Tag Archives: British Library Crime Classics

Crossed Skis: An Alpine Mystery by Carol Carnac ~ A British Library Crime Classic #PoliceProcedural #Mystery #FridayReads

Posted in Book Review, British Library Crime Classics, Crime, Mystery, Police Procedural by

Author: Carol Carnac

British Library Publishing; 1st edition (10 April 2020)

Category: Crime, Mystery, Police Procedural, Book Review

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In Bloomsbury, London, Inspector Brook of Scotland Yard looks down at a dismal scene. The victim of a ruthless murder lies burnt beyond recognition, his possessions and papers destroyed by fire. But there is one strange, yet promising, lead – a lead which suggests the involvement of a skier. Meanwhile, piercing sunshine beams down on the sparkling snow of the Austrian Alps, where a merry group of holidaymakers are heading towards Lech am Arlberg. Eight men and eight women take to the slopes, but, as the C.I.D. scrambles to crack the perplexing case in Britain, the ski party are soon to become sixteen suspects.
This exciting, and now extremely rare, mystery novel was first published in 1952, one year after the author’s own excursion to the Austrian Alps.

‘Crossed skis means danger ahead…’

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The Body in the Dumb River by George Bellairs ~ British Library #CrimeClassics #Murder #Mystery

Posted in Book Review, Classic Crime, Murder, Mystery by

Author: George Bellairs

Published: August 2019 by British Library Publishing

Category: Classic Crime, Murder, Mystery, Book Review

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Jim Teasdale has been drowned in the Dumb River, near Ely, miles from his Yorkshire home. His body, clearly dumped in the usually silent (‘dumb’) waterway, has been discovered before the killer intended — disturbed by a torrential flood.

With critical urgency it’s up to Superintendent Littlejohn of Scotland Yard to trace the mystery of the unassuming victim’s murder to its source, leaving waves of scandal and sensation in his wake as the hidden, salacious dealings of Jim Teasdale begin to surface. 

First published in 1961, The Body in The Dumb River has been reissued by the British Library Crime Classics. I’ve read and enjoyed a few of these classic crime novels, this is the first by George Bellairs. I didn’t realise the Littlejohn books were such a long running series but this book quite easily reads as a stand alone.

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Fire in The Thatch: A Devon Mystery by E.C.R. Lorac ~ British Library #CrimeClassics #PoliceProcedural #TuesdayBookBlog

Posted in Book Review, British Library Crime Classics, Crime, Historical, Mystery, Police Procedural by

Author: E.C.R. Lorac

Published: February 2018 by The British Library Publishing Division

Category: Classic Crime, Police Procedural, Historical, Book Review

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The Second World War is drawing to a close. Nicholas Vaughan, released from the army after an accident, takes refuge in Devon renting a thatched cottage in the beautiful countryside at Mallory Fitzjohn. Vaughan sets to work farming the land, rearing geese and renovating the cottage. Hard work and rural peace seem to make this a happy bachelor life. 

The first few chapters build characterisations, mostly through dialogue, giving a good indication of people’s personalities and viewpoints. This approach means the main point of the story is reached with fairly well fleshed out characters, which worked well.

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The Cornish Coast Murder by John Bude (British Library Crime Classics) #CosyMystery Book Review #FridayReads

Posted in Book Review, British Library Crime Classics, Cosy Mystery, Crime, Mystery by

Author: John Bude

Republished: March 2014 by The British Library Publishing Division

Category: Crime, Mystery, Thriller, Police Procedural, Book Review

The Reverend Dodd, vicar of the quiet Cornish village of Boscawen, spends his evenings reading detective stories by the fireside – but heaven forbid that the shadow of any real crime should ever fall across his seaside parish.

This classic mystery of the golden age of the golden age of British crime is set against the vividly described backdrop of a fishing village on Cornwall’s Atlantic coast. It is now republished for the first time since the 1930s with an introduction by the award-winning crime writer Martin Edwards.

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