Three reissued mystery novels spanning seven decades of crime writing offer readers a chance to discover or rediscover some of the genre’s most distinctive voices, from a hardboiled Chicago double-act to a poison-laced fashion house lunch and a courtroom drama centred on the Old Bailey.
The Fabulous Clipjoint by Fredric Brown (Penguin, £10.99, 240pp) introduces one of crime fiction’s more unusual investigative partnerships: Ed, a teenager from a deprived background, and his uncle Ambrose, a fairground showman, who join forces after Ed’s father is bludgeoned to death in a dark alley following a late-night drinking session. Set in 1940s Chicago, a city where corruption and violence were endemic, the novel sees police quickly write off the killing as random — only for Ed and Ambrose to uncover a far more complex and dangerous truth. The intricate plotting establishes Brown as a mystery writer in the same league as Raymond Chandler, though he has remained relatively little-known outside the United States. With six further novels in the Ed and Am series, this reissue offers readers the chance to discover a first-rate writer who is finally receiving the recognition he deserves.
Death in High Heels by Christianna Brand (British Library, £10.99, 256pp), first published in 1941, takes readers into the hothouse world of an exclusive West End fashion boutique, where a free staff lunch turns deadly when one of the models dies after her food is laced with industrial cleaner. The young Inspector Charlesworth is left to navigate a world of bitchy rivalry and malicious gossip as he investigates what is unmistakably a murder. The novel, which established Brand as an inventive voice in the genre, also offers a window into the social attitudes of its era — a flamboyant dress designer is the butt of sexist jokes, and a cleaning lady is drawn from the central-casting mould, dropping her aspirates throughout. Despite these period trappings, the central mystery holds together convincingly.
Though I Know She Lies by Sara Woods (Dean Street Press, £10.99, 209pp) opens with a young woman standing trial at the Old Bailey, accused of poisoning her sister in a case that appears overwhelming — she had both the financial motive and the opportunity, and was the last person to see the victim alive. Leading her defence is the irascible Sir Nicholas Harding, who remains convinced his client is withholding evidence that could clear her name, leaving it to his nephew, noted criminal lawyer Antony Maitland, to challenge the prosecution’s complacency. The real drama, however, centres on a vulnerable child whose testimony threatens to transform the case entirely. Woods is known for her courtroom dramas, and this is regarded as one of her finest.
