‘The 60s didn’t really know what to do with hats’: #1960book round up

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Every month at Past Offences we review the crime and mystery oeuvre of a particular year, and in December we were looking at 1960. This month we have a theme tune, Man of Mystery, courtesy of the Shads, to listen … Continue reading →

H. R. F. Keating: Zen There Was Murder

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‘Very well, then,’ said the superintendent, ‘since we both know what’s in my mind, let’s say it out loud.’ He leant forward and looked at Mr Utamaro. The piggy eyes blazing with determination. ‘Is there some trickery going on here?’ … Continue reading →

H. R. F. Keating: The Murder of the Maharajah

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‘Good lad. Remember, we’re here to see that things are done in this country the right way. It isn’t easy. We wouldn’t have been put here if it was. So we’ve got to do our best, always. All right?’ H. … Continue reading →

‘Crass. Crude. Cringe-inducing’. And that was just the music. The #1976book round-up

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Every month at Past Offences we review all hell out of a chosen year, and September’s target was 1976, chosen by Santosh. Karen published a handy bibliography over at Eurocrime, with big titles including Agatha Christie’s final novel, the first (and … Continue reading →

‘It gets odder when Troy wears a jumpsuit’: #1980book roundup

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First up, an unexpected entrant. Dame Ngaio Marsh surprised us all by still writing in the 80s. Continue reading →

‘Answering machines feature hugely’ – #1987book round-up

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Every month on Past Offences we choose a year and read a selection of crime fiction from that year. At the beginning of July Col picked 1987 for us, and chose John Lantigua’s Heat Lightning from his Criminal Library, a ‘murder mystery … Continue reading →

A bumper crop: Classic crime in the blogosphere, August 2013

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Well good grief, I was swamped with classic crime entrants this month. I’m sure I’ve missed some, but I’ve done my best to read them all. Obviously the blogosphere has been awash with tributes to Elmore Leonard, one of the … Continue reading →