Mystery at Olympia (John Rhode)

Murderous manna for motor enthusiasts.

Heir to Murder (Miles Burton)

By Miles Burton First published: UK, Collins, 1953 On a wet November night, Dr. Murford drives his car off a pier into Carmouth harbour. A week or so later, Nurse Penruddock is found at the bottom of a cliff. Both had been named principal heir by Lady Violet Vernham of Dragonscourt (a friendly dragon). More outrages …

Invisible Weapons (John Rhode)

By John Rhode First published: UK, Collins, 1938; US, Dodd Mead, 1938 You can now go into bookshops and buy John Rhode detective stories. When I was a teenager, at the turn of the 21st century, that would have seemed incredible. "Crime" in bookshops consisted of dreary tales about middle-aged policemen with domestic problems, hard-nosed …

Proceed with Caution (John Rhode)

By John Rhode First published: UK, Collins, 1937; US, Dodd Mead, 1937, as Body Unidentified This is almost the quintessence of the Crofts school: a hugely elaborate plot, involving the breakdown of identity, the disposal of the corpse, alibis, and transport.  Some might find it laborious; you’ve got to keep track of a lot of …