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The Golden Age of Murder
A real-life detective story, investigating how Agatha Christie and colleagues in a mysterious literary club transformed crime fiction, writing books casting new light on unsolved murders whilst hiding clues to their authors’ darkest secrets. Now an Edgar Award Nominee!
This is the first book about the Detection Club, the world’s most famous and most mysterious social network of crime writers. Drawing on years of in-depth research, it reveals the astonishing story of how members such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers reinvented detective fiction.
Detective stories from the so-called “Golden Age” between the wars are often dismissed as cosily conventional. Nothing could be further from the truth: some explore forensic pathology and shocking serial murders, others delve into police brutality and miscarriages of justice; occasionally the innocent are hanged, or murderers get away scot-free. Their authors faced up to the Slump and the rise of Hitler during years of economic misery and political upheaval, and wrote books agonising over guilt and innocence, good and evil, and explored whether killing a fellow human being was ever justified. Though the stories included no graphic sex scenes, sexual passions of all kinds seethed just beneath the surface.
Attracting feminists, gay and lesbian writers, Socialists and Marxist sympathisers, the Detection Club authors were young, ambitious and at the cutting edge of popular culture – some had sex lives as bizarre as their mystery plots. Fascinated by real life crimes, they cracked unsolved cases and threw down challenges to Scotland Yard, using their fiction to take revenge on people who hurt them, to conduct covert relationships, and even as an outlet for homicidal fantasy. Their books anticipated not only CSI, Jack Reacher and Gone Girl, but also Lord of the Flies. The Club occupies a unique place in Britain’s cultural history, and its influence on storytelling in fiction, film and television throughout the world continues to this day.
The Golden Age of Murder rewrites the story of crime fiction with unique authority, transforming our understanding of detective stories and the brilliant but tormented men and women who wrote them.
This is the first book about the Detection Club, the world’s most famous and most mysterious social network of crime writers. Drawing on years of in-depth research, it reveals the astonishing story of how members such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers reinvented detective fiction.
Detective stories from the so-called “Golden Age” between the wars are often dismissed as cosily conventional. Nothing could be further from the truth: some explore forensic pathology and shocking serial murders, others delve into police brutality and miscarriages of justice; occasionally the innocent are hanged, or murderers get away scot-free. Their authors faced up to the Slump and the rise of Hitler during years of economic misery and political upheaval, and wrote books agonising over guilt and innocence, good and evil, and explored whether killing a fellow human being was ever justified. Though the stories included no graphic sex scenes, sexual passions of all kinds seethed just beneath the surface.
Attracting feminists, gay and lesbian writers, Socialists and Marxist sympathisers, the Detection Club authors were young, ambitious and at the cutting edge of popular culture – some had sex lives as bizarre as their mystery plots. Fascinated by real life crimes, they cracked unsolved cases and threw down challenges to Scotland Yard, using their fiction to take revenge on people who hurt them, to conduct covert relationships, and even as an outlet for homicidal fantasy. Their books anticipated not only CSI, Jack Reacher and Gone Girl, but also Lord of the Flies. The Club occupies a unique place in Britain’s cultural history, and its influence on storytelling in fiction, film and television throughout the world continues to this day.
The Golden Age of Murder rewrites the story of crime fiction with unique authority, transforming our understanding of detective stories and the brilliant but tormented men and women who wrote them.
528 pages, Hardcover
First published May 7, 2015
186 people are currently reading
1822 people want to read
About the author
Martin Edwards
359 books771 followersMartin Edwards has been described by Richard Osman as ‘a true master of British crime writing.’ He has published twenty-three novels, which include the eight Lake District Mysteries, one of which was shortlisted for the Theakston’s Prize for best crime novel of the year and four books featuring Rachel Savernake, including the Dagger-nominated Gallows Court and Blackstone Fell, while Gallows Court and Sepulchre Street were shortlisted for the eDunnit award for best crime novel of the year. He is also the author of two multi-award-winning histories of crime fiction, The Life of Crime and The Golden Age of Murder. He has received three Daggers from the Crime Writers’ Association and two Edgars from the Mystery Writers of America and has also been nominated three times for Gold Daggers. In addition to the CWA Diamond Dagger (the highest honour in UK crime writing) he has received four other lifetime achievement awards: for his fiction, short fiction, non-fiction, and scholarship. He is consultant to the British Library’s Crime Classics, a former Chair of the CWA, and since 2015 has been President of the Detection Club.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 204 reviews
December 24, 2021
This is a history of the Detection Club; an elite social network of crime writers, during the Golden Age period of 1930 – 1949. The book begins in 1937, with Ngaio Marsh attending a ritual dinner to elect the new President of the Detection Club, complete with ‘Eric the Skull’ and a host of crime writers who included founding members Dorothy L Sayers, Anthony Berkeley and Agatha Christie. Between the years this book covers, thirty nine members were elected. In order to be admitted to this elite company, writers had to produce work of ‘admitted merit’ – which was basically a code to keep out popular authors that members considered ‘crude’ such as Tiger Standish or ‘Sapper.’
As well as being a fascinating history of the Detection club during this Golden era for crime writing, the author gives biographies of those involved, their relationships with each other, and also detours to discuss true crimes of the time which inspired the members. Many of the members found the Club a refuge, where they could be themselves and discuss their craft with those who would understand their problems. Anthony Berkeley first approached other writers about organising a dining club to discuss matters concerning their craft and it led to many collaborative writing projects.
Importantly, criticisms levelled at Golden Age fiction are also tackled. Often derided as ‘cosy’ the author points out that most people were unwilling to face too much violence after the First World War and wished to be entertained. In a time of financial hardship, in the depression, novels set in exotic locations also gave a sense of escapism to readers. While living in a bed sit and coping with innumerable problems – including the personal tragedy of having to have her illegitimate son adopted and never publicly acknowledging him – Dorothy L Sayers responded by making her central character, Lord Peter Wimsey, have all the privilege and security that she was denied.
If you do enjoy Golden Age detective fiction then you will certainly adore this book as much as I did. The author muses on plots, novels, true crime of the era, how the authors used their books to refer to each other and there are endless interesting snippets and new books to discover. This book has, in fact, cost me an awful lot – because whilst reading it, I have constantly had to stop and look up authors and download books that I have missed or want to re-read. So many of my personal favourites are in here; from the three central characters of the book – Berkeley, Sayers and Christie – to Nicholas Blake, E.C.Bentley, John Dickson Carr, Gladys Mitchell, Margery Allingham, Edmund Crispin, Michael Innes and many, many more. My only sadness here was that one of my very favourite crime authors of the period, Christianna Brand, was obviously not liked by Martin Edwards, whose sniping whenever he mentioned her became a little wearing. Regardless of her love of gossip and possible unreliability, she was the author of many excellent crime novels, including “Green for Danger,” and I felt she was being a little singled out for criticism. That aside, this was a tremendous read and I absolutely loved it and recommend it highly to any lovers of crime novels from the era between the wars.
As well as being a fascinating history of the Detection club during this Golden era for crime writing, the author gives biographies of those involved, their relationships with each other, and also detours to discuss true crimes of the time which inspired the members. Many of the members found the Club a refuge, where they could be themselves and discuss their craft with those who would understand their problems. Anthony Berkeley first approached other writers about organising a dining club to discuss matters concerning their craft and it led to many collaborative writing projects.
Importantly, criticisms levelled at Golden Age fiction are also tackled. Often derided as ‘cosy’ the author points out that most people were unwilling to face too much violence after the First World War and wished to be entertained. In a time of financial hardship, in the depression, novels set in exotic locations also gave a sense of escapism to readers. While living in a bed sit and coping with innumerable problems – including the personal tragedy of having to have her illegitimate son adopted and never publicly acknowledging him – Dorothy L Sayers responded by making her central character, Lord Peter Wimsey, have all the privilege and security that she was denied.
If you do enjoy Golden Age detective fiction then you will certainly adore this book as much as I did. The author muses on plots, novels, true crime of the era, how the authors used their books to refer to each other and there are endless interesting snippets and new books to discover. This book has, in fact, cost me an awful lot – because whilst reading it, I have constantly had to stop and look up authors and download books that I have missed or want to re-read. So many of my personal favourites are in here; from the three central characters of the book – Berkeley, Sayers and Christie – to Nicholas Blake, E.C.Bentley, John Dickson Carr, Gladys Mitchell, Margery Allingham, Edmund Crispin, Michael Innes and many, many more. My only sadness here was that one of my very favourite crime authors of the period, Christianna Brand, was obviously not liked by Martin Edwards, whose sniping whenever he mentioned her became a little wearing. Regardless of her love of gossip and possible unreliability, she was the author of many excellent crime novels, including “Green for Danger,” and I felt she was being a little singled out for criticism. That aside, this was a tremendous read and I absolutely loved it and recommend it highly to any lovers of crime novels from the era between the wars.
December 16, 2021
This is a fun read for devotees of the GA and there are some hidden gems of knowledge and quirky, little-known facts sprinkled throughout, but Edwards is a messy and chaotic writer and could really have done with a strict editor to help him navigate through the morass of information that is shoe-horned into this book.
As it is, this is frequently repetitive and circles back on itself a number of times - and it's never clear whether the book is trying to be organised chronologically or thematically, as it jumps between both with inserted plot summaries (some mild spoilers), author biographies, and real-life crimes that, allegedly, inspired authors of fiction.
On top of that, there is a self-imposed 'hook' that tries to insinuate there is a 'mystery' about the Detection Club itself and hidden stories about three of its luminaries: Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie and Anthony Berkeley. Edwards tries, thus, to position himself as a detective which is kind of cute... only there aren't really any mysteries to solve. Yes, all three authors might have things in their lives that they kept secret but I'm not convinced that that's linked to them being crime fiction superstars. Given the period, divorce, unplanned pregnancies, unrequited love affairs and adultery were happening to all kinds of people who weren't mystery writers but who still kept their private lives secret. This whole approach rather fizzles out by the end.
The research is secondary rather than primary so this is essentially and mainly an edited summation of what other people have written. Edwards' affection and respect for the genre is present throughout and gives this a warmth that carried me through. One of the better aspects is how he tackles some of the clichés bandied about: that all GA mysteries were racist/sexist/homophobic/classist/reactionary and conservative (with a big and small C) - some undoubtedly were and I'm sure we've all shuddered as authors reveal their historicised biases and prejudices, so it's especially interesting to learn about writers who were left-leaning or outright communists (in that 1930s sense), who had a social conscience... even if it were rather blinkered by their comfortable middle-class existence that never had them rubbing shoulders with the workers on whose behalf they were agitating!
So very much a mixed bag of a book, for me, and one that I couldn't read in long chunks because of the clunkiness. However, amidst all the morass of information chucked in here, there are definitely plums to be pulled out: 3.5 stars.
As it is, this is frequently repetitive and circles back on itself a number of times - and it's never clear whether the book is trying to be organised chronologically or thematically, as it jumps between both with inserted plot summaries (some mild spoilers), author biographies, and real-life crimes that, allegedly, inspired authors of fiction.
On top of that, there is a self-imposed 'hook' that tries to insinuate there is a 'mystery' about the Detection Club itself and hidden stories about three of its luminaries: Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie and Anthony Berkeley. Edwards tries, thus, to position himself as a detective which is kind of cute... only there aren't really any mysteries to solve. Yes, all three authors might have things in their lives that they kept secret but I'm not convinced that that's linked to them being crime fiction superstars. Given the period, divorce, unplanned pregnancies, unrequited love affairs and adultery were happening to all kinds of people who weren't mystery writers but who still kept their private lives secret. This whole approach rather fizzles out by the end.
The research is secondary rather than primary so this is essentially and mainly an edited summation of what other people have written. Edwards' affection and respect for the genre is present throughout and gives this a warmth that carried me through. One of the better aspects is how he tackles some of the clichés bandied about: that all GA mysteries were racist/sexist/homophobic/classist/reactionary and conservative (with a big and small C) - some undoubtedly were and I'm sure we've all shuddered as authors reveal their historicised biases and prejudices, so it's especially interesting to learn about writers who were left-leaning or outright communists (in that 1930s sense), who had a social conscience... even if it were rather blinkered by their comfortable middle-class existence that never had them rubbing shoulders with the workers on whose behalf they were agitating!
So very much a mixed bag of a book, for me, and one that I couldn't read in long chunks because of the clunkiness. However, amidst all the morass of information chucked in here, there are definitely plums to be pulled out: 3.5 stars.
December 27, 2015
I’ve been reading crime fiction from the ‘Golden Age’ for a long, long time. I began with Agatha Christie, who was always my mother’s favourite; I moved on to Ngaio Marsh, on the recommendation of a librarian; I borrowed a book by Dorothy L Sayers from my godmother and was quickly smitten; I discovered Margery Allingham when the BBC dramatized her work. Over the years I discovered more wonderful writers: Michael Innes, Josephine Tey and Anthony Berkeley and the first name to come to mind, but I know that there are others I’ve read and others I have still to read.
That made Martin Edwards’ books – its full title ‘The Golden Age of Murder: The Mystery of the Writers Who Invented the Modern Detective Story’ – a quite wonderful proposition. I thought that I could have a lovely time learning more about books and authors I knew and loved, remembering books and authors who had slipped my mind, and, of course, and discovering new authors and finding more books that I might read.
I did all of that, and a great deal more,
This is the story of the writers who formed the Detection Club, in between the wars. It was an age when Britain was recovering from the horrors of the First World War; when austerity and unemployment would lead to the General Strike, while the rich grew richer and more decadent than ever before; when the British Empire was beginning its inevitable decline; and when some saw – and some didn’t see – a new threat emerging in Germany.
All of that history is reflected in the lives of the writers and in their writings.
The Detection Club grew out of the dinners Anthony Berkeley and his wife Peggy hosted at their home in the late 1920s; their guests included Agatha Christie, Dorothy L Sayers, Douglas and Margaret Cole, Ronald Knox, Henry Wade, H C Bailey and John Rhode. Eventually a club was formed, with rules, a constitution and a committee, and with the stated aim of encouraging and maintaining a high standards in the writing of detective novels
It allowed crime writers to meet, to talk over ideas, to support one another each other, and to collaborate on a number of books.
The book opens dramatically, as Ngaio Marsh is a guest at a ritual dinner to install a new club president. Present are ‘Eric the Skull’ and a host of crime writers including the founding members whose stories Martin Edwards will use to provide a framework for all of the stories he has to tell: Dorothy L Sayers, Anthony Berkeley and Agatha Christie.
There really is a wealth of information in this book.
The stories of the writers I’ve mentioned and many more are told well; with insight that allowed me to understand them as people and to understand why they wrote what they wrote in the way and at the time they did, and with understanding and restraint so that I never felt that I was intruding. They were people with very different lives and concerns, but the Detection Club made them a community, and I came to understand that they were also people who loved and appreciated the art of the crime writer every bit as much as their most enthusiastic readers.
I was intrigued by the number of real crimes than underpinned the fiction of the period. There were cases I knew – most famously Doctor Crippen and Thompson and Bywaters – but there were many I didn’t; some were solved but some were not; some were of the period and some were from the past. The cases were discussed, and there were instance of crime writers turning detective to try to solve some of the unsolved mysteries.
The discussion of specific titles told me that the author had a wonderful depth of knowledge of subject; and he made me want to read any number of books again in the light of what I had learned as well as reading many others for the first time. I was fascinated as I learned how the authors used their books to refer to each other, and so many interesting details that I really don’t know where to start.
I was particularly interested to see the connections between people – some club members and some not – and I spotted many names I wouldn’t have associated with the crime fiction of the period, who were friends, relatives or descendants of the main protagonists.
The narrative was moving slowly and steadily through time, but I was so caught up with everything in this book, with the interplay of true crime, social history, lives lived and crime fictions, and with the wealth of wonderful detail, that I hardly noticed. That speaks volumes for the author’s depth of knowledge, for his love of his subject, and for the craftsmanship he deployed in the building of this extraordinary book.
It isn’t quite a comprehensive account of the Golden Age, because there were key writers who weren’t involved with the Detection Club, or who became members later, of who remained on the fringes. I have to mention that, but I also have say that it really doesn’t detract from the quality of the work.
My interest dipped just a little towards the end as many of the people I had been reading about had aged, passed the peak of their writing careers, or had left this life. But it was piqued again when the author returned to the relationship between two writers, one remembered – though not as well as he might be – as a crime writer, and the other remembered for quite different reasons.
This is the one specific I am going to mention, and it would have been worth the price of admission on its own. Anthony Berkeley and E M Delafield had a long and very close relationship, each influenced the other’s writing, and there are nods one to the other in many of their books.
That added a more books to the very long list that I so want to read and find.
I’ll also read this book again. I’ll look things up and I’m sure I’ll read it again from cover to cover.
I’d call it essential for lovers of the subject; and well worth reading for anyone with any interest at all.
That made Martin Edwards’ books – its full title ‘The Golden Age of Murder: The Mystery of the Writers Who Invented the Modern Detective Story’ – a quite wonderful proposition. I thought that I could have a lovely time learning more about books and authors I knew and loved, remembering books and authors who had slipped my mind, and, of course, and discovering new authors and finding more books that I might read.
I did all of that, and a great deal more,
This is the story of the writers who formed the Detection Club, in between the wars. It was an age when Britain was recovering from the horrors of the First World War; when austerity and unemployment would lead to the General Strike, while the rich grew richer and more decadent than ever before; when the British Empire was beginning its inevitable decline; and when some saw – and some didn’t see – a new threat emerging in Germany.
All of that history is reflected in the lives of the writers and in their writings.
The Detection Club grew out of the dinners Anthony Berkeley and his wife Peggy hosted at their home in the late 1920s; their guests included Agatha Christie, Dorothy L Sayers, Douglas and Margaret Cole, Ronald Knox, Henry Wade, H C Bailey and John Rhode. Eventually a club was formed, with rules, a constitution and a committee, and with the stated aim of encouraging and maintaining a high standards in the writing of detective novels
It allowed crime writers to meet, to talk over ideas, to support one another each other, and to collaborate on a number of books.
The book opens dramatically, as Ngaio Marsh is a guest at a ritual dinner to install a new club president. Present are ‘Eric the Skull’ and a host of crime writers including the founding members whose stories Martin Edwards will use to provide a framework for all of the stories he has to tell: Dorothy L Sayers, Anthony Berkeley and Agatha Christie.
There really is a wealth of information in this book.
The stories of the writers I’ve mentioned and many more are told well; with insight that allowed me to understand them as people and to understand why they wrote what they wrote in the way and at the time they did, and with understanding and restraint so that I never felt that I was intruding. They were people with very different lives and concerns, but the Detection Club made them a community, and I came to understand that they were also people who loved and appreciated the art of the crime writer every bit as much as their most enthusiastic readers.
I was intrigued by the number of real crimes than underpinned the fiction of the period. There were cases I knew – most famously Doctor Crippen and Thompson and Bywaters – but there were many I didn’t; some were solved but some were not; some were of the period and some were from the past. The cases were discussed, and there were instance of crime writers turning detective to try to solve some of the unsolved mysteries.
The discussion of specific titles told me that the author had a wonderful depth of knowledge of subject; and he made me want to read any number of books again in the light of what I had learned as well as reading many others for the first time. I was fascinated as I learned how the authors used their books to refer to each other, and so many interesting details that I really don’t know where to start.
I was particularly interested to see the connections between people – some club members and some not – and I spotted many names I wouldn’t have associated with the crime fiction of the period, who were friends, relatives or descendants of the main protagonists.
The narrative was moving slowly and steadily through time, but I was so caught up with everything in this book, with the interplay of true crime, social history, lives lived and crime fictions, and with the wealth of wonderful detail, that I hardly noticed. That speaks volumes for the author’s depth of knowledge, for his love of his subject, and for the craftsmanship he deployed in the building of this extraordinary book.
It isn’t quite a comprehensive account of the Golden Age, because there were key writers who weren’t involved with the Detection Club, or who became members later, of who remained on the fringes. I have to mention that, but I also have say that it really doesn’t detract from the quality of the work.
My interest dipped just a little towards the end as many of the people I had been reading about had aged, passed the peak of their writing careers, or had left this life. But it was piqued again when the author returned to the relationship between two writers, one remembered – though not as well as he might be – as a crime writer, and the other remembered for quite different reasons.
This is the one specific I am going to mention, and it would have been worth the price of admission on its own. Anthony Berkeley and E M Delafield had a long and very close relationship, each influenced the other’s writing, and there are nods one to the other in many of their books.
That added a more books to the very long list that I so want to read and find.
I’ll also read this book again. I’ll look things up and I’m sure I’ll read it again from cover to cover.
I’d call it essential for lovers of the subject; and well worth reading for anyone with any interest at all.
Read
August 21, 2023Solid account of the writers of the Detection Club, which comprised most of the top mystery authors of the Golden Age, led by Sayers and Christie. Interesting stuff with some illustrious writers and many (justly) forgotten ones. I have a lot of titles to pursue now.
May 5, 2015
Fantastic and fascinating book that is an absolute must-have for anyone with interest in the Golden Age of mysteries, crime, and detection. The Golden Age is one of my favorite periods for detective novels and it was an absolute delight to get an inside view of the Detection Club. It is just a real shame that the Club did not have an Archivist before Martin Edwards and that the Minute Book and other materials from the time of the Club's inception through the Blitz have disappeared. What a treasure trove of information that would have been. Edwards gives us a detailed look at the original members of the Club--tracing their careers and investigating certain mysterious circumstances in their lives. And even though many of the authors' mysteries were already familiar to me (as a long-time reader of Golden Age crime fiction), Edwards managed to discover new and interesting tidbits about even the most well-known of the Golden Age writers. Pacing is just a tad slow in places and there a tendency to revisit some of the key events (Christie's disappearance and Sayers' secret shame, for instance), but overall a definite winner that all mystery lovers need to have on their reference shelf. ★★★★ and a half.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
August 4, 2017
This book is by Martin Edwards, who edits the British Library Crime Classics series, including introductions to the novels and the collections of short stories. He is steeped in the title subject, and it shows in the quality of the finished product.
Amending an earlier review:
This long, mainly chronological study, looks at the famous Detection Club, founded in 1930 by Dorothy Sayers, G.K Chesterton and 36 other popular mystery writers of the time. It was a very diverse group comprised of authors who had fought in the Great War and were forever marked by it, from politicians, right wing Tories to fervent Marxists, clergy, and the aristocracy. They created tongue-in-cheek "rules" and an unusual initiation rite but they were serious in their efforts to illustrate that whodunnits were worthwhile reads. The book also covers, of course, Agatha Christie at length, and later members, such as Ngaio Marsh and Margery Allingham up to such as Michael Innes.
We also get an inside look at the lives of a few of the members, which hold some surprises and a bit of scandal. Some of the most famous books were based on actual crimes unknown to the modern reader. There are more than a few members with whom even the enthusiast may not be familiar, but many of their works are coming back into print, so can easily be accessed.
This is a fascinating read for the lover of the Golden Age of Mystery.
Amending an earlier review:
This long, mainly chronological study, looks at the famous Detection Club, founded in 1930 by Dorothy Sayers, G.K Chesterton and 36 other popular mystery writers of the time. It was a very diverse group comprised of authors who had fought in the Great War and were forever marked by it, from politicians, right wing Tories to fervent Marxists, clergy, and the aristocracy. They created tongue-in-cheek "rules" and an unusual initiation rite but they were serious in their efforts to illustrate that whodunnits were worthwhile reads. The book also covers, of course, Agatha Christie at length, and later members, such as Ngaio Marsh and Margery Allingham up to such as Michael Innes.
We also get an inside look at the lives of a few of the members, which hold some surprises and a bit of scandal. Some of the most famous books were based on actual crimes unknown to the modern reader. There are more than a few members with whom even the enthusiast may not be familiar, but many of their works are coming back into print, so can easily be accessed.
This is a fascinating read for the lover of the Golden Age of Mystery.
March 9, 2017
Needless to say, as a golden age mystery fan, this book put me in 7th heaven. It is a large book but does not need a long review. Basically it looks at the famous Detection Club, founded in 1930 by Dorothy Sayers, G.K Chesterton and 36 other popular mystery writers of the time. It was a very diverse group comprised of authors who had fought in the Great War and were forever marked by it, politicians, right wing Tories to fervent Marxists, clergy, and the aristocracy. They created tongue-in-cheek "rules" and an unusual initiation rite but they were serious in their efforts to illustrate that mystery stories were not pulp fiction but actual worthwhile reads.
We also get an inside look at the lives of a few of the members, which hold some surprises and a bit of scandal. I was surprised to learn that some of the most famous books were based on actual crimes which are practically unknown to the modern reader. I have to admit that there were a few members with whom I was not familiar and I intend to trace down some of their works.
This is a fascinating read for the lover of the Golden Age of Mystery. In a word, "terrific"!
We also get an inside look at the lives of a few of the members, which hold some surprises and a bit of scandal. I was surprised to learn that some of the most famous books were based on actual crimes which are practically unknown to the modern reader. I have to admit that there were a few members with whom I was not familiar and I intend to trace down some of their works.
This is a fascinating read for the lover of the Golden Age of Mystery. In a word, "terrific"!
November 16, 2022
Cracking listen!
Like catching up on gossip about your favourite people 🤣😅
Like catching up on gossip about your favourite people 🤣😅
October 4, 2018
Do you promise that your detectives shall well and truly detect the crimes presented to them using those wits which it may please you to bestow upon them and not placing reliance on nor making use of Divine Revelation, Feminine Intuition, Mumbo Jumbo, Jiggery-Pokery, Coincidence, or Act of God?
Last week I introduced Patricia Wentworth's series, Miss Silver Mysteries which were written from late 1920s to the early 1960s. This time period has been called "The Golden Age of Murder". The era where the mystery genre really gets it's identity and popularity. It is in this time that a group of mystery writers formed a society called the Detection Club. This club was meant for mystery writers to converse with others from the same genre. The Honoury President was Arthur Conan Doyle with G.K. Chesterton as President and members such as Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie and Anthony Berkley. This group of authors are often given the term of cozy mysteries as many people perceive them to be cute little mystery stories. Yet, Martin Edwards, and I agree, puts forth that it was these authors that actually formed what a"mystery novel" is and also brought forth the popularity of mystery.
THE GOLDEN AGE OF MURDER
Written by Martin Edwards
2015, 528 Pages
Genre: nonfiction, mystery, biography, literary
RATING: ★★★★
Many detectives in books today have roots from this time. Yes, the characters and the science have evolved along with twists and gore, but the core of the story is still the same. No matter how you dress up a book a mystery fan will like it for the mystery component. Edwards is a member of the Detection Club and has always wondered about the history of the writers themselves. He treats them like a mystery to be solved. I don't want to give too much away as I do want you to read this book and not have my "spoilers" swimming in your head. Christie, Berkley and Sayers were interesting characters on their own and each seemed to not just bring a style of writing but a background that intrigues you as much as their fiction.
I am a great fan of books from this time but also movies and old time radio programs. This Golden Age of Murder is one of my favorite types of mystery. Other than the books and individual biographies I have not seen a book that examines this important time with such passion. It is a big book and I was able to read it quickly. It is well-written but also very interesting - for book lovers, mystery fans but also those who appreciate history. There was so much going on in the world at this time so it is very interesting to see how it affects each writer and their works. Many of the authors were influenced by true cases and you can see that in the writing as Edwards point out. I have never actually read a mystery novel by Edwards but he is definitely going on the epic tbr list.
My Novelesque Blog
Last week I introduced Patricia Wentworth's series, Miss Silver Mysteries which were written from late 1920s to the early 1960s. This time period has been called "The Golden Age of Murder". The era where the mystery genre really gets it's identity and popularity. It is in this time that a group of mystery writers formed a society called the Detection Club. This club was meant for mystery writers to converse with others from the same genre. The Honoury President was Arthur Conan Doyle with G.K. Chesterton as President and members such as Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie and Anthony Berkley. This group of authors are often given the term of cozy mysteries as many people perceive them to be cute little mystery stories. Yet, Martin Edwards, and I agree, puts forth that it was these authors that actually formed what a"mystery novel" is and also brought forth the popularity of mystery.
THE GOLDEN AGE OF MURDER
Written by Martin Edwards
2015, 528 Pages
Genre: nonfiction, mystery, biography, literary
RATING: ★★★★
Many detectives in books today have roots from this time. Yes, the characters and the science have evolved along with twists and gore, but the core of the story is still the same. No matter how you dress up a book a mystery fan will like it for the mystery component. Edwards is a member of the Detection Club and has always wondered about the history of the writers themselves. He treats them like a mystery to be solved. I don't want to give too much away as I do want you to read this book and not have my "spoilers" swimming in your head. Christie, Berkley and Sayers were interesting characters on their own and each seemed to not just bring a style of writing but a background that intrigues you as much as their fiction.
I am a great fan of books from this time but also movies and old time radio programs. This Golden Age of Murder is one of my favorite types of mystery. Other than the books and individual biographies I have not seen a book that examines this important time with such passion. It is a big book and I was able to read it quickly. It is well-written but also very interesting - for book lovers, mystery fans but also those who appreciate history. There was so much going on in the world at this time so it is very interesting to see how it affects each writer and their works. Many of the authors were influenced by true cases and you can see that in the writing as Edwards point out. I have never actually read a mystery novel by Edwards but he is definitely going on the epic tbr list.
My Novelesque Blog
March 26, 2019
This non-fiction book won all sorts of awards when it came out in 2016, including the prestigious Edgar and Agatha awards. It’s easy to see why. I’ve dabbled in reading a few golden age detective novels, mostly Agatha Christies but a few others here and there. But I’ve never felt like I had a good handle on that era and how and why this sub-genre came to be so popular. I was also interested in learning more about the authors involved.
The Golden Age of murder mysteries or detective novels is usually considered to be those years between the two world wars. Big name authors were Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, G.K Chesterton (Father Brown mysteries), John Dickson Carr, John Road, Anthony Berkley, and many others. In the year 1930 a small group of these authors formed “The Detection Club”:
This was a group of young writers from Britain (almost all living in London), whose impact continues to be felt even today. This book focuses on their early years, from 1930 through 1949, which only involved a total of 39 members.
The book does an excellent job of not only delving into their biographies and work, but also provides a solid understanding of how they influenced each other, criticized each other, and came to each other’s defense. I really felt like I got to know them, warts and all. Many of them got ideas from real-life murders, details to which we are also treated. But the real treasure here is in understanding how their work came to be so important and influential for later authors, whether in the mystery genre or beyond. The author is, himself a crime writer as well as a noted authority on detective fiction which is very evident throughout the book.
Best of all, I feel like I absorbed all of the information that a textbook could offer and yet this doesn’t read like a textbook at all. In some ways, it is like reading a mystery story, especially considering all of the secrets these authors kept to themselves. Very entertaining to read.
The bad news is that I now have a whole list of authors I want/need to try and a much longer list of their books to get my hands on.
Highly recommended.
The Golden Age of murder mysteries or detective novels is usually considered to be those years between the two world wars. Big name authors were Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, G.K Chesterton (Father Brown mysteries), John Dickson Carr, John Road, Anthony Berkley, and many others. In the year 1930 a small group of these authors formed “The Detection Club”:
an elite social network of writers whose work earned a reputation for literary excellence, and earned a profound long-term influence on storytelling in fiction, film, and television.
This was a group of young writers from Britain (almost all living in London), whose impact continues to be felt even today. This book focuses on their early years, from 1930 through 1949, which only involved a total of 39 members.
The book does an excellent job of not only delving into their biographies and work, but also provides a solid understanding of how they influenced each other, criticized each other, and came to each other’s defense. I really felt like I got to know them, warts and all. Many of them got ideas from real-life murders, details to which we are also treated. But the real treasure here is in understanding how their work came to be so important and influential for later authors, whether in the mystery genre or beyond. The author is, himself a crime writer as well as a noted authority on detective fiction which is very evident throughout the book.
Best of all, I feel like I absorbed all of the information that a textbook could offer and yet this doesn’t read like a textbook at all. In some ways, it is like reading a mystery story, especially considering all of the secrets these authors kept to themselves. Very entertaining to read.
The bad news is that I now have a whole list of authors I want/need to try and a much longer list of their books to get my hands on.
Highly recommended.
April 15, 2018
Detecting the Detection Club...
During the Golden Age of crime fiction in Britain – between the two world wars – some of the leading authors got together to form the Detection Club, an organisation that's still going strong today. At the time of writing this book, Martin Edwards had been elected to membership and was the archivist of the club, although he has since become President, following in the prestigious footsteps of such luminaries as GK Chesterton, Dorothy L Sayers, Agatha Christie and, more recently, HRF Keating and Simon Brett.
Although the Club was largely social in nature, Edwards sets out to show how the interactions of its members helped to define the style and direction of detective fiction in these early years. He suggests that in fact the existence of the club may be part of the reason that the Golden Age style of detective fiction lasted longer in Britain than elsewhere. Membership was by election only, so that existing members decided which writers could get in, and, as a result, exerted considerable control over which types of book were highly regarded within the community. Over the years several of the original members had a go at defining the “rules” of detective fiction, usually half-jokingly, but clearly indicating their own opinion of what fell within the definition.
The book is clearly very well researched – not an easy task since apparently many of the records of the Club were lost during the years of WW2. It's written in what I've come to see as Edwards' usual style for non-fiction – conversational, feeling as if one were having a discussion with a knowledgeable friend – and is therefore easy and enjoyable to read. It covers a lot of the same ground that he covers in his introductions to the various British Library Crime Classics and in his most recent The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Novels. By their nature, those other books force a structure on the way he gives information. In contrast, this one struck me as much looser in structure, often going off at tangents – one chapter, for example, starts with Agatha Christie meeting her second husband, then goes on to talk about séances in various writers’ work, then ends up with a discussion on the Depression and the formation of the National Government! Personally, I enjoyed the structured style of The Story of Classic Crime more, but I think this is very much down to reader preference.
Where this book differs is by going much more deeply into the personal lives of the various authors who were members of the Club during the Golden Age – Sayers, Christie, Berkeley, the Coles, et al. I've said this before, but I'm not keen on knowing a lot about the authors whose books I enjoy since, if I end up not liking them on a personal basis, it can affect my enjoyment of their books. There were undoubtedly aspects of this that I found verged on the intrusive – tales of secret love affairs, unacknowledged illegitimate children, etc. But for the most part, Edwards is warm and affectionate towards his subjects, so there’s no feeling of a hatchet job being done on any of them. Edwards also shows how these hidden episodes of their lives may have influenced their writing, which I suppose is a justification for revealing things they tried hard to keep private while they were alive. (Do I sound somewhat disapprovingly judgemental there? I tried hard not to, but I think I failed…)
To a degree, the book follows a linear timeline although with a lot of digressions. Edwards talks informatively about how detective fiction was influenced by current events, such as the Depression of the '30s, or the rise of the various dictatorships in the pre-WW2 years. He also discusses and rather dismisses the idea that Golden Age crime fiction was culturally snobbish – I disagree – but suggests that it was often intellectually snobbish – I agree. I do find that just occasionally Edwards comes over as somewhat dogmatic in his opinions – he has a tendency to dismiss anyone who holds a different point of view. He also clearly has favourites amongst the authors – Sayers is mentioned more often than everyone else put together, I suspect! But that all adds to the personal, conversational feel of the book.
Overall, then, an enjoyable and informative read, maybe more geared towards people who enjoy personal biographies of their favourite authors, but with plenty of stuff about the history of the crime novel for the rest of us. And because there's quite a lot of crossover between this and The Story of Classic Crime, they could easily be read either as companion pieces, or the reader could select the style that would most suit – more biographical about the authors in this one, more concentration on the books in the other.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
During the Golden Age of crime fiction in Britain – between the two world wars – some of the leading authors got together to form the Detection Club, an organisation that's still going strong today. At the time of writing this book, Martin Edwards had been elected to membership and was the archivist of the club, although he has since become President, following in the prestigious footsteps of such luminaries as GK Chesterton, Dorothy L Sayers, Agatha Christie and, more recently, HRF Keating and Simon Brett.
Although the Club was largely social in nature, Edwards sets out to show how the interactions of its members helped to define the style and direction of detective fiction in these early years. He suggests that in fact the existence of the club may be part of the reason that the Golden Age style of detective fiction lasted longer in Britain than elsewhere. Membership was by election only, so that existing members decided which writers could get in, and, as a result, exerted considerable control over which types of book were highly regarded within the community. Over the years several of the original members had a go at defining the “rules” of detective fiction, usually half-jokingly, but clearly indicating their own opinion of what fell within the definition.
The book is clearly very well researched – not an easy task since apparently many of the records of the Club were lost during the years of WW2. It's written in what I've come to see as Edwards' usual style for non-fiction – conversational, feeling as if one were having a discussion with a knowledgeable friend – and is therefore easy and enjoyable to read. It covers a lot of the same ground that he covers in his introductions to the various British Library Crime Classics and in his most recent The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Novels. By their nature, those other books force a structure on the way he gives information. In contrast, this one struck me as much looser in structure, often going off at tangents – one chapter, for example, starts with Agatha Christie meeting her second husband, then goes on to talk about séances in various writers’ work, then ends up with a discussion on the Depression and the formation of the National Government! Personally, I enjoyed the structured style of The Story of Classic Crime more, but I think this is very much down to reader preference.
Where this book differs is by going much more deeply into the personal lives of the various authors who were members of the Club during the Golden Age – Sayers, Christie, Berkeley, the Coles, et al. I've said this before, but I'm not keen on knowing a lot about the authors whose books I enjoy since, if I end up not liking them on a personal basis, it can affect my enjoyment of their books. There were undoubtedly aspects of this that I found verged on the intrusive – tales of secret love affairs, unacknowledged illegitimate children, etc. But for the most part, Edwards is warm and affectionate towards his subjects, so there’s no feeling of a hatchet job being done on any of them. Edwards also shows how these hidden episodes of their lives may have influenced their writing, which I suppose is a justification for revealing things they tried hard to keep private while they were alive. (Do I sound somewhat disapprovingly judgemental there? I tried hard not to, but I think I failed…)
To a degree, the book follows a linear timeline although with a lot of digressions. Edwards talks informatively about how detective fiction was influenced by current events, such as the Depression of the '30s, or the rise of the various dictatorships in the pre-WW2 years. He also discusses and rather dismisses the idea that Golden Age crime fiction was culturally snobbish – I disagree – but suggests that it was often intellectually snobbish – I agree. I do find that just occasionally Edwards comes over as somewhat dogmatic in his opinions – he has a tendency to dismiss anyone who holds a different point of view. He also clearly has favourites amongst the authors – Sayers is mentioned more often than everyone else put together, I suspect! But that all adds to the personal, conversational feel of the book.
Overall, then, an enjoyable and informative read, maybe more geared towards people who enjoy personal biographies of their favourite authors, but with plenty of stuff about the history of the crime novel for the rest of us. And because there's quite a lot of crossover between this and The Story of Classic Crime, they could easily be read either as companion pieces, or the reader could select the style that would most suit – more biographical about the authors in this one, more concentration on the books in the other.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
August 21, 2019
Martin Edwards cannot be faulted as a researcher. 'The Golden Age of Murder' is an exceptionally comprehensive account of the crime writers who made up the Detection Club, a form of quality inspectorate and convivial society for the interwar generation of 'mystery' authors.
In fact, the core of the story is slight. The Detection Club was a typical English civil society institution with a humorous ritual, the standard bureaucratic minutes, the conviviality of dinners and the usual micro-politics of which most stories will have been lost because not recorded.
What Edwards does with this is create a compendium made up of well over 400 pages (with many excellent photographs) of social history, true crime (going back to the Victorian era), sound literary criticism, insights into publishing and promotion and biography.
He manages to pack in accounts of most of the members who made up the Club (which has apparently sustained itself since its effective suspension during the Second World War) but concentrates, quite rightly, on three: Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers and Anthony Berkeley.
These were all of equal standing in the interwar period. Each had private histories and passions that made them intrinsically interesting personalities, offering insights into the way the English middle classes thought about the world between the wars.
We have useful accounts of the real crimes that often inspired the novelists, the way they referred to each other in code or directly in their works and the different emphases and styles of not only these three writers but a host of others, each with their own talents, weaknesses and characters.
Agatha Christie went on to become the greatest of the three, Dorothy L. Sayers had effectively abandoned murder mysteries for religiously inspired writing by the end of the period and Berkeley (often writing as Francis Iles) simply lost his mojo for tormented private reasons.
These two decades, or rather the period that included the creation of Belgian refugee Hercule Poirot in the first world war to Sayers' abortive work with the Ministry of Information in the second, saw the development of a peculiarly English form of genre fiction.
As to character, Edwards is not afraid to speculate yet he always speculates with sympathy and intelligence and as someone who plies the crime writing trade himself. His account of Berkeley's tormented relationship with women and broken soul might make, in itself, a fine screenplay.
I won't name all the many other characters in the Detection Club drama but they range from the old G. K Chesterton to the young Ngaio Marsh, with the dour socialist Coles, the priest Ronald Knox, the cerebral John Dickson Carr, Cecil Day-Lewis (Nicholas Blake) and many others inbetween.
If the book has a fault, it lies in the word 'compendium'. It gives us a continuous flow of anecdotes around a weak central core rather than a sustained narrative but it is hard to see how else the book might have been written once it had been decided to centre it on a society.
The one thing it does not do is answer the question, why the fascination with murder? Or rather Edwards offers many hints based on a multiplicity of personality types so that you might hazard a guess at why this or that author went down this path but not why a society might be so fascinated.
What one becomes aware of as one reads the book is that, first, murder was a high stakes game in which an unmasked murderer could be killed in turn by the State, and, second, in this high stakes game, the justice system was flawed and innocent men and women might go to the gallows.
This awareness of the high stakes in getting detection right and the shadow side of dealing with justified murder and perhaps taking the side of the murderer were played out in a society of considerable emotional repression in which social codes also raised the stakes in terms of disgrace.
In other words, in a society which was quite static but in transition, between freedom and authority, the murder mystery became an intellectual exercise (a 'puzzle'), an exploration of morality and an often oblique critique of society, sometimes all at once.
The interwar murder mystery, which had a creative and interesting relationship with its different American counterpart, was a popular entertainment that also created moral conundrums for its readers. Sex and death could be dealt with within carefully calibrated literary code-making.
The Society itself had (thanks initially to Berkeley) quite serious rules about what was acceptable in an English murder mystery, including the tough demand that the author play fair with the reader by allowing him all the clues to come up with the murderer themselves.
This partly explains the love of the enclosed in the murder mystery - locked room, country house, closed train, village - because it limited what might intrude from outside and ensure the rules could be kept.
The demand for something new - both internally driven intellectually but also by the market - would send detection into the creative paths of the travelling serial murderer and ever more abstruse means of death, sometimes requiring serious consultation with expert advisers.
But the English crime mystery never loses a sense of 'cosy' enclosure in which some perfectly horrible things happen. Perhaps its appeal was that it could implicitly describe the passions in the most important and yet unsung British institution of all - the family.
Families and inheritance play an inordinate role in the British mystery - property defines middle class culture in any case - but motivations shift into the psychological, allowing malice, revenge, sexual desire and other dark motivations to displace mere greed.
The British murder mystery is one of the great cultural inventions of the last century. It grew slowly from Victorian and Edwardian origins into a direct exploration of deviance and of our secret thoughts at a time when the full story of those thoughts could not be told too clearly.
This was not a time in which Bret Easton Ellis or Xaviera Hollander could have flourished. There is always an explicit social morality out there even if it is defied. There is none of today's propensity for nihilism as the norm.
Homosexuality and sado-masochism would be hinted at rather than stated. Violence could be brutal but not described in forensic detail. Sexual activity is not described in any detail. But the subtle adult reader would know what was being said and relate it to those secret thoughts of theirs.
All in all, this is a good guide to the subject and to the era but one raising more questions than it answers. It is perhaps a collection of detailed snapshots of an era rather than a conventional history. It would probably be most interesting to those who are already hooked on murder.
July 17, 2018
There’s a lot going on in this novel — it tracks the development of crime fiction and mystery stories, deals with the biographies of various famous Golden Age crime writers (including Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers and Anthony Berkeley, of course) and deals with the development of the Detection Club. There’s a lot of stuff I didn’t know, even about Sayers (whose work I adore), and the whole thing left me feeling that my experience of the Golden Age of crime fiction was rather limited. Fortunately, and not coincidentally, Martin Edwards has also been curating the publication of the British Library Crime Classics, so I’ve been able to check out some of the authors that were totally unfamiliar to me (and I have a whole stack more to get to, too).
It’s an enjoyable read, though it does get a little bogged down or distracted at times — I think because it does try to tackle so much. It doesn’t stick purely to a single writer, but nor does it stay firmly focused on the Detection Club as a whole. If you’re interested in the period, though, it’s a gem.
Reviewed for the Bibliophibian.
It’s an enjoyable read, though it does get a little bogged down or distracted at times — I think because it does try to tackle so much. It doesn’t stick purely to a single writer, but nor does it stay firmly focused on the Detection Club as a whole. If you’re interested in the period, though, it’s a gem.
Reviewed for the Bibliophibian.
November 11, 2024
An interesting look at the lives behind the greats of the Murder Mystery genre.
December 10, 2021
Enjoyable and interesting, read (on audiobook) with the Reading the Detectives group to prepare for our 2022 challenge to read a different book each month from the original members of the Detection Club.
Martin Edwards, a mystery writer, was President of the Detection Club when he wrote this “biography” of the club’s beginnings in the interwar years of the 1920s and 1930s. He covers a great deal of ground, and honestly, I could only follow closely when he discussed the authors and books I was most familiar with - Sayers, Christie, Berkeley, etc., the writers that have had an ongoing following. I got a bit bogged down in the personal lives, quirks and influences of the lesser known members, but luckily I have the ebook through Scribd, and can refer back to the relevant sections when the group reads books by Club members with whom I am less familiar.
The breezy, gossipy, but informative style of the book was easy to listen to, but I have to admit I’m not really a “fan girl” of authors I like - I just want to read their work, not dig into their psyches! However, I did find it interesting to hear about the sensational true criminal cases of the era that inspired some of the writers in the Club. I do like Edwards writing style, here and in his introductions to the recently published British Library Crime Classics mysteries I have read. I’d like to try reading his own mystery books to compare!
Martin Edwards, a mystery writer, was President of the Detection Club when he wrote this “biography” of the club’s beginnings in the interwar years of the 1920s and 1930s. He covers a great deal of ground, and honestly, I could only follow closely when he discussed the authors and books I was most familiar with - Sayers, Christie, Berkeley, etc., the writers that have had an ongoing following. I got a bit bogged down in the personal lives, quirks and influences of the lesser known members, but luckily I have the ebook through Scribd, and can refer back to the relevant sections when the group reads books by Club members with whom I am less familiar.
The breezy, gossipy, but informative style of the book was easy to listen to, but I have to admit I’m not really a “fan girl” of authors I like - I just want to read their work, not dig into their psyches! However, I did find it interesting to hear about the sensational true criminal cases of the era that inspired some of the writers in the Club. I do like Edwards writing style, here and in his introductions to the recently published British Library Crime Classics mysteries I have read. I’d like to try reading his own mystery books to compare!
December 17, 2021
Martin Edwards is noted for his knowledge of crime writing and in this book he reviews the careers of the most celebrated authors of the Golden Age of crime fiction - the members of the Detective Club. The Golden Age (loosely the inter war years, although the book does cover the fate of the Club in the aftermath of WWII) was characterised by carefully plotted mysteries, which gradually became pushed in new and original directions by the invention and creativity of committed authors.
Edwards has an informal and chatty style, which works well when revealing interesting details about the writers, although he does often stray into speculation about their ideas and motivations. The book is well researched and he has drawn on a wide range of documents and first hand memoirs, although the loss of the Detective Club minutes during the war is a serious drawback.
Particularly interesting to me was the way Edwards interspersed the narrative with accounts of true crime and linked these to the fictional crime books being written. This really positioned writers such as Christie, Berkeley and Sayers (as well as a number of impressive authors whose repute has now faded) in the social - as well as literary - history of the age.
I found this book entertaining, learned quite a bit about the Detective Club and its members, and gathered a new list of crime novels to add to my lengthening TBR.
Edwards has an informal and chatty style, which works well when revealing interesting details about the writers, although he does often stray into speculation about their ideas and motivations. The book is well researched and he has drawn on a wide range of documents and first hand memoirs, although the loss of the Detective Club minutes during the war is a serious drawback.
Particularly interesting to me was the way Edwards interspersed the narrative with accounts of true crime and linked these to the fictional crime books being written. This really positioned writers such as Christie, Berkeley and Sayers (as well as a number of impressive authors whose repute has now faded) in the social - as well as literary - history of the age.
I found this book entertaining, learned quite a bit about the Detective Club and its members, and gathered a new list of crime novels to add to my lengthening TBR.
Read
May 16, 2017The Detection Club was founded by Dorothy L Sayers, Agatha Christie and Anthony Berkeley (mainly by Sayers and Berkeley, with Christie a quieter contributor).
This history goes into the development of mysteries of the height of the Golden Age, seen through the lens of the Detection Club members. It discusses the background, personality and books of a lot of different members, but returns again and again to the three founders - Christie, enduringly the world's bestselling author; Sayers, an able self-promoter, and Berkeley, the author you're least likely to have heard of out of the three, whose books involved a frisson of spanking, and whose opinion of women very hatelovehate. This history did not leave me inspired to pick up Berkeley's work.
Fascinating in many other respects, particularly for readers like me who have read a TON of this sub-genre. I could have lived with less time spent on Berkeley and more on anyone else, but it was fun otherwise.
This history goes into the development of mysteries of the height of the Golden Age, seen through the lens of the Detection Club members. It discusses the background, personality and books of a lot of different members, but returns again and again to the three founders - Christie, enduringly the world's bestselling author; Sayers, an able self-promoter, and Berkeley, the author you're least likely to have heard of out of the three, whose books involved a frisson of spanking, and whose opinion of women very hatelovehate. This history did not leave me inspired to pick up Berkeley's work.
Fascinating in many other respects, particularly for readers like me who have read a TON of this sub-genre. I could have lived with less time spent on Berkeley and more on anyone else, but it was fun otherwise.
November 27, 2018
A well-researched book with appropriate citations by author Martin Edwards, but not done so the cited sources interfere with the easy flow of the narrative.
I was familiar with some of the authors of the Golden Age of Mystery, 1930 through 1947, but was introduced to so many more here. I'm happy to report I should have enough reading material from this era alone to keep me busy for many years, let alone intersperse them with more modern tales.
Edwards provides insights into the lives and backgrounds of some of the more well-known writers of the era and demonstrates how those authors' personalities and life experiences shaped their writing along with contributing to story plots.
If you're a fan of Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, G.K. Chesterton or any of the many other writers of that era, you might well enjoy this peek behind the curtains of their lives.
I was familiar with some of the authors of the Golden Age of Mystery, 1930 through 1947, but was introduced to so many more here. I'm happy to report I should have enough reading material from this era alone to keep me busy for many years, let alone intersperse them with more modern tales.
Edwards provides insights into the lives and backgrounds of some of the more well-known writers of the era and demonstrates how those authors' personalities and life experiences shaped their writing along with contributing to story plots.
If you're a fan of Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, G.K. Chesterton or any of the many other writers of that era, you might well enjoy this peek behind the curtains of their lives.
November 4, 2022
Man this was so dense and interesting. I feel like it’s something to come back to though, so you can really get it all. Edwards did a *lot* of research and it shows (helps to be the current Detection Club President :) ). This is meticulous and so well done.
I know a decent amount about Christie, and some about Sayers. Otherwise what I know is mainly from the Shedunnit podcast (highly recommend!), so this was a really great way to learn about these authors. I need to get on reading some of these lesser known (to me at least) authors. (Thank goodness for the British Library reissuing so many!)
Also! I didn’t know Anthony Berkeley and E. M. Delafield were so close! Or that Evelyn Waugh wrote a biography of Ronald Knox (though I may have read that years ago when I was reading a lot about Waugh, but I wouldn’t’ve known who Knox was then). There’s just so much in this!
(I used the audiobook while waiting in the school line, and overall it was good, but there were weird pauses after some sentences that were distracting.)
I know a decent amount about Christie, and some about Sayers. Otherwise what I know is mainly from the Shedunnit podcast (highly recommend!), so this was a really great way to learn about these authors. I need to get on reading some of these lesser known (to me at least) authors. (Thank goodness for the British Library reissuing so many!)
Also! I didn’t know Anthony Berkeley and E. M. Delafield were so close! Or that Evelyn Waugh wrote a biography of Ronald Knox (though I may have read that years ago when I was reading a lot about Waugh, but I wouldn’t’ve known who Knox was then). There’s just so much in this!
(I used the audiobook while waiting in the school line, and overall it was good, but there were weird pauses after some sentences that were distracting.)
July 28, 2024
2024 Review
I challenged myself in 2024 to re-read the books that impacted me most in my 20s.
Like many books on this list, I questioned whether it belonged. But I'm glad I re-read it! (If nothing else, it reminded me where all those books on my to-read list came from...)
I already liked detective mysteries, but this book helped me better appreciate what I read and who the authors of this era were. It also introduced me to a whole new world of authors and mysteries, which I appreciate even if my to-read list never recovered from it.
Re-reading it was fun because I feel like I have a better understanding of the subject now. It is a little cheesy at times and definitely focused on Dorothy L. Sayers, but that's okay. I fixate on her too.
2016 Review
Imagine your favorite authors all in one place, eating and talking, throwing plot ideas back and forth, maybe even writing a book together. Now stop imaging, because this actually happened. The Golden Age of Murder is a fact-packed yet fun look at the Detection Club during the 1920s and 30s. At this time members included (stop me if you've heard of them...) G.K. Chesterton, Agatha Christie, Baroness Orczy, Dorothy L. Sayers, A.A. Milne, even for a short while Sir Arthur Conan Doyle!
Mind blown yet? I couldn't believe it at first either.
Not much is known about this early group and apparently a lot of early records were lost in WW2. Martin Edwards focuses on the authors' backgrounds, biographies, and books to draw a picture of their intertwining lives and common experiences. He predominantly focuses on Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, and Anthony Berkeley, the three with the greatest mystery and, arguably, the greatest impact on detective fiction.
Edwards often mentions murder or cold cases cases that inspired the Detection Club, such as the case of Edith Thompson, who hung as an accessory to her husband's murder.
Though there are many "characters" and events interspersed over the two decades covered, the book remains pretty clear and easy to read. Edwards conveys a lot information without bogging the reader down. The book did get a little dull during Parts 4 and 5, predominantly because of the length of this book and the slightly repetitive nature of the cases, characters, and inspirations of the Detection Club.
Overall, though, an incredibly well researched book and definitely a must-read for anyone who loves a good detective novel. I will warn you, though, your to-read shelf will blow up on you!
I challenged myself in 2024 to re-read the books that impacted me most in my 20s.
Like many books on this list, I questioned whether it belonged. But I'm glad I re-read it! (If nothing else, it reminded me where all those books on my to-read list came from...)
I already liked detective mysteries, but this book helped me better appreciate what I read and who the authors of this era were. It also introduced me to a whole new world of authors and mysteries, which I appreciate even if my to-read list never recovered from it.
Re-reading it was fun because I feel like I have a better understanding of the subject now. It is a little cheesy at times and definitely focused on Dorothy L. Sayers, but that's okay. I fixate on her too.
2016 Review
Imagine your favorite authors all in one place, eating and talking, throwing plot ideas back and forth, maybe even writing a book together. Now stop imaging, because this actually happened. The Golden Age of Murder is a fact-packed yet fun look at the Detection Club during the 1920s and 30s. At this time members included (stop me if you've heard of them...) G.K. Chesterton, Agatha Christie, Baroness Orczy, Dorothy L. Sayers, A.A. Milne, even for a short while Sir Arthur Conan Doyle!
Mind blown yet? I couldn't believe it at first either.
Not much is known about this early group and apparently a lot of early records were lost in WW2. Martin Edwards focuses on the authors' backgrounds, biographies, and books to draw a picture of their intertwining lives and common experiences. He predominantly focuses on Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, and Anthony Berkeley, the three with the greatest mystery and, arguably, the greatest impact on detective fiction.
Edwards often mentions murder or cold cases cases that inspired the Detection Club, such as the case of Edith Thompson, who hung as an accessory to her husband's murder.
Though there are many "characters" and events interspersed over the two decades covered, the book remains pretty clear and easy to read. Edwards conveys a lot information without bogging the reader down. The book did get a little dull during Parts 4 and 5, predominantly because of the length of this book and the slightly repetitive nature of the cases, characters, and inspirations of the Detection Club.
Overall, though, an incredibly well researched book and definitely a must-read for anyone who loves a good detective novel. I will warn you, though, your to-read shelf will blow up on you!
July 10, 2015
The best book about classic mysteries I've ever read. Edwards has a lot of narrative skill, a playful nature, a gently skeptical attitude, and no sense of propriety. I guess it helps that all of these writers are dead, but it seemed at first as if the book was going to be Oxford Babylon, what with the affairs, disappearances, alcoholism, sexual secrets, bastard children and whatnot. But his point is really that these writers lived in the real world and had to deal with it, and that it's ignorant to characterize them all as effete snobs who don't know how the mean streets work. Raymond Chandler really had no idea what he was talking about.
Edwards focuses most on three of the best writers of the age - Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, and Anthony Berkeley/Francis Iles, all of whom were key to the formation and development of the Detection Club. What could have been a dry history of a silly social club is deftly interspersed with the stories of these three writers, capsule histories of the life and work of many others, some of the true crimes that inspired the fiction, and an examination of life in England between the wars. Edwards really knows the genre, and he knows what's been written about the genre, and he knows what people might like to read nowadays. He has a gift for pithy phrases: "His detective stories were now as convoluted as his sex life, but more successful." "Sayers loathed being labeled a feminist, but that is what she was." He also has some respectful but lacerating things to say about Julian Symons, who I've always thought was a twit. Though Edwards disagrees with Symons frequently, he almost makes me want to go back and read him, now that I know he won't have the last word.
My only regret is that it wasn't longer, and only mentions postwar writers like Christianna Brand, Edmund Crispin, and Cyril Hare in passing. But I've got a long list of books to hunt down, and a great reference book for rereading some day.
Edwards focuses most on three of the best writers of the age - Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, and Anthony Berkeley/Francis Iles, all of whom were key to the formation and development of the Detection Club. What could have been a dry history of a silly social club is deftly interspersed with the stories of these three writers, capsule histories of the life and work of many others, some of the true crimes that inspired the fiction, and an examination of life in England between the wars. Edwards really knows the genre, and he knows what's been written about the genre, and he knows what people might like to read nowadays. He has a gift for pithy phrases: "His detective stories were now as convoluted as his sex life, but more successful." "Sayers loathed being labeled a feminist, but that is what she was." He also has some respectful but lacerating things to say about Julian Symons, who I've always thought was a twit. Though Edwards disagrees with Symons frequently, he almost makes me want to go back and read him, now that I know he won't have the last word.
My only regret is that it wasn't longer, and only mentions postwar writers like Christianna Brand, Edmund Crispin, and Cyril Hare in passing. But I've got a long list of books to hunt down, and a great reference book for rereading some day.
November 3, 2016
It's not really fair for me to rate this book 3 stars, because it's a thorough and well-researched look at the golden age of detective fiction and the Detection Club. My rating just reflects my personal enjoyment; if this is something you think you would be interested in learning about, it's a great book.
While I found plenty of interesting anecdotes, along with some perspective on influential detective novels of the time, overall this book was fairly long and often dry. A lot of names and dates and discussion of novels that would certainly be appealing to someone truly fascinated by this topic—that someone is not me, unfortunately.
While I found plenty of interesting anecdotes, along with some perspective on influential detective novels of the time, overall this book was fairly long and often dry. A lot of names and dates and discussion of novels that would certainly be appealing to someone truly fascinated by this topic—that someone is not me, unfortunately.
July 24, 2015
An engrossing history of the Detection Club, the private club of mystery novelists that began in England during the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. Martin Edwards focuses most on three of the founding members, Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Anthony Berkeley (what fascinating hidden lives!) and masterfully weaves together the stories of other club members including my personal favorite Golden Age writer, John Dickson Carr. My copy of the book is now filled with notes in the margins about new-to-me classic mysteries that I plan to seek out.
June 20, 2015
Very complete history of Golden Age British mystery writers. Also very long. Parts were fascinating. Others, especially on writers I'd never heard of, I found myself skimming. Still, this is a reference book well worth owning and I suspect I will go back to it to find answers to questions. I especially liked two things, Martin Edwards's very readable writing style and the way he points out modern works that owe a debt to novels published in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. Prediction: this book will be a finalist for the Agatha at Malice Domestic 28.
December 24, 2022
Although I was very interested in the subject, THE GOLDEN AGE OF MURDER has resided on the shelf unread for about a year. This was because I had taken the Road Scholar program, "The Art of the English Murder Mystery" (an exceptional course, by the way). The lead instructor was Martin Edwards, the writer of this book. That experience not only gave me a list of mystery and detection novels I'm still working my way through, but it led me to the erroneous assumption that THE GOLDEN AGE OF MURDER would be covering much the same ground.
It didn't, although it did delve into "the usual suspects." In short, I found this book to be exceptional, and I've never read one quite like it.
In essence, it explores the writings of members of The Detection Club during what has been called the Golden Age of detective fiction. However, it is not a simple recounting of their notable books. Instead, the writer explores the influences that moved the distinguished members such as Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, E. C. Bentley, G. K. Chesterton, John Dickson Carr and others to create their works. These influences included events in their personal lives, major happenings in the world, coping mechanisms, and interactions with other members. It was absolutely fascinating!
While doing so, the writer mentions many books that I now very much want to read. I thought that I was fairly knowledgeable about mystery novels from this time period, but I've discovered that I am quite the neophyte! In a certain way, that is humbling. But, on the plus side, I have a new trove of works just waiting to be enjoyed.
THE GOLDEN AGE OF MURDER is highly informative, yet the style of writing is not that of the "dry scholar." In the Road Scholar course, Martin Edwards was very down-to-earth and affable, even though it was obvious that he possessed an amazing breadth of knowledge. That affability is present in his writing here, as is his obvious enthusiasm for his topic. It is also readily apparent that he has a deep respect for these writers whose influences are still felt in so many modern books, movies, and television series.
As an unanticipated bonus, he concludes the book with a chapter that explores in greater depth some of the "mysteries" behind the public personas of some of these writers. Christie, Sayers and Bentley are prominently featured and well worth the read.
Earmarks of an excellent book for me are that I don't want to see it end, and a desire for more. Both are the case with THE GOLDEN AGE OF MURDER. Some delightful photographs are also included. The result is that I not only felt that my knowledge of these writers increased significantly, but that my readings of their works will now be enhanced.
I highly recommend THE GOLDEN AGE OF MURDER to anyone who enjoys reading the "classic mystery novels." It is indispensable.
It didn't, although it did delve into "the usual suspects." In short, I found this book to be exceptional, and I've never read one quite like it.
In essence, it explores the writings of members of The Detection Club during what has been called the Golden Age of detective fiction. However, it is not a simple recounting of their notable books. Instead, the writer explores the influences that moved the distinguished members such as Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, E. C. Bentley, G. K. Chesterton, John Dickson Carr and others to create their works. These influences included events in their personal lives, major happenings in the world, coping mechanisms, and interactions with other members. It was absolutely fascinating!
While doing so, the writer mentions many books that I now very much want to read. I thought that I was fairly knowledgeable about mystery novels from this time period, but I've discovered that I am quite the neophyte! In a certain way, that is humbling. But, on the plus side, I have a new trove of works just waiting to be enjoyed.
THE GOLDEN AGE OF MURDER is highly informative, yet the style of writing is not that of the "dry scholar." In the Road Scholar course, Martin Edwards was very down-to-earth and affable, even though it was obvious that he possessed an amazing breadth of knowledge. That affability is present in his writing here, as is his obvious enthusiasm for his topic. It is also readily apparent that he has a deep respect for these writers whose influences are still felt in so many modern books, movies, and television series.
As an unanticipated bonus, he concludes the book with a chapter that explores in greater depth some of the "mysteries" behind the public personas of some of these writers. Christie, Sayers and Bentley are prominently featured and well worth the read.
Earmarks of an excellent book for me are that I don't want to see it end, and a desire for more. Both are the case with THE GOLDEN AGE OF MURDER. Some delightful photographs are also included. The result is that I not only felt that my knowledge of these writers increased significantly, but that my readings of their works will now be enhanced.
I highly recommend THE GOLDEN AGE OF MURDER to anyone who enjoys reading the "classic mystery novels." It is indispensable.
October 23, 2017
I ordered this book, thinking it was another of Edwards' anthologies . Instead it's a history and, in a gentle and loving way , an expose of the foibles of early members of the Detection Club. Edwards also gives brief descriptions (in vague terms--no spoilers!) of some of their best, or just best known, books. Extensive chapter notes give some supplementary information. While I loved it, and loved seeing some information on favorite writers who are obscure now, I'm also not sure who else will be interested in the book's big reveal, of the long-standing romance between two married (not to each other) writers, neither of whom is well-remembered.
May 29, 2022
Loved it but it seemed to go on forever. Now I see it was 500+ pages so it kind of makes sense. But I was reading it on the Kindle machine and the particular one I was reading decided to take away any indication of how much is left in the book, what percentage I have read. This was not appreciated as it happened midway in the book!
But for a Golden Age fan it was excellent. Only thing I didn't like was that he spoiled the endings for beaucoup books - some I am reading and some I haven't gotten to yet. Includes bibliography and index. Not real usable for the Kindle but information that is good to have.
No idea that I started it 7 years ago. I read most of it this year.
But for a Golden Age fan it was excellent. Only thing I didn't like was that he spoiled the endings for beaucoup books - some I am reading and some I haven't gotten to yet. Includes bibliography and index. Not real usable for the Kindle but information that is good to have.
No idea that I started it 7 years ago. I read most of it this year.
December 30, 2018
Very informative and interesting about mystery writers and the elite Detectives Club some of them started in 1930. I confess to skimming the bits on authors I'd never heard of, but the parts on Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers were good.
January 11, 2022
Gossipy and sometimes confusing, and dragged a bit. Could have been done better, but also interesting info about GA authors and their mystery books.
April 24, 2018
"Wars may come and wars may go, but MURDER goes on forever"
(dedica scritta da Agatha Christie nel 1940 nel suo libro "Sad Cypress - La parola alla difesa")
E' la frase conclusiva di questo lungo e dettagliato saggio dedicato alla storia del Detection Club e ai suoi autori, per celebrare un'epoca del giallo che giustamente fu chiamata GOLDEN AGE.
Il libro è una miniera di foto, dettagli e informazioni anche sconosciute su Dorothy Sayers, Anthony Berkeley, Agatha Christie, John Rhode e via via tutti gli autori che resero grande il giallo classico all'inglese, per dirla in altri termini. Veniamo a scoprire anche particolari inediti e privatissimi delle loro vite: idiosincrasie, scandali nascosti per una vita, opinioni politiche estreme sia di destra che di sinistra. Per chi come me ama quasi alla follia questo genere e questi autori, questo libro è una vera chicca, un must.
Quando ho saputo della sua esistenza, l'ho fortemente voluto prendere e leggere. Ci ho messo esattamente 5 mesi, dato il mio inglese arrugginito e dato che, essendo un saggio, non è necessario leggerlo tutto d'un fiato. Per cui lo prendevo e lo mollavo a seconda dell'ispirazione, alternandolo alle mie molte altre letture.
Da avere assolutamente, non fosse altro che per ammirare le foto di Dorothy Sayers e John Rhode con in mano Erik the Skull, su cui gli aspiranti membri del club dovevano prestare giuramento. O la foto del pranzo annuale presieduto da Chesterton: darei non so cosa per esserci stata almeno una volta!!!
(dedica scritta da Agatha Christie nel 1940 nel suo libro "Sad Cypress - La parola alla difesa")
E' la frase conclusiva di questo lungo e dettagliato saggio dedicato alla storia del Detection Club e ai suoi autori, per celebrare un'epoca del giallo che giustamente fu chiamata GOLDEN AGE.
Il libro è una miniera di foto, dettagli e informazioni anche sconosciute su Dorothy Sayers, Anthony Berkeley, Agatha Christie, John Rhode e via via tutti gli autori che resero grande il giallo classico all'inglese, per dirla in altri termini. Veniamo a scoprire anche particolari inediti e privatissimi delle loro vite: idiosincrasie, scandali nascosti per una vita, opinioni politiche estreme sia di destra che di sinistra. Per chi come me ama quasi alla follia questo genere e questi autori, questo libro è una vera chicca, un must.
Quando ho saputo della sua esistenza, l'ho fortemente voluto prendere e leggere. Ci ho messo esattamente 5 mesi, dato il mio inglese arrugginito e dato che, essendo un saggio, non è necessario leggerlo tutto d'un fiato. Per cui lo prendevo e lo mollavo a seconda dell'ispirazione, alternandolo alle mie molte altre letture.
Da avere assolutamente, non fosse altro che per ammirare le foto di Dorothy Sayers e John Rhode con in mano Erik the Skull, su cui gli aspiranti membri del club dovevano prestare giuramento. O la foto del pranzo annuale presieduto da Chesterton: darei non so cosa per esserci stata almeno una volta!!!
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