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thenovelbook's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting and well-written experimental sort of detective novel.
Roger Sheringham has established a small club for people interested in criminology. His latest idea is for them all to investigate a recent unsolved crime ("The Poisoned Chocolates Case") during the course of one week. On successive evenings, each member will then take the floor to share his or her conclusions in hopes that somewhere along the line they will solve it and hand it back over to the police.
What follows is a fairly amusing indictment of traditional detective stories. In many such books, the reader is primed to accept that the detective's deduction on any given fact is the only possible conclusion. But in this book there are as many deductions as there are people, and all of them plausible in their own way.
The only flaw in this structure is that when you finally reach the "real" solution, you are still left with a nagging feeling that it's only one of many possibilities...
Which maybe was the point.
And indeed a couple of other authors wrote additional solutions in later years, which are evidently part of the newest edition of the book. It might be worth tracking down just to check out those other solutions.
A few excerpts to show off the occasional flashes of humor:
Roger sped to the rescue. The combatants reminded him of a bull and a gadfly, and that is a contest which it is often good fun to watch. But the Crimes Circle had been founded to investigate the crimes of others, not to provide opportunities for new ones.
The motion was carried unanimously. Mrs. Fielder-Flemming would have liked to vote against it, but she had never yet belonged to any committee where all motions were not carried unanimously and habit was too strong for her.
"A friend of Mrs. Bendix's then. At least," amended Mrs. Fielder-Flemming in some confusion, remembering that real friends seldom murder each other, "she thought of him as a friend. Dear me, this is getting very interesting, Alicia."
Roger Sheringham has established a small club for people interested in criminology. His latest idea is for them all to investigate a recent unsolved crime ("The Poisoned Chocolates Case") during the course of one week. On successive evenings, each member will then take the floor to share his or her conclusions in hopes that somewhere along the line they will solve it and hand it back over to the police.
What follows is a fairly amusing indictment of traditional detective stories. In many such books, the reader is primed to accept that the detective's deduction on any given fact is the only possible conclusion. But in this book there are as many deductions as there are people, and all of them plausible in their own way.
The only flaw in this structure is that when you finally reach the "real" solution, you are still left with a nagging feeling that it's only one of many possibilities...
Which maybe was the point.
And indeed a couple of other authors wrote additional solutions in later years, which are evidently part of the newest edition of the book. It might be worth tracking down just to check out those other solutions.
A few excerpts to show off the occasional flashes of humor:
Roger sped to the rescue. The combatants reminded him of a bull and a gadfly, and that is a contest which it is often good fun to watch. But the Crimes Circle had been founded to investigate the crimes of others, not to provide opportunities for new ones.
The motion was carried unanimously. Mrs. Fielder-Flemming would have liked to vote against it, but she had never yet belonged to any committee where all motions were not carried unanimously and habit was too strong for her.
"A friend of Mrs. Bendix's then. At least," amended Mrs. Fielder-Flemming in some confusion, remembering that real friends seldom murder each other, "she thought of him as a friend. Dear me, this is getting very interesting, Alicia."
clare_phyfer's review
challenging
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
colindalaska's review
5.0
Anthony Berkeley plays with the all knowing detective trope where the seemingly unconnected facts are pieced together to reveal the murderer. (Who then confesses all).
But here six amateur detectives (plus two epilogues) each present their case for who the murderer is. This should have been the very last of the amateur detective genre.
But here six amateur detectives (plus two epilogues) each present their case for who the murderer is. This should have been the very last of the amateur detective genre.
basilf's review against another edition
2.0
Other reviews will give a synopsis either with or without spoilers.
I found there were too many possible solutions. After the first three explanations I had hear enough.
I found there were too many possible solutions. After the first three explanations I had hear enough.
littletaiko's review against another edition
3.0
Fun mystery novel that presents an unsolved case to the members of a detective club. They all work independently to solve the case and present their solutions. The way each character took the facts and created a theory out of them was an interesting exercise. However, by the time the last chapter was underway, I was pretty sure I knew who did it. Great plane reading material!
carolpk's review
The Hook - After being quite delighted with my first Anthony Berkeley classic mystery, Trial and Error, I wondered if another would be as entertaining. Read on.
The Line - ”To make no bones about it, the Bendixes had apparently succeeded in achieving that eighth wonder of the modern world, a happy marriage.
The Sinker - In Berkeley’s short story The Avenging Chance a club member receives an anonymous sample box of chocolates, and in turn it is given to a friend who then dies from poisoning. In a parallel to Berkeley’s own founding of The Detection Club, an invitation only group of renowned mystery authors, fictional character Roger Sharingham establishes his own Crimes Circle. This group of six meets to share food and to discuss the non-appetizing subject of murder. In addition to Sharingham, whose first book has just been accepted by a publisher, the group consists of an established novelist, a detective-story writer, a barrister, a dramatist, and one mild mannered man who somehow passed their test.
It was not enough for the would-be member to profess an adoration for murder and let it go at that; he or she had got to prove that they were capable of worthily wearing their criminological spurs.”
Sharingham, in an effort to liven up the group visits Scotland Yard with a proposal to help them solve an actual murder that has them stymied. Though highly out of the ordinary, they see no harm and possibly some good in allowing the group to use their detection skills in hopes of finding the culprit. The case involves the death of Mrs. Bendix, poisoned by a tainted box of chocolates given to her by her husband as the prize in a bet. Sir Eustace, a member of Graham Bendix’s club receives the liqueur-chocolates anonymously with a note to sample them as they would appeal to a man of his taste. ”Do they think I’m a blasted chorus-girl, fumed Sir Eustace, a choleric man, “to write ‘em testimonials about their blasted chocolates? Blast ‘em!” and so offers the chocolates to Bendix who though he could easily afford the cost accepts the box as the trouble to get them is worth the time saved. Sharingham’s idea is that each of the six will use their own method of investigation to bring a solution to the group for scrutiny.
Over the next few weeks each of The Crimes Circle members with skill and reasoning present their conclusions of the guilty party to the group. All seem well thought out and logical. But only one is right.
”Artistic proof is, like artistic anything else, simply a matter of selection. If you know what to put in and what to leave out you can prove anything you like, quite conclusively.”
Will you be able to nail the murderer?
With the fair play that is paramount to The Detection Club, with cunning and humor, The Poisoned Chocolates Case is the great Golden Age Puzzle it is professed to be. I loved it.
The Line - ”To make no bones about it, the Bendixes had apparently succeeded in achieving that eighth wonder of the modern world, a happy marriage.
The Sinker - In Berkeley’s short story The Avenging Chance a club member receives an anonymous sample box of chocolates, and in turn it is given to a friend who then dies from poisoning. In a parallel to Berkeley’s own founding of The Detection Club, an invitation only group of renowned mystery authors, fictional character Roger Sharingham establishes his own Crimes Circle. This group of six meets to share food and to discuss the non-appetizing subject of murder. In addition to Sharingham, whose first book has just been accepted by a publisher, the group consists of an established novelist, a detective-story writer, a barrister, a dramatist, and one mild mannered man who somehow passed their test.
It was not enough for the would-be member to profess an adoration for murder and let it go at that; he or she had got to prove that they were capable of worthily wearing their criminological spurs.”
Sharingham, in an effort to liven up the group visits Scotland Yard with a proposal to help them solve an actual murder that has them stymied. Though highly out of the ordinary, they see no harm and possibly some good in allowing the group to use their detection skills in hopes of finding the culprit. The case involves the death of Mrs. Bendix, poisoned by a tainted box of chocolates given to her by her husband as the prize in a bet. Sir Eustace, a member of Graham Bendix’s club receives the liqueur-chocolates anonymously with a note to sample them as they would appeal to a man of his taste. ”Do they think I’m a blasted chorus-girl, fumed Sir Eustace, a choleric man, “to write ‘em testimonials about their blasted chocolates? Blast ‘em!” and so offers the chocolates to Bendix who though he could easily afford the cost accepts the box as the trouble to get them is worth the time saved. Sharingham’s idea is that each of the six will use their own method of investigation to bring a solution to the group for scrutiny.
Over the next few weeks each of The Crimes Circle members with skill and reasoning present their conclusions of the guilty party to the group. All seem well thought out and logical. But only one is right.
”Artistic proof is, like artistic anything else, simply a matter of selection. If you know what to put in and what to leave out you can prove anything you like, quite conclusively.”
Will you be able to nail the murderer?
With the fair play that is paramount to The Detection Club, with cunning and humor, The Poisoned Chocolates Case is the great Golden Age Puzzle it is professed to be. I loved it.
veenasoujanya's review
5.0
This is one of the best mysteries I have ever read.
Hearing about the mysteries by different authors printed under"British Library Crime Classics" , I wanted to try them since a long time. With the free Kindle Unlimited, I was able to find few books and picked this one by chance. But what a book!
When Joan Bendix, the wife of rich Graham Bendix dies of poisoned chocolates, everyone considers it to be a murder by mistake as the chocolate box was intended to reach Sir Eustace Pennefather, a womanizer and a person of maligned character. When the Scotland Yard fails to catch the culprit, who wants to murder Sir Pennefather, they conclude that the sender must have been some maniac or a fanatic trying to rid society of one of its most immoral members.
Then come into the picture, a group of armchair detectives, who have founded the "Crimes Circle". A barrister, a writer of detective novels, a dramatist,a female author and the President of the circle Roger Sheringham who are all famous along with Mr Chitterwick, a common man of no particular appearance are the six members of this elite Circle, who have passed many tests and deserved a place for themselves in the group.
Chief Inspector Moresby, hands over the details of the case to the Crime Circle, by the request of Mr Sheringham to assist the Scotland Yard. The Circle decides to solve the case individually and present before the members, one by one their theory and suspect.After taking a week, each one comes up with a different take on the murder.
With the police established few facts beyond any doubt; that the parcel was posted the previous evening near The Strand; that the poison that was injected into each of the chocolates is nitrobenzene; and that the accompanying letter was typewritten on a piece of stationery from the manufacturers of the chocolates but not composed or sent by them; the six members present six different theories, six different motives and six different culprits; each one perfectly fitting the case.
The book is awesome, with two more alternative endings given in recent reprints. Leaving the fantastic story aside, the words and the vocabulary used by Berkeley is beautiful.It was hard for me to stop and check the meanings in between (thank God for Kindle, I needn't spend much time looking for them); but I can say i learnt at least a dozen new words. The language was beautiful and lyrical.
With an engaging mystery and an underlying tongue in cheek humor, it is one of must reads.
Hearing about the mysteries by different authors printed under"British Library Crime Classics" , I wanted to try them since a long time. With the free Kindle Unlimited, I was able to find few books and picked this one by chance. But what a book!
When Joan Bendix, the wife of rich Graham Bendix dies of poisoned chocolates, everyone considers it to be a murder by mistake as the chocolate box was intended to reach Sir Eustace Pennefather, a womanizer and a person of maligned character. When the Scotland Yard fails to catch the culprit, who wants to murder Sir Pennefather, they conclude that the sender must have been some maniac or a fanatic trying to rid society of one of its most immoral members.
Then come into the picture, a group of armchair detectives, who have founded the "Crimes Circle". A barrister, a writer of detective novels, a dramatist,a female author and the President of the circle Roger Sheringham who are all famous along with Mr Chitterwick, a common man of no particular appearance are the six members of this elite Circle, who have passed many tests and deserved a place for themselves in the group.
Chief Inspector Moresby, hands over the details of the case to the Crime Circle, by the request of Mr Sheringham to assist the Scotland Yard. The Circle decides to solve the case individually and present before the members, one by one their theory and suspect.After taking a week, each one comes up with a different take on the murder.
With the police established few facts beyond any doubt; that the parcel was posted the previous evening near The Strand; that the poison that was injected into each of the chocolates is nitrobenzene; and that the accompanying letter was typewritten on a piece of stationery from the manufacturers of the chocolates but not composed or sent by them; the six members present six different theories, six different motives and six different culprits; each one perfectly fitting the case.
The book is awesome, with two more alternative endings given in recent reprints. Leaving the fantastic story aside, the words and the vocabulary used by Berkeley is beautiful.It was hard for me to stop and check the meanings in between (thank God for Kindle, I needn't spend much time looking for them); but I can say i learnt at least a dozen new words. The language was beautiful and lyrical.
With an engaging mystery and an underlying tongue in cheek humor, it is one of must reads.
john_r's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
merrysociopath's review against another edition
3.0
Se la vostra parte preferita di un libro giallo è lo spiegone finale del detective, questo è decisamente il romanzo che fa per voi.
lazylys's review against another edition
2.0
Un libro sorretto da una gran bella idea - specialmente se si considera che è stato scritto sul finire degli anni Venti - ma quanto è pesante la scrittura!
Peccato.
Peccato.