This author became known for his distinctive approach to the mystery genre, masterfully blending suspense with literary sophistication. His works frequently delve into the complex psychological motivations of his characters, exploring the darker aspects of human nature. He often set his narratives within intellectual environments, reflecting his own academic background. The author's style is characterized by sharp wit and precise descriptions, drawing readers into intricate puzzles.
How acute are your powers of perception? Do they begin to match those of Gervase Fen, Oxford don and sleuth supreme? First published in 1953, Beware of the Trains is a collection of sixteen short mysteries. Fen must link a missing train conductor to the murder of a thief, decipher cryptograms to solve the death of a cipher expert and puzzle out a locked-room mystery on Boxing Day. Erudite and complex, these Gervase Fen cases are classic crime at its finest: plot, atmosphere and anecdote, bound together by Edmund Crispin's inimitable wit and charm.
As inventive as Agatha Christie, as hilarious as P.G. Wodehouse - discover the
delightful detective stories of Edmund Crispin. Crime fiction at its quirkiest
and best.
The Tiger in the Smoke. The Moving Toyshop. The Franchise Affair. Death at the President’s Lodging. The Innocecne of Father Brown
5 volumes
This collection features five notable works of classic crime fiction, showcasing the talents of prominent authors in the genre. The stories delve into intricate plots, exploring themes of morality, justice, and the human psyche.
Josephine Tey's "The Franchise Affair" presents a gripping narrative centered on a wrongful accusation of kidnapping, examining societal prejudices and the quest for truth. Michael Innes's "Hamlet, Revenge!" blends elements of Shakespearean drama with a modern mystery, as a detective navigates a web of intrigue surrounding a theatrical production.
Margery Allingham's "The Crime at Black Dudley" introduces the character of Albert Campion, an amateur sleuth who uncovers a murder during a weekend gathering at a country estate, highlighting themes of deception and class dynamics. Edmund Crispin's "The Moving Toyshop" features the eccentric detective Gervase Fen, who investigates a puzzling crime that combines humor with intellectual challenge.
Lastly, G. K. Chesterton's "The Innocence of Father Brown" introduces the titular priest-detective, whose keen insight into human nature allows him to solve various crimes, emphasizing themes of faith and morality. Each story offers a unique perspective on crime and detection, reflecting the diverse approaches within classic literature.
The very first case for Oxford-based sleuth Gervase Fen, one of the last of
the great Golden Age detectives. As inventive as Agatha Christie, as hilarious
as P.G. Wodehouse, this is the perfect entry point to discover the delightful
detective stories of Edmund Crispin - crime fiction at its quirkiest and best.
Before odious Edwin Shorthouse can sing the lead in the first Oxford post-war Die Meistersinger, someone kills him in his own locked dressing room. Gervase Fen, eccentric professor of English Literature with a passion for amateur detecting, is on the case. American title is Dead and Dumb.
As inventive as Agatha Christie, as hilarious as P.G. Wodehouse - discover the
delightful detective stories of Edmund Crispin. Crime fiction at its quirkiest
and best.
Dandelions and hearing aids, a bloodstained cat, a Leonardo drawing, a corpse with an alibi, a truly poisonous letter … just some of the unusual clues that Oxford don/detective Gervase Fen and his friend Inspector Humbleby are confronted with in this sparkling collection of short mystery stories by one of the great masters of detective fiction.Contents:• Who Killed Baker?• Death and Aunt Fancy• The Hunchback Cat• The Lion’s Tooth• Gladstone’s Candlestick• The Man Who Lost His Head• The Two Sisters• Outrage in Stepney• A Country to Sell• A Case in Camera• Blood Sport• The Pencil• Windhover Cottage• The House by the River• After Evensong• Death Behind Bars• We Know You’re Busy Writing, But We Thought You Wouldn’t Mind If We Just Dropped in for a Minute• Cash on Delivery• Shot in the Dark• The Mischief Done• Merry-Go-Round• Occupational Risk• Dog in the Night-Time• Man Overboard• The Undraped Torso• Wolf!
Gervase Fen is serving as a story consultant for a film biography on Alexander Pope when one of the bit players committs suicide. Someone has gone to a great deal of trouble to cover up the real identity of the victim. Then the cameraman is poisoned right before his eyes and Fen finds himself consulting on the more familiar matter of murder
The classic crime thrillers of Edmund Crispin are quite unlike any others in their constantly digressing good humour, their smart puzzle-setting and their strong-skewed sense of what is right and fair. In Buried for Pleasure, his don-detective Gervase Fenn comes to the out-of-way village of Sanford Angelorum to stand in a Parliamentary by-election; he has just finished a major piece of academic work and needs diversion. Almost at once, he recognises another guest in the hotel as an incognito police inspector from London, learns of a local woman poisoned by her blackmailer and then Inspector Bussy is killed, seemingly stabbed in the throat by an escaped lunatic. Not especially enjoying the by-election, Fenn takes a hand in the investigation and finds himself caught up with dotty psychiatrists, ecclesiastical poltergeists, lost heirs and a small and unappealing pig. As Jonathan Gash points out in his introduction, it would be a mistake to regard this as merely cosy or merely a romp; the Crispin novels showed what could be done to the detective novel with a bit of style. Fenn is a fascinating detective because we get to know so much of the over-stocked interior of his highly intelligent head.
As inventive as Agatha Christie, as hilarious as P.G. Wodehouse - discover the
delightful detective stories of Edmund Crispin. Crime fiction at its quirkiest
and best.
When a decapitated head is seen floating down the river in the Devon village
of Aller, the rural calm is shattered. Soon the corpses are multiplying, and
the entire community is involved in the hunt for the murderer. Whilst many
chase false trails, it is left to Gervase Fen, Oxford don and amateur
criminologist, to uncover the sordid truth.
Detektivní příběh z divadelního prostředí se odehrává v týdnu horečných příprav uvedení Mistrů pěvců norimberských na oxfordské scéně, kde dochází k vraždě dvou členů souboru.
Žena ležela na pravém boku, její levá paže byla napřažena pod stůl, nohy roztaženy. Usoudil, že ji může být tak kolem šedesáti let, protože vlasy měla už téměř šedivé a pokožku na rukou svraštělou a hnědou. Na sobě měla tvídovou sukni a kabát, pod ním bílou blůzu, která zdůrazňovala její kulatou postavu, silné vlněné punčochy a hnědé střevíce. Neměla snubní prsten, a její plochá ňadra dávala tušit, že zůstala neprovdaná. Vedle ní leželo ve stínu stolu cosi bílého. Cadogan se shýbl a zjistil, že je to útržek papíru a na něm tužkou ženským ležatým rukopisem napsáno jakési číslo. 1. vydání.
