'Classic' Detective Stories you have enjoyed.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

There is one Agatha Christie that rises above all others and that is "And then there were None".

I wonder how many, if any, copies remain with the original title?

I still have it. The politically correct title is the last line of the the same rhyme as the politically incorrect one.

[salymap]

Weren't there three titles in all, the middle one being 'Indians'? I am sure I have seen that somewhere.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Yes, the "Indians" version has been used in a stage-play of the same name. To exclude the rhyme altogether does detract from the point of the story.

[amateur51]

But the absolute addictive master for me - because the writing is so good, the descriptions of place so compelling, the psychology so penetrating, the existential despair so total - is Simenon...

Oh yes, vinteuil!

And people keep telling me that Wallander's angst is original.

Yeah, right!

[amateur51]

Anyone elsecare for Walter Mosley's Easy Rawlins stories, describing decade by decade what it was like to be a Black PI in the USA from mid-century on?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Mosley

And James Sallis?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Sallis

[Ferretfancy]

I realise this is possibly a minority taste, but there is quite a sizeable genre of American detective and crime fiction featuring gay protagonists. The series of Brandstetter novels by Joseph Hansen are probably the best known, featuring the hero as a death claims insurance investigator. They are set in a similar California locales as Chandler or Ross McDonald, and follow the hero as he ages from book to book. Another fine writer is Michael Nava, whose hero is a lawyer taking cases that others refuse.
These are not books about gay detectives, but books about detectives who are gay, and the sexual element is secondary. They do however shine a light into secret closeted worlds and the jealousies and disloyalties that can happen in them.

[amateur51]

Yes, the "Indians" version has been used in a stage-play of the same name. To exclude the rhyme altogether does detract from the point of the story.

The very idea of there being '8 little nigger boys travelling down in Devon' in the 1930s expresses both the casual racism and the sheer unlikelihood of the rhyme.

It's a good yarn tho

[Ferretfancy]

I've just seen the reference to Walter Mosley's wonderful Easy Rawlins books, and strongly second that recommendation. If you want crime stories set in Washington DC there's a great series of books by George Pelecanos. Bill Clinton said they were his favourite crime books, but don't let that put you off.

[amateur51]

I realise this is possibly a minority taste, but there is quite a sizeable genre of American detective and crime fiction featuring gay protagonists. The series of Brandstetter novels by Joseph Hansen are probably the best known, featuring the hero as a death claims insurance investigator. They are set in a similar California locales as Chandler or Ross McDonald, and follow the hero as he ages from book to book. Another fine writer is Michael Nava, whose hero is a lawyer taking cases that others refuse.
These are not books about gay detectives, but books about detectives who are gay, and the sexual element is secondary. They do however shine a light into secret closeted worlds and the jealousies and disloyalties that can happen in them.

Oooh cheers for the Michael Nava suggestion, Ferret. I shall see what I can find

EDIT: And now George Pelecanos, who wrote parts of The Wire, I think

[vinteuil]

The very idea of there being '8 little nigger boys travelling down in Devon' in the 1930s expresses both the casual racism and the sheer unlikelihood of the rhyme.

"Devon" is probably required as an easy rhyme for "seven". The verse was adapted in the late nineteenth century from '10 Little Injuns', written by Septimus Winner in 1868. It was a standard of the blackface minstrel shows and became widely known in Europe. It was used by Agatha Christie in her novel 'Ten Little Niggers' (1939) which was later re-titled 'And Then There Were None'. The version of the rhyme used in Christie's book does not end as happily as here. 'Ten Little Niggers' was also used as the title for a 1940s book of children's nursery rhymes.

The full rhyme is:

Ten little nigger boys went out to dine;
One choked his little self, and then there were nine.

Nine little nigger boys sat up very late;
One overslept himself, and then there were eight.

Eight little nigger boys travelling in Devon;
One said he'd stay there, and then there were seven.

Seven little nigger boys chopping up sticks;
One chopped himself in half, and then there were six.

Six little nigger boys playing with a hive;
A bumble-bee stung one, and then there were five.

Five little nigger boys going in for law;
One got in chancery, and then there were four.

Four little nigger boys going out to sea;
A red herring swallowed one, and then there were three.

Three little nigger boys walking in the zoo;
A big bear hugged one, and then there were two.

Two little nigger boys sitting in the sun;
One got frizzled up, and then there was one.

One little nigger boy living all alone;
He got married, and then there were none

[amateur51]

Moving right on up-to-date I'd recommend Val 'Wire In The Blood' MacDermid for some quite realistic shockers, getting inside the minds of people who commit horrendous crimes;

http://www.valmcdermid.com/

and Christopher Brookmyre whose books are set in Glasgow, complete with local dialect which eases if you read it out loud, and which have wonderful titles such as " A Big Boy Did It And Ran Away" and "Boiling A Frog". It's very up-to-date and often very funny, especially bleak about the polis and politicians and the Church.

http://www.brookmyre.co.uk/

Wales' answer to noir comes in the form of Malcolm Pryce's Louie Knight mysteries set in Aberystwyth

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=aberystwyth+malcolm+pryce&tag=googhydr-21&index=stripbooks&hvadid=6808539366&ref=pd_sl_xlzavwqlo_b

The reviews aren't always as critical as I'd like but Barry Forshaw's website is a good way to keep up with contemporary crime fiction

http://www.crimetime.co.uk/mag/index.php/

[amateur51]

"Devon" is probably required as an easy rhyme for "seven". The verse was adapted in the late nineteenth century from '10 Little Injuns', written by Septimus Winner in 1868. It was a standard of the blackface minstrel shows and became widely known in Europe. It was used by Agatha Christie in her novel 'Ten Little Niggers' (1939) which was later re-titled 'And Then There Were None'. The version of the rhyme used in Christie's book does not end as happily as here. 'Ten Little Niggers' was also used as the title for a 1940s book of children's nursery rhymes.

The full rhyme is:

Ten little nigger boys went out to dine;
One choked his little self, and then there were nine.

Nine little nigger boys sat up very late;
One overslept himself, and then there were eight.

Eight little nigger boys travelling in Devon;
One said he'd stay there, and then there were seven.

Seven little nigger boys chopping up sticks;
One chopped himself in half, and then there were six.

Six little nigger boys playing with a hive;
A bumble-bee stung one, and then there were five.

Five little nigger boys going in for law;
One got in chancery, and then there were four.

Four little nigger boys going out to sea;
A red herring swallowed one, and then there were three.

Three little nigger boys walking in the zoo;
A big bear hugged one, and then there were two.

Two little nigger boys sitting in the sun;
One got frizzled up, and then there was one.

One little nigger boy living all alone;
He got married, and then there were none

The rhyme would scan just as well with 'Archbishops' or 'Country squires' I guess

[salymap]

I still have all my childhood card games that my dad gave me. [He also taught me 21s or pontoon].

The relevant game is 'Bobs 'yr'Uncle' and has sets of 8 Nursery Rhymes and two sets,one of 3 Uncles, one of 3 little black boys.It says it gives hours of innocent fun. Not any more.

[Mahlerei]

... Dan Kavanagh rather than PJ. Someone much more famous - Julian Barnes.

Thanks for the correction :)

[amateur51]

... Dan Kavanagh rather than PJ. Someone much more famous - Julian Barnes.

I enjoyed those Duffy stories.

The Kavanagh name came from Barnes' partner Pat Kavanagh who was a renowned literary agent until she died from cancer in 2008.