The classic mystery board game Cluedo was launched in the UK by Waddington’s in 1949 (and in the US, as Clue, later in the year).
Every month on Past Offences we try to review crime fiction from a chosen year. You see the results so far collected at my new Crimes of the Century page.
John from Noirish has chosen 1949 as the reading year for May, so here is a sign-up page for all you bloggers. All you have to do is read a book, watch a film, read a comic, listen to a radio programme, from 1949, and tell us all about it.
(Or play a board game – see right)
Anyone can take part and newbies are very welcome, 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.
Past Offences: Classic crime, thrillers and mystery book reviews 
Well, I think i have to – sign me up with a review of Raymond Chandler’s THE LITTLE SISTER!
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Again, lots to choose from … Half the fun is deciding on a book.
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My review of THE LITTLE SISTER posted today: https://bloodymurder.wordpress.com/2015/05/26/the-little-sister-1949-by-raymond-chandler/
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Thanks Sergio. I’d been avoiding this one as the general feeling seems to be that it’s one to miss. It actually sounds pretty good.
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Cheers, Rich. Obviously I’m a big fan of Chandler to begin with but I really recommend it.
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Just checked the 1450 logged books in the collection, nothing from ’49. Shakes fist impotently at the screen! Where’s Ross MacDonald or Fredric Brown when you need them?
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I am definitely in with Dead Lion by John and Emery Bonett. I have others on the long TBR pile that will work (if I can fit them into the reading schedule).
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I really like the Bonetts, Bev, I’ll be looking forward to your review, they don’t get mentioned much.
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I haven’t read any of theirs yet, Moira. I can’t wait tor try one.
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I am still (embarrassingly) behind – March’s book is almost done with reviewing; I’m reading April’s at present – I’m so disorganised at the mo! OK still to post my links when they’re done? Next job – rake through the piles and see if anything fits for ’49. Please accept sincere apologies for my tardiness!
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No worries 🙂
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Mine will be THE JOURNEYING BOY by Michael Innes
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My review is here: http://paradise-mysteries.blogspot.com.au/2015/05/review-journeying-boy-michael-innes.html
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I found two books from 1949 I’ve been wanting to read for a while lurking on my shelves: The Golden Salamander by Victor Canning and Death of an Editor by Nigel Morland.
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I’m definitely going to do one entry on an untranslated, historically significant European crime novel, as I did last month; I’ll be back here with the link to that post in a few days. I should like to have done two lesser-known novels shouted out by Barzun / Taylor, Norman Longmate’s “Strip Death Naked” and Philip Clark’s “The Dark River,” but I would never be able to get my hands on copies in time, since I’m located in Queretaro, Mexico. Two better-known books are available to me through my ebook subscription services: Nelson Algren’s “The Man with the Golden Arm” (through Oyster) and Fredric Brown’s “The Screaming Mimi” (through Scribd). Although I typically prefer to go more obscure, I might do one or both of those, because they are books that I am eager to read anyway. I’ll also dig around among film noirs of 1949, and maybe offer up a film as well. Wait, let me, see, isn’t Akira Kurosawa’s “Stray Dog” 1949? – Check, yes, it is, and I have an existing piece on that, so I’ll get that up shortly.
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I promised a post on an “untranslated, historically significant European crime novel” of the year 1949, and by golly, even though I’m late, here it is: Maria Lang’s Mördaren ljuger inte ensam (The Murderer Is Not the Only Liar).
http://bookthemdanno.blogspot.mx/2015/06/crimes-of-century-1949-mordaren-ljuger.html
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The “Stray Dog” review, which I first wrote in 2009 and have now slightly revised, is up:
http://bookthemdanno.blogspot.mx/2015/05/crimes-of-century-1949-stray-dog.html
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Pingback: Film Notes: The Third Man (1949) directed by Carol Reed | The Game's Afoot
I have had the opportunity of seeing today The Third Man by Carol Reed.
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I look forward to reading of The Asphalt Jungle by W. R. Burnett.
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Please count me in too.
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Look forward to your contribution Neer.
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Thanks for the warm welcome. Here’s my entry:
Death takes the Living by Miles Burton
http://inkquilletc.blogspot.in/2015/05/forgotten-book-death-takes-living-by.html
Thanks
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Pingback: Books of the month: April 2015 | Reactions to Reading
I’ll chime in with Dame Agatha’s CROOKED HOUSE which I don’t remember ever reading (I probably did as a teenager but that’s so long ago it’ll be like a brand new read for me)
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Fooled me completely when I read it last year – I voted for it at that What’s your favourite Christie? website.
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As ever: will definitely do something but no idea what, yet.
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As a declaration of current intention, I’m going for Helen MacInnes’s <Rest and Be Thankful and Jim Thompson’s Nothing More than Murder. I hadn’t realized The Screaming Mimi was a contender until Patrick mentioned it; hm . . .
As a first movie offering, I’ll go for Silent Dust (1949).
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Ah! The MacInnes proves on further investigation to be one of her rare non-genre books. Oh, well.
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I just read Call for Michael Shayne by Brett Halliday last month. I’d like to offer it for consideration too.
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Herewith my essay on the very splendid Silent Dust (1949) — a movie I enjoyed so much I ended up watching it two nights running!
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I see that you’ve reviewed this one as well…but having decided on it at the end of April, I offer you another review of Dead Lion by John & Emery Bonett. I’ve got a couple of other 1949 books on the shelf. I’m going to try and get another finished before the end of the month.
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My review of Ngaio Marsh’s Swing, Brother, Swing is here: http://wordcount-richmonde.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/ngaio-marshs-swing-brother-swing.html
Looking forward to reading about Asphalt Jungle and Little Sister.
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Here are my notes on Jim Thompson’s Nothing More than Murder (1949).
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http://col2910.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/fredric-brown-screaming-mimi-1949.html
It’s taken a year, but I finally found a 5 star book – Fredric Brown’s The Screaming Mimi!
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There you go – practice makes perfect!
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I won’t finish “The Screaming Mimi” in time to post a review this month, nor “The Man with the Golden Arm” either. I’m essentially working two full-time jobs this month, plus I have a new puppy (to go with my three cats and my ferret – it’s a swingin’ household!).
But halfway through “The Screaming Mimi,” I can tell it is something special. Did you know that the original ending was much bleaker? It can be found in a Brown collection called “Nightmare in Darkness.”
As far as I can make out, the 1958 film version is not available online, although it can be purchased at Amazon as a DVD-R. The trailer at YouTube is a hoot: “Over five million read the novel about the striptease murders. Now see it come STABBINGLY alive on the screen!”
Dario Argento’s loose 1970 adaptation, “The Bird with the Crystal Plumage,” is readily available on DVD and Blu-ray.
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Another 1949 book: The Three Fears by Jonathan Stagge
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Mine is up and I’ve decided to choose the best of the three 1949 books I read.
Death Knocks Three Times by Anthony Gilbert
I’ll be reviewing the others as well, but none of them compare with this highly recommended mystery novel. It’s one of the most original and unusual detective novels I’ve read in a very long time. I may even add it to my list of “All Time Best Detective Novels” I was so impressed.
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Your link seems flawed, John.
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It might’ve missed a crucial keystroke in typing out the HTML code. Wouldn’t be the first time. I’ll try again and leave out the Italics and add my blog name.
Death Knocks Three Times at Pretty Sinister Books
If the link above doesn’t appear, just click on my name and you’ll be taken to my blog. The post on the Gilbert book is the most recent and will appear first.
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Aha! It’s there now.
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My post for my 1949 book is now up at Bitter Tea & Mystery:
for … Trouble in Triplicate, Rex Stout
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Sorry, whenever I include a link, it won’t take the comment. I tried again this time.
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Let me try… http://bitterteaandmystery.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/trouble-in-triplicate-rex-stout.html
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Thanks, Rich.
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Pingback: #1949 Book – Agatha Christie’s CROOKED HOUSE | Reactions to Reading
Pingback: THE LITTLE SISTER (1949) by Raymond Chandler | Tipping My Fedora
Review coming v soon for Miss Silver Comes To Stay by Patricia Wentworth – there’s a little inconsistency between 1949 and 1951 as the year but you can guess which one I’m going to assume…
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Up now at https://classicmystery.wordpress.com/2015/05/29/miss-silver-comes-to-stay-by-patricia-wentworth/
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Pingback: Miss Silver Comes To Stay by Patricia Wentworth | In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel
Hey, Rich, has anyone put in a plug for June’s year? If not, could we do 1934?
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If that date’s chosen, I’ll go for Ngaio Marsh’s A Man Lay Dead as a book; I’ve not yet thought about suitable movies!
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Hi Bev, 1934 will be fine. Stand by for a sign-up page.
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Yay! I have a special little book in mind…. 🙂
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Well, better late than never: I posted my review of Fredric Brown’s “The Screaming Mimi” at my blog today.
http://bookthemdanno.blogspot.mx/2015/06/crimes-of-century-1949-screaming-mimi.html
At this rate, I’ll have something up for 1934 in August!
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