1944 sign-up page

Every month on Past Offences I gather together blog posts about crime fiction written or filmed in a particular year. I’ve called it Crimes of the Century. Brad suggested 1944 or 1948 for July, and I’ve plumped for 1944. If you want … Continue reading →

Patricia Wentworth: Fool Errant

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‘Hugo Ross isn’t a fool at all. He’s a boy. He doesn’t suspect people, because he’s friendly like a boy, and shy like a boy. And I think you are safe – oh yes, quite safe – to bank on … Continue reading →

Paul Halter: The Demon of Dartmoor

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‘Three victims of an invisible creature… mysterious cards found near the crime scenes… and a headless horseman riding up into the sky. if this goes on, I’ll go back to my childhood and start believing in the big, bad wolf.’

Robert Barnard: A Little Local Murder

She drew porridge-flecked air into her majestic lungs, and bellowed: ‘Ernest!’ From the kitchen there came a series of puppyish whines and a clatter of pans, and a minute or two later Ernest Withens, Chairman of the Twytching District Council, … Continue reading →

Bodies from the Library 2016

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It seems like only a few weeks since I reported from Bodies from the Library at the British Library, the inspirational first gathering of Golden Age mystery fans. However, a year has gone by, and today I was down in London for a rematch. This year’s … Continue reading →

Robert Barnard: The Case of the Missing Brontë

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Driving through the Yorkshire Dales, car trouble forces Scotland Yard detective Perry Trethowan and his wife Jan to stay the night in the village of Hutton-le-Dales (presumably a mix of Hutton-le-Hole and Thornton-le-Dale). Seeking refuge in the local pub, they encounter retired teacher Miss … Continue reading →

Scapegoats and boars’ heads: #1957book roundup

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Welcome everybody to this month’s Crimes of the Century, looking at 1957. Loads of movies this month! New player, B Noir Detour reviewed Crime of Passion, finding it of merely historical interest: 1957 is quite late in the classic noir cycle, … Continue reading →