Surfeit of Suspects

Author: George Bellairs
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
ISBN: 1464211744
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 168

Book Description
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 directors are found dead amongst the rubble, and the peace of a quiet town in Surrey lies in ruins. When the supposed cause of an ignited gas leak is dismissed and the presence of dynamite revealed, Superintendent Littlejohn of Scotland Yard is summoned to the scene. But beneath the sleepy veneer of Evingden lies a hotbed of deep-rooted grievances. The new subject of the town's talk, Littlejohn's investigation is soon confounded by an impressive cast of suspicious persons, each concealing their own axe to grind. First published in 1964, Bellairs' novel hearkens back to the classic British mysteries and crime books. A masterpiece of misdirection, Surfeit of Suspects is a story of small-town grudges with calamitous consequences that revels in the abundant possible solutions to its central, explosive crime. Other books in the British Library Crime Classics: Death in Fancy Dress Smallbone Deceased It Walks by Night Measure of Malice The Body in the Dumb River Death Has Deep Roots The Notting Hill Mystery

The Golden Age of Murder

Author: Martin Edwards
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0008105979
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 505

Book Description
Winner of the 2016 EDGAR, AGATHA, MACAVITY and H.R.F.KEATING crime writing awards, this real-life detective story investigates how Agatha Christie and colleagues in a mysterious literary club transformed crime fiction.

Surfeit of Lampreys

Author: Ngaio Marsh
Publisher: Inspector Roderick Alleyn
ISBN: 9781937384531
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
The Lampreys had plenty of charm - but no cash. They all knew they were peculiar, the charades with which they entertained their guests became quite complicated. And when Uncle Gabriel Lamprey dies, Chief Detective Inspector Roderick Alleyn is called in.

Making the Detective Story American

Author: J.K. Van Dover
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786456892
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 232

Book Description
This critical text examines the fiction of Earl Derr Biggers, S. S. Van Dine, and Dashiell Hammett during a crucial half-decade when they transformed the detective story. The characters they created, including Charlie Chan, Philo Vance, and the Continental Op, represented a new style of detective solving crimes in fresh ways. Their successes would push crime and detective fiction in startling and rejuvenating directions. Topics covered include the highbrow detective, the ethnic detective, the exploitation of contemporary sensations, and the exploitation of women. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

Death of a Busybody

Author: George Bellairs
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
ISBN: 1464207372
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 189

Book Description
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 drunkards, and informing the spouses of cheating partners. Her murder, however, is still a huge shock to the Reverend Ethelred Claplady and his parish. Inspector Littlejohn's understanding of country ways makes him Scotland Yard's first choice for the job. Basing himself at the village inn, Littlejohn works with the local police to investigate what lay behind the murder. A second death does little to settle the collective nerves of the village, and as events escalate, a strange tale of hidden identities, repressed resentment, religious fervour and financial scams is uncovered. Life in the picturesque village of Hilary Magna proves to be very far from idyllic.

The Body in the Dumb River

Author: George Bellairs
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
ISBN: 1492699578
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 165

Book Description
Discover the captivating treasures buried in the British Library's archives. Largely inaccessible to the public until now, these enduring British classics were written in the golden age of detective fiction. "A decent, hardworking chap, with not an enemy anywhere. People were surprised that anybody should want to kill Jim." But Jim has been found stabbed in the back near Ely, miles from his Yorkshire home. His body, clearly dumped in the usually silent ('dumb') river, has been discovered before the killer intended?disturbed by a torrential flood in the night. Roused from a comfortable night's sleep, Superintendent Littlejohn of Scotland Yard is soon at the scene. With any clues to the culprit's identity swept away with the surging water, Bellairs' veteran sleuth boards a train heading north to dredge up the truth of the real Jim Teasdale and to trace the mystery of this unassuming victim's murder to its source. The Body in the Dumb River, like all of Bellairs' crime books, delves into the complex inner-workings of an insulated country community. With all the wittiness and suspense of classic British mysteries, this is a story that explores the long-buried secrets of a small town?and the disastrous events that take place when they finally come to light. Also in the British Library Crime Classics: Smallbone Deceased Continental Crimes Blood on the Tracks Surfeit of Suspects Death Has Deep Roots Checkmate to Murder

The Etymological Compendium

Author: William Pulleyn
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Encyclopedias and dictionaries
Languages : en
Pages : 840

Book Description

Encyclopedia of the American Novel

Author: Abby H. P. Werlock
Publisher: Infobase Learning
ISBN: 143814069X
Category : American fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 3854

Book Description
Praise for the print edition:" ... no other reference work on American fiction brings together such an array of authors and texts as this.

The Singapore School of Villainy: Inspector Singh Investigates

Author: Shamini Flint
Publisher: Minotaur Books
ISBN: 1250014794
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 323

Book Description
"Inspector Singh is Singapore's answer to Dirty Harry—in a turban." —Tarquin Hall, author of The Case of the Missing Servant Homicide detective Inspector Singh has returned home to Singapore to rest his weary feet after time spent globe-trotting and crime-solving in Malaysia and Bali. But it's not long before he wishes he would be sent off to another foreign locale. With his wife nagging him and his boss lecturing him about his unconventional work habits, he's thrilled when a new case comes across his desk. A senior partner at an international law firm has been murdered, and it's up to Singh to catch the killer and solve the case. There's no shortage of suspects, from the victim's fellow partners, many of whom are hiding secrets, as well as the dead man's wife and ex-wife. Soon, Inspector Singh is poised to expose the treachery that lies beneath Singapore's high society. Fast-paced, funny, and highly original, Shamini Flint's The Singapore School of Villainy: Inspector Singh Investigates is a fabulous mystery featuring everybody's favorite turbaned detective.

Lock, Stock and Peril

Author: Charlie Cochrane
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
ISBN: 1626499675
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 381

Book Description
They may be locked down but this case isn’t. Lockdown is stressful enough for Chief Inspector Robin Bright. Then a murder makes this strange time even stranger. In one of Kinechester’s most upmarket areas, the body of Ellen, a brilliant but enigmatic recluse, has lain undiscovered for days. Pinning down the time—and date—of death will be difficult, but finding a killer during unprecedented times could prove impossible. Adam Matthew’s focus on his pupils is shaken when a teaching assistant reveals his godmother has been murdered. Keen to avoid involvement, Adam does his best to maintain a distance from his husband, Robin’s, case, but when it keeps creeping up, Adam lends his incisive mind to the clues again. Between Robin trying to understand the complex victim and picking his way through a mess of facts, half truths, and downright lies from witnesses desperate to cover up their own rule-breaking, he realises this could be the cold case that stains his career and forever haunts a community. And when it looks like the virus has struck Adam, Robin’s torn between duty and love.