Author Anthony Berkeley helped usher in the Golden Era of detective fiction.
The Poisoned Chocolates Case is his 5th novel. It revolves around the exclusive Crimes Circle Club whose six members have an interest in murder, detection and criminal psychology; as an intellectual exercise, they've decided to solve a recent murder that has Scotland Yard stumped. The club members give themselves one week to study the case and come up with their own solutions, which they'll then present at their next meeting.
The crime they are trying to solve begins with a simple box of chocolates which is delivered anonymously to Sir Eustace Pennefeather at his club, the Rainbow. Not wanting them himself, he passes the chocolates onto Graham Bendix, who then gives them to his wife. Neither knows that the chocolates have been poisoned until Mrs. Bendix dies. It seems the intended target was Sir Eustace, but who would want to murder him? That's what the Crimes Circle intends to figure out.
It's a fun premise for a murder mystery. As each club member presents his or her solution, you as the reader learn a little bit more about the murder, but never enough to solve it completely, especially when the other members quickly refute the others' premises. I thought it was an interesting way to tell a story. And I liked Berkeley's style of writing and his sense of humor, like when he writes that candidates for the Crimes Circle Club "must have a brain and be able to use it" or when he writes that Mrs. Bendix "was not so serious-minded as not to have a healthy feminine interest in good chocolates". Is this the best murder mystery ever written? No. But it is a good one, and I enjoyed reading it. (With a box of chocolates nearby!) And because this book is "Older Than My Mom" it fills another
Reading Bingo square which is an added bookish bonus. (Although it could also be in the running for the Ugly Cover square.)
Happy Reading!
:) Sounds like fun!
ReplyDeleteIt was...it's not a fast-paced page-turner of a mystery, but it was an enjoyable read all the same.
DeleteI thought this one was fun too - and of course I was completely baffled for much of it :)
ReplyDeleteApparently he wrote quite a few more books, but I haven't found any of them yet.
I was baffled, too. For me, the ending was a fun surprise. And I wouldn't mind reading more of his mysteries, but you're right, they are really hard to find.
DeleteThis sounds like a fun mystery! I fear my knowledge of mystery writers is limited to contemporary authors and Agatha Christie. That's probably something I should work on!
ReplyDeleteI wasn't familiar with this author at all until I ran across this book on Goodreads. But I'm glad I did. It was a fun mystery.
DeleteI like the sound of this one! The Reading Bingo square "Older Than My Mom" makes me laugh :)
ReplyDeleteReading bingo makes reading more fun. :) Thanks for dropping by!
DeleteThis sounds really good! Will have to see if I can find it.
ReplyDeleteI hope you can; his books don't seem to be too readily available. My library doesn't carry any of them, but maybe yours does. :)
DeleteI have read lots of mystery authors from this time period but never this one. This one sounds like fun. I went back and read your review of The Poisoned Chocolates Case. I can see how it might not have appealed to me earlier; multiple people taking stabs at solving a case never appealed to me. But your description makes me want to read it to. So I better start looking for copies of these.
ReplyDeleteI did find an inexpensive ebook copy of The Poisoned Chocolates Case.
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DeleteYay. I thought it was an interesting way to tell a mystery and solve a murder. :D
DeleteI've only read one Berkeley--Poisoned Chocolates, and that a long time ago--and I keep meaning to read more. This sounds like a good one
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