Murder Underground - (British Library Crime Classics) by Mavis Hay (Paperback)

About the Book

Originally published in London in 1934 by Skeffington & Son.

Book Synopsis

Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder

"In terms of plot, the novel is almost pure puzzle, making it a prime example of a Golden Age mystery, but Hay injects humor and keen characterization into the mix as well." --Booklist STARRED review

When Miss Pongleton is found murdered on the stairs of Belsize Park station, her fellow-boarders in the Frampton Hotel are not overwhelmed with grief at the death of a tiresome old woman. But they all have their theories about the identity of the murderer, and help to unravel the mystery of who killed the wealthy 'Pongle'. Several of her fellow residents--even Tuppy the terrier--have a part to play in the events that lead to a dramatic arrest.

This classic mystery novel is set in and around the Northern Line of the London Underground. It is now republished for the first time since the 1930s, with an introduction by award-winning crime writer Stephen Booth.

Review Quotes

Another marvelous novel from the British Library Crime Classics, this time a story set on the Northern Line. It is my opinion that dog Tuppy is the star of the story and I would very much like one just like him! The reprints of the Library portfolio are very welcome and I aspire to collect them all. very highly recommended.--Eileen Hall "Goodreads"

How this band of halfwits will solve a murder will surprise, and perhaps amuse, readers of this reprint of Hay's 1934 classic.-- "Kirkus"

I guessed the identity of the murderer almost immediately, but enjoyed the gentle humour here nonetheless.--Guy Savage "Swiftly Tilting Planet"

I love to find and read these reprints of practically lost novels because it shows the bones and skeletons which writers who came after someone such as Mavis Doriel Hay built upon to get to where we are today in crime novels.--Judith Lesley "NetGalley"

In this republished mystery from 1934, some fairly standard components of classic crime mystery--a disputed will, a stolen brooch, and a broken heart--are transported to twin settings unusal for the time: a London boardinghouse and a Northern Line Underground station. The boardinghouse device, which throws together people of varying ages and fortunes who are either stable, broken, or on the make, is a marvelous way of bringing the country-house mystery into the city and the Depression. One of the Frampton Hotel's boarders, a Miss Euphemia Pongleton, an annoying, nastily frugal elderly woman disliked by all, is found strangled to death with a dog leash at the top of the stairs leading down to Belsize Park Underground station. The other boarders react with keen interest, but not grief, to the news of the murder and set about solving it, sussing out which of their fellow boarders may have murdered Miss Pongleton. In terms of plot, the novel is almost pure puzzle, making it a prime example of a Golden Age mystery, but Hay injects humor and keen characterization into the mix as well. As Dorothy L. Sayers wrote in the Sunday Times: "This detective novel is much more than interesting." With an insightful introduction by British mystery writer Stephen Booth, this is another winning entry in the British Library Crime Classics series. Connie Fletcher--Connie Fletcher "Booklist"

It's more a comedy of errors than a puzzle-type mystery, and the story had a humorous, lighthearted tone. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable novel.--Deborah White "Goodreads"

The English have a way with mysteries that makes them very popular in the States. The author of this intriguing mystery wrote during the Golden Age of British crime fiction. Her three detective novels were well received at that time and are still worth a read.--Mary Ann Smyth "Bookloons"

This is a book rich with the humane compassion and love of people that makes for character-driven humor and mystery. If you love the classic British mystery, this is one Deep Cut you should definitely enjoy. It inspires confidence in me that the entire series will be enjoyable.--RuthAlice Anderson "Tonstant Weader Reviews"

About the Author

MAVIS DORIEL HAY (1894-1979) was a novelist of the golden age of British crime fiction. Her three detective novels were published in the 1930s and have now been reintroduced to modern readers by the British Library.