Slightly Foxed | Magazine, Books & Podcast for Booklovers

‘For a character in a Golden Age story to consume chocolates sent by an anonymous benefactor was invariably fraught with danger . . . ’⁠
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‘Berkeley was a highly influential figure during the so-called “Golden Age of detective fiction” between the two world wars. Golden Age detective fiction is often misunderstood as “cosy” but is really better regarded as a reaction to tragedy and horror. After years of slaughter – and an influenza pandemic that claimed even more lives – people just wanted to have fun. They craved escapism, and detective novelists (including those, like Berkeley, who had been seriously wounded in the conflict) supplied it in the form of whodunnits that allowed readers to compete with a fictional detective in solving a labyrinthine murder case.’⁠
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– Martin Edwards on The Poisoned Chocolates Case by Anthony Berkeley in Slightly Foxed Issue 72 🦊🍫⁠
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Anthony Berkeley was once spoken about in the same breath as Agatha Christie but over the years his work has been slowly forgotten. If you are a fan of detective books he is certainly an author worth exploring. Please do head to the link in bio to find out more about this title. 📚️⁠