From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

Murder Underground (Watson Sisters, #1)

Mavis Doriel Hay,

Stephen Booth (Introduction)

Start date: May 1, 2018

Finish date: May 31, 2018

Discussion: Group reads

Why we're reading this: Winner of our May group read poll. This is one of the British Library Crime Classics reissues.
[close] Winner of our May group read poll. This is one of the British Library Crime Classics reissues.

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Group reads

* November 2025 group read - Winner!
By Judy · 20 posts · 32 views

last updated Sep 17, 2025 08:43AM

* Sept 25: Lonesome Road (#3 Miss Silver Mysteries) by Patricia Wentworth
By Susan · 16 posts · 16 views

last updated Sep 19, 2025 01:03PM

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What Members Thought

Apr 10, 2021 Anissa rated it it was ok

Shelves: british-library-crime-classics, british-fiction-uk-ireland, mystery-suspense-crime, 2021

I finally made myself finish. I have both the book and the audiobook and still this was a slog. This is a definite miss for me.

I don't expect with so many in the collection that I'll love/enjoy them all. I'll continue with the British Library Crime Classics. ...more

14 likes · Like · see review

May 09, 2018 Leslie rated it liked it

Shelves: mysteries

3.5*

I enjoyed the setting and characters in this Golden Age mystery. This isn't really a 'detective' story, even of the cozy variety, since none of the main characters do any real investigating and the police are mostly "off stage". Instead, the reader pieces together clues from the actions, statements and reactions of the various people involved. The author does at one point deliberately prevent the reader from information available to the characters but by that time I had already a firm suspic ...more

6 likes · Like · see review

Mar 22, 2015 Damaskcat rated it it was amazing

An elderly spinster, Miss Pongleton, is found dead on the stairs at Belsize Park Underground station on her way to a dental appointment. She lives at the Frampton private hotel and many of her fellow residents as well as her own nearest and dearest come under suspicion, especially her niece and nephew who both stand to benefit from her will which she changes frequently according to which one of them is in favour at that moment.

This is a case where, as one of the police characters says, they coul ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Nov 25, 2020 Ruth rated it it was amazing

Shelves: golden-age-and-vintage

Mavis Doriel Hay only wrote three detective fiction novels and I have previously read one of them, Murder on the Cherwell. I found it hard going in places and although I enjoyed parts of the book, my recollection is mainly of pages and pages of endless discussion about timings and routes taken.

This book however was a delight. I started it with slight trepidation that it would follow the way of the previous book but I soon found myself engrossed in the characters - the Frumps - who lived at the F ...more

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May 02, 2020 AngryGreyCat rated it really liked it

Murder Underground is part of the British Library Crime Classics Series. In this case, an unlikable boarding house tenant, Miss Pongleton, is found strangled with a dog leash on the steps to the underground. This starts an investigation and a young man is arrested rather quickly based on his involvement in a theft. Light comedy and misdirection abound with several theories of the crime put forth by just about everyone. Fun mystery read from The Golden Age of Detective Fiction. I will say that Ma ...more

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May 12, 2018 Sandy rated it liked it

Shelves: mystery-classic, rread-2018, humor

More humor than mystery,it is an enjoyable romp with a slapstick ending.

1 like · Like · see review

Oct 02, 2019 Calum Fisher rated it liked it

Breezily written and witty curio with cast of well-delineated characters and cheerful portrait of 1930s London and boarding-house life. Plot is total nonsense, and sags in the second half, but it's mostly fun. Unusual in having a collective as detective, solving the crime (or mucking about and eventually stumbling on the solution) cumulatively without really ever comparing notes. ...more

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Mar 10, 2017 Kat rated it liked it

Continuing my sleuthing among the British ladies of mystery. "A tidy murder" as one of the characters would say with many screwball elements thrown in. ...more

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Jun 12, 2016 Emma rated it it was ok

Shelves: read-in-2016

I expected to love this book as it is my favourite genre, it was ok but not brilliant. It took me a while to get into but got easier when I got used to the style but the plot was not really very interesting. I like to remain in the dark throughout the book and then get a surprise when all is revealed in the final chapter. In this book I guessed who the murderer was fairly early on and then it was confirmed about 60 pages before the end with the rest of the book being used to build up the full ca ...more

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May 25, 2018 Lesley rated it liked it

3.5 stars

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Apr 27, 2018 Jill rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2018-reading-challenge

Enjoyed the book although I did guess who the murderer was from quite early on, however I had by then warmed to some of the characters. I was surprised by the absence of the personality of the main policeman ,as generally in ga books the investigating officer takes a more central role. I did appreciate the map of the railway station, also the family tree was a help.

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Mar 22, 2020 Dina Borhan rated it really liked it

I liked the book a lot ... nothing so unexpected or twisted.... it is like a small dot that keeps getting bigger and clearer with every page without hiding something from you or trying to surprise you with a very different conclusion.

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