Tag Archives: The Diary of a Provincial Lady

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.

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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