village tale written under a male pseudonym by Helen Madeline Leys (1892-1965). Besides authoring a classic supernatural story collection, Randalls Round, she published a second mystery, The Death Film, in 1932. Of this later book a review states: “It consists of detection, and more detection, and then some, and it was all needed. Straight investigation of crooked involution can hardly be better done.” For the story behind this author, see http://bearalley.blogspot.com/2010/10/p-r-shore.html Reviews are found at http://mysteryfile.com/blog/?p=5221 and http://prettysinister.blogspot.com/2011/05/in-brief-bolt-pr-shore.html
36. Henry Wade, The Duke of York’s Steps (1929)
Another notable work of detection by this author, with a good plot and strong characterization and writing.
SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS (4)
Omissions here include collections by Christie, the Coles, Sayers, one about the Old Man in the Corner by Baroness Orczy (have not read it) and one by the Grand Old Man of Mystery himself, Arthur Conan Doyle. Also Edgar Wallace's J. J. Reeder collection (I represent Wallace with the novel The Crimson Circle). The four collections below all come from the supreme Golden Age masters of the short form.
37. G. K. Chesterton, The Incredulity of Father Brown (1926)
38. Ernest Bramah, Max Carrados Mysteries (1927)
39. R. Austin Freeman, The Magic Casket (1927)
40. H. C. Bailey, Mr. Fortune, Please (1928)
So, how many of these have you read? If not many, happy reading! If you can find them, of course. Any help, publishers? TPT
For facsimile jackets for most of these books see that truly amazing website, http://www.facsimiledustjackets.com/cgi-bin/fdj455/index.html
The top 1920s authors from this list, accounting for 65% of the titles listed, are:
Freeman Wills Crofts (4), R. Austin Freeman (4), John Rhode (4)
Agatha Christie (3), J. J. Connington (3)
G.D.H and Margaret Cole (2), Gladys Mitchell (2), Dorothy L. Sayers (2) and Henry Wade (2)
Looking overall at the Twenties list, we have 24 authors, eighteen men and six women. Eighteen of the books (45%) come from just two years, 1928 and 1929, suggesting that the quality of the books written in the genre was improving as the decade wore on and indeed that the genre was heading into its most golden years yet, those of the 1930s.
NOVELS (36)
Notable missions include Herbert Adams, Anthony Berkeley, Lynn Brock, A. Fielding, Ronald Knox, Philip Macdonald and Victor Whitechurch; but I am not crazy about Brock and Whitechurch, I have not read enough Adams, and I believe the other four did superior work in the next decade.
1. Agatha Christie, The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920)
A fine country house mystery that gave the world Hercule Poirot. A bit old-fashioned, but surely one of the strongest debuts in the literature.
2. Freeman Wills Crofts, The Cask (1920)
Composed roughly the same time as Christie's debut opus but very different in style, this is another significant debut, both for its apotheosis of alibi-busting and its astonishing devotion to material detail. Over-long, as the author himself admitted, but one that should be read.
3. A.A. Milne, The Red House Mystery (1922)
Infamously eviscerated by Raymond Chandler for its sins against literary "realism," this abundantly charming tale is still enjoyable even if one concedes logical faults in the plot structure.
4. Edgar Wallace, The Crimson Circle (1922)
A deservedly once-celebrated tale by the British Golden Age King of the Thriller. This one allows scope for deduction by the reader and clearly influenced the genre. Has a wonderful female character, who would be right at home in a Christie tale, as well as a classic amateur detective.
5. R. Austin Freeman, The Cat’s Eye (1923)
Another thrillerish tale, but still one with plenty of ratiocination by the author’s Great Detective, Dr. Thorndyke.
6. Dorothy L. Sayers, Whose Body? (1923)
Another fine debut. Some may find Great Detective Lord Peter Wimsey too facetious here (and perhaps there and everywhere as well), but the tale is very clever, with a memorable culprit.
7. Freeman Wills Crofts, Inspector French’s Greatest Case (1924)
The debut of Inspector French sees the author moving away from dependence on alibis, but still prolific with clever devices of deception. Too much travelogue and dialect speech, but still a good case, if not the very greatest.
8. A. E. W. Mason, The House of the Arrow (1924)
A major work by an author who contributed only sparingly to mystery. Beautifully written.
9. G. D. H. and Margaret Cole, The Death of a Millionaire (1925)
While flawed in some ways, this tale demonstrates that British Golden Age mystery could be used as a vehicle for leftist-tinged satire.
10. R. Austin Freeman, The Shadow of the Wolf (1925)
Freeman’s most famous inverted mysteries are the tales collected in The Singing Bone and the 1930s novel Mr. Pottermack’s Oversight, but this inverted tale, an expansion of an earlier version, is very good indeed.
11. Eden Phillpotts, A Voice from the Dark (1925)
With a nicely turned hint of the supernatural, this is the best venture into crime and detection in the 1920s by this respected mainstream novelist (and mentor of a sort to Agatha Christie).
12. Anthony Wynne, The Mystery of the Evil Eye (1925)
The debut of Great Detective Dr. Hailey, who later revealed a marked penchant for locked room problems. No such problem here, but a noteworthy entry.
13. Agatha Christie, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926)
Brilliant; one of the landmarks of the genre and the archetypal twenties detective novel.
14. G. D. H. and Margaret Cole, The Blatchington Tangle (1926)
A humorous country house tale, but with more detection than we get in, say, Agatha Christie’s similar (and better-known) The Secret of Chimneys (which was published the previous year).
15. John Rhode, Dr. Priestley’s Quest (1926)
The author’s second Dr. Priestly tale, but more striking than the first in its impressively rigorous application of the principles of logical deduction.
16. & 17. J. J. Connington, Murder in the Maze and Tragedy at Ravensthorpe (both 1927)
Two country house classics from an underappreciated master of the classical form. In some ways Murder in the Maze is repellent in attitude, yet it is inspired in its central notion (multiple slayings in one of those country house garden hedge mazes) and is told with verve. Ravensthorpe is a dizzyingly ingenious tale of multiple robberies and murders at yet another country home. Connington's no-nonsense police detective, Sir Clinton Driffield, presides in both.
18. Freeman Wills Crofts, Inspector French and the Starvel Tragedy (1927)
One of the great original uses of burned bodies, with well-managed shifting of suspicion.
19. Dorothy L. Sayers, Unnatural Death (1927)
Offers a celebrated how? problem and an interesting why? one, plus amusing writing and a very well-observed spinster.
20. Freeman Wills Crofts, The Sea Mystery (1928)
One of the author’s shorter works. Some very clever devices, and characters less stodgy than the norm. It should have been called The Crate, however!
21. Anthony Gilbert, The Murder of Mrs. Davenport (1928)
One of the early detective novels by a prolific author (real name Lucy Beatrice Malleson) who was more comfortable, in my opinion, with mystery than true detection. But this is one of her best efforts at true detection.
22. Robert Gore-Browne, Murder of an M. P.! (1928)
One of two mysteries by a forgotten playwright and mainstream novelist. The second, a thriller, is much inferior. The first, justly praised in A Catalogue of Crime, is a clever tale with detection and a memorable amateur detective.
 |
| In Search of a Villain (American title of Murder of an M.P.!) |
23. R. Austin Freeman, As a Thief in the Night (1928)
A truly impressive achievment. Though somewhat old-fashioned in tone, the novel boasts good characterization, suspense and fascinating science. Has rather the flavor of a Victorian sensation novel--one of the good ones--but with greater genuine detection and sound (and ingenious) science.
24. John Rhode, The Murders in Praed Street (1928)
Notable use of a particular plot gambit involving serial murders (the first?). Good opening setting, some good characters and fiendish murders, though Dr. Priestley, Rhode’s Great Detective, is a bit imperceptive on one matter!
25. Henry Wade, The Missing Partners (1928)
Second genre effort by one of the major figures of the period. More “Croftsian” than later works, but with interesting and original characterization and a good plot.
26. Agatha Christie, The Seven Dials Mystery (1929)
The Crime Queen’s take on an Edgar Wallace thriller, but with the clever clueing and misdirection of her straight detective novels. Some good humor as well.
27. J. J. Connington, The Case with Nine Solutions (1929)
The Case with Nine Possibilities might have been a more accurate title, but this is a strong, acerbic work, with an interesting situation and fascinating detective case notes at the end.
28. C. H. B. Kitchin, Death of My Aunt (1929)
Once celebrated (and still fairly well-remembered) detective novel by a mainstream novelist successfully aiming at a more realistic treatment of character in a genre novel.
29. & 30. Gladys Mitchell, Speedy Death and The Mystery of a Butcher’s Shop (both 1929)
An impressive one-two debut punch by a truly unique mystery writer. The first, a country house tale, is original in myriad ways. So is the second, though for many it may be too farcical and bizarre. Both have Mrs. Bradley, one of the great women detectives--scratch that--great detectives, period.
31. E. R. Punshon, The Unexpected Legacy (1929)
First of five Inspector Carter and Sergeant Bell mysteries by a longtime mainstream novelist who had written mystery before but not really detection. There is detection here, though the author would produce better examples of it later. What appeals most are his two police detectives, who are amusing and very original for the period.
 |
| 1952 reprint edition (and the last to date!) |
32. E (dward) J. Millward, The Copper Bottle (1929)
An impressive murder tale (with one of the best endpaper maps ever), by an author about whom I know little, beyond his full first name and that, after some delay, he also wrote three additional genre novels: The House of Wraith (1935); The Body Lies (1936); and The Aero Clubs Mystery (1939).
 |
| Image from Black Swan Books |
33. & 34. John Rhode, The Davidson Case and The House on Tollard Ridge (both 1929)
The first novel boasts one of the most complex plots of the decade, the second pleasingly adult characters, a spooky house and some neat gadgets. Both have the brilliant Dr. Priestley.
35. P[eter] R[edcliffe] Shore, The Bolt
A strong village tale written under a male pseudonym by Helen Madeline Leys (1892-1965). Besides authoring a classic supernatural story collection, Randalls Round, she published a second mystery, The Death Film, in 1932. Of this later book a review states: “It consists of detection, and more detection, and then some, and it was all needed. Straight investigation of crooked involution can hardly be better done.” For the story behind this author, see http://bearalley.blogspot.com/2010/10/p-r-shore.html Reviews are found at http://mysteryfile.com/blog/?p=5221 and http://prettysinister.blogspot.com/2011/05/in-brief-bolt-pr-shore.html
36. Henry Wade, The Duke of York’s Steps (1929)
Another notable work of detection by this author, with a good plot and strong characterization and writing.
SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS (4)
Omissions here include collections by Christie, the Coles, Sayers, one about the Old Man in the Corner by Baroness Orczy (have not read it) and one by the Grand Old Man of Mystery himself, Arthur Conan Doyle. Also Edgar Wallace's J. J. Reeder collection (I represent Wallace with the novel The Crimson Circle). The four collections below all come from the supreme Golden Age masters of the short form.
37. G. K. Chesterton, The Incredulity of Father Brown (1926)
38. Ernest Bramah, Max Carrados Mysteries (1927)
39. R. Austin Freeman, The Magic Casket (1927)
40. H. C. Bailey, Mr. Fortune, Please (1928)
So, how many of these have you read? If not many, happy reading! If you can find them, of course. Any help, publishers? TPT
For facsimile jackets for most of these books see that truly amazing website, http://www.facsimiledustjackets.com/cgi-bin/fdj455/index.html
This list makes me feel like a newbe! I have only read about ten of the books/collections you listed, nearly all of them from the more familiar and popular names in the genre, but none from the hands of the less well-known, forgotten writers – even though five or so of them are part of my mountainous to-be-read pile. Guess it's time to finally pull out those Freeman Wills Crofts novels (never read him!).
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to see you mentioned The Red House Mystery, which, admittedly, is not one of the best detective stories that was ever written, but it's charming, fun and I suspect it might have inspired Berkeley's The Layton Court Mystery.
The atmosphere that was created by the lead characters, two friends who turned sleuths and plunged head first in a delightfully amateurish murder investigation, felt very similar and both books were even dedicated to the authors fathers.
Gladys Mitchell's Speedy Death is one of the most remarkable debuts in the genre and the enjoyment of Mrs. Bradley at standing trial for murder easily rubs off on the reader. It also shows that a series like Dexter isn't all that original. Mitchell and Bailey played that same game 90 years ago!
I would like to make one addition to your short list of collections: Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime. It's not only a great collection of funny and usually clever stories, but also a nifty spoof on the 1920s detective story – as well as somewhat making up for omissions of writers such as Berkeley and Orczy.
TomCat, I'm glad you mentioned Baroness Orczy. I haven't read that last collection of Old Man in the Corner stories, from 1925, I think? So that is one for ME to check out! I just got a cheaply priced collection of all the other Old Man in the Corner stories and plan to review at some point.
ReplyDeleteOn Berkeley, yes, I know, it's a transgression not to include The Poisoned Chocolates Case, but I'm not really an admirer of it. It's rather an assault on the whole conception of the rational detective novel, I think. Were I doing a most influential books from the 1920s list, however, it would be there, to be sure.
My favorite Berkeley detective novel by far is the very late Not to be Taken. I also enjoy Top Storey Murder, from the 1930s, though more for the humor. And I love Trial and Error and Jumping Jenny, but those aren't really detective novels, I would say.
I enjoyed Partners in Crime, Poirot Investigates, Superintendent Wilson's Holiday, Lord Peter Views the Body and The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes, but was only reserving four slots for short story collections and felt like the four I included were stronger collections as a whole than these others.
But you know of course that all these things ultimately are highly subjective. I just wanted to give a hint to fans of some things I found especially interesting--threw in a few unusual ones too. It was discovered who P. R. Shore was after I reviewed The Bolt over at mysteryfile and as a direct result of the review, so you never what will happen when you include these really obscure, though worthy, books, like The Copper Bottle.
I love early Mitchell. She's strange but so one of a kind. On the whole, the Great Gladys is my favorite Golden Age British woman mystery writer after Christie, probably.
Fascinating list. Would you say that Praed Street is the first detective story to feature a serial killer? I haven't read it as yet, I must admit.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see the Coles restored to their rightful place. Because they are largely known as writers on politics and economics, people forget that they wrote some excellent detective stories (yes, with faults). Julian Symons dismisses them because they did not allow their politics to influence their detective stories and did not create a new genre: the left-wing or socialist thriller.
ReplyDeleteAlso glad to find other people who find Lynn Brock unimpressive. I cannot understand why he was so highly thought of. The two or three I read were absolutely terrible.
Martin,
ReplyDeleteit's the first one I'm aware of! And it doesn't use The ABC Murders gambit, but another one with which you are likely familiar!
Helen,
Yes, the appeal of Brock misses me! I also agree Symons' outright dismissal of the Coles is imperceptive on his part.
Oh, by the way, added some new detail on the mysterious Mr. Millward!
ReplyDeleteWhen I first read The Poisoned Chocolates Case, I thought it was a downright masterpiece and the detective story in its purest form, in spite of its artificiality and attack on rational detective stories, but it has dropped in my esteem ever since I picked up Jumping Jenny - which also pokes a thumb in the eye of the infallible storybook detective and does a better job at it, too! I have yet to read Not to be Taken and Top Storey Murder.
ReplyDeleteI love it when mystery writers, especially from our beloved era, took potshots at genre, such as Berkeley did in Jumping Jenny and Trial and Error, or simply poked fun at it. They were better at it than any outsider (Gilbert Adair anyone?) because they obviously knew what they were writing about. Bruce's Case for Three Detectives, for example, is not only a clever spoof on Christie, Sayers and Chesterton, but also an ingenious locked room mystery – in which every clever, but false, solution parodies the sort of the solution their original counterparts would've come up with. The kicker, of course, is that Beef solves the case with dull, routine police detection instead of reasoning from cleverly hidden, double-edged clues.
Rest assured that books like The Bolt and The Copper Bottle have been jotted down for future reference, but first I have to focus my attention on the locked room genre and the 2012 Dutch Delinquencies Vintage Mystery Challenge – and I have actually unearthed a Dutch impossible crime novel not written by Robert van Gulik! Yay!
It took me a book or two to get into Gladys Mitchell, but you can count me now among her select group of admirers. I first came across her when I stumbled across the GADetection Group and began sifting through the archives when I came across Nick Fuller's glowing comments on her work, which proved to be very contagious, and publishers like the Rue Morgue Press made collecting her books almost too easy.
We were really lucky that Gladys Mitchell decided to write mysteries instead of dabbling into mainstream fiction (or fantasy!) and much more deserving of the title Crime Queen than either Marsh or Allingham. The same goes for the grossly undervalued Christianna Brand. She was a more literate, cleverer and talented mystery writer than those two put together!
Oh, wait, I'm rambling again, aren't I?
TomCat,
ReplyDeleteWell, this is a good place for a ramble, I find!
Nick Fuller was such an effective missionary for Mitchell, he got me to go back to her too. I hated her stuff first time out. I keep urging him to write her critic biography, I hope he does some day.
What's so great about Case for Three Detectives is it's brilliant parody and also a fine detective novel at the same time. I like Jumping Jenny a lot, but more as a twisty suspense novel, with the characters pitted against the police.
Fabulous list Curtis - there are a few authors here that I have never sampled (such as Wade, which is clearly foolish of me but his stuff can be quite hard to find!), while others I don;t remember too well, probably sped through in my first flush of enthusiasm for the genre in my early teens - which is now a good three decades behind me so I really will want to reacquaint myself with a lot of these books.
ReplyDeleteI can see why you omitted Philip Macdonald from this decade but I look forward to reading what you have to say about his work as he remains my favourite of the 'farceurs' as another writer who, like Berkeley, was as interested in exploring as exploding the limits of the genre as it was developing.
Cheers,
Sergio
Thanks for the link to my review of THE BOLT. I had a copy of THE COPPER BOTTLE but sold it before I read it. That'll learn me. I remember that endpaper map, too. Just as gorgeously done as the one in the recent WICKED AUTUMN. I'm hoping to find a cheap copy now that I know it's on a par with THE BOLT which is truly one of my favorite books of the long list of obscure authors I so enjoy.
ReplyDeleteToo bad THE CRIME IN THE DUTCH GARDEN (1931) was not published in the 1920s or I'd suggest it to be added to this list. It's the best of Herbert Adams' books I've read so far. Brilliant structure, puzzling plot, well drawn characters, good mix of detection, a smart policeman (!) and a smarter amateur detective all in a story where love and romance are intrinsic to the plot and not thrown in as lighthearted incident. In fact, the entire book is really about murder committed when love goes terribly wrong. The second murder is one of the most evil deeds to be found in the writing from the Golden Age. THE SLOANE SQUARE MYSTERY - a definite 1920s books - is next in my Adams reading, but no Haswell in that one.
Sergio,
ReplyDeleteThanks! Yes I like some of Macdonald's work very much. It's a mystery to me why he hasn't been reprinted in the last twenty years or so.
John,
I have Dutch Garden somewhere on the shelves. That's one Barzun/Taylor saw as the dividing line between his more and less thrillerish stuff. That has a great endpaper map too. All these books were published by Dutton, I think--were they commissioning endpaper maps with the books for a year or two? Seems like it. There are several other titles.
Plenty of authors here that I haven't tried. I personally prefer Dorothy Sayers to Gladys Mitchell and have since a teenager. I am going to try and unearth some of your recommendations.
ReplyDeleteSarah,
ReplyDeleteI do think Sayers is a more immediately appealing writer than Mitchell--unless you're Raymond Chandler (don't think he ever read Mitchell though)! I like them both but have really gotten to like Mitchell's strangeness.
I'm giving Mitchell another go today as reading tastes do change over the years.
ReplyDeleteI've just finished Mary Roberts Rinehart's 'The Circular Staircase'. What a find although bizarrely as I was searching for background to her I cam across a comment by someone who read the book thinking the writer was English. There's no way an English writer would have produced that in 1908. sarah
Well, it certainly has the country house setting people associate with England, don't they, although you see these settings in Anna Katherine Green and Carolyn Wells too.
ReplyDeleteThough I've seen Sayer's Whose Body? in many 'best -of' lists/ surveys etc, I've never been able to see the reason why. Glad to have discovered your blog though. Following it now.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful cover for "Praed Street".
ReplyDeleteI much prefer the 1920s murder mysteries to those of the 1930s, which I find an altogether colder and less realistic era. I suppose murder mysteries had to become more convoluted as so much had already been written, but the '30s really could be tedious - at least when it came to 'tec novels. The naive sparkle of the 1920s sadly fell away.
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