A Man Lay Dead by Ngaio Marsh (Roderick Alleyn #1)

I started this blog with the aim of opening up my reading a little in terms of crime fiction. For me, you just can't beat Agatha Christie. However, over the past year or so I've discovered some amazing crime writers and decided to blog about them. One writer who is frequently recommended to me is…

Agatha Christie’s Poirot: The Greatest Detective in the World by Mark Aldridge

Hello everyone and a Happy New Year. I  hope 2021 is being a little kinder to you than 2020. I haven't posted on here for a while. Sometimes reading so many classic crime books leaves too little time for writing about them! 2020 was a good year for my reading and new literary discoveries, particularly…

The Floating Admiral by The Detection Club

The Floating Admiral is a 1931 murder mystery written by various members of The Detection Club. The literary club was formed a year previously in 1930 by the likes of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Freeman Wills Croft, and Anthony Berkeley. Its first president was Father Brown creator, G.K. Chesterton. Berkeley in particular played a prominent…

The Opening Night Murders by James Scott Byrnside (Rowan Manory #2)

I've never been able to get into podcasts despite the fact that the whole world seems to love them right now. I always find myself dipping in (and mainly out) because for some reason they just don't seem to hold my attention. I think this is the same reason I struggle to listen to radio…

Crooked House by Agatha Christie

This year I've managed to get through a fair few Agatha Christie novels (mainly Poirot), but I've also been managing to read some works by her contemporaries and and fellow classic crime giants. To be honest though, I never like to stray too far from Christie for too long, and I enjoy the Poirot books…

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman (Thursday Murder Club #1)

Television viewers in the UK will be very familiar with Richard Osman by now; he's the tall, clever one from the likes of shows such as Pointless and House of Games. He's also fairly well known in other parts of the world due to the success of the shows he's been involved with over the years. Osman has…

The Poisoned Chocolates Case by Anthony Berkeley (Roger Sheringham Mystery #5)

The Poisoned Chocolates Case is a 1929 whodunnit by Anthony Berkeley and the fifth novel to feature amateur detective, Roger Sheringham. Born in 1893 as Anthony Berkeley Cox, he served in the British Army during World War One, and later became a journalist. In 1925 Berkeley published his first novel, The Layton Court Mystery, anonymously. The novel…

Gallows Court by Martin Edwards (Rachel Savernake #1)

If there is a man who knows his crime fiction, it's Martin Edwards. Not only does he write crime fiction, he writes about it. His first novel, All the Lonely People was published in 1991 and introduced his long-running character, detective Harry Devlin, to the world. Edwards is also the author of The Lake District Mystery series…

The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie (Miss Marple Mystery #3)

The Body in the Library is a 1942 whodunnit by Agatha Christie featuring amateur sleuth, nosey neighbour, and general busybody, Miss Marple. Well received by critics and readers on its initial release, the novel's reputation as one of Christie's best has stood the test of time and it remains a fan favourite. A body found in…

The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne

The Red House Mystery (1922) is a locked room murder mystery novel written by A.A. Milne. If the author sounds familiar it's probably because he's now associated with his most famous creation, Winnie the Pooh, than whodunnits and crime novels. Alan Alexander Milne (1882-1956) was an English author who is best remembered for the Pooh…