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A review by carolpk
The Poisoned Chocolates Case by Anthony Berkeley
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.