An up-to-date 1937 library, waiting for its body, from The Library Time Machine blog.
Every month at Past Offences I host a round-up of book and film reviews relating to a particular year in crime fiction.
For March I have chosen the year 1937, recently identified by JJ at the Invisible Event as the Golden Age of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. He even displays an impressive bell curve to prove it (and he’s even labelled his axes like a professional).
Is JJ correct? This is your big chance to find out.
All you have to do is read a book, watch a film, read a comic, listen to a radio programme and tell us all about it.
Anyone can play, so over to you…
Small print
- Don’
- 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 
Will try and do TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT, which I reckon counts …
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Perfect timing for me Rich. I had scheduled to read soon Dumb Witness and Death on the Nile within my project to reading the Poirot novels in chronological order.
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I have the following list from my 1937 research, to give an idea of the usual suspects:
Max Afford – Blood on His Hands
Max Afford – Death’s Mannikins
Max Afford – The Dead Are Blind
Margery Allingham – The Case of the Late Pig
Margery Allingham – Dancers in Mourning
Josephine Bell – Murder in Hospital
Norman Berrow – It Howls at Night
Norman Berrow – One Thrilling Night
Miles Burton – Death at the Club, aka The Clue of the Fourteen Keys
Miles Burton – Murder in Crown Passage, aka The Man With the Tatooed Face
Leo Bruce – Case Without a Corpse
John Dickson Carr – The Burning Court
John Dickson Carr – The Peacock Feather Murders
John Dickson Carr – The Third Bullet
Agatha Christie – Dumb Witness
Agatha Christie – Death on the Nile
Agatha Christie – Murder in the Mews
Cyril Hare – Tenant for Death
Baynard Kendrick – The Whistling Hangman
Ronald Knox – Double Cross Purposes
E.C.R. Lorac – Bats in the Belfry
E.C.R. Lorac – These Names Make Clues
Gladys Mitchell – Come Away, Death
Nigel Morland – The Case of the Rusted Room
E.R. Punshon – Mystery of Mr. Jessop
Ellery Queen – The Door Between
Ellery Queen – The Devil to Pay
John Rhode – Death in the Hopfields, aka The Harvest Murder
John Rhode – Death on the Board, aka Death Sits on the Board
John Rhode – Proceed with Caution, aka Body Unidentified
Rex Stout – The Red Box
Henry Wade – The High Sheriff
I’ll be trying Afford’s Blood on His Hands and…doubtless others!
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I thought the Afford book was great so looking to reading your thoughts on it.
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Not a peak year for Allingham then…
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Not so much, no, but then I’ve never quite seen her in the same mould as the other “Crime Queens” anyway, she’s never sat well in that company for me; she was probably at her most clasically GAD five or six years earlier with Police at the Funeral, which is a genuinely excllent mystery with a wonderful conclusion. Everything else veers into and out of thriller territory rather too freely for her to really be any use to anyone in look at GAD trends and tropes. but she’s so very famous — and so very reprinted and so very easy to find — that you can’t really not mentioned her, eh?
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As ever my TBR pile has several books from the 1930s but none from 1937 so I’m hoping to get a hold of Tenant for Death by Cyril Hare. I am also sorely tempted to re-read Sayers’ Busman’s Honeymoon, but not sure if I’ll have the time to fit it in. Here are some other suggestions to add to the great list JJ has already started: (suffice to say I think we’re all spoilt for choice with this month’s chosen year).
The Face on the Cutting Room Floor by Cameron McCabe
Beginning with a Bash by Alice Tilton
Figure Away by Phoebe Atwood Taylor
The Cheltenham Square Murder by John Bude
They Found Him Dead by Georgette Heyer
Mystery in White by J Jefferson Farjeon
Vintage Murder by Ngaio Marsh
The Case is Closed by Patricia Wentworth
Hamlet Revenge by Michael Innes
The Case of the Dangerous Dowager and The Case of the Lame Canary by Erle Stanley Gardner
Background to Danger by Eric Ambler
Murder Down Under and Winds of Evil by Arthur W Upfield
Trial and Error by Anthony Berkeley
Six Against the Yard by the Detection Club
The Murderer by George Simenon
The Elephant Never Forgets by Ethel Lina White
Let Loose by Francis Beeding
Bengal Fire by Lawrence G Blochman
The Murder of a Man Afraid of Women by Anthony Abbot
The Upside Down Murders by Hugh Austin
Death of a Golfer by Anthony Wynne
Murder Makes Murder by Harriette Ashbrook
There’s Trouble Brewing by Nicholas Blake
The Rigdale Puzzle and The Circle of Guilt by Charles Kingston
The Murders of Monty by Richard Hull
I’ll be Judge, I’ll by Jury by Milward Kennedy
The Puzzle of the Blue Banderilla by Stuart Palmer
Death for Dear Clara by Q Patrick
Murder a la Richelieu by Anita Blackmon
Todmanhawe Grange by J S Fletcher
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Also Policeman’s Holiday and Policeman in Armour by Rupert Penny, if anyone else wants to risk falling in love with him…
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I’ve enjoyed Heyer’s historicals, so I may well give They Found Him Dead a go. I’ve previously reviewed the Marsh and Allingham.
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WoW! I wanted March to be dedicated to 1937, and here my wish comes true. Thanks for hosting this.
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Here’s the book that I so desperately wanted to read: THE THIRD EYE by ETHEL LINA WHITE.
http://inkquilletc.blogspot.in/2017/03/forgotten-book-third-eye-by-ethel-lina.html
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Hmmm… would it be predictable to do two of the Rhode books? But not Hop Fields as that one’s a bit out of my price range (and the other two are already on my shelf). Might do the Bude one as well.
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I will be doing one of the Allingham books, probably Dancers in Mourning.
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Mine is going to be DUMB WITNESS by Agatha Christie
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Here is my review http://paradise-mysteries.blogspot.com.au/2017/03/review-dumb-witness-agatha-christie.html I am also going to watch the David Suchet film
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Here is my comparison of book vs film: http://paradise-mysteries.blogspot.com.au/2017/03/book-vs-film-agatha-christies-dumb.html
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I will try my hand at Cyril Hare – Tenant for Death
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Posted a few days ago
http://suspenseandmystery.blogspot.com/2017/03/tenant-for-death-1937-by-cyril-hare.html
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Pingback: “Was she getting sunbonnets on the brain?” #1943book roundup | Past Offences: Classic crime, thrillers and mystery book reviews
I have to do Allingham’s The Case of the Late Pig – because I actually own it – can’t say I’m looking forward to it (there must be a reason it’s sat unread for so long) but I like the idea of getting it over and done with one way or another 🙂
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I’ve got a few of the same books as Kate sitting on my TBR stacks. Here’s my possibles (top two are most likely):
Fit to Kill by Hans C. Owen
The Castle Island Case by Van Wyck Mason
Mystery at High Hedges by Edith Sherman Bishop
Murder at Government House by Elspeth Huxley
Crime of Violence by Rufus King
The Case of the Lame Canary OR The D.A. Calls It Murder by Erle Stanley Gardner
Dangerous Curves by Peter Cheyney
Murder by Prescription by Jonathan Stagge
Think Fast, Mr. Moto by John P. Marquand
Mystery in White by J. Jefferson Farjeon
Pattern for Murder by Mignon G. Eberhart
Mr. Pinkerton Again! by David Frome
Figure Away by Phoebe Atwood Taylor
Murder Down Under by Arthur W. Upfield
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I’ve been home with a cold, so I’m halfway through Mystery in White!
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Pingback: YULE LOGS IN SPRING: Farjeon’s Mystery in White | ahsweetmysteryblog
Am I the first? Here’s my review of Farjeon’s Mystery in White: https://ahsweetmysteryblog.wordpress.com/2017/03/04/yule-logs-in-spring-farjeons-mystery-in-white/
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First outta the gate 🙂
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Shucks, forgot to mention my first one. ;(
Death On The Board by John Rhode is here: https://classicmystery.wordpress.com/2017/03/03/death-on-the-board-by-john-rhode/
and The Cheltenham Square Murder by John Bude is here:
https://classicmystery.wordpress.com/2017/03/07/the-cheltenham-square-murder-by-john-bude/
Expect more – including one not mentioned so far…
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Pingback: #215: Blood on His Hands (1937) by Max Afford | The Invisible Event
Pingback: The Cheltenham Square Murder by John Bude – In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel
Pingback: Death On The Board by John Rhode – In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel
Pingback: MISS SILVER AND THE GREAT CONFLUENCE OF 1937 | ahsweetmysteryblog
Well, Rich, your choice of year inspired me to read my first Patricia Wentworth mystery! I’m not sure if I’m inspired enough to ever try again: https://ahsweetmysteryblog.wordpress.com/2017/03/13/miss-silver-and-the-great-confluence-of-1937/
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Pingback: Tread Softly by Brian Flynn – In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel
Told you there would be one that nobody mentioned. The rather stunning and ultra-obscure Tread Softly by Brian Flynn – https://classicmystery.wordpress.com/2017/03/13/tread-softly-by-brian-flynn/ – the only review on the internet! I think…
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Georgette Heyer was better as a romance writer than when They Found Him Dead, but there’s interest here nonetheless.
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Pingback: Tenant for Death (1937) by Cyril Hare | crossexaminingcrime
Here is my review of Cyril Hare’s Tenant for Death:
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Pingback: DICKSON CARR’S “ROGER ACKROYD”: The Burning Court | ahsweetmysteryblog
Whew! My third and final entry for the month: Carr’s The Burning Court! https://ahsweetmysteryblog.wordpress.com/2017/03/15/dickson-carrs-roger-ackroyd-the-burning-court/
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Pingback: #216: The Search for My Great-Uncle’s Head (1937) by Jonathan Latimer | The Invisible Event
Pingback: Busman’s Honeymoon (1937) by Dorothy L Sayers | crossexaminingcrime
Here is my review of Dorothy L Sayers’ Busman’s Honeymoon:
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Sheer coincidence. I managed to read a book from 1937 and didn’t realize until afterwards…
Dead Men Are Dangerous by Garnett Weston
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Pingback: Death In The Hop Fields by John Rhode – In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel
Another one from me – Death In The Hop Fields by John Rhode. https://classicmystery.wordpress.com/2017/03/17/death-in-the-hop-fields-by-john-rhode/
That’s four so far – at least one more to come…
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Pingback: #217: Depth, Discovery, and the Detective Novel, via Death on the Nile (1937) by Agatha Christie | The Invisible Event
Hello — Here’s the link for my review of The Case of the Seven of Calvary, the first Anthony Boucher title I have read —
http://www.jasonhalf.com/blog/book-review-the-case-of-the-seven-of-calvary-1937-by-anthony-boucher
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I looked at ‘Hamlet, Revenge!’ by Michael Innes http://clothesinbooks.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/dress-down-sunday-hamlet-adventuress-in.html
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Pingback: Review: Dumb Witness, 1937 (Hercule Poirot #14) by Agatha Christie – A Crime is Afoot
My first: Murder at Government House by Elspeth Huxley
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Pingback: Mystery Of Mr Jessop by E R Punshon – In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel
And another one for me, the mystery of the missing preposition – aka, Mystery Of Mr Jessop by E R Punshon. https://classicmystery.wordpress.com/2017/03/20/mystery-of-mr-jessop-by-e-r-punshon/
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Pingback: #219: No Flowers By Request, a.k.a. Omit Flowers (1937) by Stuart Palmer | The Invisible Event
Me again! My sixth (sorry, Rich) 1937 is the blandly named Proceed With Caution aka Body Unidentified by that Rhode bloke again – https://classicmystery.wordpress.com/2017/03/27/proceed-with-caution-aka-body-unidentified-by-john-rhode/
Sorry to say, I’m not finished with 1937 yet as there’s at least one more on the way. It’s been a cracking year so far, not a duffer in sight… <> and the next book is Vintage Murder by Ngaio Marsh. Oh dear…
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Here’s my second (and last–I don’t think I’ll get another 1937 done before the end of the month): Fit to Kill by Hans C. Owen
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Pingback: Vintage Murder by Ngaio Marsh – In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel
Well, here’s the review of Vintage Murder – and I’m afraid it’s business as usual from Ngaio Marsh
https://classicmystery.wordpress.com/2017/03/28/vintage-murder-by-ngaio-marsh/
One more to go…
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Just to confirm, there’s going to be another one from me before the end of the month. Don’t write that summary too soon…
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Pingback: A IS FOR . . . ANTICIPATION | ahsweetmysteryblog
My 1937 book is Dancers in Mourning by Allingham, and I posted it on March 22, 2017 at Bitter Tea and Mystery. Sorry to take so long to notify you of this.
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Pingback: #220: Trial and Error (1937) by Anthony Berkeley | The Invisible Event
Pingback: Ronald Knox: The Shorts Stories (1931-1947) – The Reader Is Warned
Here’s my sneaky 1937 review of Ronald Knox’s short stories, just in before the deadline! https://thereaderiswarned.wordpress.com/2017/03/30/ronald-knox-the-shorts-stories-1931-1947/
Thanks for setting this up again.
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Just to clarify, I have reviewed three shorts from Knox and one was from 1937 (just counts I think!)
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OK, here’s A Minor Operation by J J Connington. Book number eight from me… I’ll stop now, I promise. Probably.
https://classicmystery.wordpress.com/2017/03/30/a-minor-operation-by-j-j-connington/
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BTW if it’s easier for reference, I’ve put a list of my 1937 books in that last post. Thanks again for this theme, Rich, I’ve discovered a couple of crackers this month
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Ah, I’ve been good this month and done them as they’ve come in 🙂
On Friday, 31 March 2017, Past Offences: Classic crime, thrillers and mystery book reviews wrote: >
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Very conscientious. Hope I didn’t make too much extra work for you…
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Hello! I hope I’ve gotten Leo Bruce’s CASE WITHOUT A CORPSE in under the wire. Here in the Midwest of the U.S. of A., it’s 8:33 p.m. on March 31…. Thanks yet again for a fun year to explore! — Jason
http://www.jasonhalf.com/blog/book-review-case-without-a-corpse-1937-by-leo-bruce
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