Resorting to Murder: Holiday Mysteries

By Sourcebooks

Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder

"This volume in Poisoned Pen's British Library Crime Classics series is ideal summer vacation reading." —Publishers Weekly

Holidays offer us the luxury of getting away from it all. So, in a different way, do detective stories. This collection of vintage mysteries combines both those pleasures. From a golf course at the English seaside to a pension in Paris, and from a Swiss mountain resort to the cliffs of Normandy, this new selection shows the enjoyable and unexpected ways in which crime writers have used summer holidays as a theme.

These fourteen stories range widely across the golden age of British crime fiction. Stellar names from the past are well represented—Arthur Conan Doyle and G. K. Chesterton, for instance—with classic stories that have won acclaim over the decades. The collection also uncovers a wide range of hidden gems: Anthony Berkeley—whose brilliance with plot had even Agatha Christie in raptures—is represented by a story so (undeservedly) obscure that even the British Library does not own a copy. The stories by Phyllis Bentley and Helen Simpson are almost equally rare, despite the success which both writers achieved, while those by H. C. Bailey, Leo Bruce and the little-known Gerald Findler have seldom been reprinted.

Each story is introduced by the editor, Martin Edwards, who sheds light on the authors' lives and the background to their writing.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sourcebooks
• Release date: Jun 2, 2015
• ISBN: 9781464203763

Reviews for Resorting to Murder

[bemislibrary · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

These mysteries are set in popular European vacation spots in the early 1900s. Editor Edwards chose 14 lesser known stories by British crime writers tied loosely together by amateur detectives as the main character. The wide range of plots, criminals and settings may have readers using the short introductions to decide which stories to read first. Arthur Conan Doyle and G. K. Chesterton are two of the most well known authors included in this anthology.

[cathyskye · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Insightful introductions by Martin Edwards guide readers through this collection of fourteen short stories written by some of the most popular crime fiction writers in England's golden age of mysteries (1910-1953). The theme of detectives on holiday provides the framework of the collection, and the stories take place in many vacation spots throughout the United Kingdom, France and Switzerland.Of the fourteen authors, I was familiar with only three: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Arnold Bennett, and G.K. Chesterton. One thing I remembered as I read each story was that, during this time, crime fiction was in its purest form. If something did not advance the story, the writer did not include it. If you're a fan of more contemporary crime fiction in which in-depth characterization and the story's setting usually take on very important roles, this collection may not be for you. But if you're interested in reading the work of other crime fiction authors besides Agatha Christie who were popular and have fallen into (sometimes undeserved) obscurity, Resorting to Murder is right up your alley.Of all the stories in this book, I enjoyed the ones by the two women most: "A Posteriori" by Helen Simpson, and "Where Is Mr. Manetot?" by Phyllis Bentley, due to their plots and for Helen Simpson's sense of humor. I also enjoyed the feeling of slipping back into the past to read the popular fiction of the day. I applaud the British Library Crime Classics series and its US publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for bringing these writers and their works back to the reading public.

[jburlinson_3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Very pleasant diversions; best consumed as one would deserts: one at a time, after some more nourishing fodder.