From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives

Crime in Kensington
by
Start date
June 1, 2023
Finish date
June 30, 2023
Discussion
Group Challenges
Why we're reading this
Set in a hotel, next in our Scenes of Classic Crime challenge

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Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 166 topics — 7,784 comments total
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* Sept 25: The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928) by Agatha Christie
By Susan · 14 posts · 16 views
last updated Sep 02, 2025 12:08AM
* Sept 25: The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928) - SPOILER Thread
By Susan · 4 posts · 12 views
last updated Sep 01, 2025 04:16PM

What Members Thought

Carolien
When Charles Venables arrives at the Garden Hotel he immediately senses a strange atmosphere compounded by a mysterious conversation overheard between the proprietors, and a collection of eccentric guests. Then one of the proprietors is abducted and further gruesome discoveries made. Charles, now the society contributor of a daily newspaper, calls upon his previous experience as detective to assist Scotland Yard in their investigation. An interesting setting and well-plotted murder mystery of th ...more
Susan in NC
3.5 stars. Entertaining and humorous in parts, but I suspected what was happening halfway through, began skimming.

Charles Venables is a budding journalist looking for cheap comfortable digs at a good price, hears about the Garden Hotel in Kensington. His would be lady love Viola lives there, tells him it is comfortable but surprisingly cheap, and some of the residents are distinctly odd. While waiting to see the proprietress, Mrs Budge, about a room, he hears her husband threaten her. Before lon
...more
Susan
May 16, 2023 rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition
Published in 1933, this is the second mystery by Christopher St John Sprigg, whose career was cut short by his untimely death in 1937 in the Spanish Civil War.

Charles Venables is a journalist, who goes to live at The Garden Hotel in Kensington. Lady Viola Merritt has suggested he stay there until he finds somewhere more permanant and, as he is trying to convice her to marry him, he happily turns up. Viola feels something is amiss at the hotel and, as soon as he arrives, Charles overhears an odd
...more
Jill
May 21, 2023 rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition
This is set in boarding house in London. Charles Venables, a journalist, is recommended the place to stay by Viola Merritt, the woman he he like to marry. He is not there long before the landlord of the hotel goes missing, and later found to be dead. Venables finds that the police detective is an old acquaintance of his and the two share ideas on what may have happened.
At first I found this story rather humorous, but it soon became a different matter, encompassing quite a few crimes along the wa
...more
Ellen
Jul 05, 2020 rated it liked it  ·  review of another edition
Didn’t quite hold my attention...
Sandy
This is the second book I've read by this author, and I didn't enjoy it as much as Death of an Airman. There is a cast of eccentric characters, a likeable amateur detective, an understanding professional investigator, an almost locked room murder, and touches of humor. However, after an interesting beginning, I rather lost interest in the story. ...more
Miss M
Sep 22, 2018 marked it as second-in-line  ·  review of another edition
Robin
Jan 06, 2019 marked it as to-read  ·  review of another edition
ShanDizzy
Jun 07, 2019 rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition
Kajehas
Jul 25, 2022 marked it as to-read  ·  review of another edition
Fred Levitan
Jan 12, 2023 rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition
Ellen
Jun 06, 2023 rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition
Sue Gray
Apr 02, 2024 rated it it was amazing  ·  review of another edition
Geraldine Byrne
Jun 10, 2023 marked it as to-read