The Piccadilly Murder [Paperback]

Anthony Berkeley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1983

Once Mr Chitterwick had given his evidence, thus clarifying that the elderly lady's death was murder and not suicide, it appeared a straightforward case. He had seen something being put into the lady's coffee cup, after all. But then friends and relatives of the accused appeal to Mr Chitterwick, claiming him incapable of such a crime. As Mr Chitterwick investigates, doubts begin to surface, until more evidence arises to hint at a more complicated set of occurrences...

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

‘Anthony Berkeley is the supreme master not of the "twist" but of the "double-twist"’ - The Sunday Times

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

About the Author

Born in 1893, Anthony Berkeley (Anthony Berkeley Cox) was a British crime writer and a leading member of the genre's Golden Age. Educated at Sherborne School and University College London, Berkeley served in the British army during WWI before becoming a journalist. His first novel, The Layton Court Murders, was published anonymously in 1925. It introduced Roger Sheringham, the amateur detective who features in many of the author's novels including the classic Poisoned Chocolates Case. In 1930, Berkeley founded the legendary Detection Club in London along with Agatha Christie, Freeman Wills Crofts and other established mystery writers. It was in 1938, under the pseudonym Francis Iles (which Berkeley also used for novels) that he took up work as a book reviewer for John O'London's Weekly and The Daily Telegraph. He later wrote for The Sunday Times in the mid 1940s, and then for The Guardian from the mid 1950s until 1970. A key figure in the development of crime fiction, he died in 1971. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Dover Pubns; First. edition (October 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486245187
• ISBN-13: 978-0486245188
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,288,371 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Chitterwick rides again!, January 14, 2012

By 

Mr. R. J. Clark "richardjclark" (London) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Piccadilly Murder (Paperback)

Ambrose Chitterwick, solver of the classic "The Poisoned Chocolates Case", decides to take a little time out of his day running errands for his termagant Aunt and have a sneaky drink in the bar of the Piccadilly Palace Hotel. As he sits, he sees a red-headed man having having tea with a grumpy older woman (clearly the man's aunt!). He watches entranced, and then realises the man is staring back at him ferociously! Surprised, he looks away, but finds his eyes drawn back to their table, where he sees the man's hand hover over the teacup of his Aunt. The man leaves, and a short while later, the woman is found to be dead, and cyanide in the cup. Chitterwick of course becomes star witness, and the woman's red-headed nephew (he was right! Aunts!) arrested and charged.

And Mr Chitterwick thinks no more about it, until asked to stay at the country house of an old friend of his mother. On arriving he discovers the woman is neither a friend of his mother's nor old, and that one of the other guests is Judy Sinclair. Judy is the wife of the nephew, and she (ahem) persuades timid, virginal Mr Chitterwick that perhaps he wasn't quite as certain of what he saw as he thinks. He agrees to investigate, and all sorts of odd facts start to coalesce into a case against someone else - someone most surprising!

Another great read from Anthony Berkeley, with the mystery well solved by bumbling (but cunning) Mr Chitterwick. His ascension over his snobbish Aunt is very amusing and nicely done, and the motives and actions of the characters (reasonably) believable.