British Library Crime Classics
Discover the captivating treasures buried in the British Library's archives. Largely inaccessible to the public until now, these enduring crime classics were written in the golden age of detective fiction.
'The grey eyes, so apt for tragedy, looked steadily up at me.
"You can't trust me, can you?" she said.'
Shentall's, a long-established institution of the Staffordshire Potteries
...A tale of lethal events at a legal firm by a writer acclaimed as “perhaps the best living master of the classic English murder mystery” (The New Yorker).
One of the Crime Writers’ Association’s Top 100 Crime Novels of All Time
One of the Mystery Writers of America’s Top 100 Mystery Novels of All Time
Horniman, Birley and Craine is a respected legal firm with clients drawn
Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"Despite its title, this British Library Crime Classics reissue of a 1936 novel isn't just an entertaining Christmas read. It's a fine example of the old-time country-house murder mystery, with loads of suspects, lots of period atmosphere, and much caustic wit." —Booklist
Aunt Mildred declared that no good could come of the Melbury family Christmas gatherings
...5) Fog of Doubt
Few were disappointed when Raoul Vernet was found with his head bashed in, dead in a pool of his own blood. On vacation in England, the Belgian seducer comes to visit Matilda, an old flame from a few years before. She agrees despite...
"The settings of train, blizzard, and the eerily welcoming home are all engrossing. Dorothy L. Sayers characterized Farjeon as 'unsurpassed for creepy skill in mysterious adventures.' This reissue proves it." —Booklist STARRED review
'The horror on the train, great though it may turn out to be, will not compare with the horror that exists here, in this house.'
On Christmas Eve, heavy snowfall brings
...Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"[T]his period piece illuminates what it was like to try to investigate crimes during blackouts, when cops literally had to feel their way along their beats." —Booklist
'For a scream in the early hours of the morning in Soho, even from a female throat, to stop dead in his tracks a hard-boiled constable, it had to be something entirely out of the ordinary.'
In
...Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"Crofts makes great use of the 'inverted mystery' structure (he was among the first to employ the technique) in which the traditional whodunit is turned on its head, with the reader following the murderer through temptation and commission and then watching the detective sort through the sparse clues." —Booklist STARRED review
George Surridge,
...An eclectic collection of London-based crime stories from the Golden Age of Mystery, featuring work by Arthur Conan Doyle, Edgar Wallace and others.
Capital Crimes presents seventeen tales of murder and mayhem that blend the familiar with the unexpected in a way that reflects the personality of London. Alongside classics by Margery Allingham, Anthony Berkeley and Thomas Burke are excellent and unusual stories by authors
...Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"First-rate mystery and an engrossing view into a vanished world." —Booklist STARRED review
George Furnace, flight instructor at Baston Aero Club, dies instantly when his plane crashes into the English countryside. People who knew him are baffled—Furnace was a first-rate pilot, and the plane was in perfect condition—and the inquest records
...Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"This is another entry in the attractive, period-style paperbacks in the British Library Crime Classics series. Pair Murder in Piccadilly with Freeman Wills Crofts' Antidote to Venom, also notable for its psychological acuity and also available in the same series." —Booklist
'Scores of men and women died daily in London, but on this day of days one
...Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"The book is both utterly of its time and utterly ahead of it." —New York Times Book Review
The Notting Hill Mystery was first published between 1862 and 1863 as an eight-part serial in the magazine Once a Week. Widely acknowledged as the first detective novel, the story is told by insurance investigator Ralph Henderson, who is building a case against the sinister
...Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"This volume in Poisoned Pen's British Library Crime Classics series is ideal summer vacation reading." —Publishers Weekly
Holidays offer us the luxury of getting away from it all. So, in a different way, do detective stories. This collection of vintage mysteries combines both those pleasures. From a golf course at the English seaside to a pension in Paris, and
...Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"Superintendent Meredith, in these pre-forensic days, relies on his interrogation techniques and common deductive sense to find motive and murderer." —Booklist STARRED review
'Already it looked as if the police were up against a carefully planned and cleverly executed murder, and, what was more, a murder without a corpse!'
Two
...17) Thirteen Guests
Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"There's murder, mutilation, and mayhem aplenty until the redoubtable Detective Inspector Kendall reveals his clever conclusions with a timetable of mischief." —Publishers Weekly
'No observer, ignorant of the situation, would have guessed that death lurked nearby, and that only a little distance from the glitter of silver and glass and the hum of voices,
...18) The Z Murders
Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"An unnerving mystery and an intriguing look at what is one of the first serial-killer novels." —Booklist
Richard Temperley arrives at Euston station early on a fogbound London morning. He takes refuge in a nearby hotel, along with a disagreeable fellow passenger, who had snored his way through the train journey. But within minutes the other man has snored
...Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"The degree of suspense Crofts achieves by showing the growing obsession and planning is worthy of Hitchcock." —Booklist STARRED review
We begin with a body. Andrew Crowther, a wealthy retired manufacturer, is found dead in his seat on the 12.30 flight from Croydon to Paris. Rather less orthodox is the ensuing flashback in which we live with
...20) Calamity in Kent
Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"Rowland shows how a journalist might see what a cop doesn't see, and vice versa, in intriguing ways, as the murder spans out into a black-market petrol conspiracy worthy of Foyle's War." —Booklist STARRED review
In the peaceful seaside town of Broadgate, an impossible crime occurs. The operator of the cliff railway locks the empty carriage
...Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"An absorbing head-scratcher." —Booklist
In the seeming tranquility of Regency Square in Cheltenham live the diverse inhabitants of its ten houses. One summer's evening, the square's rivalries and allegiances are disrupted by a sudden and unusual death—an arrow to the head, shot through an open window at no. 6.
Unfortunately for the murderer, an invitation
...Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"The combination of bracing Cornish cliffs and seascapes with cozy interiors and a cerebral mystery makes this one of the most deservedly resurrected titles in the British Library Crime Classics series." —Booklist STARRED review
'Never, even in his most optimistic moments, had he visualised a scene of this nature—himself in one armchair,
...Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"This offering in the British Library Crime Classics series is part of a popular subgenre of the time, called the 'railway murder mystery.' The train setting was ideal for encasing a wide variety of people in one place, giving them myriad chances for meetings and murder." —Booklist
On a dark November evening, Sir Wilfred Saxonby is travelling alone in the 5
...Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"Hay, who also wrote Murder Underground, crafted a witty and sometimes scathing account of women at Oxford at a time when they were only grudgingly accepted." —Booklist
For Miss Cordell, principal of Persephone College, there are two great evils to be feared: unladylike behavior among her students, and bad publicity for the college. So her prim and cozy world
...Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"There are occasional splashes of witty dialogue and luscious descriptions of the French Riviera; also, every suspect has at least one guilty secret." —Publishers Weekly
When a counterfeit currency racket comes to light on the French Riviera, Detective Inspector Meredith is sent speeding southwards—out of the London murk to the warmth and glitter of the Mediterranean.
...Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"Literary ancestor to Miss Marple, Lisbeth Salander and Nancy Drew" —Guardian
'Miss Gladden', the first female detective, is a determined and resourceful figure, with ingenious skills of logic and deduction. Pursuing mysterious cases, she works undercover and only introduces herself as a detective when the need arises. Her personal circumstances and even her
...Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"Originally published in 1935, Bude's murder mystery remains as intriguing today as it was upon its release almost 80 years ago." —Publishers Weekly
When a body is found at an isolated garage, Inspector Meredith is drawn into a complex investigation where every clue leads to another puzzle: was this a suicide, or something more sinister? Why was the dead man
...Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"Martin Edwards' brief but informative Introduction notes that the Cluff stories inspired a BBC television series, and you can see why: North's elliptical scene-setting and clipped dialogue are perfect for brief, understated segments on the telly, and they're strikingly modern to boot." —Kirkus Reviews
It is a wet and windy night in the town of Gunnarshaw,
...Set in the Scottish Highlands, a “cunningly concocted locked-room mystery” from the Golden Age of detective fiction (Booklist, starred review).
Duchlan Castle is a gloomy, forbidding place. It is there that the body of Mary Gregor, sister of the laird of Duchlan, is found late one night. She’s been stabbed to death in her bedroom—but the room is locked from within and the windows are barred. The only
Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"In terms of plot, the novel is almost pure puzzle, making it a prime example of a Golden Age mystery, but Hay injects humor and keen characterization into the mix as well." —Booklist STARRED review
When Miss Pongleton is found murdered on the stairs of Belsize Park station, her fellow-boarders in the Frampton Hotel are not overwhelmed with
...Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"First published in 1930, this entry in the British Library Crime Classics series evokes a time when stouthearted chaps did their duty for king and country, and the village had only one telephone." —Publishers Weekly
'They're terrible mistrustful of strangers in these parts.'
Samuel Whitehead, landlord of the Rose and Crown, is a stranger
...Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
'He could feel it in the blackness, a difference in atmosphere, a sense of evil, of things hidden.'
Amy Snowden, in middle age, has long since settled into a lonely life in the Yorkshire town of Gunnarshaw, until—to her neighbours' surprise—she suddenly marries a much younger man. Months later, Amy is found dead—apparently by her own hand—and
...“[A] superb . . . anthology of . . . short stories by British writers set in continental Europe. . . . Those unfamiliar. . . . will find this the perfect introduction.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
Discover the captivating treasures buried in the British Library's archives. Largely inaccessible to the public until now, these enduring crime
...Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"Fascinating period detail from the blackout days, a plot that keeps surprising, and contemporary crime novelist Martin Edwards' insightful introduction add to the fun." —Booklist
Miss Tither, the village busybody, is not the best-loved resident of Hilary Magna. She has made many enemies: bombarding the villagers with religious tracts, berating
...40) Death of Anton
Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"Readers in search of escapist entertainment need look no further." —Publishers Weekly
'There's more crime going on in Carey's Circus than in the whole underworld of London. Theft, immorality, blackmail—you'll find all the pretties here.'
Seven Bengal tigers are the star attraction of Carey's Circus. Their trainer is the fearless Anton,
...41) Family Matters
Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"A deliciously anti-cozy tale of murder most multiplied..." —Kirkus Reviews
Robert Arthur Kewdingham is an eccentric failure of a man. In middle age he retreats into a private world, hunting for Roman artifacts and devoting himself to bizarre mystical beliefs. Robert's wife, Bertha, feels that there are few things more dreadful than a husband who will persist
...Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder, featuring stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, G. K. Chesterton, Dorothy L. Sayers, and more.
“Readers who appreciate careful plot development, slightly unusual detectives, and logical denouements will relish this volume.” —Library Journal
Impossible crime stories have been relished by puzzle-lovers ever since the invention of detective
...Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"Not only is this a first-rate puzzler, but Crofts' outrage over the financial firm's betrayal of the public trust should resonate with today's readers." —Booklist STARRED review
The Chichester is making a routine journey across the English Channel on a pleasant afternoon in June, when the steamer's crew notice something strange. A yacht, bobbing
...45) Quick curtain
46) Scarweather
Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"Readers will be rewarded with a suspenseful read, rich in setting; characters; details about WWI and its aftermath; and a horrific resolution worthy of Hitchcock." —Booklist
'My friend Ellingham has persuaded me to reveal to the public the astounding features of the Reisby case. As a study in criminal aberration it is, he tells me, of particular interest,
...Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"A classic reprint you can't afford to miss." —Kirkus Reviews
A woman is on trial for her life, accused of murder. The twelve members of the jury each carry their own secret burden of guilt and prejudice which could affect the outcome.
In this extraordinary crime novel, we follow the trial through the eyes of the jurors as they hear the
...Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
'No one had tackled Doyce. He had been alone when he fell. He had simply folded up like a jack-knife and slipped to the ground. What had happened?'
The 1939 Arsenal side is firing on all cylinders and celebrating a string of victories. They appear unstoppable, but the Trojans—a side of amateurs who are on a winning streak of their own—may
...Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"The intricacies of the characters' relationships and the trove of secrets Scotland Yard Inspector Macdonald uncovers make for riveting reading." —Booklist
Bruce Attleton dazzled London's literary scene with his first two novels—but his early promise did not bear fruit. His wife Sybilla is a glittering actress, unforgiving of Bruce's failure,
...Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"The 'stranger in a strange land' premise works really well in this revived mystery...Bude infuses the tale with comic commentary throughout." —Booklist
'Small hostilities were growing; vague jealousies were gaining strength; and far off, wasn't there a nebulous hint of approaching tragedy in the air?'
Welworth Garden City in the 1940s
...Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
'Wilkinson deftly tacks between satirizing the stolid Ministers who get ensnared in these crimes and plotting a sturdy detective story.' —Kirkus Reviews
'Through the double clamour of Big Ben and the shrill sound of the bell rang a revolver shot.'
A financier is found shot in the House of Commons. Suspecting foul play, Robert West, a
...Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"This droll and inventive golden age mystery, first published in 1938, from Hull (1896-1973) offers a courtroom-based whodunit with a twist." —Publishers Weekly STARRED review
'From the point of view of the nation, it's a good thing that he died.'
Great Barwick's least popular man is murdered on a train. Twelve jurors
...56) Foreign Bodies
Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"Edwards has done mystery readers a great service by providing the first-ever anthology of golden age short stories in translation, with 15 superior offerings from authors from France, Japan, Denmark, Austria, Germany, Holland, Mexico, Russia, and elsewhere; even Anton Chekhov makes a contribution." —Publishers Weekly STARRED review
Today,
...Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"The book fairly races along to its surprising resolution. Fans of vintage crime fiction will hope for more reissues of Hull's work." —Publishers Weekly
Edward Powell lives with his Aunt Mildred in the Welsh town of Llwll. His aunt thinks Llwll an idyllic place to live, but Edward loathes the countryside—and thinks the company even worse.
...60) Seven Dead
Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
"Originally published in 1939, this reissue in the British Library Crime Classics series from Farjeon (1883-1955) is a standout, with a particularly horrifying opening." —Publishers Weekly STARRED review
Ted Lyte, amateur thief, has chosen an isolated house by the coast for his first robbery. But Haven House is no ordinary country home. While
...Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
'Cleverly told ... brilliant character work and plotting up to the usual Symons standard.' —Observer
'An intriguing puzzle centered on identity...' —Publishers Weekly
Lady Wainwright presides over the gothic gloom at Belting, in mourning for her two sons lost in the Second World War. Long afterwards a stranger arrives
...Discover the captivating treasures buried in the British Library's archives. Largely inaccessible to the public until now, these enduring crime classics were written in the golden age of detective fiction.
"Never make trouble in the village" is an unspoken law, but it's a binding law. You may know about your neighbor's sins and shortcomings, but you must never name them aloud. It'd make trouble, and small societies want to
...Discover the captivating treasures buried in the British Library's archives. Largely inaccessible to the public until now, these enduring classics were written in the golden age of detective fiction.
"At 8 o'clock in the evening on the 8th of November, there was a terrific explosion in Green Lane, Evingden."
The offices of the Excelsior Joinery Company have been blown to smithereens; three of the company
...Discover the captivating treasures buried in the British Library's archives. Largely inaccessible to the public until now, these enduring crime classics were written in the golden age of detective fiction.
London. 22nd December.
Chief Inspector Brett Nightingale and Sergeant Beddoes have been called to a gloomy flat off Islington High Street. An elderly woman lies dead on the bed, and her trunk has
...Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder
Two mysteries of the kind John Bude does best, with well-drawn and authentic period settings and a satisfying whodunit structure, following the traditional rules and style of the Golden Age of the genre.
Death in White Pyjamas: At the country home of Sam Richardson, a group of actors have gathered along with their somewhat sinister producer Basil Barnes,
...76) Fell Murder
Discover the captivating treasures buried in the British Library's archives. Largely inaccessible to the public until now, these enduring classics were written in the golden age of detective fiction.
"...this crime is conditioned by the place. To understand the one you've got to study the other."
The Garths had farmed their fertile acres for generations, and fine land it was with the towering hills
...81) Castle Skull
"[An] excellent fair-play mystery...this British Library Crime Classic more than deserves that status."—Publishers Weekly, STARRED Review
On a dismally foggy night in Hampstead, London, a curious party has gathered in an artist's studio to weather the wartime blackout.
As World War II takes its toll around them, a civil servant and a government scientist are matching wits in a game of chess, while
..."Exceptional fourth anthology of golden age Christmas-themed mysteries"—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
A Postman murdered while delivering cards on Christmas morning. A Christmas pine growing over a forgotten homicide. A Yuletide heist gone horribly wrong. When there's as much murder as magic in the air and the facts seem to point to the impossible, it's up to the detective's trained eye to unwrap the clues and neatly
...88) Tour de Force
With Martin Edwards as librarian and guide, delve into an irresistible stack of bibliomysteries, where "golden age–inspired puzzle masters [are] doing what they do best: bringing together readers, books, and felonies [in] perhaps the single best collection yet in this blue-chip series (Kirkus, Starred Review)."
There is no better hiding place for clues—or red herrings—than inside the pages of a book. But in this world
...94) Murder's a swine
97) Two-way murder
101) Death of Jezebel
"... and what a motive! Murder to save one's artistic soul... who'd believe that?"
Behind the stage lights and word-perfect soliloquies, sinister secrets are lurking in the wings. The mysteries in this collection reveal the dark side to theatre and performing arts: a world of backstage dealings, where unscrupulous actors risk everything to land a starring role, costumed figures lead to mistaken identities, and on-stage deaths begin to look
...105) Green for danger
106) Jumping Jenny
111) The black spectacles
112) Death of an author
"Golden Age fans with a taste for deferred gratification are in for another unexpected treat."–Kirkus Reviews
A fair play, double twist mystery where a beloved London bookseller with a passion for rare books is found shot to death in his locked bookshop.
Mr. Richard Dodsley, owner of a fine secondhand bookshop on Charing Cross Road, has been found murdered in the cold hours of the morning. He'd been shot in his own
...114) He who whispers
"It is past the half-hour. My time is coming nearer with every tick of the clock."
Horace Manning, scientist, recluse and "closed book" even to his friends is found dead in his study at 4am, following a dinner in honor of his daughter's engagement. An ivory-handled carving knife rests between his shoulder blades as the house guests gather round to witness the awful crime. The telephone line has been sabotaged – a calculated murder has been
...Sir Robert Boniface, the industrial and financial tycoon—and stalwart of the British Cabinet—has been found shot dead in his blue limousine on a warm Friday evening in the Vale of Health, Hampstead Heath. Nearby, a rejected portrait of Sir Robert is found riddled with bullets in the studio of the now-missing artist Matt Caldwell. Called to the scene, Inspector Beckett of Scotland Yard suspects murder. By the time Superintendent Mooney joins
...