Time to pull out your magnifying glasses, examine all the clues, and figure out “whodunit” because the many wonderful authors from the Golden Age of Detective Fiction will be touring the Classics Circuit in May and June!

The 1920s and 1930s are often referred as the Golden Age of Detective Fiction because of the flourishing of the genre during those years. Some of the most famous mystery writers ever were writing during that period, and their works continue to define the mystery genre in the minds of many readers. Most of the authors of the Golden Age were British, but some were Americans, and many of these wrote in a more hard-boiled style than their British counterparts.

Sign-ups for the tour are closed.

The tour is expected to run from May 17 to June 11.

The Detection Club

A group of British mystery writers formed in the 1930s. Group members established “fair play” rules for detective fiction, assisted one another in their writing, and collaborated on several books.

Notable Works During the Period

• The Floating Admiral (1931,1932). Co-written by G. K. Chesterton, Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ronald Knox, Freeman Wills Crofts, and others. Each author contributed a chapter that took into account the clues in the previous chapter and then proposed a solution to the overall mystery.
  • “Every time someone came up with a startling new way to view the case, I thought of the person next in line to write a chapter with a feeling of pity, and wondered what the person who wrote the chapter before would think of what the current author had done with his work. I wouldn’t like to experience this disjointed game-like feel with every mystery I read, but it was an enjoyable little experiment.” —wisewoman at LibraryThing

Margery Allingham (1904 – 1966)

A British crime writer best known for her works featuring gentleman sleuth Albert Campion and his manservant, former burgler Magerfontein Lugg. Believed to have been created as a parody of Sayers’s Lord Peter Wimsey, Campion first appears as a minor character in The Crime at Black Dudley. Campion is a pseudonym, and there are early hints that he has royal connections. Sometimes a detective and sometimes an adventurer, Campion develops and grows over the course of Allingham’s novels.

• Mystery Mile (1930). American judge Crowdy Lobbett and his children are be fleeing to England for the judge’s safety. Campion offers the family sanctuary with his friends, but the Judge vanishes.
  • “What kept me reading was not the questions about the identity of the killer but the question of what’s going to happen next. As the book goes on, the action sequences get more and more thrilling—there are kidnappings, smoke bombs, secret identities, and quicksand—and the ending sent shivers down my spine.” –Teresa at Shelf Love
• Look to the Lady [US: The Gyrth Chalice Mystery] (1931). Albert Campion helps Val Gyrth save a family heirloom from a band of criminals. Soon one of the Gyrth family is found dead.
  • “Campion has matured tremendously since the first novels and is in full possession of his role as the somewhat zany yet brilliant master of the chase. Allingham doesn’t write mystery stories as such. Often she gives the villain of the piece away and the real mystery is how Campion will manage to save the day. ‘The Gyrth Chalice’ is just such a tale. The ending comes as a complete surprise and adds a dimension to the tale, which makes it especially remarkable and memorable.” –Marc Ruby at Amazon
• Police at the Funeral (1931). Campion investigates the disappearance of the uncle of the fiancee of an old college friend. A mysterious spate of death and dangers follow.
  • “Perfect setting for crime and pure 1930s. I met Albert Campion, who is of aristocratic birth,and his manservant Lugg, a retired burglar and now the obligatory sidekick that every detective seems to need … The parallels with Lord Peter Wimsey and his man Bunter are inescapable.” –Elaine at Random Jottings
• Sweet Danger [US: Kingdom of Death/The Fear Sign] (1933). Albert Campion is called in to track down proof that some valuable land in the Adriatic belongs to the Fittons, who are claiming to be heirs of an English aristocratic family.
  • “It took me a while to get in the spirit of the book—I wasn’t expecting its plot to be so complex and its tone to be so light and at times silly—but once I began to get a sense that this is what it would be like, I relaxed a bit and decided to enjoy the ride.” –Dorothy at Of Books and Bicycles
• Death of a Ghost (1934). A ceremony to unveil a painting by the long-dead artist John Lafcadio is interrupted by a murder.
  • “Not one of Allingham’s best, although we meet some lovely characters such as Belle and her grand-daughter Linda and get a chance to see inside the artist’s life of the time. I still enjoyed the story, but it won’t be first on my list of Campion books to reread. If you only want to read one, pick a different one. If you already know you like the series, ” this is still a good, solid addition it and I suggest you read it.” —rocalisa at LibraryThing
• Flowers for the Judge [US: Legacy in Blood] (1936). In 1911, a members of the Barnabas family disappears. Twenty years later, another member of the same family also goes missing, and Campion is brought in to find the wayward cousin.
  • “I REALLY enjoyed this one. There’s enough of the old smart-mouthed Campion in here (especially in his banter with Lugg), mixed in with the newer, serious Albert Campion to provide a good balance in his character. The mystery keeps you guessing up until the end and it’s an all-around good mystery read.” —bcquinnsmom at LibraryThing
• The Case of the Late Pig (originally appeared in Mr. Campion: Criminologist) (1937). Campion recieves an anonymous letter inviting him to the funeral of an old school nemesis, declared dead by the doctor that treated him.Five months later, the body of the dead man is found with his head caved in no more than 12 hours earlier.
  • “The writing is tight and well-paced, the characterisation solid, and the denouement a lovely mixture of the blindingly obvious and the wholly unexpected.” —CatyM at LibraryThing
• Dancers in Mourning [US: Who Killed Chloe?] (1937). An old friend of Campion has written a successful book that has been turned into a hit musical comedy. The star of the musical is being harassed by a practical joker, and Campion is asked to investigate.
  • “Paints a delightful picture of theater life in Britian between the wars and features a poignant love story as well.” –Roberta at Books to the Ceiling
• The Fashion in Shrouds (1938). Campion finds the skeleton of Richard Portland-Smith, who disappeared three years earlier, and when investigating, finds that Portland-Smith’s former fiancee is connected to a series of deaths. Involves Campion’s sister Valentine.
  • “Allingham has a wonderful ability to see into the hearts of her characters, and writes of human relationships with a great deal of understanding. Lovely. I was sorry to finish it.” –Harriet at Harriet Devine’s Blog
• Black Plumes (1940). A mystery without Campion. A series of malicious attacks is threatening the Ivory family art gallery business. Robert Ivory and his high-strung wife chalk it all up to practical jokes gone wrong. But Gabrielle Ivory, once a society beauty, now nearing 90, disagrees. —Amazon.com
  • “Not surprisingly, the behaviors and attitudes of some of the characters are decidedly foreign to modern sensibilities. That said, you get a classic Golden-Age British mystery. The murder of an upper-crust gallery owner horrifies the Ivory family associated with that gallery. Gabrielle Ivory, a Victorian matriarch, dominates the action although her granddaughter, Frances, is the ingenue love interest that we follow. Multiple bodies and a spot of blackmail add additional interest. Lightweight, but certainly well-done!” —jillmwo at LibraryThing

H.C. Bailey (1878-1961)

An English author who mostly wrote dark mystery short stories featuring the medically qualified detective Reggie Fortune. Another recurring character is Josiah Clunk, a lawyer who exposes crime in local politics.

• Call Mr Fortune (1920). Detective stories about Reginald Fortune, a doctor and assistant to Scotland Yard. Available online at Google Books
  • “This is a wonderful period piece and does a good job of introducing one of the most under-rated ‘golden age’ characters still read by aficionados of detective fiction.” –Watch Carefully at Manybooks.net
• Shadow on the Wall (1934, cameo by Clunk). “Lady Rosnay falls down a set of stairs; Reginald suspects foul play, but the Lady will hear none of it, and seems too calm about what has happened. Two murders follow, and Reginald, advisor to Scotland Yard, must solve the problem.” –Midwest Book Review at Amazon.com
  • “Very well written, easy to read, and a good number of compelling characters. Holds your interest.” –Caroline McMaster at Amazon.com

Anthony Berkeley (1893 – 1971)

An English crime writer who published under several pseudonyms, including Francis Iles, Anthony Berkeley and A. Monmouth Platts.

• Malice Aforethought (1931). A murder mystery in which a doctor, Edmund Bickleigh, slowly poisons his wife. An early example of the “inverted detective story” in which the identity of the killer is revealed at the beginning.
  • “The great joy of this novel is in the wonderfully convincing observation of Bickleigh’s increasingly bizarre and disturbed mental processes.” –Harriet at Harriet Devine’s Blog

• Before the Fact (1932). Not a whodunit but a psychological crime novel. Wealthy Lina, on the verge of becoming a spinster, marries impoverished Johnnie Aysgarth after a short engagement. She gradually learns that Johnnie is a liar and criminal who is plotting her death. Hitchcock adapted the novel into the film Suspicion.
  • “Lina has moments of clarity when she fully realises what Johnnie is and what he has done (and what he plans to do) but she is unable to act in what she knows, deep down, would be the only moral, ethical, and safe way. Indeed it is her confusion and muddle that are so compelling here. I expect everyone knows a Lina–not, hopefully married to a murderer, but prepared to forgive infidelities, cruelties, fecklessness, mental and physical abuse, all for the sake of what they see as true love, probably far beyond what they think they deserve. Yes, a real tragedy, and a really fine book.” –Harriet at Harriet Devine’s Blog

John Dickson Carr (1906-1977)

An American author who also wrote under the names Carter Dickson, Carr Dickson, and Roger Fairbairn. Carr is known as a master of the “locked room” mystery, in which a detective solves a seemingly impossible crime. His most famous detectives are Dr. Gideon Fell, an Englishman said to be modeled on G.K. Chesterton, and Sir Henry Merrivale, a bad-tempered Englishman.

• The Unicorn Murders (1935). A Sir Henry Merrivale murder mystery involving the British Secret Service, a pair of masters of disguise, and a group of strangers stuck at a French chateau.
  • “The solutions are, of course, brilliant – an ingenious firework display, with an unexpected solution. It is equally remarkable that Carr can simultaneously maintain a thriller and a detective story, without reducing the impact of either one.” —hacklehorn at Amazon.co.uk
• The Judas Window [aka The Crossbow Murder] (1938). A Sir Henry Merrivale mystery involving a man who is skewered through the heart with an arrow while his only companion in the locked room is drugged and unconscious.
  • “This is John Dickson Carr (aka Carter Dickson), the acknowledged master of the locked room mystery, in top form … The case unfolds through the medium of a riveting courtroom drama that simply ought to have been filmed. The comic touches provided by H.M. as defence counsel are terrific. And the modus operandi of the crime is stunning in its simplicity and the conviction it carries. Less convincing however (and this is what makes the book stop just short of perfection) is the murderer’s motive. But this flaw makes only a ripple in the overall masterly construction of the mystery.” —Amitabh Das at Amazon.com

Raymond Chandler (1888-1959)

An Anglo-American author of hard-boiled mysteries featuring private detective Philip Marlowe, a complex, sometimes sentimental man with a strong code of personal ethics.

• The Big Sleep (1939). Chandler’s first Philip Marlowe mystery. Known for its labyrinthine plot and double crosses. Based on the short stories “Killer in the Rain” and “The Curtain.”
  • “It’s a great book because not only does the case start to fall apart but also the very structure of the book begins to contort and become uncertain and opaque.  While some have criticized it for this, I found the technique fascinating …  When the the plot line no longer was ticking away predictably, when Marlowe’s character started evolving from the cynical professional to the shuddering man who knew too much – not about the case, but about life — I was wide awake.” –Trevor at The Mookse and the Gripes
• Farewell My Lovely (1940). The second Marlowe mystery. Marlowe witnesses a murder, attempts to recover a stolen necklace, gets beaten up by crooked cops, and gets locked in a sanitarium. Based on the short stories “The Man Who Liked Dogs,” “Try the Girl,” and “Mandarin’s Jade.”
  • “This book is a page-turner, not just because you want to know what’s happening, how it’s going to end, but also because you can’t wait to see that next clever quip, read that next brilliant description.” –Emily at Telecommuter Talk

G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936)

An English author and one-time president of the detective club, Chesterton is remembered for his essays and theological writings, but also for his short stories featuring the priest and detective Father Brown.

• The Incredulity of Father Brown (1926), The Secret of Father Brown (1927), and The Scandal of Father Brown (1935). Father Brown is a Catholic priest who solves mysteries by relying on intuition and his understanding of human evil that he has gained through his role as a confessor. All of these stories are available in the online version of The Complete Father Brown.
  • [On the collection Father Brown] “I partially enjoyed reading these 17 stories. Some of them seemed unusually slow and hard to get into. One reason for that is Chesterton’s careful development and description of scenes … The other reason for the feeling of slowness was Father Brown nature: he is a character-interpreter … On the other hand, these stories were clever. It always amazes me when I read a story or a novel in which human nature is such an imperative part of the plot. How did Chesterton so accurately interpret motives, especially in the stories dealing with murder? I found these stories intriguing.” —Rebecca at Rebecca Reads

Agatha Christie (1890 – 1976)

Widely regarded as the “Queen of Crime” for her detective novels, short stories, and plays, Christie remains one of the most best-selling authors in history. Her two most famous characters are the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, who appeared in 33 novels and 54 short stories, and the elderly spinster Miss Marple, who appeared in 12 novels and more than 20 short stories.

• The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920). The first novel with Hercule Poirot, this novel is set at a country house during World War I and the poisoning of a wealthy widow, just recently remarried to a much younger man.
  • “This is a most ingenious and intricately plotted book, with  plenty of suspects to exercise those “little grey cells”. I do enjoy those detective stories where you’re given the clues that have been dropped into the narrative throughout the book in a seemingly haphazard way and then are reorganised  at the end as Poirot does in this one to explain how and why the murder was committed.” –Margaret at Books Please
• The Murder on the Links (1923). Poirot takes Hastings to the South of France in answer to a letter from Monsieur Paul Renauld, but when they arrive Renauld is dead.
  • “I’d definitely recommend The Murder on the Links to anyone who’s enjoyed Dame Agatha’s work in the past or is looking to give her a try, but I’d caution you not to expect spectacular, mind-blowing things from it. This is a solid, enjoyable read and a good way to while away a few hours, but it’s not going to change your life.” –Memory at Stella Matutina
• Poirot Investigates (short stories) (1924). A collection of short stories featuring Hercule Poirot. The original British edition included 11 stories, but three more stories were added to the U.S. edition, published the following year.
  • “For the most part I found most of the stories to be engaging and well thought out. Though they are shorter in length they didn’t, with few exceptions, jump to conclusions that weren’t supported by the clues discussed in the stories.” —Wordsmithonia at LibraryThing
• The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926). One of Christie’s most famous and controversial novels, this novel is narrated by Dr. James Sheppard, who assists Poirot in investigating the death of a wealthy widow, originally believed to be a suicide, until Roger Ackroyd, the man who expected to marry her, is also found dead.
  • “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is not by any means one of Christie’s best, and the characters, even M. Poirot, seem a little flat … The beauty of this book, however, comes from the mystery itself—how things play out, and the denouement itself, which is quite shocking. In fact, Christie bends all the rules here, and her ability to deceive the reader—and her indomitable detective, Poirot—is unparalleled.” –Katherine at A Girl Walks into a Bookstore
• The Big Four (1927). A set of interlocking stories involving Poirot’s investigation into a group of villains known as “the Big Four.”
  • “It was like reading a James Bond or Charlie Chan novel. Four international criminals are masterminded plots all over the world. Who can stop them? Of course, Poirot. It has a great setup and a great finish.” —unfinishedperson at Just a (Reading) Fool
• The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928). An American heiress is murdered on a train bound for the French Riviera, and the famous ruby she had with her is missing.
  • “Agatha, she is a pinnacle of verbal efficiency. Not a word in The Mystery of the Blue Train is unnecessary. And it’s so goddamn British: I think of old white men sitting in stuffed armchairs, reading this book and chortling to themselves while raising a glass of port to their pouchy lips. The thing is so easy to read and such a breezy pleasure.” —estelle at 3000 Books
• Peril at End House (1932). A young woman tells Poirot of a series of near brushes with death she’s recently had. While she considers them accidents, Poirot suspects something more sinister.
  • “There are plenty of twist and turns as usual with an Agatha Christie plot and not everyone is who they seem to be–identity plays a large role in this complicated mystery. I enjoyed it very much, not least because of Captain Hasting’s comments on Poirot’s outrageous vanity.” –Margaret at BooksPlease
• Lord Edgware Dies [aka Thirteen at Dinner] (1933). An actress seeking a divorce from her husband, Lord Edgware, becomes a suspect when he is murdered.
  • “I was disappointed in the ending because Christie has used this trick in previous novels. The journey, as always with Poirot, was a fun one, but the denouement, although unforeseen in the context of the novel, was a ruse she has used previously.” —unfinishedperson at Just a (Reading) Fool
• Murder on the Orient Express [aka Murder in the Calais Coach] (1934). Poirot is on the Orient Express from Istanbul and notices some strange activity during the night. In the morning, he learns that the man in the compartment next to him on the now snowbound train has been stabbed to death.
  • “As Christie moves you through her narrative, she renders the amazing ending utterly plausible. If you let the story happen to you, if you don’t enter it as a cynic in a critical state of mind, then the outcome starts to take on an overwhelming necessity, and more than that, to be moving, affecting, devastating. It’s one of those stories that I appreciate more, the more I become familiar with it.” —Litlove at Tales from the Reading Room
• Three Act Tragedy [aka Murder in Three Acts] (1935). When a clergyman dies at a dinner party thrown by a theatre, nearly everyone (Poirot included) assumes it is accidentaluntil a second death in suspiciously similar circumstances occurs.
  • “This was indeed a clever mystery by the Queen of Crime and as is often the case with her novels some things weren’t as they seemed and others were just as they seemed. Up could be down and down could be up. It was a fast and thrilling story, but not (in my opinion) one of her best works.” –Sarah at A library is a hospital for the mind
• Death in the Clouds [aka Death in the Air] (1935). Poirot is a passenger on board a flight from Paris to Croydon when a passenger, moneylender Madame Giselle is found dead.
  • “Death in the Clouds deals with exotic things like blowguns and venom-tipped darts, but at the core is, as always, Poirot working his little gray cells. Of course, in our day and age, forensics would be miles ahead of Poirot, but sometimes one craves a nice cozy mystery where the detective uses only his brain.” –Belle at Ms. Bookish
• The ABC Murders [aka The Alphabet Murders] (1936). A serial killer appears to be murdering people in alphabetical order according to their names. In this novel, Christie experiments with using both first-person and third-person narration in a single novel.
  • “Christie has deviated from her usual style here. Instead the “who did it?” aspect of the mystery, the psychology of the crime has been given more prominence. Usually it’s the crime/clues/suspects/motive/alibi formula that is used. Here Poirot doesn’t have any suspects and has to rely on understanding the mind of the murderer to prevent the next crime.” —Nithin at When Books Tell a Story
• Murder in Mesopotamia (1936). Poirot investigates some strange happenings and a mysterious death at an archeological dig in Iraq.
  • “Murder In Mesopotamia is now officially one of my favorite Agatha Christie mysteries. Why? Because I just simply didn’t see the ending coming. Christie was so talented at leading you to look everywhere but at the actual perpetrator.” –Melissa at Melissa’s Bookshelf
• Cards on the Table (1936). The host of a party is stabbed while his guests are playing bridge in the next room. Crime writer Ariadne Oliver makes her first appearance in a Christie novel. (She previously appeared in a short story.)
  • “this is an entertaining and puzzling mystery that should be added to your reading list. As a side note avid fans of Christie should note that this very mystery plot was mentioned in The A.B.C. Murders by Poirot to Hastings as his idea of the perfect crime.” –S. Mehrens at A Library is a Hospital for the mind
• Dumb Witness [aka Poirot Loses a Client] (1937). A wealthy woman is badly injured in a fall and later dies of natural causes. A letter she wrote before her death leads Poirot to suspect murder.
  • “There is no shortage of suspects – nieces, a nephew, a companion, servants, and two doctors.  Hercule must find a way to get answers without alerting anyone to his true purpose and his talent for skillful lying takes him far. This was my first Agatha Christie novel (my husband too) and we really enjoyed it.” –Stacy at Stacy’s Books
• Death on the Nile (1937). A honeymooning couple, the groom’s former fiancee, and a deadly criminal are on a holiday cruise on the Nile when a murder occurs.
  • “Unlike most of her books Death on the Nile is pretty long and so the lead up time to the actual death is pretty long. Christie really builds on each of the characters bringing them all to life in such amazing detail. The sort of detail that makes you think that you really know a character and could point them out if you run into him/her on the street.” –Irish at Ticket To Anywhere
• Murder in the Mews (short stories)[aka Dead Man’s Mirror] (1937). A collection of four short stories.
  • “In this book we have murder for inheritance, the theft of state secrets, a locked room murder and a love triangle murder… This book is a nice little short read and is great for a story before bedtime.” –Kristen at We Be Reading
• Appointment with Death (1938). Holidaying in Jerusalem, Poirot overhears a man telling his sister: “You do see, don’t you, that she’s got to be killed?” Their mother is soon found dead.
  • “This time, I can’t decide if I think she left enough clues to lead to the culprit, however. Normally, I find myself saying “oh, yeah!” as I read the outcome, but this time I thought it was a little shaky. But, as usual, Christie does a beautiful job fleshing out the characters of a well-rounded cast, with plenty of doubt cast among almost all of them. I changed my mind a few different times as to the possible outcome, but still didn’t get it right!” –Melissa at Melissa’s Bookshelf
• Hercule Poirot’s Christmas [aka Murder for Christmas or A Holiday for Murder] (1938). In this locked room mystery, multimillionaire invites his estranged family to his home for Christmas. On Christmas Eve, his throat is slit.
  • “This story kept me guessing all the way through, with lots of red herrings and Tressilian, the butler’s confusion about the identity of the guests.” –Margaret at Books Please
• Sad Cypress (1940). The first courtroom drama featuring Poirot. A woman is suspected of murdering a woman who took her fiancee and nearly took her inheritance.
  • “This was the first Agatha Christie I’ve listened to with a courtroom portion. I thought it was quite good, and kept me guessing until the end. At the beginning, it’s really hard to believe that Elinor didn’t do it.”  Jaime at Confessions of A Bibliophile
• One, Two, Buckle My Shoe [aka An Overdose of Death or The Patriotic Murders]. Hercule Poirot’s dentist is found dead from a gun shot wound in an apparent suicide. Poirot suspects murder.
  • One, Two, Buckle My Shoecontains the most complicated plotting I think I have seen in a Christie novel so far. I had a hard time believing Poirot’s celebrated description of his methods and conclusions this time around. It was a little too convoluted for me. It’s pretty ingenious, but I had a little trouble following it.” Lezlie at Books ‘N Border Collies

• The Secret Adversary (1922). Needing money, Tommy Beresford and Tuppence Cowley hire themselves out as adventurers and end up embroiled in British intelligence and a possible Bolshevik conspiracy.
  • “For Christie completists and enthusiasts, this is required reading, but for the casual mystery reader, this one is perhaps too flimsy to offer sustained entertainment.” —Steph at Steph and Tony Investigate
• Partners in Crime (short stories) (1929). A collection of 14 short stories, each of which is in the style of another great detective, from Sherlock Holmes to Father Brown to Hercule Poirot.
  • “For the most part the stories are well written and only one or two fail to make the grade for me.  There were even a couple that I would have loved to have been fleshed out and turned into full novels.” –Ryan G at Wordsmithsonia

• The Secret of Chimneys (1925). The country house Chimneys is the site of a negotiation to restore the monarchy of Herzoslovakia that becomes complicated by a potentially embarrassing manuscript, blackmail, and murder.
  • “Some of the political parody reminded me of the Marx Brother’s film Duck Soup but without the dance numbers.” —Puss Reboots
• The Seven Dials Mystery (1929). The country house Chimneys, as well as some of the characters from The Secret of Chimneys, feature in this story of a house party, a missing clock, and a death during the night.
  • “This novel was different from the previous nine. It was lighter in tone and, at times, cheerful. It was still a mystery but it had some romance and some playfulness on the part of the young people trying to solve the case.” –Margot at Joyfully Retired
• Murder Is Easy [aka Easy to Kill] (1939). A sweet elderly lady claims that she can identify the killer in a series of murders in her hometown of Wychwood-under-Ashe. Before she reaches Scotland Yard to reveal the murderer’s identity, she is run down in a hit-and-run.
  • “This book has what I love most about Christie mysteries, the psychology angle. It’s not just blood and gore and a whole lot of nonsense.” —Porua at LibraryThing

Miss Marple Novels and Stories

(Most of the Miss Marple mysteries were written after the Golden Age, but Miss Marple fans are welcome to read one of those later books for the tour.)

• The Murder at the Vicarage (1930). Colonel Protheroe, the most despised person in St. Mary Mead, is found murdered in the same vicar’s study, and two different people confess to the crime.
  • “Overall I liked The Murder at the Vicarage. As far as a mystery novel it was clever and believable, but as a story it was not a favorite.” –S Mehrens from A Library Is a Hospital for the Mind
• The Thirteen Problems (short stories) [aka The Tuesday Club Murders] (1932). A set of 13 short stories. The overarching narrative involves gatherings in which the attendees tell mystery stories, all of which Miss Marple solves.
  • “The Thirteen Problems is an easy read and the short stories are ideal for reading quickly and in isolation. They are not complicated and once Miss Marple starts her explanations the crimes are easily solved.” –Margaret at Books Please

Others

• The Man in the Brown Suit (1924). More of a thriller than a detective novel, this book follows Anne Beddingfeld as she gets involved in a world of diamond thieves, murderers and political intrigue in southern Africa.
  • “The characters here and the story are on the lighter side.” —unfinishedperson at Just a (Reading) Fool
• The Mysterious Mr Quin (short stories) (1930). A series of mysteries solved through the interaction between the elderly Mr. Satterthwaite and the Mr. Quin, who appears and disappears almost magically. Christie claimed in her autobiography that Satterthwaite and Quin were two of her favorite characters.
  • “These 12 stories are lovely vignettes, deceptively short, the sort that make you read elements of them a second or a third time.” –Kerrie at Mysteries in Paradise
• The Sittaford Mystery [aka Murder at Hazelmoor] (1931). In a remote house in Dartmoor, a seance is being held. The spirits spell out a chilling message: ‘Captain Trevelyan…dead…murder.’ The first of Christie’s novels to incorporate the supernatural.
  • “As is often the case with Christie, I felt that she was slightly disingenuous in laying out information for the reader, but it’s a good romp, and I’m not a competitive reader.” —Geranium Cat’s Bookshelf
• The Listerdale Mystery [aka The Golden Ball and Other Stories] (1934). A collection of 12 short stories.
  • “This was far from a stunning collection of stories, but it was interesting … The mundane stories weren’t bad, but they weren’t brilliant, unlike much of Christie’s novel-length work. I found the supernatural material intriguing.” —prosfilaes at LibraryThing
• Parker Pyne Investigates (short stories) (1934). A collection of 12 short stories featuring Parker Pyne, a retired government worker who advertises his “detective of the heart” services in the personals section using the line “Are you happy? If not consult Mr Parker Pyne.”
  • “Mr Parker Pyne has a clear-sighted understanding of human nature and, even when the reader fears he may finally have been wrong-footed, psychology will prevail. However, the mild-mannered philanthropist lacks the quirkiness of Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple, or the engaging wit of some of Christie’s other characters, and is, as a consequence, less memorable, which no doubt explains why these stories are less familiar.”–Geranium Cat’s Bookshelf
• Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? [aka The Boomerang Clue] (1934). Bobby Jones is playing a game of golf with a friend and finds  a man lying unconscious below. The man soon dies, but not before briefly regaining consciousness and saying “Why didn’t they ask Evans?”
  • “an interesting exploration of the impact of class differences in English society, at the same time as being an absorbing murder mystery.” –Kerrie at Mysteries in Paradise
• And Then There Were None [aka Ten Little Indians or Ten Little Niggers] (1939). Ten people who have previously been complicit in the deaths of others are tricked into coming onto an island. Even though they are the only people on the island, they are all mysteriously murdered one by one, in a manner paralleling an old nursery rhyme.This is Christie’s best-selling novel.
  • “I sat down, started to read and that was it.  Did not move for the entire afternoon until I came to the last page and then I just sat and gasped.” –Elaine at Random Jottings
• The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories (short stories) (1939). A collection of nine short stories. All but one feature either Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, or Parker Pyne.
  • “Some ofthe stories have a supernatural twist and others are fiarly straightforward mysteries which makes this an interesting and varied collection.” —Riverwillow at LibraryThing

Freeman Wills Crofts (1879-1957)

• The Groote Park Murder (1923) Is the death of Albert Smith an accident or murder? Inspector Vandam suspects foul play. –
  • “…a slow, simmering build up to tension and suspense which grab you unexpectedly because you’ve failed to notice how stealthily they’ve been creeping up.” Amazon reviewer Sarah McCartney.
• Inspector French’s Greatest Case (1924) An empty safe and a dead body send Inspector French around Europe to solve the case.
  • “On the basis of this story, Crofts deserves to be much better known today.” -Guy Fraser-Sampson at Pursewarden

R. Austin Freeman (1862-1943)

• Helen Vardon’s Confession (1922). Helen Vardon, the first-person narrator, overhears her father arguing with a Mr Otway over money. Her marriage to Otway could resolve the crisis.
  • “This was just so-so, told all in the first person by Helen Vardon. There’s a lot of rambling and side stories that could have feasibly been a bit shortened, but as I’ve said somewhere else, the golden-age mysteries do tend to go on.” —bcquinnsmom at LibraryThing
• Dr. Thorndyke’s Casebook [aka The Blue Scarab] (stories) (1923). A collection of Dr. Thorndyke mysteries.
  • “I cannot get enough of R. Austin Freeman’s books. Being a scientist and physician, he wrote books that informed you as well as entertained you.” –Mary Ingram at Amazon.com
• The Mystery of Angelina Frood (1924). A beautiful young woman in shock calls a medical lawyer whose life becomes in danger as he pieces together her story.
  • “While fun, I didn’t enjoy this as much as most Freemans: there wasn’t enough of Dr. Thorndyke’s investigation, it didn’t have the London details that I enjoy so much in Freeman’s books.” –biscuits at LibraryThing
• The D’Arblay Mystery (1926). A man is found floating beneath the skin of a green-skimmed pond, dead by a lethal injection.
  • “The plot … is as sinister and complex as ever.” –redfiona at LibraryThing
• The Magic Casket (stories) (1927). A collection of nine stories involving an abandoned bag, cosmopolitan revolutionaries and more.
  • I can’t get enough of R. Austin Freeman. I shall be very disappointed when I have read all of his mysteries, then like Conan Doyle and Christie, no more.” –Mary Ingram at Amazon.com.
• As a Thief in the Night (1928). Harold Monkhouse is ill one night and later found dead of arsenical poisoning. His wife is the prime suspect.
  • “I felt there was one major downfall to this book and that was the characters. I never felt as a reader able to get to know them well enough … I could also identify the way of murder a little further into the story and one of the main methods of conviction. However, despite knowing what may seem like everything, I didn’t dislike As a Thief in the Night as one is never absolutely sure whether one is right until the very end.” –Claire at GoodReads
• Mr. Pottermack’s Oversight (1930). Mr Pottermack believes he has committed the perfect murder. His oversight is not knowing Dr. Thorndyke would take the case.
  • “Probably my favorite of the Thorndyke novels. This one is truly superb in every way! It’s a classic example of Freeman’s “inverse” mystery style…where we first see the crime as it occurs, then watch Thorndyke investigate it.” –Jon G Jackson at Amazon.com
• Dr. Thorndyke Intervenes (1933). Dr. Thorndyke finds a box with a man’s head in it.
  • ” It is a very bizarre incident that only Dr. Thorndyke can solve.” –Mary Ingram at Amazon.com
• The Penrose Mystery (1936). Thorndyke solves the mystery of a missing antiques dealer.
  • “As usual the learned doctor’s extraordinary fund of information on diverse topics serves him well in determining Penrose’s fate; in this case an archeological dig forms an important part of the investigation.” –JonRob at LibraryThing

Dashiell Hammett (1894-1961)

• Red Harvest (1929). The Continental Op is called to a town called Personville by Donald Willsson, who is murdered before they meet. Hammett based this novel on his own experiences as a Pinkerton agent in Butte, Montana.
  • “Next time I read it, I’ll have to count the bodies — there were over twenty, but I know I missed some, and that definitely doesn’t include the nameless red shirts.” —Leila at Bookshelves of Doom
• The Dain Curse (1929). The Continental Op’s investigation involves a diamond heist, a family curse, and a missing girl.
  • “Of all the protagonists Dashiell Hammett created — Sam Spade, Nick and Nora Charles, Ned Beaumont — the Continental Op, for my taste, is the most enduring and compelling. Professedly amoral, “only a hired hand with a hired hand’s interest in your troubles,” this ‘middle-aged fatman’ demands that you take him at face value . . . and yet Hammett’s genius is such that you’re pulled to look beyond that self-description, to look under the “calluses on the calluses” on his soul.” —Paul Dana at Amazon.
• The Maltese Falcon (1930). Hammett’s most well-known novel and the only novel featuring Sam Spade. A woman hires Spade and his partner to follow a man who has kidnapped her sister. During the night, Spade’s partner is shot.
  • “This is a story of greed, lies, deception and spare, action packed storytelling. There are twists and turns from the very beginning. Hammett kept the story moody and moving along with well written dialog. While there are detailed descriptions of people and places, it doesn’t pad the story at all and just adds to the noir moodiness of 1930 San Francisco.” –SuziQOregon of Whimpulsive
• The Glass Key (1931). Said to be Hammett’s own favorite. Tells the story of gambler and racketeer Ned Beaumont. An influence on the Coen Brothers’ film Miller’s Crossing.
  • “Of all five of Hammett’s novels, “The Glass Key” most resembles a “traditional” whodunit with its linear plot, subtle hints, red herrings, false leads, and disclosure of the murderer in the final chapter. It’s his only novel with enough clues to allow readers to figure out who did it–although the identity of the killer will still surprise most readers…. What distinguishes it from a typical murder mystery, however, is Hammett’s fastidious prose, scurrilous characters, noir ambience, and borderline misanthropy.” —D. Cloyse Smith at Amazon
• The Thin Man (1934). Nick Charles has given up his career as a private eye since marrying socialite Nora and now spends most of his time cheerfully getting drunk. He and Nora share witty banter and a lot of alcohol as they get drawn into investigating a murder.
  • “The conclusion of this book definitely jumps up on you unexpectedly, and Hammett lulls you into a false sort of “oh-I-know-who-did-it-lalaalala-wait…WHAT” feeling, if ya get my drift. This is definitely a must-have in any mystery-lover’s library.” —Peaches of Peaches’ Corner

Michael Innes (1906–1993)

The pen name of Scottish dramatist and academic J.I.M. Stewart. His mysteries featured Scotland Yard investigator (and eventual Commissioner) John Appleby, who, after his retirement is knighted and continues to solve crimes from his country home.

• Death At the President’s Lodging [aka Seven Suspects] (1936). The president of St Anthony’s College is murdered in his lodging, which only a handful of people have access to.
  • “Enjoy Inspector John Appleby’s literary debut for the hijinks of the undergraduates, the plots and counter-plots of their devious professors, and the erudite style of their donnish creator. The plot is overly complex, but it is brilliantly resolved and a lot of fun to read.” –E.A. Lovitt at Amazon.com
• Hamlet, Revenge! (1937). The Duke of Horton is murdered at a private performance of Hamlet in which he plays Polonius.
  • “They don’t make ’em like this any more, I’m tempted to say. Innes’ novels are pretty intellectually demanding, I think, and I certainly could not identify all the literary quotations and allusions that this one is studded with. But that does not matter, actually, as there is such exuberance and wit at work here that it is a real pleasure to be swept along by it.” —Harriet Devine’s Blog
• Lament for a Maker (1938). A mad recluse falls from the ramparts of his castle.
  • “The book does not spare the reader. It will take you on an emotional roller-coaster ride that never ends until the very last page. Innes’ portrayal of a a mad Scottish lord is chilling. And Innes’ detective John Appleby has to be one of the the most unique in the whole industry.” –Romonko at LibraryThing
• Stop Press [aka The Spider Strikes] (1939). A famous detective novelist calls in Appleby when his criminal creation, “the Spider,” comes to life.
  • “I had to read “Stop Press” twice in order to fix its dramatis personae firmly in mind. It’s not the best Appleby novel but it is certainly the most complex. ” –E.A. Lovitt at Amazon.com
• The Secret Vanguard (1940). A poet, recently disturbed to hear poetry mistakenly quoted as his own, is found dead.
  • “It was an entertaining romp with a lot of action and surprises that were reminiscent of The Thirty-nine Steps.” –MusicMom41 at LibraryThing
• There Came Both Mist And Snow [aka A Comedy of Terrors] (1940). Arthur Ferryman returns home to Belrive Priory for a family Christmas when a family member is shot.
  • “Definitely one of Innes’ best. Almost a parody of the “house-party” style of detective story, involving the various branches of the Roper family who gather at Belrive Priory, where inevitably a crime occurs.” –JonRob at LibraryThing

Ngaio Marsh (1895 – 1982)

A New Zealand writer and theatre director. Her 32 detective novels feature gentleman detective and CID inspector Roderick Alleyn. Most of her books are set in England, but a few are set in New Zealand, and theatrical productions feature in several of them.

• A Man Lay Dead (1934). A murder is committed during a detective game during a weekend at an English country house.
  • “I’ve never been very good at figuring out who the culprit is, and this story was no exception.  Marsh gave me every chance, leaving clues to follow or maybe to trip me up.  On a couple of occasions when a detail was revealed I know I mentally uttered an “oh, so that’s what happened, why didn’t I figure it out”.  She did have a couple of twists that took the story onto an entirely different track, throwing in a little international intrigue along with simple run of the mill murder.  All in all this was a very satisfying read.”–Danielle at A Work in Progress
• Enter a Murderer (1935). A murder is committed during a London run of the play Macbeth.
  • “The mystery itself was decent, though not inspired, but, as I noted above, it is apparent that it is not a mature work.” —Atlas at LibraryThing
    
• The Nursing Home Murder (1935). An MP who has been receiving death threats from Zionist terrorists collapses during a debate in Parliament and dies after what appeared to be a successful surgery.
  • “Have read this several times and know who dun it but I just love NM’s slightly camp, theatrical style of writing, always have.” —Elaine at Random Jottings
• Death in Ecstasy (1936). A religious initiate’s death raises questions about the Sign of the Sacred Flame. (from Amazon)
• Vintage Murder (1937). A mystery centered on a traveling theatre troop in New Zealand.
  • “This novel has a lot going for it. Being a one-time theatre person myself, I loved the period theatre detail and the wonderful types who make up the touring company. But above all it was wonderful to find Dame N writing about New Zealand, which she does with the most obviously deep love.” —Harriet Devine’s Blog
• Artists in Crime (1938). A mystery centered on the death of an artist’s model.
  • Artists in Crime was just so slow! The middle part seemed to really drag and there were a couple of continuity issues that really bugged me.” –Maree at Just Add Books
• Death in a White Tie (1938). A British lord is murdered after a party.
  • “I read this on vacation, and it was a good vacation book — not too mentally taxing, fun in a low-key kind of way. Not everyone in my book group was as easy to please as I was; many of them didn’t like it at all while some others reacted much as I did, with mixed feelings.” –Dorothy at Of Books and Bicycles
• Overture to Death (1939). A murder is committed during a village theatrical performance.
  • “This was my first Marsh and I found that it lived up to her reputation as a rival/contemporary of Christie. Her characters are layered and the mystery unusual.”–Mstrust at LibraryThing

Dorothy L. Sayers (1893 – 1957)

A crime writer, poet, playwright, translator, essayist, and Christian humanist. Sayers is best known for her mysteries involving aristocrat and amateur sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey.

• Whose Body? (1923). A naked body is found in an architect’s bath, and a financier goes missing.
  • “While I enjoyed Dorothy L. Sayer’s mystery novel, Whose Body?, it did not pull me in as much as I would have liked. The story itself was sound, however, several of the characters seemed underdeveloped. Fortunately, however, the author wastes no time in setting out the puzzle pieces and then unraveling the mystery, which was quite compelling.” –Literary Feline at Musings of a Bookish Kitty
• Clouds of Witness (1926). The fiancé of Lord Peter’s sister is found dead, and Peter’s brother is tried in the House of Lords for murder.
  • “I was intrigued right to the end. A good, classic detective story.” –Mervi at Mervi’s Book Reviews
• Unnatural Death (1927). Peter investigates a death of a cancer patient that aroused no suspicion but that Peter suspects was “unnatural.”
  • “This doesn’t have much of a classic ‘whodunnit’ feel, in that the primary suspect emerges quite quickly and stays in that place throughout the book. It’s more of a ‘howdunnit,’ if that makes sense.” –Eva at A Striped Armchair
• The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club (1928). A 90-year-old man dies at his club, but no one notices for hours. His wealthy sister died at around the same time.
  • “One thing I’ve always liked about this book, having read it perhaps half a dozen times, is how it describes men who’ve been through The Great War.” –karenmarie at LibraryThing
• Lord Peter Views the Body (short stories) (1928). The first collection of Lord Peter Wimsey short stories.
  • “Fans of the Lord Peter Wimsey series (myself among them) will certainly enjoy them, and have fun noting that Sayers later expanded some of these short story ideas into more substantial work, but newcomers will likely be unimpressed.” –Gary F. Taylor at Amazon.com
• The Documents in the Case (with Robert Eustace) (1930). The only one of Sayers’s mystery novels not to feature Lord Peter. An epistolary novel about the death of a man who supposedly ingested poisonous fungi, but whose death is convenient for the main character’s flatmate, who is having an affair with the dead man’s wife.
  • “For a reader who enjoys more intense character development, The Documents in the Case is both a satisfying mystery and something different from the usual entry in the genre.” –jlholcomb at LibraryThing
• Strong Poison (1930). The first of the Lord Peter mysteries with Harriet Vane. Harriet, a writer of crime fiction is on trial for murder, and Peter is determined to prove her innocence and convince her to marry him.
  • “I love, love, love this book.  I loved it from the second Lord Wimsey started quoting Alice in Wonderland at Harriet’s trial.” –Jenny at Jenny’s Books
• Five Red Herrings (1931). A painter is found dead, and Lord Peter uncovers a clue that he was not the only one to work on his final painting.
  • “I thought this was one of the duller Sayers I’ve read. The mystery is undeniably much more complex and ingenious than in, say, Clouds of Witness … ; but the mystery is also a slow and ponderous one to unravel.” –siriaeve at LibraryThing
• Have His Carcase (1932). The second mystery with Harriet Vane. It is best to read Strong Poison before this book. Harriet, on a walking holiday, finds a fresh corpse on a beach. Peter comes to investigate and continue his romantic pursuit of the reluctant Harriet.
  • “I love me some character-driven literature, and I have an absolute mania for witty banter. This is most definitely a character-driven mystery, and the witty banter:regular dialogue ratio is high indeed. I adore the back-and-forth between Peter and Harriet.” –xicanti at Stella Matutina
• Hangman’s Holiday (short stories) (1933). A collection of 12 short stories, 4 including Lord Peter and 6 including Sayers’ lesser-known sleuth Montague Egg.
  • “Mr Egg was new to me in this book and, I thought, rather engaging despite the slightly heavy handed humour around him.” –otterley at LibraryThing
• Murder Must Advertise (1933). Lord Peter goes undercover as an employee at an advertising agency to learn more about the mysterious death of another employee.
  • The main joy of this book is not necessarily the identify of the murderer, one can work this out fairly early on, but the life of an advertising agency as described here. D L Sayers worked in such an environment so has first hand knowledge and experience to impart and the portrayal of the busy bustling office, the hard bitten copy writers, the cheeky young office boys, the constant back chat and gossip. –Elaine at Random Jottings
• The Nine Tailors (1934). Lord Peter is stranded in a small town after an auto accident when the local squire dies. This novel is notable for its detailed descriptions of bell-ringing sequences.
  • “It’s a mystery that stumps even Lord Peter, and it’s pretty ingenious—read it and see for yourself. Dorothy Sayers’s novels are such a treat because she really knew how to pull a mystery together—she won’t kill off one of her characters simply because she can.” –Katherine at A Girl Walks into a Bookstore
• Gaudy Night (1935). The third mystery with Harriet Vane, widely regarded as Sayers’s best novel; best to read only after reading the previous novels with Harriet Vane. Harriet returns to her alma mater, Shrewsbury College, for their annual “Gaudy” celebration and gets involved in tracking down a prankster who is leaving threatening messages and defacing property. Harriet asks Peter for help, and Peter continues his romantic pursuit.
  • “I am SO in love with this book … If I loved Gaudy Night, it wasn’t just because the relationship between two characters I love reaches such a climax. No, this time it was the mystery too.” –Nymeth at Things Mean a Lot
• Busman’s Honeymoon (1937) The fourth novel featuring Harriet Vane, based on a play co-written with Muriel St. Clair. Harriet and Peter, on holiday in Hertfordshire, when the owner of their house is found dead in the basement.
  • “Somehow this story has a more somber tone than the other Lord Peter mysteries, perhaps because it is the last book of the series. At any rate, once again Sayers delivers prime entertainment and an enchanting detective mystery.” –iayork at LibraryThing
• In the Teeth of the Evidence (short stories) (1939) A collection of 17 short stories, 2 including Lord Peter and 5 including Montague Egg. Editions published after 1972 usually adds “Talboys”, the last Lord Peter story.
  • “I thoroughly enjoyed this collection and would recommend Sayers to anyone who enjoys a good mystery. Her characters are impeccable, and she is able to convey so much about their backgrounds in so short a space.” —wisewoman at LibraryThing

Josephine Tey (1896 – 1952)

Josephine Tey was a pseudonym used by Elizabeth Mackintosh (25 July 1896–13 February 1952) a Scottish author best known for her mystery novels mostly involving Scotland Yard detective Inspector Alan Grant.

• The Man in the Queue [aka Killer in the Crowd] (1929) Written under the name Gordon Daviot (From Amazon) Outside a London theatre a throng of people wait unexpectantly for the last performance of a popular musical. But as the doors open at last, a man in the queue is found murdered by the deadly thrust of a stiletto.
  • “It’s full of details that to today’s sensibilities are not too correct but it’s an interesting look into the life and times and methods.” LibraryThing reviewer Wyvernfriend
• A Shilling for Candles (1936). The basis of Hitchcock’s 1937 movie Young and Innocent. The famous actress Christine Clay is found murdered near her beach cottage. Alan Grant is on the case.
  • “Readers who love Tey’s later books will find this early installment in the Grant series an interesting step on the author’s path to greatness.” Carole Shmurak at WritersNewsWeekly.com