Anthony Berkeley

When a series of strangled women are discovered in London-each marked by the same sinister token, a silk stocking-the city reels in fear. Journalist and amateur sleuth Roger Sheringham is drawn into the case, his curiosity sharpened by both intellect and instinct. As the body count rises and the evidence grows tangled in deceit and scandal, Sheringham must navigate high society's hypocrisies, the gossip of Fleet Street, and the shadowy corners of the city's underworld. Blending razor-sharp wit, psychological insight, and masterful plotting, The Silk Stocking Murders showcases Anthony Berkeley at his best-a Golden Age mystery filled with red herrings, moral ambiguity, and a shocking reveal that will keep readers guessing until the final page. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Margery Allingham.

When a series of strangled women are discovered in London-each marked by the same sinister token, a silk stocking-the city reels in fear. Journalist and amateur sleuth Roger Sheringham is drawn into the case, his curiosity sharpened by both intellect and instinct. As the body count rises and the evidence grows tangled in deceit and scandal, Sheringham must navigate high society's hypocrisies, the gossip of Fleet Street, and the shadowy corners of the city's underworld. Blending razor-sharp wit, psychological insight, and masterful plotting, The Silk Stocking Murders showcases Anthony Berkeley at his best-a Golden Age mystery filled with red herrings, moral ambiguity, and a shocking reveal that will keep readers guessing until the final page. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Margery Allingham.

A glass of poison, a dead woman in Piccadilly, and a trail of clues only the sharpest detective can unravel. The Piccadilly Murder is a brilliant mystery written by a master craftsman, Anthony Berkeley-creator of the legendary sleuth Roger Sheringham. This classic British whodunit combines a shocking crime with Berkeley's trademark wit, psychological insight, and clever plotting. When a seemingly ordinary afternoon in Piccadilly ends in tragedy, suspicion falls on a glass of poisoned spirits. Was it suicide, accident, or murder most foul? In the fog-shrouded streets of London, amid whispers of scandal and hidden motives, the truth proves more elusive than anyone suspects. Berkeley weaves an atmospheric London mystery filled with red herrings, sharp dialogue, and an ending as unexpected as it is satisfying. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Margery Allingham, The Piccadilly Murder is a must-have for lovers of classic whodunits, vintage British crime fiction, and Golden Age mystery reprints. This retro detective novel delivers everything mystery readers crave-a murder in London, an ingenious puzzle, and a detective who must untangle the web of lies before the killer strikes again. Step back into the Golden Age of mystery and discover why Anthony Berkeley remains one of the most respected voices in the world of classic detective fiction.

A glass of poison, a dead woman in Piccadilly, and a trail of clues only the sharpest detective can unravel. The Piccadilly Murder is a brilliant mystery written by a master craftsman, Anthony Berkeley-creator of the legendary sleuth Roger Sheringham. This classic British whodunit combines a shocking crime with Berkeley's trademark wit, psychological insight, and clever plotting. When a seemingly ordinary afternoon in Piccadilly ends in tragedy, suspicion falls on a glass of poisoned spirits. Was it suicide, accident, or murder most foul? In the fog-shrouded streets of London, amid whispers of scandal and hidden motives, the truth proves more elusive than anyone suspects. Berkeley weaves an atmospheric London mystery filled with red herrings, sharp dialogue, and an ending as unexpected as it is satisfying. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Margery Allingham, The Piccadilly Murder is a must-have for lovers of classic whodunits, vintage British crime fiction, and Golden Age mystery reprints. This retro detective novel delivers everything mystery readers crave-a murder in London, an ingenious puzzle, and a detective who must untangle the web of lies before the killer strikes again. Step back into the Golden Age of mystery and discover why Anthony Berkeley remains one of the most respected voices in the world of classic detective fiction.

Unsettling and gripping, this innovative classic first published in 1932 was the basis for Alfred Hitchcock's film Suspicion, and remains an arresting and unique work of literary artistry. Anthony Berkeley Cox, writing as Francis Iles, flips the traditional mystery model of the crime genre to delve into the psychology, fears, and motives of a suspecting victim. This edition includes an introduction by CWA Diamond Dagger and Edgar(R) Award-winning author Martin Edwards." Written with refrigerated violence. Disturbing, exciting." --The Listener"Magnificent--a masterpiece of cruelty and wit." --Christopher Morley"One of the finest studies of murder ever written." --John C. Farrar"Some women give birth to murderers, some go to bed with them, and some marry them. Lina Aysgarth had lived with her husband for nearly eight years before she realized that she was married to a murderer." With these opening words, Before the Fact ushers the reader into the dark and experimental world of Francis Iles's crime fiction. Written in the wake of his ground-breaking murderer's-perspective novel Malice Aforethought, Before the Fact sees the author applying his signature flair for thrilling suspense and human insight. The twisting narrative is told from the viewpoint of a wife as she navigates a life with her disquieting yet charismatic husband--and the mounting peril of his murderous intentions.

Kostüümipeol, mille teemaks on kuulsad mõrvarid ja nende ohvrid, osaleb ka amatöörist kriminoloog Roger Sheringham, kes on valmis meeldivaks "mõrvapeoks". Paraku saab väljamõeldud mõrvast kiiresti tegelikkus, kui leitakse poodud Ena Strattoni surnukeha. Ent kas tegemist on ikka mõrvaga või läks ta hoopis vabasurma? Roger Sheringham otsustab uurimisse sekkuda, seades end sellega tahtmatult ohtu. Kuid põhjalik politseiuurimine liigub tõele aina lähemale ... ANTHONY BERKELEY oli Anthony Berkeley Coxi (1893-1971) kirjanikunimi. Ta on üks tähtsamaid tegelasi Briti krimikirjanduse ajaloos. Berkeley loodud on Detektiivklubi, maailma vanim krimikirjanike sotsiaalvõrgustik, mis tegutseb tänapäevani.

The Piccadilly Murder (1929) is a classic detective novel by Anthony Berkeley, a celebrated writer in the Golden Age of detective fiction. This book is one of his many clever and intricately plotted mysteries, featuring his popular amateur sleuth, Roger Sheringham. In the novel, Sheringham investigates the death of a man in a London tea shop, initially thought to be a heart attack but soon revealed to involve foul play. True to Berkeley's style, the story unfolds with wit, sharp dialogue, and a focus on psychological depth. Berkeley's hallmark is his ability to play with conventional mystery tropes, offering surprises and a sometimes unconventional approach to justice. Anthony Berkeley Cox (1893-1971), writing under the pen names Anthony Berkeley and Francis Iles, was a prolific and influential figure in the Golden Age of detective fiction. His work is notable for its wit, psychological insight, and innovative approaches to the mystery genre. Berkeley was born in Watford, England, and educated at University College, Oxford. He served in World War I before embarking on a career as a journalist and novelist. His experience in journalism informed his sharp, satirical writing style. Berkeley was a founding member of the Detection Club, a prestigious organization of mystery writers that included Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers. His works often satirized and subverted the conventions of detective fiction, influencing later crime novelists.

Berkeley's work stood out for its focus on the psychology behind crime, often highlighting moral ambiguity and unreliable narratives. Unlike traditional mysteries where the detective solves the case through logic, Berkeley was more interested in exploring multiple possibilities, false leads, and the role of human error in investigations. Roger Sheringham series: Berkeley's most famous character, Roger Sheringham, is an amateur detective who appears in several of his novels, including The Poisoned Chocolates Case (1929). Sheringham is often portrayed as flawed and arrogant, contrasting with the infallible detectives seen in many Golden Age mysteries. Francis Iles novels: Under the pseudonym Francis Iles, Berkeley wrote psychologically driven novels such as Malice Aforethought (1931) and Before the Fact (1932). These works are early examples of "inverted detective stories," where the criminal's identity is known from the beginning, and the suspense comes from whether they'll be caught. Malice Aforethought is particularly famous for its darkly comic portrayal of a murderer planning to kill his wife, showing Berkeley's mastery of psychological tension. Before the Fact became even more famous after being adapted into the 1941 Hitchcock film Suspicion. Berkeley was a founding member of the Detection Club, a group of British mystery writers that included luminaries like Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers. The club was known for its rules on fair play in detective fiction-ensuring that readers had all the clues necessary to solve the mystery along with the detective. Berkeley's influence on the detective genre lies in his willingness to subvert its conventions. He moved away from the purely puzzle-driven approach of many of his contemporaries, instead focusing on character psychology and the ambiguity of moral choices. His "inverted" mysteries, where the reader knows the identity of the killer from the start, were groundbreaking at the time.

Berkeley, like his contemporaries Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers, "were fascinated by murder in real life," according to Martin Edwards, who makes another observation. True crime tales provided them with inspiration and motivation. (four) The Wychford Poisoning Case drew inspiration from the case of Florence Maybrick, who faced accusations of poisoning her husband, James Maybrick, and ultimately proved guilty of the crime. Both Edwards and Tony Medawar have mentioned this fact. Sheringham also alludes to numerous other true crime cases involving Edith Thompson and Frederick Bywaters, Frederick Seddon, Hawley Harvey Crippen, William Palmer, Edward William Pritchard, George Henry Lamson, Herbert Rowse Armstrong, Catherine Wilson, Maria van der Linden-Swanenburg (referred to in the novel as "Van de Leyden"), Marie Jeanneret (a Swiss nurse found guilty of murdering six persons and attempting to murder two others by poison), Steinie Morrison, Oscar Slater, Constance Kent, Alfred John Monson, and Madeleine Smith. The Wychford Poisoning Case was dedicated to fellow crime writer E. M. Delafield.

The Mystery at Lovers' Cave, a classical book, was published more than a century ago and has been considered important throughout the human history, and so that this work is never forgotten we at Alpha Editions have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format for present and future generations. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. These books are not made of scanned copies of their original work and hence the text is clear and readable.

In 1930, Anthony Berkeley Cox (1893-1971) founded London's Detection Club, whose members swore that their "detectives shall well and truly detect the crimes presented to them, using those wits which it may please you to bestow upon them." The Detection Club pledged "never to conceal a vital clue from the reader." Anthony Berkeley's novels and short stories featuring Roger Sheringham and Inspector Moresby are among the finest examples of the fair play, challenge-to-the-reader tradition of the Golden Age. The title story in The Avenging Chance has long been considered one of the greatest formal detective stories. This book also collects all the additional cases of Sheringham and Moresby. This enlarged edition includes - for the first time- the newly discovered short stories, "The Bargee's Holiday" and "Hot Steel." Cover illustration by Gail Cross. Lost Classics design by Deborah Miller. Cover by Christina Luboski.

Army officer Stephen Munro, who has been demobbed, decides to accept a position as a footman in order to make ends meet. Working for the elderly Lady Susan Carey at her lovely but dilapidated Sussex country home, Wintringham Hall, Stephen's first duty is to greet her eccentric guests at a weekend house party. Her bombastic nephew, who recognises Stephen from his previous life, decides that an after-dinner s ance would be more entertaining than bridge. Cicely then vanishes Lady Susan is reluctant to report what is likely a childish prank to the authorities, so Stephen and the brave Pauline Mainwaring decide to look into it. The game becomes much more serious after a suspicious demise, though. This age-appropriate winter mystery features a sprawling country home, a s ance, a murder, a room locked from the inside, servants, suspects, and alibis, as well as a clever puzzle.