The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books

The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books PDF Author: Martin Edwards
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
ISBN: 1464207240
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 333

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Book Description
“This is an exemplary reference book sure to lead readers to gems of mystery and detective fiction.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review This book tells the story of crime fiction published during the first half of the twentieth century. The diversity of this much-loved genre is breathtaking, and so much greater than many critics have suggested. To illustrate this, the leading expert on classic crime discusses one hundred books ranging from The Hound of the Baskervilles to Strangers on a Train which highlight the entertaining plots, the literary achievements, and the social significance of vintage crime fiction. This book serves as a companion to the acclaimed British Library Crime Classics series but it tells a very diverse story. It presents the development of crime fiction—from Sherlock Holmes to the end of the golden age—in an accessible, informative and engaging style. Readers who enjoy classic crime will make fascinating discoveries and learn about forgotten gems as well as bestselling authors. Even the most widely read connoisseurs will find books (and trivia) with which they are unfamiliar—as well as unexpected choices to debate. Classic crime is a richly varied and deeply pleasurable genre that is enjoying a world-wide renaissance as dozens of neglected novels and stories are resurrected for modern readers to enjoy. The overriding aim of this book is to provide a launch point that enables readers to embark on their own voyages of discovery.

A Classic English Crime

A Classic English Crime PDF Author: Tim Heald
Publisher: Isis Large Print Books
ISBN: 9781850895442
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 290

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Book Description
In honor of the Agatha Christie Centenary, members of the Crime Writers' Association offer stories set in the Golden Age of detective fiction, between the two world wars

Classic Crimes

Classic Crimes PDF Author: William Roughead
Publisher: New York Review of Books
ISBN: 9780940322462
Category : True Crime
Languages : en
Pages : 580

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Book Description
Dorothy Sayers called William Roughead "the best showman who ever stood before the door of the chamber of horrors," and his true crime stories, written in the early 1900s, are among the glories of the genre. Displaying a meticulous command of evidence and unerring dramatic flair, Roughead brings to life some of the most notorious crimes and extraordinary trials of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century England and Scotland. Utterly engrossing, these accounts of pre-meditated mayhem and miscarried justice also cast a powerful light on the evil that human beings, and human institutions, find both tempting to contemplate and all too easy to do.

The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books

The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books PDF Author: Martin Edwards
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
ISBN: 1464207240
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 333

Get Book Here

Book Description
“This is an exemplary reference book sure to lead readers to gems of mystery and detective fiction.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review This book tells the story of crime fiction published during the first half of the twentieth century. The diversity of this much-loved genre is breathtaking, and so much greater than many critics have suggested. To illustrate this, the leading expert on classic crime discusses one hundred books ranging from The Hound of the Baskervilles to Strangers on a Train which highlight the entertaining plots, the literary achievements, and the social significance of vintage crime fiction. This book serves as a companion to the acclaimed British Library Crime Classics series but it tells a very diverse story. It presents the development of crime fiction—from Sherlock Holmes to the end of the golden age—in an accessible, informative and engaging style. Readers who enjoy classic crime will make fascinating discoveries and learn about forgotten gems as well as bestselling authors. Even the most widely read connoisseurs will find books (and trivia) with which they are unfamiliar—as well as unexpected choices to debate. Classic crime is a richly varied and deeply pleasurable genre that is enjoying a world-wide renaissance as dozens of neglected novels and stories are resurrected for modern readers to enjoy. The overriding aim of this book is to provide a launch point that enables readers to embark on their own voyages of discovery.

English Country House Murders

English Country House Murders PDF Author: Thomas Godfrey
Publisher: Mysterious Press
ISBN: 9780445408456
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 533

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Book Description
Nothing could seem more civilized, more orderly and sedate than a weekend at one of Great Britain's country estates. Yet these staid, conservative houses play host to a wider variety of murders than do the mean streets of America's darkest cities.

Portrait of a Murderer

Portrait of a Murderer PDF Author: Anne Meredith
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
ISBN: 1464209057
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 207

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Book Description
Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder "Golden age fans will be enthralled." —Publishers Weekly STARRED review 'Adrian Gray was born in May 1862 and met his death through violence, at the hands of one of his own children, at Christmas, 1931.' Thus begins a classic crime novel published in 1933 that has been too long neglected—until now. It is a riveting portrait of the psychology of a murderer. Each December, Adrian Gray invites his extended family to stay at his lonely house, Kings Poplars. None of Gray's six surviving children is fond of him; several have cause to wish him dead. The family gathers on Christmas Eve—and by the following morning, their wish has been granted. This fascinating and unusual novel tells the story of what happened that dark Christmas night; and what the murderer did next.

Classic American Crime Fiction of the 1920s

Classic American Crime Fiction of the 1920s PDF Author: Leslie S Klinger
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1681779269
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 1666

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Book Description
Classic American Crime Writing of the 1920s—including House Without a Key, The Benson Murder Case, The Tower Treasure, The Roman Hat Mystery, The Tower Treasure, and Little Caesar—offers some of the very best of that decade’s writing. Earl Derr Biggers wrote about Charlie Chan, a Chinese-American detective, at a time when racism was rampant. S. S. Van Dine invented Philo Vance, an effete, rich amateur psychologist who flourished while America danced and the stock market rose. Edwin Stratemeyer, a man of mystery himself, singlehandedly created the juvenile mystery, with the beloved Hardy Boys series. The quintessential American detective Ellery Queen leapt onto the stage, to remain popular for fifty years. W. R. Burnett, created the indelible character of Rico, the first gangster antihero. Each of the five novels included is presented in its original published form, with extensive historical and cultural annotations and illustrations added by Edgar-winning editor Leslie S. Klinger, allowing the reader to experience the story to its fullest. Klinger's detailed foreword gives an overview of the history of American crime writing from its beginnings in the early years of America to the twentieth century.

Mystery in the Channel

Mystery in the Channel PDF Author: Freeman Wills Crofts
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
ISBN: 1464206724
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 634

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Book Description
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 about in the water ahead of them, appears to have been abandoned, and there is a dark red stain on the deck... Two bodies later, with no sign of a gun, there certainly is a mystery in the channel. Inspector French soon discovers a world of high-powered banking, luxury yachts and international double-dealing. British and French coastal towns, harbours—and of course the Channel itself—provide an alluring backdrop to this nautical adventure, along with a cast of shady characters.

Murder on the Orient Express: The Graphic Novel (Poirot)

Murder on the Orient Express: The Graphic Novel (Poirot) PDF Author: Agatha Christie
Publisher: HarperCollins UK
ISBN: 0008516022
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 287

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Book Description
Experience Agatha Christie’s puzzling masterpiece as you've never seen it before with this official graphic novel adaptations!

Murder by Matchlight

Murder by Matchlight PDF Author: E.C.R. Lorac
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
ISBN: 1464210942
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 200

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Book Description
Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder "A terrifically atmospheric puzzler...the ending is a stunner...like the best Golden Age crime fiction." —Booklist STARRED review '"A man who played about on the fringes of the Black Market, who had fought for Sinn Fein, who lived by his wits—and who finally became dangerous to somebody and was knocked over the head in the blackout. It may prove to be a sordid story, but I certainly find it an interesting one."' London, 1945. The capital is shrouded in the darkness of the blackout, and mystery abounds in the parks after dusk. During a stroll through Regent's Park, Bruce Mallaig witnesses two men acting suspiciously around a footbridge. In a matter of moments, one of them has been murdered; Mallaig's view of the assailant but a brief glimpse of a ghastly face in the glow of a struck match. The murderer's noiseless approach and escape seems to defy all logic, and even the victim's identity is quickly thrown into uncertainty. Lorac's shrewd yet personable C.I.D. man MacDonald must set to work once again to unravel this near-impossible mystery.

An English Murder

An English Murder PDF Author: Cyril Hare
Publisher: Wildside Press LLC
ISBN: 1667627317
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 252

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Book Description
A group of guests gather in a large country house, owned by the dying Lord Warbeck, who wants what is left of his family around him to celebrate what he assumes will be his last Christmas. The guests are a motley bunch, including Sir Julius Warbeck, Chancellor of the Exchequer, the wife of one of his underlings, the fascist son of the present Lord Warbeck, and the Chancellor's bodyguard. Also present is foreign historian Dr Bottwink, and the traditional faithful butler. When the first murder occurs, the house is cut off from the rest of the world by a heavy snowfall, and it is left to Sir Julius's bodyguard to initiate a preliminary investigation before contact can be made with the local police force.