Normally I’m one of those people who get a bit scratchy about the rampant commercialism in the shops, and the fact that Christmas items start sneaking onto the shelves as early as September; however, an unexpected arrival at the Ramblings courtesy of the wonderful peeps at British Library Publishing set me thinking about festive gifts, and I have to say it will be the ideal thing for anyone who loves Golden Age crime!
This is it – “The Pocket Detective”, compiled by Kate Jackson:
And great fun it is too! I was in the BL earlier in the year with my BFF J.; we’re both fans of the Crime Classics and were investigating the shop while visiting the place, and I’m pretty sure there was a poster up advertising this little book. It wasn’t available yet, but I imagine is being launched for the Christmas market, for which it’s of course perfect. It’s a fairly safe bet that fans of GA crime are also going to like puzzles (as the latter is a major element of the genre) and “The Pocket Detective” is stuffed with them.
There are crosswords; word searches; cross out the word; odd ones out; missing vowels; really, every kind of word-based puzzle you could imagine. Those would be treat enough, but the book goes a little further with a section about 30 pages long featuring colour visual puzzles. These are drawn from the wonderful cover images of the Crime Classics which have been tweaked or distorted so you have to spot the differences or identify which book the image is from. Great fun!
Although the focus is naturally on the books the BL publish, the riddles aren’t restricted to just those. In fact, they cover all manner of classic crime, and I was pleased to find that I sailed through several of the Agatha Christie-themed tests! (Well – I have been reading her work since I was about 12!) Sayers is there too, as well as the newly rediscovered names from the Crime Classics, and it’s fun to pit yourself against the compiler’s ingenious conundrums. Jackson blogs about classic crime fiction at Cross Examining Crime, and she obviously knowns her stuff!
Obviously, “The Pocket Detective” is the perfect gift; either for the reader of crime in your life, or just yourself! I can imagine that it would be the ideal thing to occupy yourself with while everyone else is sleeping off Christmas lunch – or in fact at any other time of the day. It’s ideal as the darker nights draw in, and I can see it keeping me very busy (and distracting me from actual reading) over forthcoming weeks. Do yourself a favour – add it to your Christmas wishlist… 😉
madamebibilophile
Oct 07, 2018 @ 11:42:53
This sounds fun! I’m going to start dropping hints now 🙂
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 07, 2018 @ 18:26:35
Good idea! You can never get bookish ideas into the brains of friends and family too early, I say!
Lisa
Oct 07, 2018 @ 13:23:00
We often have to wait for the BL Crime Classics to be published on this side of the Atlantic. I hope that this one will be on the list!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 07, 2018 @ 18:25:57
Well it should be – I think it would go down well anywhere!
Melissa Beck
Oct 07, 2018 @ 14:51:35
This looks like such fun!!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 07, 2018 @ 18:25:18
It is – and it’s already started to distract me from reading… 😉
JacquiWine
Oct 07, 2018 @ 16:26:01
This does sound fun. As you say, a great Christmas gift for lovers of vintage crime fiction. The ‘Spot the Difference’ puzzles look particularly appealing.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 07, 2018 @ 18:24:25
It’s ideal really! And the spot the differences ad an additional lovely element!
Cynthia
Oct 07, 2018 @ 18:19:59
I just started The Poisoned Chocolates Case. I love those covers.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 07, 2018 @ 18:23:53
They really are, and that’s one of my favourites you’re about to start!
heavenali
Oct 07, 2018 @ 18:46:34
Oh this does sound good, a great little stocking filler for arm chair detectives.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 07, 2018 @ 19:22:21
I think you would definitely love it, Ali! 🙂
bookbii
Oct 08, 2018 @ 07:55:54
I have a friend that this would be just perfect for, thanks for sharing.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 08, 2018 @ 09:22:05
Yay! It’s such a treat!
Jane
Oct 08, 2018 @ 12:12:39
This sounds fabulous and the Poisoned Chocolates Case. As much as I wonder who I can give them to, the answer keeps coming back to me!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 08, 2018 @ 15:58:33
Well, as long as *someone* get them for you… Often you have to resort to gifting things to yourself, I find! 😀
TravellinPenguin
Oct 09, 2018 @ 00:14:18
How much fun!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 09, 2018 @ 11:32:42
It really is! 🙂
Sarah
Oct 09, 2018 @ 01:27:27
I actually squealed reading your post – good job I’m a lone worker! This is definitely going on my Xmas wish list (if I can wait that long 😉 ).
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 09, 2018 @ 11:31:43
LOL! It really is a treat – and probably ideal to entertain yourself with in odd moments at work….
buriedinprint
Oct 10, 2018 @ 21:38:13
This looks absolutely delightful. I’m only a dabbler in the genre but, even so, I would love this!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 11, 2018 @ 07:13:06
I think it would be fun even if you hadn’t read a lot of GA crime. And certainly the cover puzzles are only observational.