The noted amateur detective Roger Sheringham has formed his own private club of “criminologists.” As a challenge for this august group, he proposes that they individually attempt to solve a murder that has baffled Scotland Yard: the death of wealthy businessman Graham Bendix’s wife after he presented her a box of poisoned chocolates. The mystery lies in the fact that Bendix only got those chocolates by chance at his club from Sir Eustace Pennefather, a notorious man about town. Rather than the six members of the Crimes Circle converging on a single criminal, each one arrives at a completely different solution to the same murder. Anthony Berkeley’s artifice of forming a club for his amateur detectives in this mystery anticipated in real life the foundation the following year of the famous Detection Club, of which he was a founding member. The Poisoned Chocolates Case is considered one of the classics of the Golden Age of detective fiction. This book is part of the Standard Ebooks project, which produces free public domain ebooks.

"A witty and tricky plot and a genuinely shocking conclusion."—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review A mystery dinner theater party thrown by local author with a taste "for rather gruesome humor" requires guests come dressed as infamous killers—Jack the Ripper, Dr. Crippen, and the like. Whatever could go wrong? Know-it-all amateur criminologist Roger Sheringham settles in for an evening of beer, small talk, and analyzing his companions. Ena Stratton, the host's sister-in-law, catches his attention. Her erratic mood swings and loud, gossipy talk is winning her more than a few enemies amongst the guests. When she's found dead, it's clear that one of the partygoers helped her to an early grave. Noticing a key detail that could implicate a friend in the crime, Sheringham decides to meddle with the scene and unwittingly makes himself a suspect. Tightly paced and cleverly defying the conventions of the classic detective story, Anthony Berkeley's dark sense of humor and taste for the macabre drive this 1933 classic. This edition includes an introduction by CWA Diamond Dagger and Edgar ® Award-winning author Martin Edwards.

When the charming but sharp-witted amateur sleuth Roger Sheringham is invited to a country house party at Layton Court, he expects laughter, cocktails, and lively conversation-not murder. But when a guest is found dead under suspicious circumstances, the elegant weekend gathering turns into a deadly game of deduction and deceit. With the local police baffled, Sheringham takes charge, applying his keen intellect, biting wit, and relentless curiosity to untangle a puzzle full of hidden motives, secret liaisons, and shocking revelations. Every guest has something to hide, and every clue draws him deeper into a labyrinth of lies that could expose far more than a killer. Originally published in 1925, The Layton Court Mystery launched one of the most brilliant detective series of the Golden Age of British crime fiction. Written by Anthony Berkeley, a founding member of the Detection Club alongside Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers, this novel delivers everything fans of classic whodunits, British country house mysteries, and vintage detective stories love: sparkling dialogue, eccentric suspects, and a mystery that challenges the reader to solve it first. Perfect for readers of Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham, and John Dickson Carr, this atmospheric and intelligent mystery marks the unforgettable debut of Roger Sheringham-a sleuth whose brilliance and humor set a new standard for the genre.

"[Anthony Berkeley's] tale of petty rivalries, affairs, and revenge plots is so deliciously entertaining. [Murder in the Basement is] a pioneering example of the "whowasdunin" that, like that corpse in the basement, richly deserves exhumation."— Kirkus Reviews When two newlyweds discover that a corpse has been buried in the basement of their new home, a grueling case begins to trace the identity of the victim. With all avenues of investigation approaching exhaustion, a tenuous piece of evidence offers a chance for Chief Inspector Moresby and leads him to the amateur sleuth Roger Sheringham, who has recently been providing cover work in a school south of London. Desperate for evidence of any kind in the basement case, Moresby begins to sift through the manuscript of a satirical novel Sheringham has been writing about his colleagues at the school, convinced that amongst the colorful cast of teachers hides the victim—and perhaps their murderer. A novel pairing dark humor and intelligent detection work, this 1932 mystery is an example of a celebrated Golden Age author's most inventive work. This edition includes an introduction by CWA Diamond Dagger Award–winning author Martin Edwards.

"The Classic Collection of Anthony Berkeley: Illustrated" presents a curated selection of iconic works by the esteemed British crime fiction writer Anthony Berkeley. This anthology includes illustrated editions of some of Berkeley's most notable mysteries, such as "The Layton Court Mystery," "The Wychford Poisoning Case," "The at Lovers Cove," "The Silk Stocking Murders," and several others. In "The Layton Court Mystery," readers are drawn into a web of intrigue surrounding a perplexing murder at Layton Court, where the hunt for the truth leads to shocking revelations and unexpected twists. "The Wychford Poisoning Case" delves into the sinister undercurrents of a seemingly idyllic village as investigators unravel the secrets behind a series of poisonings, testing their wits and resolve against a cunning adversary. With "The at Lovers Cove," Berkeley transports readers to a coastal retreat marred by scandal and suspicion, where the allure of romance is overshadowed by the shadow of murder. "The Silk Stocking Murders" offers a gripping tale of murder and mystery set against the backdrop of high society, where the hunt for a cunning killer uncovers dark secrets and hidden motives. Each story in this collection showcases Berkeley's mastery of the detective genre, combining intricate plots, compelling characters, and unexpected twists to keep readers guessing until the final revelation. Enhanced with illustrations, this edition brings Berkeley's vivid settings and memorable characters to life, providing readers with an immersive and visually captivating reading experience. "The Classic Collection of Anthony Berkeley" is a must-have for fans of classic crime fiction, offering a timeless exploration of mystery and intrigue from one of the genre's most talented authors. Contents: The Layton Court Mystery The Wychford Poisoning Case The at Lovers Cove The Silk Stocking Murders The Wintringham Mystery (Cicely Disappears)

Originally serialized in 1926, this classic English countryside mystery contains a puzzle that even acclaimed crime author Agatha Christie couldn't solve. A secluded country manor in the dead of winter seems like the perfect place to hold a house party. Even better, one of the guests declares that an after-dinner séance would be so much more entertaining than bridge. And it's all fun and games until a young woman goes missing. Assuming the disappearance is someone's idea of a joke, the well-heeled host Lady Susan doesn't want to ruin a good party by calling the police. So it's up to her footman, a down-on-his-luck young army veteran, along with the lovely lady he once hoped to marry, to solve a mystery that soon turns to murder, with the only suspects being the eccentric party guests . . . "Detection and crime at its wittiest—all Berkeley's stories are amusing, intriguing and he is a master of the final twist." —Agatha Christie "Anthony Berkeley is the supreme master not of the 'twist' but of the 'double-twist.'" — The Sunday Times

Berkeley's work stood out for its focus on the psychology behind crime, often highlighting moral ambiguity and unreliable narratives. Unlike traditional mysteries where the detective solves the case through logic, Berkeley was more interested in exploring multiple possibilities, false leads, and the role of human error in investigations. Roger Sheringham series: Berkeley's most famous character, Roger Sheringham, is an amateur detective who appears in several of his novels, including The Poisoned Chocolates Case (1929). Sheringham is often portrayed as flawed and arrogant, contrasting with the infallible detectives seen in many Golden Age mysteries. Francis Iles novels: Under the pseudonym Francis Iles, Berkeley wrote psychologically driven novels such as Malice Aforethought (1931) and Before the Fact (1932). These works are early examples of "inverted detective stories," where the criminal's identity is known from the beginning, and the suspense comes from whether they'll be caught. Malice Aforethought is particularly famous for its darkly comic portrayal of a murderer planning to kill his wife, showing Berkeley's mastery of psychological tension. Before the Fact became even more famous after being adapted into the 1941 Hitchcock film Suspicion. Berkeley was a founding member of the Detection Club, a group of British mystery writers that included luminaries like Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers. The club was known for its rules on fair play in detective fiction-ensuring that readers had all the clues necessary to solve the mystery along with the detective. Berkeley's influence on the detective genre lies in his willingness to subvert its conventions. He moved away from the purely puzzle-driven approach of many of his contemporaries, instead focusing on character psychology and the ambiguity of moral choices. His "inverted" mysteries, where the reader knows the identity of the killer from the start, were groundbreaking at the time.

Unsettling and gripping, this innovative classic first published in 1932 was the basis for Alfred Hitchcock's film Suspicion, and remains an arresting and unique work of literary artistry. Anthony Berkeley Cox, writing as Francis Iles, flips the traditional mystery model of the crime genre to delve into the psychology, fears, and motives of a suspecting victim. This edition includes an introduction by CWA Diamond Dagger and Edgar® Award–winning author Martin Edwards. "Written with refrigerated violence. Disturbing, exciting." —The Listener "Magnificent—a masterpiece of cruelty and wit." —Christopher Morley "One of the finest studies of murder ever written." —John C. Farrar "Some women give birth to murderers, some go to bed with them, and some marry them. Lina Aysgarth had lived with her husband for nearly eight years before she realized that she was married to a murderer." With these opening words, Before the Fact ushers the reader into the dark and experimental world of Francis Iles's crime fiction. Written in the wake of his ground-breaking murderer's-perspective novel Malice Aforethought, Before the Fact sees the author applying his signature flair for thrilling suspense and human insight. The twisting narrative is told from the viewpoint of a wife as she navigates a life with her disquieting yet charismatic husband—and the mounting peril of his murderous intentions.

With "a touch of genius," this round-robin mystery follow-up to The Floating Admiral features famous detectives including Lord Peter Wimsey ( The Times Literary Supplement). Following the success of The Floating Admiral, in which certain members of the Detection Club—including Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, and G. K. Chesterton—collaborated on a whodunit, six writers pooled their talents to create another coauthored mystery. This time the premise had an added twist: authors would swap their detective characters, allowing for some extremely entertaining parodies of one another's sleuths. When a ruthless British newspaper tycoon is shot dead in his home, the high-level suspects include the assistant commissioner of Scotland Yard, casting doubt on the impartiality of a formal police investigation. As a solution, the home secretary brings in four brilliant detectives to solve the murder: Mrs. Bradley, Sir John Saumarez, Lord Peter Wimsey, and Roger Sheringham. Featuring a preface by inaugural Detection Club member Agatha Christie, this playful tour de force gathers together half a dozen Golden Age Mystery masters: John Rhode, Helen Simpson, Gladys Mitchell, Anthony Berkeley, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Milward Kennedy.