The Poisoned Chocolates Case - by Anthony Berkeley

Book Synopsis

When Joan Bendix dies after eating poisoned chocolates intended for someone else, Scotland Yard declares the case unsolvable. Enter the Crimes Circle, a gathering of London's most ingenious amateur detectives, who take it upon themselves to crack what the professionals cannot.

Six members step forward, each convinced they have deduced the truth. Roger Sheringham, the urbane and overconfident sleuth, presents his solution first. But he is followed by five others, each offering an entirely different-yet seemingly irrefutable-explanation of how the murder was committed and who is responsible.

As theories multiply and evidence is reinterpreted, the reader is drawn into a dazzling game of wits. Each solution appears airtight until the next detective dismantles it with fresh insight. The clever structure transforms a single murder into six distinct mysteries, each more ingenious than the last.

This landmark novel exemplifies the Golden Age of detective fiction at its most inventive. With its sharp wit, intricate plotting, and audacious challenge to the conventions of the genre, the story remains a masterclass in fair-play mystery writing.