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svardy's review against another edition
4.0
I’d give this a low 4 rating, maybe high 3. The writing style is very in line with the 20s british mysteries of Agathe Christie and Arthur Connan Doyle. The plot is well contructed, some of rhe character names are a bit confusing but the twist at the end is really good. No Agathe Christie but definately worth the read.
lileuw's review against another edition
3.0
Oh I really liked this one for a change! Usually, the Detective Club books are huge disappointments, but I enjoyed it.
Now, is there sexism? Yeah.
There was also something that I could only describe as 'positive antisemitism', praising this one guy to the high heavens because he was a "good solid Jew" that "wasn't mixed with anything " so you know he's a good one. There were more instances of this in several conversations and just ... Idk, it just felt really weird. If you can look past this one and the fact that this book was totally not a serious one, I do recommend it.
Now, is there sexism? Yeah.
There was also something that I could only describe as 'positive antisemitism', praising this one guy to the high heavens because he was a "good solid Jew" that "wasn't mixed with anything " so you know he's a good one. There were more instances of this in several conversations and just ... Idk, it just felt really weird. If you can look past this one and the fact that this book was totally not a serious one, I do recommend it.
crazygoangirl's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
3.0
This one has a better narrator than Murder in the Basement thank God! Another interesting case for Sheringham and Moresby. A serial killer is on the loose, murdering young women and making it look like suicide. There are no substantial clues and the few that have turned up haven’t amounted to much.
Sheringham is as usual supremely confident in his ability to solve the mystery. Moresby as always is dedicated and thorough, following procedure and plodding along, unlike Sheringham who is given to bursts of questionable brilliance and inspiration. I had guessed intuitively and in a Sheringham-like burst of inspiration at the identity of the killer. There are clues sprinkled through the narrative. The climax however was rather bizarre! Throughout the book, Sheringham runs a parallel investigation into the mystery and shares none of his findings with Scotland Yard! I’m not sure how the Yard functioned back then but I find it impossible to believe that it would sit back and allow private citizens (however famous), to conduct an investigation in the manner that Sheringham does! During the climax, he puts people in danger of losing their lives while the police sit around and watch as per his instructions! The entire scene is unbelievable!
I was extremely annoyed with Sheringham throughout this book and I’m not quite sure that’s not what Berkeley was aiming for 🤷🏼♀️ Oh well! It was fun for a bit before it got crazy 😆
Sheringham is as usual supremely confident in his ability to solve the mystery. Moresby as always is dedicated and thorough, following procedure and plodding along, unlike Sheringham who is given to bursts of questionable brilliance and inspiration. I had guessed intuitively and in a Sheringham-like burst of inspiration at the identity of the killer. There are clues sprinkled through the narrative. The climax however was rather bizarre! Throughout the book, Sheringham runs a parallel investigation into the mystery and shares none of his findings with Scotland Yard! I’m not sure how the Yard functioned back then but I find it impossible to believe that it would sit back and allow private citizens (however famous), to conduct an investigation in the manner that Sheringham does! During the climax, he puts people in danger of losing their lives while the police sit around and watch as per his instructions! The entire scene is unbelievable!
I was extremely annoyed with Sheringham throughout this book and I’m not quite sure that’s not what Berkeley was aiming for 🤷🏼♀️ Oh well! It was fun for a bit before it got crazy 😆
angela_king's review against another edition
mysterious
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
2.5
I woul have rated this higher if it wasn't for the explicitly anti-semitic views of the characters as they compared 'good jews' and 'bad jews'. Probably reflective of the time it was written in but Uuck. With a rewrite this would be an entertaining read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Antisemitism
bev_reads_mysteries's review against another edition
3.0
The Silk Stocking Murders by Anthony Berkeley (1928) is another fine example of the Golden Age amatuer detective. Independent and a writer of best-selling novels as well as a crime-themed article for The Daily Courier, Roger Sheringham is interested in detection and always ready to help the officials out when they seem to be going astray.
Sheringham is first brought into this mystery by a note from a country parson. His daughter Janet had left home to try and ease his burden of feeding five daughters and to try and make her way in the world well enough to send home support for her sisters. After writing faithfully for some time, her letters simply stopped. The vicar doesn't want publicity and doesn't want to involve the police, but, having read Sheringham's articles, thought he might be willing to investigate. Sheringham is touched by the letter and the vicar's faith in him and sets out to find the girl. Unfortunately, he has been set on the trail too late and he soon finds that Janet is dead. She was found hanged by her own silk stocking and the coroner and his jury quickly found for a case of suicide. But then other girls, including a society darling, are found dead in similar circumstance and Sheringham and the police begin to wonder if this is simply a case of copycat suicides or something much more sinister. It takes one final attempt on the sister of the first victim for Sheringham to finally work out who the culprit is. But there is no real evidence and he is forced to perform a reconstruction of the crimes in order to flush the villain out.
Sheringham is, as I said, another example of the Golden Age detective...with a twist. He is by no means infallible...and makes several mistakes along the way to the solution. He is also young and brash and very sure of himself--and the police, primarily in the person of Inspector Moresby, are often on hand to see his brashness land him in one of his many mistakes. It is refreshing to have an amatuer detective who isn't perfect and always right. I was a bit dismayed at how long it took Sheringham to figure out that he had murder on his hands and not suicides. I realize that I, as the reader, had a head-start on him--after all, the book wasn't titled The Silk Stocking Suicides--but still. Would a girl really hang herself with one sock on and one sock off, as it were? I don't think so.
I hadn't read any of Berkeley's mysteries since The Poisoned Chocolate Case (one of his best) and have missed his style and his detective. Even though I was ahead of Sheringham throughout (I fingered the culprit early on, although I could not for the life of me figure out how he managed to be in two places at once), I thoroughly enjoyed this romp through the Golden Age. And I absolutely love Sheringham's parting shot to Inspector Morseby: "Do you know what's the matter with your real detectives at Scotland Yard, Morseby? You don't read enough of those detective stories." Three and a half stars
Sheringham is first brought into this mystery by a note from a country parson. His daughter Janet had left home to try and ease his burden of feeding five daughters and to try and make her way in the world well enough to send home support for her sisters. After writing faithfully for some time, her letters simply stopped. The vicar doesn't want publicity and doesn't want to involve the police, but, having read Sheringham's articles, thought he might be willing to investigate. Sheringham is touched by the letter and the vicar's faith in him and sets out to find the girl. Unfortunately, he has been set on the trail too late and he soon finds that Janet is dead. She was found hanged by her own silk stocking and the coroner and his jury quickly found for a case of suicide. But then other girls, including a society darling, are found dead in similar circumstance and Sheringham and the police begin to wonder if this is simply a case of copycat suicides or something much more sinister. It takes one final attempt on the sister of the first victim for Sheringham to finally work out who the culprit is. But there is no real evidence and he is forced to perform a reconstruction of the crimes in order to flush the villain out.
Sheringham is, as I said, another example of the Golden Age detective...with a twist. He is by no means infallible...and makes several mistakes along the way to the solution. He is also young and brash and very sure of himself--and the police, primarily in the person of Inspector Moresby, are often on hand to see his brashness land him in one of his many mistakes. It is refreshing to have an amatuer detective who isn't perfect and always right. I was a bit dismayed at how long it took Sheringham to figure out that he had murder on his hands and not suicides. I realize that I, as the reader, had a head-start on him--after all, the book wasn't titled The Silk Stocking Suicides--but still. Would a girl really hang herself with one sock on and one sock off, as it were? I don't think so.
I hadn't read any of Berkeley's mysteries since The Poisoned Chocolate Case (one of his best) and have missed his style and his detective. Even though I was ahead of Sheringham throughout (I fingered the culprit early on, although I could not for the life of me figure out how he managed to be in two places at once), I thoroughly enjoyed this romp through the Golden Age. And I absolutely love Sheringham's parting shot to Inspector Morseby: "Do you know what's the matter with your real detectives at Scotland Yard, Morseby? You don't read enough of those detective stories." Three and a half stars
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