Bodies from the Library 6

Bodies from the Library brings into the daylight the forgotten, the lost and the unknown, and the 2023 volume is another indispensable collection for crime fans.

The sixth volume of Bodies from the Library includes the usual eclectic mix of pre- and post-war stories by classic crime and thriller writers. Unearthed from ephemeral publications, newspapers and magazines, some of these ‘lost’ stories are by authors who have appeared in previous volumes, with others who are new to the series:

We welcome back to the Library familiar Golden Age detective writers in the form of stories by Christianna Brand, Alice Campbell, Joseph Commings and Cyril Hare, a previously unknown novella by Anthony Gilbert, a short novel by Margery Allingham, and a hitherto unpublished Detection Club radio play by John Rhode.

We also welcome for the first time George Bellairs, Victor Whitechurch and Andrew Garve, with E. C. Bentley’s ‘Greedy Night’ providing a humorous parody of Dorothy L. Sayers’ Lord Peter Wimsey, before five thriller writers including Geoffrey Household and Dennis Wheatley round off the collection with an unusual and exciting round-robin novella.

And, whether this is your first encounter with Bodies or a return to the Library, we welcome you, the reader. Complete with revealing biographies of all 16 featured authors by Tony Medawar, we hope you will find this to be an indispensable collection for your bookshelf.

Reviews

‘An annual treat – almost like the summer version of a Christie for Christmas.’—Kate Jackson, author of The Pocket Detective and Cross Examining Crime

‘One of the best mixed anthologies I’ve come across … If you’re already a vintage crime fan, then this is one to grab; and if you’re new to the genre, then you’ll find this a very enjoyable way to introduce yourself to some of the greats. Highly recommended!’—FictionFanBlog

‘A veritable treasure trove of classic short stories’—Daily Mail

‘Tony Medawar triumphs again with this treasure trove of lost Golden Age gems.’—John Curran, author of The Hooded Gunman

‘In bringing to public awareness some of the forgotten, neglected, or simply unknown stories that the great and the good of the form produced, these collections have become a source of great excitement, and a must-read for even the most ardent student of the Golden Age.’—The Invisible Event

About the author

Editor Tony Medawar is a detective fiction expert and researcher with a penchant for tracking down rare stories. In addition to the Bodies from the Library series, he has edited volumes of uncollected and unpublished work by various authors including Agatha Christie, Reginald Hill and Ruth Rendell, and compiled the book Murder, She Said: The Quotable Miss Marple.