Born in 1952,, along with the barcode, roll-on deodorant, and the hydrogen bomb.
After a bumper crop of 1939 crime in July, I asked for suggestions for August’s book of the year. Sergio stepped forward with 1952.
Events of 1952 included Elizabeth II becoming Queen, a polio epidemic in the US, the last great London smog, and the Mau Mau rebellion. So what crime fiction was published? Over to you…
Small print
- Books, comics, films and TV also welcome. Or even plays…
- Sign up in the comments below
- if you want to play but you haven’t got a blog, I’m happy to have you as a guest poster, or to link to Goodreads or Amazon
- Comment below to join in, or tweet me @westwoodrich
Past Offences: Classic crime, thrillers and mystery book reviews 
I’m definitely signing up – though no idea which book yet….
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Yes, I’m in! I’m already watching The Floating Dutchman (1952), based on a Nicolas Bentley novel. Bentley has a bit part as a copper, and the great Sydney Tafler is the baddie!
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Well I’m definitely in Rich – ta very much 🙂
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I am in also. I actually saw some great comics to review, but I don’t think I could do a good job in that area. I have several books on my shelves to consider, and one I would like to buy but trying to fight the urge.
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No idea yet which book I’ll choose, but I’ll be there.
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I’ll be there, and I’m planning on reading The Tiger in the Smoke by Margery Allingham. Thanks for organizing a classics reading challenge that’s not so time-consuming!
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I’m planning on reading The Tiger in the Smoke by Margery Allingham
Golly! Literally within the past two minutes I’ve been — in a completely different context — exhorting someone to read this novel. It’s a knockout, as, in a sort of ramshackle way, is the movie based on it.
I had no idea the novel came out in 1952.
Hm.
*plots*
Hm.
*schemes*
Hm.
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I’m looking forward to it, and I’m glad you endorse it as well. I came across it on a list of most popular books published in 1952 on Goodreads, and Karen at EuroCrime also published a list of crime novels from 1952, http://eurocrime.blogspot.com/2014/08/some-1952-titles-for-past-offfences.html
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. . . but then I realized how long it’s been since last I read Josephine Tey’s The Singing Sands, so I thought I might go for that instead.
Today, as I finished reading Bruce Elliott’s obscure noir One is a Lonely Number (it’s the first half of one of those jolly Stark House twofers), I glanced idly at the publication history and, bingo!, there it was: 1952.
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Talking of comics, the first issue of MAD (U.S.) came out in 1952 with the introductory statement,”Greetings, you MAD readers! You’re now holding in your MAD hands the very first MAD issue of MAD!”
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Tiger in the Smoke certainly – almost obligatory. Others: Hilary Waugh’s Last seen Wearing, Jim Thompson’s The Killer Inside Me; Ross MacDonald’s The Ivory Grin; Rex Stout’s Triple Jeopardy; and Josephine Tey’s The Singing Sands, which I think was published just after her death. Plenty to go for here.All round, 1952 sounds like a good year.
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John D. MacDonald – The Damned, Day Keene – Home is the Sailor or Wake up to Murder, Charlotte Jay – Beat not the Bones, Harold Robbins – A Stone for Danny Fisher. I have a few to choose from depends which one I can find first in the mess of a library.
I would also like to read David Dodge’s To Catch a Thief, but don’t have a copy.
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I instinctively reached for David Dodge’s To Catch A Thief but my (Penguin) edition maintains it was published in 1953. I’m very tempted by the John D. MacDonald, which I’ve never read, and less so by Mickey Spillane’s Kiss Me Deadly.
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Mike, I’m happy to stand corrected, I got the info from a wikipedia page – don’t shoot the messenger! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Catch_a_Thief_(novel)
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To Catch a Thief definitely first published in 1952 – Random House hardback – the paperback came the following year.
And I’ve scrounged up a copy to read so count me in for the challenge Rich
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This one’s easy for me. I’m in.
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I posted my 1952 book review last week. Here’s the link:
Obit Delayed by Helen Nielsen
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Here’s a first contribution: my Goodreads notes on One is a Lonely Number (1952) by Bruce Elliott.
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Pingback: Bushwhackers, The (1952) | Noirish
Another contribution: the noirish Western The Bushwhackers (1952). (IMDB gives the release date as 1951, but as far as I can establish this is an IMDB glitch; everyone else agrees on 1952.)
(Let’s see if I’ve got the coding right for the link . . .)
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My hastily scribbled Goodreads notes on Josephine Tey’s The Singing Sands are here.
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Pingback: Floating Dutchman, The (1952) | Noirish
I’ve just been posting my notes on the 1952 UK crime movie The Floating Dutchman, based on the Nicolas Bentley novel, at my Noirish blog.
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Pingback: Review: The Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson | The Game's Afoot
Another movie submission: Something to Live For (1952).
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Clearly something wrong with my link formatting, and WordPress doesn’t allow me to edit: Something to Live For (1952) is at http://noirencyclopedia.wordpress.com/2014/08/20/something-to-live-for-1952/
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Failed again – count me out. The 52 book I ordered hasn’t arrived and I’m on holiday from tonight. I won’t see it until I return to work on 8th September
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No worries. I’m in a similar situation – ‘Last Seen Wearing’ hasn’t arrived yet. Have a good holiday, Col.
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Pingback: Agatha Christie: Mrs McGinty’s Dead | Past Offences Classic Crime Fiction
I have read and reviewed The Ivory Grin by Macdonald for 1952. Also, I am currently reading the Davidian Report by Dorothy Hughes, also 1952, and will review that within the next week.
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Oh, I like Grin!
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Some notes now posted on GoodReads about Maigret’s Revolver (1952).
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Just posted one, another one on the way before the end of the month!
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I just finished The Tiger in the Smoke, http://wp.me/p2jIWi-tw.
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One of my all-time favourites. Thanks Rebecca.
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I liked your series of posts on the book, Rich.
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Pingback: The Tiger in the Smoke by Margery Allingham | Ms. Wordopolis Reads
Unless I get quite implausibly eager at the weekend, my last contribution to the #1952 Signup is The Voice of Merrill (1952).
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Posted a review of THE DAVIDIAN REPORT by Dorothy B. Hughes for 1952.
http://bitterteaandmystery.blogspot.com/2014/08/books-of-1952-davidian-report-by.html
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I’ve got two more coming tonight. Here’s the Quentin one already posted:
http://thepassingtramp.blogspot.com/2014/08/practice-to-deceive-black-widow-1952-by.html
And the outline of the two additional ones:
http://thepassingtramp.blogspot.com/2014/08/coming-attractions.html
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