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 spiri...

The noted amateur detective Roger Sheringham has formed his own private club of criminologists. As a challenge, he proposes that they individually attempt to solve a murder that has baffled Scotland Yard: the death of wealthy businessman Graham Bendix's wife after he presented her a box of poisoned chocolates.Rather than converging on a single criminal, each of the six members of the Crimes Circle arrives at a completely different solution to the same murder.Anthony Berkele...

"Detection and crime at its wittiest—all Berkeley's stories are amusing, intriguing and he is a master of the final twist." —Agatha ChristieIn this classic Golden Age British mystery, Anthony Berkeley—the renowned author of the Roger Sheringham series—delivers a tense political thriller that starts with a shocking assassination . . .The House of Commons has been breached in the most unthinkable manner. In the middle of his speech introducing a controversial...

William, the gardener at Layton Court, was a man of melancholy deliberation. It did not pay, William held, to rush things; especially the important things of life, such as the removal of greenfly from roses. Before action was taken, the matter should be studied, carefully and unhappily, from every possible point of view, particularly the worst. On this summer’s morning William had been gazing despondently at the roses for just over three quarters of an hour. Pretty soon now he would feel h...

A classic Golden Age crime novel, and one of the first to feature a serial killer.Investigating the disappearance of a vicar’s daughter in London, the popular novelist and amateur detective Roger Sheringham is shocked to discover that the girl is already dead, found hanging from a screw by her own silk stocking. Reports of similar deaths across the capital strengthen his conviction that this is no suicide cult but the work of a homicidal maniac out for vengeance – ...

Republished for the first time in nearly 95 years, a classic winter country house mystery by the founder of the Detection Club, with a twist that even Agatha Christie couldn’t solve!Stephen Munro, a demobbed army officer, reconciles himself to taking a job as a footman to make ends meet. Employed at Wintringham Hall, the delightful but decaying Sussex country residence of the elderly Lady Susan Carey, his first task entails welcoming her eccentric guests to a weeke...

The Layton Court Mystery introduces best friends Roger Sheringham and Alexander "Alec" Grierson, who join a distinguished roster of London society guests at the country estate of wealthy bachelor Victor Stanworth. The retreat takes a grim turn when Stanworth is discovered dead in his study with a gunshot wound to the head. At first glance, the scene suggests suicide: the study is locked from the inside, there are no signs of forced entry, and nothing unusual was reported the night before. ...

MYSTERY AT LOVERS CAVE, THE by ANTHONY BERKELEY offers a concentrated, compelling experience within fiction / mystery & detective. This concise work presents carefully drawn characters and purposeful plotting that together explore themes of choice, consequence, and human connection. The prose is precise and economical, balancing vivid scenes with clear pacing to maintain narrative momentum. Ideal for readers seeking a thoughtful, accessible read, the book is well-suited to book clubs and c...

"The Amateur Crime" is a captivating mystery novel that showcases the author's knack for intricate plots and clever twists. Set in 1930s England, the story revolves around Roger Sheringham, an amateur sleuth and part-time novelist, who is invited to a country house party where a murder soon takes place. Known for his sharp intellect and unorthodox methods, Sheringham takes it upon himself to unravel the mystery behind the crime.The novel intricately explores the dynamics among the ...

Graham and Joan Bendix have apparently succeeded in making that eighth wonder of the modern world, a happy marriage. And into the middle of it there drops, like a clap of thunder, a box of chocolates. Joan Bendix is killed by a poisoned box of liqueur chocolates that cannot have been intended for her to eat. The police investigation rapidly reaches a dead end. Chief Inspector Moresby calls on Roger Sheringham and his Crimes Circle – six amateur but intrepid detectives – to consider the cas...

One of the earliest psychological crime novels.Mrs Bentley has been arrested for murder. The evidence is overwhelming: arsenic she extracted from fly papers was in her husband’s medicine, his food and his lemonade, and her crimes are being plastered across the newspapers. Even her lawyers believe she is guilty. But Roger Sheringham, the brilliant but outspoken young novelist, is convinced that there is ‘too much evidence’ against Mrs Bentley and sets out to prove h...

This new edition, which is reproduced from a first printing of the book, is introduced by the author Martin Edwards, archivist of the Detection Club, and includes a never-before-published Preface by Agatha Christie, ‘Detective Writers in England’, in which she discusses her fellow writers in the Detection Club.Lord Comstock is a barbarous newspaper tycoon with enemies in high places. His murder in the study of his country houseposes a dilemma for the Home Secretary. In the hours be...