Appointment With Agatha discussion

All 12 of our Christie reads for next year were published in the 1940's - from One, Two, Buckle My Shoe, published in 1940, through Crooked House, published 1949.

For our side reads, let's pick six other mysteries from the 1940's to read in the odd months. This will give us two months to read each read, for the members who are interested.

I'm going to leave the nominations open for 10 days. We are nominating for the entire year, so let's start by collecting up to 20 books that we want to choose from, and we'll work down from there.

Feel free to nominate multiple books by the same author, but only one book per author will ultimately be selected.

1. Green for Danger by Christianna Brand
2. Ride the Pink Horse by Dorothy B. Hughes
3. Something Maigret by Georges Simenon (from the 1940's)
4. Coroner's Pidgin by Margery Allingham
5. Death of a Swagman by Arthur Upfield
6. Something Perry Mason (books 16 through 34) by Erle Stanley Gardner
7. Arrow Pointing Nowhere: Henry Gamadge #7 by Elizabeth Daly
8. The Case of the Gilded Fly by Edmund Crispin

A couple possibilities to get us started:

Green for Danger by Christianna Brand

In a Lonely Place by Dorothy B. Hughes

I'm doing the audio legwork for these two titles. Starting with Hughes.

Here's a link to the Amazon listing for *In a Lonely Place.* https://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Place-Y...

It is not available on audio but 4 of her other titles are available: Ride the Pink Horse, The Fallen Sparrow, The So Blue Marble, Dread Journey. I don't have original publication dates for any of these.

______________________
Christianna Brand

Green for Danger available in audio version (AudibleUS)

Her Inspector Cockrill series 1- 7 are available on Audible. I can't get a pub. date on the first one, 2-4 were publish in the 40s and 5-7 in the 50s.

Who else to read?

Georges Simenon. Interesting choice for the 1940s because of his behavior during the Occupation. Read here: https://crimereads.com/the-crime-nove...

All his Maigret books are available on Audible (and all well labelled on the cover: only from Audible).

The article I linked to gives some other thoughts about WWII crime novels.

That's it for now.

Ooops, forgot to include the list of titles. Many of his books have multiple names.

**The Cellars of the Majestic / Maigret and the Hotel Majestic (1942)
**The Judge's House / Maigret in Exile (1942)
**Maigret and the Spinster / Cécile is Dead (1942)
**Maigret and the Fortuneteller / To Any Lengths / Signed, Picpus (1944)
**Félicie / Maigret and the Toy Village (1944)
**Inspector Cadaver / Maigret's Rival (1944)
**Maigret Gets Angry / Maigret in Retirement (1947)
**Maigret in New York / Maigret in New York's Underworld (1947)
**Maigret's Holiday / A Summer Holiday / No Vacation for Maigret (1948)
**Maigret's Dead Man / Maigret's Special Murder (1948)
**Maigret's First Case (1949)
**My Friend Maigret / The Methods of Maigret (1949)
**Maigret at the Coroner's / Maigret and the Coroner (1949)

Margery Allingham was one of the Big Four. I'll nominate a 1940s book featuring her sleuth Albert Campion.

Traitor's Purse

It's available on Amazon and on Audible.

Mary wrote: "Margery Allingham was one of the Big Four. I'll nominate a 1940s book featuring her sleuth Albert Campion.

Traitor's Purse

It's available on Amazon and on Audible."

Ooh, nice choice and lots of Allinghams to choose from on Audible.

Christine PNW wrote: "A couple possibilities to get us started:

Green for Danger by Christianna Brand

In a Lonely Place by Dorothy B. Hughes"

I love these suggestions. I have seen both as movies and loved them. Would be interested in reading the books.

A few thoughts:

I am subbing Ride the Pink Pony for In A Lonely Place since it has an audio option.

I think Maigret is a great idea. I have only read Maigret's Holiday from Peregrina's list. I'd like to reserve one slot for him, and run a poll with some options. Peregrina, since you proposed him, do you want to narrow it down to 4 choices, or do you just want me to pick 4 that I haven't read that sound interesting & set the poll?

I have read Traitor's Purse and I really don't think it is a great entry point into the series; Campion has amnesia through most of the book, and if you aren't familiar with him or the series (I am not), it was a very frustrating book (for me) to read because nothing made sense without the background knowledge of the characters.

Her other two 1940's books are Coroner's Pidgin (alternative title Pearls before Swine) and More Work for the Undertaker: A Masterful Mystery by the Queen of Crime, both of which also audible editions available. I haven't read either of them.

Thanks for the tip about Traitor's Purse, Christine. I haven't ready any Allingham books so would prefer to avoid frustration!

I love Maigret as well and would love to read one of those.

Thank you for Pink Pony. After reading the description of Lonely Place, I was not interested in reading it.

Let the fickle finger of fate choose the Simenon. I don't know enough about the various stories to choose one over the other. Or maybe since his books are short, we read two, one published during WWII and one after. If we are only doing one, then perhaps each title in the pool should have a different year of publication.

I vote Coroner's Pidgin because it is already on my TBR.

Responses are going slow here. Should a notice be published on SRR?

Since we are focusing on the 1940s, we can't ignore the elephant in the room: WWII. I thought I got this link from our fearless leader but I don't see the link in either of the two threads about the side reads. So here it is: https://crimereads.com/the-crime-nove...

The authors mentioned in the article are: Sayers, Christie, Brand (who is on our list already), Hughes, Chandler, Simenon.

What about a trip to Australia with Inspector Bonaparte?

Perhaps: Death of a Swagman

Mike wrote: "What about a trip to Australia with Inspector Bonaparte?

Perhaps: Death of a Swagman"

Available for the kindle (U.S.) and has an audible version!

Great suggestion, Mike. I, for one, would love a trip Down Under.

What I learned about Death of Swagman. Audible has the audio version. Overdrive recognizes the title but not a single library in the state of Massachusetts has a copy, either kindle or audio (but maybe others interested in the title will be successful in finding a free edition).

I've already added it to my Audible wish list. Upfield wrote 32 Bony books of which two are not available on Audible.All are published by Bolinda and none are sporting an"only on Audible" label. BPLibrary doesn't have anything by Upfield and I didn't check the 7 other library systems in the state.

Peregrina651 wrote: "Great suggestion, Mike. I, for one, would love a trip Down Under.

What I learned about Death of Swagman. Audible has the audio version. Overdrive recognizes the title but not a single library in ..."

My local libraries also don't have it, but there is a kindle book available in the U.S. for $6.49, for people who read e-books. Not sure about UK readers; I would guess (with no basis for this whatsoever) that it is probably more available in Australia than elsewhere, since Upfield is an Australian?

I've made some changes to the opening post of the thread. I think it makes the most sense to select 6 side reads from the 1940s. We'll plan to read in the odd months, but leave the discussions active for two months at a time.

I'm also going to send out a broadcast message to the group to see if we can get some more nominations, and then figure out how to narrow down our choices.

In addition, I'm going to add the following possibilities, although they aren't really nominations. If anyone who shows up thinks that they look good, though, they could be nominated:

Checkmate to Murder by E.C.R. Lorac



Published in 1944, this one is subtitled "A Second World War Mystery."

Plot summary: Who fired the fatal shot that snuffed out the life of miserly old Folliner during a London blackout? Was it the beautiful artist Rosanne who lived next door, the old man's Canadian soldier nephew or bumptious Special Constable Verraby, whose eyes registered deadly fear?

This one is in print from BLCC; there is an audiobook available on audible. I have not read it.

The Case of the Gilded Fly by Edmund Crispin



Book information: Published in 1944, this is the first in Crispin's Gervase Fen series. I have not read this one. This book is in print, but there is no Audible version. In fact, aside from a short story, Crispin seems to be entirely absent from Audible. There is a kindle version, and my library has copies available.

Plot summary: The very first case for Oxford-based sleuth Gervase Fen, one of the last of the great Golden Age detectives. As inventive as Agatha Christie, as hilarious as P.G. Wodehouse, this is the perfect entry point to discover the delightful detective stories of Edmund Crispin — crime fiction at its quirkiest and best.

A pretty but spiteful young actress with a talent for destroying men’s lives is found dead in a college room just yards from the office of the unconventional Oxford don Gervase Fen. Anyone who knew the girl would gladly have shot her, but can Fen discover who did shoot her, and why?

The Seat of the Scornful by John Dickson Carr



Book information: First published in 1941; this is one of the BLCC reprints, although it isn't being released in the U.S. until June 2023, so it would have to be scheduled for later in the year; There is/will be an Audible version available.

Plot Summary: Judge Horace Ireton didn't care about the letter of the law. He was interested in administering absolute, impartial justice as he saw it. To some, his methods of meting out justice made him seem hardly human, for they were coldly calculated - the same type of "cat and mouse" technique that he used in his chess games with Dr. Gideon Fell, the elephantine detective. The system, as he explained it, consisted in "letting your opponent think he's perfectly safe, winning hands down: and then catch him in a corner." But the system was not infallible. One day Judge Ireton was found with a pistol in his hand, beside the body of his daughter's fiancé, a man he had every reason to dislike, as many people knew; and he found that when one was on the inside looking out, the game had to be played differently.

One of the Perry Masons novels by Erle Stanley Gardner. I believe book 16-34 have been published in the 1940s, which is mind boggling. The audiobook narrations of the Perry Mason books are excellent as well.

And I would like to suggest Murder Listens In by Elizabeth Daly, which is also called Arrow Pointing Nowhere. Unfortunately, there doesn´t exist an audio version of this book.

The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey



Book Information: Published in 1948; there are print/kindle editions available as well as an audiobook on Audible. I have read this one, and it is a great book. Another Tey that was published in the 1940's is Brat Farrar and it is also exceptional.

Plot Summary: Marion Sharpe and her mother seem an unlikely duo to be found on the wrong side of the law. Quiet and ordinary, they have led a peaceful and unremarkable life at their country home, The Franchise. Unremarkable that is, until the police turn up with a demure young woman on their doorstep. Not only does Betty Kane accuse them of kidnap and abuse, she can back up her claim with a detailed description of the attic room in which she was kept, right down to the crack in its round window.

But there's something about Betty Kane's story that doesn't quite add up. Inspector Alan Grant of Scotland Yard is stumped. And it takes Robert Blair, local solicitor turned amateur detective, to solve the mystery that lies at the heart of The Franchise Affair...

Lillelara wrote: "One of the Perry Masons novels by Erle Stanley Gardner. I beliebe book 16-34 have been published in the 1940s, which is mind boggling. The audiobook narrations of the Perry Mason books are excellen..."

I've been reading the Henry Gamadge mysteries in order - my library has all of them. It's not necessary to read them in order, and I like them.

Christine PNW wrote: "Peregrina651 wrote: "Great suggestion, Mike. I, for one, would love a trip Down Under.

What I learned about Death of Swagman. Audible has the audio version. Overdrive recognizes the title but not..."

'Death OF A Swagman' is available in the UK from Amazon as an ebook, an audiobook, hardcover and paperback.

Christine PNW wrote: "The Case of the Gilded Fly by Edmund Crispin



Book information: Published in 1944, this is the first in Crispin's Gervase Fen series. I have not read this one. This..."


I like Edmund Crispin. I have this one and I haven't read it yet.

Christine PNW wrote: "The Seat of the Scornful by John Dickson Carr



Book information: First published in 1941; this is one of the BLCC reprints, although it isn't being released in the U..."

This is available in the UK as an ebook and an audiobook.

Christine PNW wrote: "The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey



Book Information: Published in 1948; there are print/kindle editions available as well as an audiobook on Audible. I have rea..."

I'd like to read this one. It's been in my TBR for a while.

Christine PNW wrote: "Mike wrote: "What about a trip to Australia with Inspector Bonaparte?

Perhaps: Death of a Swagman"

Available for the kindle (U.S.) and has an audible version!"

I'd prefer something less expensive, as £5 ($6 US, $8 Aus) is a bit over the top for one kindle book. We're in the middle of a recession that is expected to last at least 2 years.

Jazzy wrote: "Christine PNW wrote: "Mike wrote: "What about a trip to Australia with Inspector Bonaparte?

Perhaps: Death of a Swagman"

Available for the kindle (U.S.) and has an audible version!"..."

My local library has a copy. How about yours?

The Case of the Gilded Fly is on my tbr list. Otherwise I´m always in for E.C.R. Lorac, but already read Checkmate to Murder. Other mysteries by here published in the 40s that I´d like to read are Fire in the Thatch: A Devon Mystery, Murder by Matchlight or Murderer's Mistake.

Not sure about availability or if we should nominate one book.

Mike, it will NOT be in the library. Our library sold off most of their books and have no funding.

Welcome to Austerity Britain!

Borrowing any book from the library is something that is almost never possible. They will have to be purchased.

So choosing a book that is inexpensive or can be downloaded for free since it is out of copyright would be best!

Someone has sent me the ebook of Death of a Swagman! Sweet. So that one is good with me, thanks!

Michaela wrote: "The Case of the Gilded Fly is on my tbr list. Otherwise I´m always in for E.C.R. Lorac, but already read Checkmate to Murder. Other mysteries by here published in the..."

I will substitute Murder by Matchlight, which I also have not read. I'm reading Checkmate for Murder right now.

Bummer! With the exception of 2 short stories, Edmund Crispin is not available in audio format. My library has two titles as e-book.

Audible has 10 Lorac titles. I haven't checked dates. Murder in the Thatch, Murder by Matchlight, Checkmate, all available. Murderer's Mistake is not. Library has nothing by Lorac.

John Dickson Carr: Audible has Seat of the Scornful and Til Death Do Us Part. Other titles available but not published in the 1940s.

The Franchise Affair is available as audio (Audible. Library is ebook only).

Audible has all the Erle Stanley Gardner/Perry Mason titles. Library has one on ebook (Baited Hook).

Murder Listens In is available as paperback only on AmazonUS but can be found as ebook under the alternate title, Arrow Pointing Nowhere.

If we are just doing 1940s, then we should have at least one American classic detective on the list -- Perry Mason, Nero Wolfe, Ellery Queen (their 1940s stuff is a lot better than the early titles), et al.

And perhaps one solidly American noir tale.

Peregrina651 wrote: "If we are just doing 1940s, then we should have at least one American classic detective on the list -- Perry Mason, Nero Wolfe, Ellery Queen (their 1940s stuff is a lot better than the early titles..."

Here is my proposal for 4 scheduled side-reads in 2023:

January: Coroner's Pidgin by Margery Allingham (published 1945) (British author)

April: Death of a Swagman by Arthur W. Upfield (published 1945) (Australian author)

July: One of the 1940's Maigrets, to be selected in 2023 (French author)

October: One of the 1940's Perry Masons, to be selected in 2023 (U.S. author)

I will also open a folder for next years side-reads. Feel free to create your own threads to document vintage mysteries you read next year (regardless of whether they are specifically from the 1940's) or any other vintage mystery challenges you might want to do on your own.

In addition, I'll start a specific Mysteries of the 1940's thread, in case anyone wants to participate in a 40's festival. I've already been planning to read several additional mysteries from that time period.

Finally, if anyone wants to propose buddy reads of any of the books we discussed that didn't make it to the end, feel free to post in that folder.

Sounds like a plan!!! I'm ready to rock and roll. Oops, not rock and roll; wrong decade. Make that boogie-woogie.

Since I joined this group for the Christie reads I've become really interested in the cosy/golden age mysteries. I'm going to join in with some of the side reads in 2023. I don't really know many of the authors mentioned here so it will be good to read something new.

Pearls Before Swine is a good read.

I am suddenly in a Nero Wolfe mood. How about Black Orchids?