Tuesday, March 5, 2019

3 x 3 - Classic British Mystery Authors


Today is the first in a new feature I'm calling 3 x 3 where I talk about 3 books by 3 different authors who are connected by genre or theme.  Today I'm recommending 3 books by 3 of my favorite British mystery authors.

Agatha Christie

Can you mention British mystery authors without talking at length about Agatha Christie?  It feels almost impossible not to do so!  Here are 3 of my favorites.


1.  Ordeal by Innocence - This is one of the mysteries Christie was supposedly the most satisfied with and it's easy to see why.  It's a clean classic mystery but with lots of twists and turns.

2.  Lord Edgware Dies - This is a quick little mystery that really examines the question about if a person can be in two places at once.

3. Death in the Clouds - I'm going to be honest but one of my favorite things about this book is reading about air travel from another time.  It's all very elegant and you can bring as much liquid as you want on board with you.  The mystery is also thoroughly entertaining.

Ngaio Marsh


1.  Enter a Murderer - I do love a theatrical murder and this is a fascinating one.

2.  Death in White Tie - This is one where Roderick Alleyn's real position in high society comes into play and it makes for quite a twisty mystery.

3.  False Scent - This is probably my favorite mystery by Marsh and one I've read several times.  The murder is gruesome, the suspects are many, and the motive is chilling.

Patricia Wentworth


1.  Lonesome Road - This is intriguing mystery involving a young woman who has inherited her father's fortune but has to remake her will every year.   When accidents start happening it seems someone wants to keep her from making that change.  Suspects abound but luckily Miss Silver is there to help.

2.  The Benevent Treasure - I do love a classic British Mystery with eccentric relatives (usually aunts) and this one has secrets and eccentricities on top of eccentricities.  There's a tough of romance and Miss Silver who always makes everything better.

3.  She Came Back - It was thought that Lady Anne Jocelyn had died in Occupied France or did she?  When someone claiming to be Lady Anne reappears the family is divided on just who she is and who she wants.  Luckily, Miss Silver can help with her practical advice and all seeing eye.

What author do you think of when you hear Classic British Mystery Authors and what book should I try?

5 comments:

  1. I've only read a couple of Agatha Christie books a long time ago. I would love to read more and will definitely check these out!

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  2. This is a fun new feature! I like it! Of course, I would put Agatha Christie at the top of my list and DEATH IN THE CLOUDS is a favorite of mine as well. For the same reason, I suspect. You know, I've never read a book by Marsh or Wentworth. Not sure why. I read a lot of contemporary British authors, but not so many classic ones. I do love Mary Stewart and Victoria Holt.

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  3. Fun feature, Katherine. I have not read any of these authors before but I do want to try Agatha Christie sometime soon. Thanks for the recommendations.

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  4. Ordeal by Innocence and death in the Clouds both sound like lotsa fun. I've been reading some of the British Library Crime Classics lately so I'm slowly getting myself back into some vintage mysteries!

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  5. Nice to see you have included the New Zealand writer Ngaio Marsh. While not much of a crime reader I did read a couple of her books a long time ago.

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