Indeed, he read very little except detective stories, which he devoured at a rate of one a day. Ronald Knox, The Motive
‘I want you to go with me, tonight, to a certain house in London; to tell me whether you see or hear; and, if you do, whether you can explain it on natural grounds.” And when Ken Blake is approached by Dean Halliday with that request he jumps at the chance. Plague Court, is a …
Continue reading The Plague Court Murders by Carter Dickson (1934)
Since 1918 there have been thirteen unsolved murders committed on Mondays—and that it could be the work of one killer. At least that what crime novelist Ferdinand Pole is asserting. And he’s sent the information to the Evening Blazon, stating that there will be more to follow—information and possibly killings. That very day the body of disgraced …
Continue reading The Case of the Monday Murders by Christopher Bush (1936)
George Arrow is living the perfect bachelor life when, out of the blue he learns he that he has a life-threatening heart condition. In order to avoid any strain in his life he moves to Crane’s Court, a residential hotel on the Bay of Galway. En route to his new home, Arrow chances to meet …
Continue reading Death at Crane’s Court by Eilís Dillon (1953)
There are questions surrounding the death of Mary Holland. While it’s clear that she died of Lysol poisoning, there are inconsistencies that leave Detective Sergeant Chandler unsettled. No one else puts any merit into it. But then, just before he's due to testify at the inquest, Chandler disappears. It’s now apparent that there’s more to …
Continue reading The Port of London Murders by Josephine Bell (1938)
On New Year’s Day, sixteen travelers leave behind the post-war dreariness of London for a skiing trip in Austria. At this same time, the top floors of a boarding house in Lioncel Court are in flames. When the fire is extinguished, the body of a man is found, burnt beyond recognition. In the mud outside, …
Mark Brand, aka “The Counselor”, was bored, so when he receives a request to reach out to his radio host for information regarding a recent death he is intrigued. The body of an unidentified man has been found in a burnt-out car, and while the coroner thinks it’s a simple case of suicide, the local …
Continue reading The Four Defences by J. J. Connington (1940)