From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

The Wintringham Mystery

Anthony Berkeley,

Tony Medawar (Introduction)

Start date: January 1, 2025

Finish date: January 31, 2025

Discussion: Group reads

Why we're reading this: Winner of the poll to choose our January group read.
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Group reads

* December 2025 group read - Winner!
By Judy · 28 posts · 32 views

last updated Oct 15, 2025 10:39AM

* Oct 25: Murder Included (#1 D.I. Price) by Joanna Cannan
By Susan · 11 posts · 17 views

last updated Oct 02, 2025 10:38AM

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What Members Thought

Oct 08, 2021 Maine Colonial rated it really liked it

Shelves: novel, audiobook, british, mystery

Written in 1927, this contains several commonplaces of Golden Age mystery novels: a country manor house party, a seance gone wrong, a locked-room mystery, and a bit of romance. The main characters are Stephen Munro and his former girlfriend, Pauline Mainwaring.

Stephen is a gentleman, but one who no longer has any money, which has compelled him to give up his hopes of marrying Pauline. Instead, Stephen has obtained a position as a footman at the country house of Lady Susan Carey. Awkwardness ensu ...more

16 likes · Like · see review

Dec 28, 2024 Susan in NC rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, detbuddy25

Revised to 3.5 stars for this fun, clever yet overstuffed Golden Age classic house party mystery. I didn’t read the entire introduction, as they often contain spoilers, but I did learn this was originally serialized, and a huge reward was offered to any reader who could solve the mystery. Even Agatha Christie couldn’t solve it! I knew it would be beyond my poor powers, and just decided to read for enjoyment…I wasn’t disappointed.

The author jammed a lot into this exciting, humorous and satisfying ...more

9 likes · Like · see review

Dec 29, 2024 Susan rated it liked it · review of another edition

This book was famously published in newspapers, with readers invited to try to solve the mystery. Agatha Christie, who sent in her suggestion under the name of her husband, won a runners-up prize! As such, this is a must-read for fans of Golden Age detective fiction.

Although Anthony Berkeley was an excellent author, who often tried out unusual ways to present his mysteries, this does very much read as though it was later adapted into a novel (as it was) and does not flow particularly well. Rathe ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Apr 15, 2024 Teri-K rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, classics-minor, z-own-keep-or-go

I'm honestly surprised how much I enjoyed this book! I love vintage mysteries, except for the ones that are focused only on the puzzle and don't bother to create interesting characters - and there are a lot of those, mostly written by men. So I'll admit I assumed this author would be one of those.

Instead I found a light-hearted story about a house party that decides to try out a spell found in a book. Harmless diversion? It is until the young woman involved actually disappears. That starts off ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Jan 07, 2025 Frances rated it it was ok

This had all the tropes of a GA mystery-a country house party, a mix of old and young, known and unknown guests, some upstairs-downstairs shenanigans, and disappearing guests, jewels, and investments. A perky young couple falls in love over their detecting. Unfortunately, the whole thing left me somewhat cold and unengaged.

1 like · Like · see review

Apr 11, 2023 Laura Anne rated it really liked it

Shelves: british-isles, mystery

I loved this jaunty 1920s locked-room puzzle, great characterization and humor.

1 like · Like · see review

Jan 23, 2024 Sarah G rated it really liked it

Very good. Entertainingly written with an excellent premise, great characters and lots of jolly goings on.

The denouement is a bit rushed but the mystery wasn’t the main thing for me, more of a tall story to keep the characters company through the book. (Audiobook)

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Nov 01, 2023 Mary rated it really liked it

Shelves: classic-british, classic-mysteries

I enjoyed this . I’d only read his books that he wrote under the name of Frances Isles ( both of those were very very good )
The humour was great and I too never guessed the culprit ( Agatha Christie didn’t either apparently !) . Well written with plenty of red herrings .

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