Bodies from the Library 5

Forgotten Stories of Mystery and Suspense from the Golden Age of Detection

De: Tony Medawar - editor

Narrado por: Philip Bretherton

Classic crime fiction's 'Indiana Jones' Tony Medawar unearths more unpublished and uncollected stories from the Golden Age of suspense.

‘Five books in, and the selection here might well be the strongest yet. This series continues to delight with the high standard of forgotten gems that Medawar uncovers, and there’s sufficient range to ensure that all fans of the genre will find something to enjoy. Book 6 can’t come soon enough.’
Jim Noy, author of The Red Death Murders

The end of the First World War saw the rise of an insatiable public appetite for clever and thrilling mystery fiction and a new kind of hero – the modern crime writer. As the genre soared in popularity, so did the inventiveness of its best authors, ushering in a “Golden Age” of detective fiction – two decades of exemplary mystery writing: the era of the whodunit, the impossible crime and the locked-room mystery, with stories that have thrilled and baffled generations of readers.

The Golden Age still casts a long shadow, with many of the authors who were published at that time still hugely popular today. Aside from novels, they all wrote short fiction – stories, serials and plays – and although many have been republished in books over the last 100 years, Bodies from the Library collects the ones that are impossible to find: stories that appeared in a newspaper, magazine or an anthology that has long been out of print; ephemeral works such as plays not aired, staged or screened for decades; and unpublished stories that were absorbed into an author’s archive when they died . . .

Complete with fascinating biographies by Tony Medawar of all the featured authors, this latest volume in the annual Bodies from the Library series once again brings into the daylight the forgotten, the lost and the unknown, and is an indispensable collection for any bookshelf.

©2022 Tony Medawar (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

Reseñas de la Crítica

"An annual treat—almost like the summer version of a Christie for Christmas." (Kate Jackson, author of The Pocket Detective and Cross Examining Crime)

"One of the best mixed anthologies I’ve come across.... If you’re already a vintage crime fan, then this is one to grab; and if you’re new to the genre, then you’ll find this a very enjoyable way to introduce yourself to some of the greats. Highly recommended!" (FictionFanBlog)

"In bringing to public awareness some of the forgotten, neglected or simply unknown stories that the great and the good of the form produced, these collections have become a source of great excitement, and a must-read for even the most ardent student of the Golden Age." (The Invisible Event)

NOT SO GREAT

Obviously there is a reason why these stories were mostly unpublished or published only in long forgotten journals or magazines. While the first instalment of this series was quite entertaining by #5 it feels we are really hanging in there for the sake of the genre not the quality. Nothing memorable.

Another Great Installment

The Bodies from the Libraries series is for lovers of vintage mystery. They aren’t always the best mysteries, but if you love the style and atmosphere of this era of mystery writing you’ll love this collection.