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Description
First published in 1926. 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 her innocence.Tags
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Member Reviews
Like these quirky detective characters from back then, definitely a time capsule period piece of 1920s England, for better or worse
Agatha Christie said it best: ... all Berkeley's stories are amusing, intriguing and he is a master of the final twist.
It was also great fun.
It was also great fun.
La odio peggio del manzo lesso. Non giocherò mai più alla detective con lei, e inoltre credo che i suoi libri siano vera spazzatura!
(pag. 96)
(pag. 96)
Jul 22, 2023 (Edited)Italian
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Author Information
44+ Works 3,067 Members
A journalist as well as a novelist, Anthony Berkeley was a founding member of the Detection Club and one of crime fiction's greatest innovators. He was one of the first to predict the development of the 'psychological' crime novel and he sometimes wrote under the pseudonym of Francis Iles. He wrote twenty-four novels, ten of which feature his show more amateur detective, Roger Sheringham show less
Series
Belongs to Publisher Series
Doubleday Crime Club (1930.05)
Common Knowledge
- Original title
- The Wychford Poisoning Case
- Original publication date
- 1926
- People/Characters
- Roger Sheringham
- Dedication
- To
E. M. DELAFIELD
Most Delightful Of Writers
My Dear Elizabeth,
There is only one person to receive the dedication of the book which has grown out of those long criminological discussi... (show all)ons of ours. You will recognise in it many of your own ideas, which I have unblushingly annexed; but I hope you will also recognise the attempt I have made to substitute for the materialism of the usual crime-puzzle of fiction those psychological values which are (as we have so often agreed) the basis of the universal interest in the far more absorbing criminological dramas of real life. In other words I have tried to write what might be described as a psychological detective story.
In any case I offer you the result as a small expression of my admiration of your work and of my gratitude for the gift of your friendship. - First words
- "Kedgeree," said Roger Sheringham oracularly, pausing beside the silver dish on the sideboard and addressing his host and hostess with enthusiasm, "kedgeree has often seemed to me in a way to symbolise life."
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"Your late Superintendent, and still Superior,
Roger Sheringham."
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 60
- Popularity
- 514,860
- Reviews
- 3
- Rating
- (3.15)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 5
- ASINs
- 3
