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lizabethstucker's review against another edition
3.0
3 out of 5.
Subtitled "Mysteries for Bibliophiles", this is a collection of sixteen short stories published between the 1930s and early 1970s. The basic theme is mysteries from the world of books, victims or perpetrators who are authors or booksellers or others with a literary connection.
I was expecting to adore this book as older mysteries are usually my favorites. Plus there are some rather big names of mystery fiction from that period represented here. Don't get me wrong, these weren't bad, they were just meh. It was rather boring a read. None of the stories rated high enough to be a favorite or low enough to hate.
Contents:
"A Lesson in Crime" by G. D. H. & M. Cole (aka George Douglas Howard & Margaret Cole, husband & wife)
"Trent and the Ministering Angel" by E. C. Bentley
"A Slice of Bad Luck" by Nicholas Blake
"The Strange Case of the Megotherium Thefts" by S. C. Roberts
"Malice Domestic" by Philip MacDonald
"A Savage Game" by A. A. Milne
"The Clue in the Book" by Julian Symons
"The Manuscript" by Gladys Mitchell
"A Man and His Mother-in-Law" by Roy Vickers
"Grey's Ghost" by Michael Innes
"Dear Mr. Editor..." by Christianna Brand
"Murder in Advance" by Marjorie Bremner
"A Question of Character" by Victor Canning
"The Book of Honour" by John Creasey
"We Know You're Busy Writing..." by Edmund Crispin
"Chapter and Verse" by Ngaio Marsh
Subtitled "Mysteries for Bibliophiles", this is a collection of sixteen short stories published between the 1930s and early 1970s. The basic theme is mysteries from the world of books, victims or perpetrators who are authors or booksellers or others with a literary connection.
I was expecting to adore this book as older mysteries are usually my favorites. Plus there are some rather big names of mystery fiction from that period represented here. Don't get me wrong, these weren't bad, they were just meh. It was rather boring a read. None of the stories rated high enough to be a favorite or low enough to hate.
Contents:
"A Lesson in Crime" by G. D. H. & M. Cole (aka George Douglas Howard & Margaret Cole, husband & wife)
"Trent and the Ministering Angel" by E. C. Bentley
"A Slice of Bad Luck" by Nicholas Blake
"The Strange Case of the Megotherium Thefts" by S. C. Roberts
"Malice Domestic" by Philip MacDonald
"A Savage Game" by A. A. Milne
"The Clue in the Book" by Julian Symons
"The Manuscript" by Gladys Mitchell
"A Man and His Mother-in-Law" by Roy Vickers
"Grey's Ghost" by Michael Innes
"Dear Mr. Editor..." by Christianna Brand
"Murder in Advance" by Marjorie Bremner
"A Question of Character" by Victor Canning
"The Book of Honour" by John Creasey
"We Know You're Busy Writing..." by Edmund Crispin
"Chapter and Verse" by Ngaio Marsh
ranjkrish88's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
robinwalter's review against another edition
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
An entertaining anthology with some truly magnificent shorts, especially Christianna Brand's
bookitwithbecca's review against another edition
4.0
An anthology of what the editor calls "bibliomysteries," Murder by the Book is a wonderful introduction to Golden Age detective fiction. Each short story is, of course, a mystery connected somehow to books or writers, and each one is an engaging read â though some mysteries are more straightforward than others. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be seeking out more by the included authors, using Edwards's helpful introductory notes to find more titles.
My thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
My thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
shanaqui's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I am usually quite picky about short stories, and thus haven't picked up the short story collections from the British Library Crime Classics series. Buuut I couldn't resist a book of mysteries about books, so I decided to give it a go -- and you know, I think I might try out the other volumes too, at least where the theme piques my interest.
Edwards picked the stories well, and I can't think now of any of them I'd have called a real stinker. Some were cleverer than others, or better-written than others, but overall it was a really enjoyable collection, and a nice way to try out the stories of different crime writers. Not all were new to me, but some were, perhaps writers who specialised in short stories rather than novels? Or perhaps we'll see them in the British Library Crime Classics series in the end.
As ever, it's worth remembering that the stories have not been edited to take out offensive attitudes that wouldn't fly in a modern book.
Edwards picked the stories well, and I can't think now of any of them I'd have called a real stinker. Some were cleverer than others, or better-written than others, but overall it was a really enjoyable collection, and a nice way to try out the stories of different crime writers. Not all were new to me, but some were, perhaps writers who specialised in short stories rather than novels? Or perhaps we'll see them in the British Library Crime Classics series in the end.
As ever, it's worth remembering that the stories have not been edited to take out offensive attitudes that wouldn't fly in a modern book.
leandrathetbrzero's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
These Bibliomysteries Are To Die For
↓ Other Bibliomysteries ↓
1. The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie
2. Buried in a Good Book by Tamara Berry
3. Murder, She Wrote (obvi)
What is a bibliomystery?
A mystery that involves a literary element or theme. Perhaps the murder victim is a librarian, or the amateur sleuth is a bookseller or a writer; maybe a key clue is found inside a book, or the crime is stealing a valuable manuscript. You get the gist. It’s a bibliophile mystery reader’s dream!
As someone who loves her mysteries brimming with metafictional references, this anthology feels as though it was made for me! And even though these stories fit under the same mystery subgenre, that is where their similarities end. There is a great variety in locations, crimes, and story structures. This collection also includes many writers who are new to me which is always super fun because it increases my TBR wish list tenfold.
I was most impressed by how often the writers experimented with their twists at the end and their choice in perspectives. Sometimes we found ourselves following the killer’s movements, other times we discovered that one of the victims was not a victim at all. I loved this book so much that I bought myself a physical copy because it’s one that I will definitely be returning to time and time again.
My favorite stories (among SO many brilliant ones):
“Malice Domestic” by Philip MacDonald
“Chapter and Verse” by Ngaio Marsh
“A Question of Character” by Victor Canning
“Dear Mr. Editor…” by Christianna Brand
Thank you so much to Poisoned Pen Press and #Netgalley for gifting me an ARC of Murder By The Book edited by Martin Edwards in exchange for this honest review!
↓ Other Bibliomysteries ↓
1. The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie
2. Buried in a Good Book by Tamara Berry
3. Murder, She Wrote (obvi)
What is a bibliomystery?
A mystery that involves a literary element or theme. Perhaps the murder victim is a librarian, or the amateur sleuth is a bookseller or a writer; maybe a key clue is found inside a book, or the crime is stealing a valuable manuscript. You get the gist. It’s a bibliophile mystery reader’s dream!
As someone who loves her mysteries brimming with metafictional references, this anthology feels as though it was made for me! And even though these stories fit under the same mystery subgenre, that is where their similarities end. There is a great variety in locations, crimes, and story structures. This collection also includes many writers who are new to me which is always super fun because it increases my TBR wish list tenfold.
I was most impressed by how often the writers experimented with their twists at the end and their choice in perspectives. Sometimes we found ourselves following the killer’s movements, other times we discovered that one of the victims was not a victim at all. I loved this book so much that I bought myself a physical copy because it’s one that I will definitely be returning to time and time again.
My favorite stories (among SO many brilliant ones):
“Malice Domestic” by Philip MacDonald
“Chapter and Verse” by Ngaio Marsh
“A Question of Character” by Victor Canning
“Dear Mr. Editor…” by Christianna Brand
Thank you so much to Poisoned Pen Press and #Netgalley for gifting me an ARC of Murder By The Book edited by Martin Edwards in exchange for this honest review!
ssejig's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
4.0
Another collection put together by Martin Edwards, this one pulling together so-called bibliomysteries, stories that are literary adjacent. So they feature bookstores or libraries, maybe play off of a book, perhaps an author dies. A lovely little collection.
A Lesson in Crime by GDH and M. Cole
A mystery author is riding a train when a man joins him in his compartment. The man then proceeds to let the author know all the ways in which his last book failed. Instead, the man exhorts the author that he should write simpler murders and then proceeds to demonstrate exactly how that might work.
Trent and the Ministering Angel by E. C. Bentley
The story opens with two men, Trent and Selby, sitting in their club talking about an unusual client that Selby has recently had. Usually the man, Landell, works with one of Selby's associates but the associate was laid up with a broken leg so Selby goes to visit Landell when the man's wife, a termagent who keeps her husband under her thumb, sends a letter. He is not sure why he goes but this story raises Trent's antennae and the two are off on a mystery to look for a secret will.
A Slice of Bad Luck by Nicholas Blake
Nigel Strangeways is the guest of honor at an Assassins dinner, a sendoff of the Detectives' Club. Everyone there is a mystery writer or related to crime somehow. An author who has only two novels under his belt, Herbert Dale, remarks that it would be a marvelous setting for a murder. Then the lights go out and a man is murdered.
The murderer seems to come out of nowhere but an interesting story.
The Strange Case of the Megatherium Thefts by S. C. Roberts
A Watson and Holmes story, again told from the viewpoint of Dr. Watson. Professor Wiskerton comes from the Megatherium where a number of books from the lending library have been lost from circulation.
Short story with an interesting finish.
Malice Domestic by Philip MacDonald
Carl Borden is a writer of middling fame whose marriage with his wife Annette has been on the rocks lately. And he is having stomach cramps. After his wife feeds him. But he is not the one who dies.
A lovely little short story with a twist.
A Savage Game by A. A. Milne
A wealthy man dies leaving his money to two people -- his niece who has taken care of him and his nephew (her brother) who is a test driver for racing cars. The three of them had been together the day he died along with a man who translates books. They each had some tea which caused two of them to fall asleep in front of the fire. When the scholar wakes up, the uncle is dead; stabbed through the heart.
The Clue in the Book by Julian Symons
Warnings for outdated language about disabilities.
Francis Quarles appeared in many short stories as a detective. In this book, an Quarles is visiting the family of Silas Brinn. He has had a stroke but is surviving thanks to the care of his daughter, Mary, and hsi indefatigable secretary, Sam Clemens.
After dinner, Silas is found dead by an apparent suicide but Quarles thinks things might not be so cut and dried.
The Manuscript by Gladys Mitchell
A girl is dead. It seems that she may have been killed by a man who has a habit of trying to rehabilitate criminals. Though, to be fair, he usually collects their stories to write about in his collection.
REALLY short.
A Man and His Mother-In-Law by Roy Vickers
Arthur Penfold is a businessman. He married once and, after six months, his wife left a note behind. He has married again but this time, his mother-in-law stands in the way of his happiness. It's just too bad he buys her a book that leads to his downfall.
Grey's Ghost by Michael Innes
"Grey's ghost is black." At a gathering, people are talking about different engimatic phrases that people have called at said on the telephone. This particular phrase sets up a story wherein Appleby is able to decipher it's meaning.
Dear Mr. Editor... by Christianna Brand
An epistolary short story that was hard to understand at first but with a fantastic twist.
Murder in Advance by Marjorie Bremmer
A popular playwright is killed. But the man seems to have no enemies and his plays are highly enjoyed. At least the ones that have been released so far.
A Question of Character by Victor Canning
A look at toxic masculinity in action: Geoffrey Gilroy isn't going to kill his wife because he's in love with another woman (though he is). No, he is going to kill her because she is better at everything than he is, including being an author. Lovely twist.
A Book of Honour by John Creasey
The first person narrator makes the acquaintance of a man named Baburao, a book seller. Baburao is an incredibly good salesman who works his way up from selling books on the street to owning many bookstores. His biggest sadness in life is that his oldest son, Krishna, seems to be on the path to evil. It is with the narrator's help that the boy is brought to justice.
We Know You're Busy Writing by Edmund Crispin
As the title suggests, there is folly in interrupting an author at work.
Chapter and Verse by Ngaio Marsh
A bookseller tries to contact Roderick Alleyn about a Bible that is related to his town. Troy is on hand to talk to the man and she is the one to let Roderick know that she thinks the man's death is not an accident.
Four stars
This book comes out September 6, 2022
ARC kindly provided by Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley
Opinions are my own
Four stars
This book comes out September 6, 2022
ARC kindly provided by Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley
Opinions are my own
vsbedford's review against another edition
5.0
A fun collection of book-centered mysteries wherein books, booksellers, book enthusiasts, and writers all play interesting parts. Perhaps because writers like writing about their craft there's hardly a stinker in the bunch - a solid 95% are As and the other are probably Bs just by comparison (although I'd give "We Know You're Busy Writing" a fairly low grade as it just grated immensely). Christianna Brand's "Dear Mr. Editor..." is amazingly modern and striking for its sort of "off" tone - it's as if Ms. Brand got a writing prompt from Shirley Jackson and went ham. The gem, for me, of this anthology is Marjorie Bremner's "Murder in Advance." I'll be pursuing her (only two!) mystery novels as her writing is fresh and cinematic and her mystery plays fair with the reader. All in all a strong recommend.
I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.