Mystery's Histories
January 13, 2015 9:37 PM Subscribe
Embarrassingly simple question-- has there been recently published a book about the history of the British (cozy?) mystery?
I seem to recall reading on a recent "best of" list a description of a (literary?) history of the British mystery/fascination with crime fiction. However, when I look in all the likely places (NPR's Best of 2014, for instance) I come up with nothing, and my Google searches suck and fail to turn up anything relevant. It may have been about the cozy mystery genre, or more inclusively about the public fascination with gritty true crime (Jack the Ripper, &c.). I could be wrong about the book being recent, and I'm sure there have been many such books published at various times, and I could've been reading a review of an older book for sure. Can you think of the book I might be thinking about? (Recommendations for any book on this topic are welcome, though it really seems to have lodged in my memory as a recent book. I am just asking because I want to read it. Thus I'm open to anything.)
I seem to recall reading on a recent "best of" list a description of a (literary?) history of the British mystery/fascination with crime fiction. However, when I look in all the likely places (NPR's Best of 2014, for instance) I come up with nothing, and my Google searches suck and fail to turn up anything relevant. It may have been about the cozy mystery genre, or more inclusively about the public fascination with gritty true crime (Jack the Ripper, &c.). I could be wrong about the book being recent, and I'm sure there have been many such books published at various times, and I could've been reading a review of an older book for sure. Can you think of the book I might be thinking about? (Recommendations for any book on this topic are welcome, though it really seems to have lodged in my memory as a recent book. I am just asking because I want to read it. Thus I'm open to anything.)
Best answer: Art of the English Murder was published in October. Here's an extensive NYT review.
posted by acidic at 11:29 PM on January 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by acidic at 11:29 PM on January 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Yep, you're definitely thinking of The Art of the English Murder. For what it's worth, I read it but don't think it was amazing. I will stay tuned to see if people offer you any other recommendations!
posted by ferret branca at 5:58 AM on January 14, 2015
posted by ferret branca at 5:58 AM on January 14, 2015
Best answer: also relevant, and very good: The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective, by Kate Summerscale. It's nonfiction, and tells the story of a murder at a British country house at the time when investigative techniques were first being developed.
posted by Corvid at 2:38 PM on January 14, 2015
posted by Corvid at 2:38 PM on January 14, 2015
Best answer: Two books come to mind: Talking About Detective Fiction by PD James and The Invention of Murder by Judith Flanders.
posted by peripathetic at 9:33 PM on January 14, 2015
posted by peripathetic at 9:33 PM on January 14, 2015
Response by poster: Yes! Thank you, it's definitely the Lucy Worsley book, as I remember now I read about it in a review by a confirmed Lucy Worsley fan. But all the other recommendations are great! I've got some cozy, gory winter reading planned ahead.
posted by stoneandstar at 7:55 AM on January 15, 2015
posted by stoneandstar at 7:55 AM on January 15, 2015
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posted by johngoren at 10:22 PM on January 13, 2015