The Layton Court Mystery (1925) by Anthony Berkeley

💙 Anthony Berkeley Cox was one of the most influential authors during the Golden Age detective fictions era. He was also the initiator of the Detection Club, which was formed in 1930 by several murder mystery authors such as Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, and their peers. As a fan of that sub genre, I was a little ashamed that I have not yet read many of Berkeley's works. I have read The Wintringham Mystery two years ago, and quite liked it, but none of his Roger Sheringham series. And so, I plan to work through the series by starting properly at the beginning, our first introduction to Roger Sheringham, the amateur detective. Interesting fact, The Layton Court Mystery was first published anonymously. 

💙 Roger Sheringham is a writer with intelligent mind. Along with his friend, Alexander Grierson, was invited to a house party at Layton Court by a wealthy businessman Victor Stanworth. At first, the atmosphere of the party was a jolly one; particularly for Mr. Grierson, or Alex, as Sheringham calls him, who has just been engaged to a girl called Barbara, also another guest at the party. However, things were quickly changed. First of all, Barbara suddenly calls off the engagement, with no clear reason. Then, the host, Mr. Stanworth was found dead in the library, shot on the head, with his hand still clutching the gun. The room was locked from the inside. The police and the coroner concluded that it was a suicide. But was it so? Roger Sheringham found some facts that didn't match with suicide idea, and with the help of Alex (the Watson to his Sherlock), Sheringham decided to investigate the murder, which, he was sure, was the true cause of his host's death.

💙 Berkeley had an idea to create an imperfect detective - contrary to the typical Golden Age detectives, which were usually good in their jobs, who could find the whodunnit when no one else could. They might made a few mistakes at first, but usually solved the case near the end. Roger Sheringham isn't that. He is confident of his deduction skill - and boasts about it a lot to Alex - but he made a lot of rush judgement, which usually leads him to a humiliating failure. I don't think this aspect appeals to me; I like it in fictions when the hero, well, acts like a hero, not fallible like we readers should be. Another thing, I felt that interactions between Sheringham and Alex were mostly redundant. I would love it if Berkeley involved the other characters more. I admit that the redundancy had something to do with the plot twist at the end (a very good one), but I have had lost interest long before the juicy part of the mystery came out. And thanks to Sheringham's many faulty deductions, and the redundancy, I have guessed the plot twist a chapter before it's supposed to be revealed. 

💙 On the whole, it is interesting as a debut series, but I would have enjoyed it more had it followed the usual course of Golden Age detective stories. I wonder if Roger Sheringham would turn better in the next cases. I might try another one, but if it's the same as this one, I might stop reading the series altogether.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Read for:

Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge 2026

hosted by Carol's Notebook

Missing or Murdered (1929) by Robin Forsythe

🤎 I have read two Algernon Vereker's mysteries before, and have enjoyed both. One thing that make them interesting is the friendly competition between Vereker - the amateur detective, and Detective Inspector Heather from Scotland Yard. I always enjoy their bantering, usually over a bottle of aperitif or beer at the bar. This book is the first in the series, and the one where they both met for the first time. I've been excited over this one, and in the end it proved to be satisfying!

🤎 Lord Bygrave from the Ministry office seemed to had vanished into thin air the day after he last left the office for a fortnight holiday in his country house. Detective Inspector Heather from Scotland Yard was in charge of the case, and Vereker, being Lord Bygrave intimate friend and executor, joins Heather in the investigation. The first thing to be established is whether Lord Bygrave is dead or alive, missing or murdered,  - hence the title. But that is difficult to determine. A lot of things were discovered, of course, such as the visit of a mysterious veiled lady shortly before the disappearance; bonds missing from his personal cabinet; a proposal to his beloved niece from a man he didn't approve of. In short, there are several possibilities, but very limited clues.

🤎 Like the usual Golden Age mysteries, it has several plot twists and red herrings, and we are continually wondering whether the man is missing or murdered. The story revolves around these possibilities with its many red herrings, till almost the very end. And that made it highly entertaining, besides the challenge between the Scotland yard and the amateur detective, of who could solve the puzzle first - each with his own strategy of pulling the other's legs, though with good sport, without jeopardizing the case.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Black Spectacles (1939) by John Dickson Carr

🕶 The story opens with Marcus Chesney, a wealthy man and the owner of Sodbury Cross, who was on holiday to Greece. He was accompanied by her niece Marjorie Wills, his brother Doctor Joseph (Joe) Chesney and a few friends. Marjorie's fiance completed the group, he's a photographer called Geoege something (I forgot). Inspector Elliot from Scotland Yard was also on the same tour, and he intently watched how things get awkward with the family as soon "poisoner" was mentioned. From here we get to know that Marjorie Wills had been suspected to have poisoned some chocolates in the local shop, causing death of one little boy.

🕶 Inspector Elliot was involved in this case, and while discussing the matter with the Superintendent and Chief Constable, a news came that Marcus Chesney has just been murdered, apparently, in front of eyewitnesses. Marcus held a conviction that eyewitnesses are mostly unreliable; they wouldn't relate accurately of what they had seen. He also solved To proof his theory, he staged a test for the family and friends - all who had accompanied him to Greece. George was tasked to film the whole procedure, while Joe Chesney couldn't attend due to his being summoned by a patient.

🕶 Marcus was helped by someone who was masked and disguised, who would given Marcus a green capsule, supposedly, to contain poison. You guest correctly if you think the capsule did contained poison, and thus, a staged murder became a real one. But if the other three persons were all spectators, who, then, was the murderer?

🕶 While the story unfolds, we get to notice that Inspector Elliot is not going to be the star investigator. Especially when it's clear that he was infatuated with Marjorie, and he let his emotion clouded his logical mind. He consulted Doctor Gideon Fell, and the latter it was who would become the mystery solver.

🕶 This was my first Carr, and I was thoroughly impressed. No wonder too, since The Black Spectacles is daubed to be Carr's masterpiece. The plot is genius, with minimum suspect, and lack of clear motive. There are two cases of poisoning too, the chocolate poisoning seems to be a random case. No one could predict who's going to buy the poisoned chocolate among the harmless others. So, what's the motive? And Marcus' murder, is it to prevent him revealing the chocolate poisoner? Or something else? On the whole, it's an ingenious mystery, a perfect read for true murder mystery/detective novels lovers, highlighted the psychological aspect. One slight problem for me is the lengthy explanation from Doctor Fell on the psychological theory; it's interesting, but a bit too long to be entertaining.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

The Moving Finger (1942) by Agatha Christie

✒ I have just realized why I can't seem to remember any Miss Marple books I have read before. It's because Miss Marple is perhaps the most inconspicuous amateur detective that ever existed in crime fiction. This book is one clear proof of it. True, it is Jane Marple who eventually solved the mystery, but she only appeared in the last fourth of the story. And that's only for several scenes.

✒ Jerry and Joanna Burton take abode at Little Furze in a quite town of Lymstock, where 'nothing ever happens', on doctor's orders. Jerry is recuperated from injury after plane crash landing. When they begin to settle in, Jerry receives what people call a poison pen letter, insinuating that he and Joanna aren't brother and sister. Disgusted, Jerry throws it away, and thinks it must be a wicked joke from some neighbors who dislike strangers coming to their town.

✒ It turns out later, that many others have also received the same kind of letter. People begin to feel uneasy, feeling that something nasty is bound to happen. And it indeed happens to a Mrs. Symmington, who, after receiving a nasty poison pen letter, committed suicide.

✒ Now, it is not a matter of evil joke anymore, and soon the police is involved. But a murder then follows - a maid worked at the Symmingtons, and people get more restless. The vicar's wife, impatient with the police's slow progress, takes initiative to bring in 'an expert'. The expert turns out to be none other than our dear Miss Jane Marple!

✒ I liked this charming and rather sweet mystery. The solution is clever, and I couldn't guess the murderer. The most interesting element, though, is its similarities with two other Christie's earlier books. First, Jerry Burton was tagged by the constable along his investigation. This, and Jerry's remark that usually in detective novel, a person who's given that privilege turns out to be the murderer, instantly reminded me of another prominent book by Christie. I won't reveal the title, but if you know, you know!

✒ Secondly, Jerry also reminded me of Captain Hastings, in term of his love interest and the way the girl being used as decoy. Again, I won't reveal the title, but the similarity is uncanny. All in all, it's a quiet delightful book with not one, but two romances!

P.S. Without mentioning any title, can you identify the two titles I'm speaking about, which I think are similar to this book?

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

Fire in the Thatch (1946) by E.C.R. Lorac

🔥 Chief Inspector Robert MacDonald has become my favorite police-detective since my first E.C.R Lorac: Murder in the Mill-Race. I like his methodical investigation and communication skill. In this case, MacDonald (or the Scotland Yard) was summoned to give his opinion on a burnt thatched cottage in a rural countryside at Mallory Fitzjohn, Devon; whether it was an accident or a foul play.

🔥 Nicholas Vaughan bought Little Thatch, a cottage belongs to Colonel St. Cyres, and planned to farm the land and renovate the cottage. Colonel St. Cyres and his daughter were pleased with their new tenant, a conscientious hardworking man, compared to his competitor, a gentleman from London called Mr. Gressingham. The later was recommended by June St. Cyres, the colonel's daughter-in-law, whom the colonel had dismissed (the proposal from the gentleman, not the daughter-in-law).

🔥 One day Little Thatched was on fire, and Vaughan was found killed inside. The local police marked the case as accident, but a navy captain who had been Vaughan's chief suspected a foul play. This is a mystery where the key to solve it lays in the personality of the victim - a field where Robert MacDonald is an expert of.

🔥 The mystery itself isn't very complicated. It lacks of suspects and surprises. June St. Cyres hasn't got an opportunity to be closely investigated by MacDonald, and I feel that she's there at all only to bring Gressingham and his London lot into the picture. However, the countryside atmosphere and the detailed description of Vaughan's farming infused a charm into this story. Vaughan has a pleasant personality; his relationship with the St. Cyreses is heartwarming. We are fortunate to enjoy these two elements long enough before the tragedy came into the picture.

🔥 All in all, it is another enjoyable murder mystery from Lorac.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Belgrave Manor Crime (1935) by Moray Dalton, for #RIPXVIII

🔴 I must thank Dean Street Press for recommending this book for Halloween read; it is a wonderful crime story, and, with occultism and a satanist rite, made it a perfect read for Halloween.

🔴 Cosmo Thor is a psychic investigator (of course he is, with a name like that!), thus an authority in occult sciences. On board a train, he met Madame Luna, a downtrodden palmist who had been unjustly imprisoned, and now was going home to pick up her daughter, whom a philanthropist woman has been willingly taking care of. One day Madame Luna desperately sought Thor's help when he's not home. But when he knew about it, he couldn't find her. He confides in his friend, Inspector Hugh Collier, about this puzzling incident, and later find out that she was actually dead, murdered.

🔴 Tracing her footsteps, Thor visits the Belgrave Manor, where Mrs. Maulfry, a wealthy eccentric philanthropist, is keeping Allie, Madame Luna's little beloved daughter. She hires a governess, a Miss Kent, to look after the child. But the whole arrangement is hushed up and very suspicious to Thor.

🔴 Thor makes friend with Dennis Garland, the property agent who'd rented the Belgrave Manor to Mrs. Maulfry. The young man is infatuated with Miss Kent. Then a series of sinister things happen. Thor escaped a grave accident after having invited to dinner at Belgrave Manor, and is now unconscious. With no evidence of foul play, but only strong instinct, Inspector Collier decides to unofficially investigate the case during his holiday, without backup from Scotland Yard.

🔴 This was the 5th book in the series, and I found that Inspector Collier is none the wiser than in his first case in One by One They Disappeared. He talks too much about the case to persons involved, like he trusts them too much. Not the sign of a good detective, methink, but perhaps Dalton intended him to be more believable? With the vulnerability of a human being, and not a superhero?

🔴 But besides that, this is an unusual crime story. Belgrave Manor as the setting provides an eerie atmosphere to the case - the red pillars on the hall almost felt like a living being. It was quite suspenseful when Dennis entered it in order to save the woman he loves. I loved Dennis Garland, by the way. He is a brave, dependable, and loving person. I also liked Celia Kent, though I think she is too trustworthy to her employer. When your boss must conceal you from public eyes, there's got to be something amiss, despite all the boss' kindness or charities.

🔴 The villains are mostly honorable and high ranking people, and the Superintendent's first reluctance is quite understandable. The dilemma between saving your own career (and with it, people you loved most) and seeking truth and justice is often nerve wrecking. I admired the Superintendent's decision when revealing the true identity of the Master behind the Satanic occultism rites.

🔴 All in all, it is a fast-paced, eerie, sinister, suspenseful, but enjoyable crime story with a little hint of sweet romance. Another superb writing from Dalton!

Rating: 4 / 5

This book counts for:

#RIPXVIII

British Crime Classics Challenge 2023

For Monthly Theme: Spooky Mysteries

The Unfinished Clue (1934) by Georgette Heyer

💃🏻 Sir Arthur Billington-Smith is the type of person who attracts murder. He's a bully, unpleasant man, who treated his family horribly, and made everyone miserable. Thus, it is clear from the beginning who the victim would be.

💃🏻 Sir Arthur and Lady Fay Billington-Smith is receiving guests for the weekend in their countryside house. Dinah Fawcet, Fay's sister, is staying to support her sister. She's an intelligent, efficient, no-nonsense girl. Also staying as guests: Camilla Halliday, who is flirting with her host, with her jealous husband Basil; Sir Arthur's hard-up nephew: Francis Billington-Smith; and Stephen Guest, a family friend who's in love with Fay Billington-Smith and wants to marry her. Last but definitely not least: Sir Arthur's rebellious son Geoffrey, who's causing upheaval at her father's house by bringing home with him his new fianceé, an insolent selfish cabaret dancer named Lola de Silva.

💃🏻 Sir Arthur was found dead in his study, stabbed on the neck, with only a piece of paper, with unfinished word or sentence written before death took him, as the clue. Excepting Dinah Fawcet, who had neither opportunity nor strong motive to kill him, all the others are suspects. Is it an insider's job? Or one of the servants or other non-staying guests? Whoever it was, the local police were in a difficult position to handle the case, so they call in the Scotland Yard.

💃🏻 Inspector Harding is the epitome of a perfect crime detective. Educated in Oxford, and gentlemanly in his manner, he skillfully deals with the people concerned. He's a charming man too. Had Heyer written a series of Inspector Harding, he would be my favorite detective. Unfortunately, this is a standalone book, and Harding himself uttered a wish to leave Yard and become a farmer in the final chapter. While performing his investigation diligently, he still has time to court the admirable Dinah Fawcet, who reciprocates his affection. What I loved from him most, is his ability in deduction and extracting information from suspects, and his professional authority when he's on duty, which always commanding respect instead of fear.

💃🏻 All in all, this was a perfect Golden Age detective story. A charming detective, a wonderful plot with surprising twist, a proportionate writing with decent pace, a tinge of efficient romance, pleasant and believable characters, set in an English countryside. What more could you expect? Well, more books, actually...! But as we won’t have it, at least this one has been a very wholesome read.

Rating: 5 / 5

This book counts for: British Crime Classics Challenge 2023

For Bingo Card: Death by Stabbing

The Crooked Wreath aka Suddenly at His Residence (1946) by Christianna Brand

🖼️ The Crooked Wreath is book #3 of Inspector Cockrill series. It was originally published in the UK by different title: Suddenly at His Residence. I have ranted before on how publishers annoyingly change titles when publishing cross country. For this book, however, I prefer the US title: The Crooked Wreath. I happened to listen to the audiobook version with the same title. 'Suddenly at His Residence' seems to reveal too much of the book. By reading the title, I immediately guessed the victim-to-be; it must be a wealthy man. The crime is perhaps within the family, and the motive would be inheritance. And so it is what the book is about!

🖼️ Sir Richard Marsh is a wealthy man; the owner of Swanswater estate, but he's turned a bitter man. When his wife, Serafita, was still alive, he had cheated on her. After her death, Sir Richard married Bella, his mistress. But, perhaps out of guilt, he made in his house a shrine for Serafita, complete with her portrait, and a wreath. Her ballet shoes were also kept around the house (she was a ballerina). Every anniversary of her death, he made his family gather around this shrine to do a kind of memorial ceremony. And so, long after her death, Serafita is still 'resided' in her house.

🖼️ This year his grandchildren attend the memorial. There are Philip, with his wife Ellen, Claire (who is having an affair with Philip), and Peta. Those three are his grandchildren by his deceased wife. Also attend the service are Edward, his grandson by Bella; and Sir Richard's young lawyer, Stephen, who is in love with Peta. Annoyed by these young people's lack of respect, Sir Richard threatened to disinherit them.

🖼️ On that fatal night Sir Richard spent the night at the lodge, where, he spitefully stated, he would make a new will. The next morning, the family found him dead of poisoning, while the will was nowhere to be found. No one could have entered the lodge that night because the gravel path was freshly rolled by the gardener. And when his body was first found, the path was still pristine. How, then, the murder could have been done?

🖼️ Inspector Cockrill is investigating the case, however, his role in the story was passive - too passive for a detective story. The deduction was mostly done by the suspects. They alternately come up with solutions of who must have been the murderer, and how it must have been done. It means that we get to suspect each of the family member along the story, and each of them is quite plausible.

🖼️ This story reminds me of Heads You Lose; closed-circle of suspect (within the family); Cockrill's passive involvement and his good relationship with the family; and the psychological suspense in the end. This one's ending is unsettling, though. Cockrill relies too much on the suspects, I think it would've been better had the story been without detective. And the dramatic, theatrical ending is rather unreal for me. It could be good for a Hollywood movie, but rather unsuited for the tone of the whole story.

🖼️ To conclude, it is an intriguing locked-room mystery, brilliantly written, but with unsettling ending, and lack of detective role.

Rating: 3,5 / 5

This book counts for: British Crime Classics Challenge 2023

For Bingo Card: Locked Room Mystery 

Murder in the Mill-Race (1952) by E.C.R. Lorac: An Audiobook Review

🔶️ When Dr. and Mrs. Raymond Ferens moved to a rural village called Milham in the Moor of Devon, they were charmed by the picturesque village. But after a while they begin to notice the hidden malice among its people.

🔶️ Sister Monica is the warden of the local children's home. Though everyone praises her very highly - almost like a saint - the Ferens see her as a cruel authoritarian woman with huge influence among the people. But they wisely keep their knowledge to themselves, and not interfere with the children's home affair.

🔶️ Then one day Sister Monica's body was found floating near the mill, with bruises on the back of her head. Neither suicide nor accident were considered possible, and therefore... murder it was. But, who's done it? And why?

🔶️ The local Sergeant finds it difficult at first to deal with the village people, in finding clues or motive. Unanimously they shut their mouths as tightly as clamps; no one seems to know anything, and everyone seems to protect the others. But Chief Inspector MacDonald is undeterred by this show off of "village loyalty". He's an outsider, and he wisely but determinedly uses his authority to dig for facts.

🔶️ The further Inspector MacDonald digs, the more it is revealed that Sister Monica wasn't saintly at all. Dark secrets were enveloping her person, that somebody's honour was threatened.

🔶️ This was my first Lorac's, and I instantly loved her style. She reminds me a little of Agatha Christie's small-village-mystery. Inspector MacDonald becomes my new favorite detective now; his deduction and understanding of psychological aspect of human beings is marvellous, and his way of handling people is uncanny. He has Hercule Poirot's confidence as well as intelligence, but without the latter's (cough) vanity.

🔶️ I always love simplistic mystery in small villages, where everybody knows everything about everyone - there's bound to be hatred, gossips, and jealousy underneath the supposedly peaceful atmosphere. This one is all that. A simple but satisfying read!

Rating: 4,5 / 5

This book counts for British Crime Classics Challenge 2023

For Bingo Card: Death by Drowning
For Monthly Theme: Authors New to Me

One by One They Disappeared by Moray Dalton (1929): A Golden Age Mystery

🔹️Nine men and one cat had survived a sunken ship. The oldest - and richest - of them, Mr. Pakenham, as a token of gratitude to his fellow survivors for helping him on board the live boat, has been hosting  annual elaborate dinners for them over the years. On the last dinner, he announced that the eight of them were made joint-beneficiaries in his will.

🔹️This year, however, only two of them appeared at the dinner. Young uprising Inspector Hugh Collier from Scotland Yard was present at the same building when the two guests arrived. Therefore, when few days later he learned that one of them died from an accident, he feels that something isn't quite right, and investigates the case.

🔹️Tracing the remaining survivors, Collier finds out that several of them has been died recently. Either by accident or presumably by nature. It's clear now that it's murder for money gain. Someone, apparently, is too greedy that he wants to dip into the whole inheritance at once.

🔹️Also involved in this case is the other guest attended the dinner, a Gerald Freyne. He's attracted to a girl called Corrina, the ward of Freyne's neighbor: Mr. Stark. When Freyne disappears one day, Inspector Collier was helped by Mr. Pakenham and Jehosaphat, his beloved cat, both of whom proved to be of hugely valuable helps in solving the case.

🔹️ All in all, it was a fast-pace whodunnit murder mystery spiced with a little bit of romance. Dalton wrote this in 1929, the first book of a series. Maybe due to it being the first book, the Inspector I found isn't very smart. He made a huge blunder (which no detective should ever do) that nearly caused catastrophe to one of the innocent parties. I cringed everytime he did it, like: "Don't do that!!" Moreover, old Pakenham also inspired Collier more than once during the investigation. I do hope he'll be much developing throughout the series, since I still want to read more of it!

🔹️Of the murderer, I could guess pretty easily, so it's not a surprise. Despite of the flawed detective, I enjoyed this mystery, especially the most critical moments in the last chapters. One more thing I do not agree is the way Dalton "off-staging" the brave cat Jehoshaphat by only mentioning casually of him in a conversation (or in the narrative?) He saved a girl’s life, no less! It's not the way one treating a hero, but you can’t dictate a writer, right?

Rating: 3,5 / 5


I'm not sure whether one might call this book a cat-theme book. There's a cat, yes, and he has a substantial role in the mystery, but he makes seldom appearance and very little stage was provided for by the writer. So, I would put this book as an honorary entry to Literary Potpourri's Reading The Meow 2023.