This is just the sort of thing James Ellroy is always writing about – the May 1955 issue of the Police Gazette.
Every month on Past Offences, we profile a particular year in crime fiction. Steve and Sergio picked 1955 for this month’s focus.
This was the year rock and roll began to go mainstream and an interesting cross-over between crime fiction and broader popular culture took place. When the movie version of Blackboard Jungle by Evan Hunter (Ed McBain) premiered in the US, teenagers started dancing in cinemas to the soundtrack featuring ‘Rock Around the Clock’, by Bill Haley & His Comets.
In the real world, the Cold War was in full swing. The Warsaw Pact was signed, and the Vietnam War began a few months after the first US advisors were sent over in a purely advisory capacity. Did all that paranoia and anxiety spill over into the crime fiction that was first published in 1955? You tell me.
Anyone can play, so over to you…
Small print
- Don’t be shy!
- Just comment below to link to your blog post.
- 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.
- Books, comics, films, plays and TV also welcome.
- Sorry in advance if I miss you in the round-up, although I am getting better at that bit.
Past Offences: Classic crime, thrillers and mystery book reviews 
“Scales of Justice” by Ngaio Marsh was published in 1955. Not at all rock and roll, set in a small village where class is a big influence on most people’s lives.
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Logging that library has helped – got my 1955 book in my hands already! Chester Himes – The End of a Primitive
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I’m in with One Touch of Blood by Samm Sinclair Baker (I’ll also throw Death of a Dwarf by Harold Kemp at you…if you’ll take one that I read last month–it’s a good one.)
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Mine is going to be BEAST IN VIEW, Margaret Millar, listed in 1995 by the Mystery Writers of America on a list entitled The Top 100 Mystery Novels of All Time, at number 79.
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Good one, and rated slightly higher by the UK Crime Writers’ Association – #75 in their list. One of my earlier reviews on here.
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My review is at http://paradise-mysteries.blogspot.com.au/2015/02/review-beast-in-view-margaret-millar.html
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Some good stuff already, keep ’em coming.
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As I say every month – I will definitely do one, just no idea what it will be yet…
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The only reason I’m in with the first review is that Rich has been intrigued enough by the title Death of a Dwarf (by Harold Kemp) to let me bring in a book from January. I originally chose it for my Vintage Mystery Bingo Challenge–1955 happens to be the birth year of a very dear friend of mine. I’ll have another review–read in February–soon.
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Count me in Rich – and as a preview, I’ll be starting with THE DEADLY CLIMATE by Ursula Curtiss 🙂
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Somewhat distressingly, I realised that although my UK copy of THE DEADLY CLIMATE gives its date as 1955, it was out in US the year before – does this count? I will include Greene’s THE QUIET AMERICAN instead as Bernadette as opted not to, but here is the Curtiss review in case Rich is prepared to stretch a point in my favour 🙂 https://bloodymurder.wordpress.com/2015/02/13/the-deadly-climate-1955-by-ursula-curtiss/
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You know what? I’m feeling lenient.
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Good man 🙂
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I’m in but don’t know what I’ll read yet. Nothing in my personal collection from that year (I was going to try to make a case that THE QUIET AMERICAN is a crime novel but it’s stretching the point a bit too far I think) so I shall have to see what the library can do for me. Perhaps Patricia Wentworth’s VANISHING POINT as they seem to have a copy of that but I’ll have a longer investigation of the catalogue tonight.
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I ended up reading Alan Hunter’s GENTLY DOES IT http://reactionstoreading.com/2015/02/08/1955book-alan-hunters-gently-does-it/
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As already mentioned, I’m in.
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Way too much to choose from for this year. Definitely in. It’ll be a toss up between Joan Fleming and Charlotte Armstrong, I think. Maybe both! (And I see Mr. Angelini is planning to read yet another Pretty Sinister Books recommended title. Bravo!)
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Damn rifght: https://bloodymurder.wordpress.com/2015/02/13/the-deadly-climate-1955-by-ursula-curtiss/
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Karen’s published a handy list over at Eurocrime http://eurocrime.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/some-1955-titles-for-past-offences.html
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I have The Talented Mr. Ripley on my shelves ready for this challenge.
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Pingback: Margaret Millar 100th Anniversary | The Game's Afoot
My second entry: One Touch of Blood by Samm Sinclair Baker
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I’ll do Hickory Dickory Dock (Agatha Christie) if nobody stops me.
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Nobody stop her, OK?
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Can you also add the link to the Agatha Christie Reading Challenge Blog Carnival when your post is up? http://acrccarnival.blogspot.com.au/
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Pingback: #1955Book – Alan Hunter’s GENTLY DOES IT | Reactions to Reading
I’m reading The Talented Mr. Ripley. Another book I started and stopped but this time I’m enjoying it.
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I was really surprised how much this divided opinion when I reviewed it – I’m in the pro-Highsmith camp.
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Pingback: Film Notes: Death of a Cyclist (Original title: Muerte de un ciclista, 1955) directed by Juan Antonio Bardem | The Game's Afoot
Pingback: The Talented Mr. Ripley, Patricia Highsmith | Yet Another Crime Fiction Blog
Pingback: Review: Beast in View by Margaret Millar | The Game's Afoot
I’ve read two books and the first review is up now: The Tall Dark Man by Anne Chamberlain. Slightly disappointed in this because this book is lauded by so many. Not a crime novel at all, IMO, but one of those mainstream novels that just happens to have a crime in it.
The second 1955 book review will be posted on Sunday.
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How about I review World’s Finest Comics #79 from Nov/Dec 1959? Detectives and crime-fighters include Batman, Green Arrow, Superman and Tomahawk. Plus a brief appearance by Fearless Fosdick.
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Hi John, I’d love a comic, but have you got a 1955 one?
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Oops. It’s from 1955, not 1959. I was working on a story set in 1959 just before sending you my idea for the comic… and got my years mixed. I’ll post the review on my blog in a few days and send along a note here with the link. Sound good?
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Good stuff, thanks John!
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Okay the comic is live at: http://johnhegenberger.tumblr.com/
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Gotcha, thanks John.
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Pingback: CLEAN BREAK (1955) by Lionel White | Tipping My Fedora
Review of CLEAN BREAK by Lionel White, published in goold old 1955: https://bloodymurder.wordpress.com/2015/02/17/clean-break-1955-by-lionel-white/
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Agatha Christie’s Hickory Dickory Dock: http://wordcount-richmonde.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/agatha-christies-hickory-dickory-dock.html About students in a mixed hostel. Not all 50s teens rocked – many studied hard and worried about the future, like this lot. Not as dull as they sound.
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Pingback: Broadway Jungle (1955) | Noirish
Pingback: Escapade (1955) | Noirish
An opening salvo of two 1955 movies to throw into the pot: Broadway Jungle and Escapade. I’m hoping for two more by the end of the month.
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Pingback: Shrike, The (1955) | Noirish
Here’s another: The Shrike (1955).
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You’re in 1955 overdrive, John!
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One more to come . . .
I was really glad of the excuse to watch The Shrike, which is a movie I’ve been fancying from afar for quite a while now. Luckily it lived up to expectations.
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Pingback: My #1955book: The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith | Ms. Wordopolis Reads
http://col2910.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/chester-himes-end-of-primitive-1955.html
Awful!
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Pingback: Wiretapper (1955) | Noirish
And here’s Wiretapper (1955).
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Pingback: Review: The Beckoning Lady by Margery Allingham | The Game's Afoot
And, just to show that I can read as well as watch movies, here are some notes on Scales of Justice (1955) by Ngaio Marsh.
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Man, you *own* 1955.
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Pingback: Winston Graham: The Little Walls | Past Offences Classic Crime Fiction
I did a post for a 1955 book, Murder in the Raw, by William Campbell Gault, on Feb. 18th. I haven’t been successful at leaving a link, I hope this comment gets through.
I loved the book, by the way.
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Don;t worry Tracy, I’ve got it 🙂
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Pingback: Captain Cut-Throat by John Dickson Carr | In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel
My review is up of Captain Cut-Throat by John Dickson Carr is up now.
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Pingback: THE QUIET AMERICAN (1955) by Graham Greene | Tipping My Fedora
Just under the wire: Graham Greene’s THE QUIET AMERICAN: https://bloodymurder.wordpress.com/2015/02/27/the-quiet-american-1955-by-graham-greene/
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