Tag Archives: Detection Club

The Psychology of Anthony Berkeley


He was one of the most influential crime novelists of the 1920s and 1930s, but has languished somewhat in obscurity since. A troubled, dark, incredibly innovative writer: to really get to know Anthony Berkeley, you need to dive deeply into his fiction.

Thanks to my guest Martin Edwards. His latest novel is Mortmain Hall and he’s on Twitter as @medwardsbooks.

Become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/bookclub.

Books and sources:
Elusion Aforethought: The Life and Writing of Anthony Berkeley Cox by Malcolm Turnbull
As For The Woman by Francis Iles
The Layton Court Mystery
by Anthony Berkeley
The Secret of Chimneys
by Agatha Christie
Whose Body?
by Dorothy L. Sayers
Clouds of Witness
by Dorothy L. Sayers
The Wychford Poisoning Case
by Anthony Berkeley
The Florence Maybrick episodes of this podcast
The Golden Age of Murder
by Martin Edwards
The Edith Thompson episode of this podcast
Roger Sheringham and the Vane Mystery
by Anthony Berkeley
Messalina of the Suburbs 
by E.M. Delafield
The Diary of a Provincial Lady
by E. M. Delafield
The Silk Stocking Murders
by Anthony Berkeley
The Poisoned Chocolates Case
by Anthony Berkeley
Murder in the Basement
by Anthony Berkeley
The Hunting Party
by Lucy Foley
The Detection Club episode of this podcast, featuring Martin Edwards
Malice Aforethought
by Francis Iles
Before the Fact
by Francis Iles

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Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/anthonyberkeleytranscript.

Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.

The Psychology of Anthony Berkeley Transcript

Caroline: The writers of detective stories can be as much of a mystery as the plots they create. During the 1920s and 30s, this attitude was especially prevalent. Some authors, grudgingly or not, accepted the publicity duties that often go with literary success — Dorothy L. Sayers, with her day job in advertising, was even quite… Continue Reading

Notable Trials

How did a legal history series become so well known that even Lord Peter Wimsey owned a set? Special thanks today to my guest Dr Victoria Stewart. You can follow her on Twitter @verbivorial and order her book Crime Writing in Interwar Britain: Fact and Fiction in the Golden Age here. Become a member of the… Continue Reading

Round Robin Transcript

Caroline: Writing is a solitary pastime. To invent the characters and stories that readers love, most authors have to lock themselves away from the world, avoiding company and interruptions until the blank page is filled. Not everyone wants to spend all their time hunched over their work, though, and the writers of detective fiction in… Continue Reading

Round Robin

Writing is usually a solitary pastime, yet a group of detective fiction authors in the early 1930s decided to work together on murder mystery stories. Is it possible to construct a compelling whodunnit this way, or do too many cooks spoil the broth? Fill out the audience survey and have your say in the future… Continue Reading

The Rules Transcript

Caroline: A good detective story has a recognisable rhythm. The plot might have unexpected twists and the characters can surprise you, but there are certain structures and tropes that recur through much of the crime fiction from the first half of the twentieth century. Some of them have been parodied to the point of cliche, such… Continue Reading

The Rules

A good detective story has a recognisable rhythm and plot points. But how did these tropes come about? And what happens when you break the rules? Find more information about this episode and links to the books discussed at shedunnitshow.com/therules. The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find… Continue Reading

Edith Thompson Transcript

Caroline: On the morning of 9 January 1923, a brutal and horrifying execution took place at Holloway Prison in London. The condemned young woman screamed and cried, but no last minute reprieve arrived. Just before nine am her gaolers injected her with a sedative, and then offered her brandy as well to calm her nerves.… Continue Reading

Edith Thompson

On the morning of 9 January 1923, a brutal and horrifying execution took place at Holloway Prison in London. The condemned young woman screamed and cried, but no last minute reprieve arrived. Long after she was dead, her story would inspire authors like James Joyce, E.M. Delafield, Dorothy L. Sayers and Sarah Waters, and you… Continue Reading