Our reader’s favourite this month was Murder in the Mill-Race by ECR Lorac.
So what is this ‘Golden Age of Crime Fiction’?
Wikipedia explains that it was ‘an era of classic murder mystery novels of similar patterns and styles, predominantly in the 1920s and 1930s.’ Many of the authors were British, such as G K Chesterton, and Dorothy L Sayers; although a few Americans also wrote in this genre, but with a distinctly British flavour.
Golden Age whodunits are built around certain established conventions and clichés that leave the reader knowing what to expect –no surprises in the plot, clear clues that lead to the identity of the murderer, and stereotypical settings such as the secluded English Country House.
A typical plot of the Golden Age mystery might go something like this:
•Guests have arrived at a country house for the weekend. They are likely to include characters such as an aristocratic young man, an opinionated widow and her independent daughter, a retired clergyman, the prodigal older son of the house; and an unlikely detective .
•The gardener discovers a body on the manicured lawn next to the orangery.
•Due to unexpected flooding, the police are unable to get to the house to assist until the river goes down.
As society changed in the 1940s and readers became more critical and challenging of the norms presented in Golden Age Crime Fiction, the decline of their popularity began. Rather than being seen as the height of fashion and literary achievement, Golden Age Crime became displaced by books drawing inspiration from wider society, and more well rounded and diverse characters. Their influence lives on in the modern genre of ‘cosy’ mysteries however –set in tea rooms, rustic cabins, catteries and quilting shops; as well as in popular television such as MidsomerMurders and the game of Cluedo.
Modern readers who thirst for blood may love their forensic science and police procedurals, but for those of us who want a rollicking good light read, set in a quaint vicarage during a snowstorm, with all the clues assembled so that we can gradually guess who the real villain is……golden age crime classics are perfect. And as Agatha Christie’s enduring popularity proves, it’s a winning formula for success.
Posted by Elizabeth
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