The Murder Game: Play, Puzzles and The Golden Age

Play, Puzzles and The Golden Age

De: John Curran

Narrado por: Gerry O'Brien

From The Murder of Roger Ackroyd to Magpie Murders, and related diversions including cryptic crosswords and Cain’s Jawbone, The Murder Game examines the games authors played with their readers and the importance of puzzles in Golden Age whodunits.

With books flourishing in the 1920s and ’30s like never before, no genre was more innovative or popular than detective fiction. It was an era that saw the emergence of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, John Dickson Carr, Ellery Queen and dozens of other authors who became household names for a generation of readers.

The Golden Age of Detection has enjoyed a great resurgence of interest in recent years, with publishers mining back catalogues to bring the best of yesteryear to very receptive new audiences. What is it about a literary movement that took off in the 1920s that still appeals to book lovers in the 2020s?

In this authoritative new study, John Curran reveals that it is the ludic qualities of classic crime fiction that continue to intrigue. At its heart is the ‘whodunit’ game between writer and reader, but there is also the game between detective and murderer, between publisher and book-buyer, even between the writers themselves.

Coinciding with an increase in leisure time and literacy, the Golden Age also saw the development of the crossword, the growth of bridge and Mahjong, the enduring popularity of jigsaws and the emergence of Cluedo – all activities requiring the ‘little grey cells’. The Murder Game considers all of these, and many other sporting and competitive recreations, helping to explain the reading public’s ongoing love affair with the Golden Age.

©2025 John Curran (P)2025 HarperCollins Publishers

Reseñas de la Crítica

'Curran knows his subject backwards.' Guardian

'Lucid, ludic and well-clued. Combining the intellect of a scholar and the wit of a fellow game player, John has written another essential text for the mystery reader’s bookshelf.' Ah Sweet Mystery

'A fascinating study of the genre that provides real insight into the enduring popularity of Golden Age detective fiction and its many successors today.' The Frumious Consortium

'It is nice to be able to go into a book and know you’re going to have a good time. Informative, useful, interesting, engaging and entertaining … John is a deft hand at weaving in sources, being knowledgeable but accessible.' Cross Examining Crime

interesting

the study of classic detective fiction of the 20s and 30s to games popular then. I heard the author was including some of Agatha Christie's work, who I love.
the author went more in-depth than I cared for, and it got boring. but it verified what I always suspected about mystery writers
that they deliberately wait until the end to tell the solution to the mystery.