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In this post, we’ll check out 15 vintage Penguin classic reads. The green-covered classic crime series that we all love and collect!
All of us!
Penguin classic reads – where murder, mayhem, and disappearances once came wrapped in elegant green covers, and challenged you to solve the mystery inside. The old editions might be hard to find these days, but the stories are still available to read!
Step into a vintage bookshop where the air smells faintly of intrigue. With stories ranging from the invisible mischief of H.G. Wells’ The Invisible Man to A.A. Milne proving he’s more than just Winnie-the-Pooh with The Red House Mystery.
Whether you’re sleuthing alongside sinister characters like Dr. Fu Manchu or simply wondering how on earth these crimes went unsolved for so long, one thing is clear: the only real mystery here is why you haven’t devoured this collection yet.
Happy Reading, friends!
Series or Standalone? :
This is Book One in the ‘Henri Bencolin’ series.
"It Walks by Night" Book Blurb:
In the smoke-wreathed gloom of a Parisian salon, Inspector Bencolin has summoned his allies to discuss a peculiar case. A would-be murderer, imprisoned for his attempt to kill his wife, has escaped and is known to have visited a plastic surgeon. The fugitive’s whereabouts are uncertain, though with his former wife poised to marry again, Bencolin predicts his return. Sure enough, the Inspector’s worst suspicions are realised when the beheaded body of the new suitor is discovered in a locked room of the salon, from which it appears nobody could have escaped unseen. The challenge set, Bencolin sets off into the Parisian night to unravel the dumbfounding mystery and track down the sadistic killer.
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Series or Standalone? :
This is Book One in the ‘Michael Lord’ series.
"Obelists at Sea" Book Blurb:
The smoking room on a transatlantic cruise ship is bound to be a hotbed of activity ― but it’s less common for it to be the site of a murder. Yet, when the lights flicker aboard the luxury Meganaut, making its way from New York to Paris, this is precisely what happens; in the darkness, a gunshot rings out, and when the light is restored, a man is found dead. The situation becomes all the more curious when it’s discovered that the deceased had apparently ingested cyanide just seconds before being penetrated by the bullet. Luckily, for the other passengers, there are two detectives aboard the Meganaut, ready to leap into action. There are also four psychiatrists, and those psychiatrists convince the captain to let them take a stab at solving the crime, using their professional understanding of the human psyche to determine who could have been capable of such a crime ― and why. But will they be able to deduce the puzzle’s solution before the killer strikes again?
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Series or Standalone? :
This is Book One in the ‘Sir Clinton Driffield’ series.
"Murder in the Maze" Book Blurb:
When twin brothers Roger and Neville Shandon are murdered by poisoned darts in Whistlefield’s famous hedge maze, Sir Clinton Driffield arrives to restore order. He finds two terrified witnesses – visitors to the estate – and clues aplenty in this brilliantly conceived and meticulously realised country-house mystery.
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Series or Standalone? :
This is a standalone novel.
"Death at Swaythling Court" Book Blurb:
Mr Hubbard, a wholesale perfumer, collector of butterflies and a blackmailer was an extremely unpleasant character. When he was found dead in his home Swaythling Court his passing was mourned by few. Faced with the evidence a Coroner’s Jury turns in a verdict of suicide, but few are convinced by this. Colonel Sanderstead felt it his duty to investigate and track down the killer no matter who they might be.
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Series or Standalone? :
This is a standalone novel.
"Spiderweb" Book Blurb:
Alone in Paris after arriving from America, Catherine West finds herself swiftly and dangerously involved in the mysterious case of her cousin, Madame Germaine Bender. Catherine has received a letter from one of Mme Bender’s close friends, urging her to come to Paris for reasons unspecified but pressing. When she reaches Mme Bender’s house things go from merely intriguing to downright eerie. The servants are off-hand to the point of impertinence, and Mme Bender herself is like a ghost. Also in Paris is Geoffrey Macadam, an English lawyer, and Catherine and he join forces, trying to penetrate the mystery of what is happening—and why. Atmosphere, suspense, a touch of horror give this highly coloured novel of strange characters and exciting events a quality that is all Alice Campbell’s own.
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Series or Standalone? :
This is Book One in the ‘Malcolm Warren Mysteries’.
"Death of My Aunt" Book Blurb:
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Series or Standalone? :
This is a standalone novel.
"The Invisible Man" Book Blurb:
In the quaint village of Iping, a mysterious stranger arrives, shrouded in bandages and secrecy. As whispers of his bizarre behaviour spread, the townsfolk are thrust into a terrifying tale of science gone wrong. H.G. Wells’ The Invisible Man follows the harrowing journey of Griffin, a brilliant scientist who discovers the perilous power of invisibility. Consumed by his own creation, Griffin spirals into madness, unleashing chaos and fear upon the unsuspecting community.
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Series or Standalone? :
This is Book 2 in the ‘Roderick Alleyn’ series.
"Enter a Murderer" Book Blurb:
The crime scene was the stage of the Unicorn Theatre, when prop gun fired a very real bullet; the victim was an actor clawing his way to stardom using bribery instead of talent; and the suspects included two unwilling girlfriends and several relieved blackmail victims. The stage is set for one of Roderick Alleyn’s most baffling cases.
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Series or Standalone? :
This is Book One in the ‘Ben the Tramp’ series.
"No. 17" Book Blurb:
Ben is back home from the Merchant Navy, penniless as usual and looking for digs in fog-bound London. Taking shelter in an abandoned old house, he stumbles across a dead body – and scarpers. Running into a detective, Gilbert Fordyce, the reluctant Ben is persuaded to return to the house and investigate the mystery of the corpse – which promptly disappears! The vacant No.17 is the rendezvous for a gang of villains, and the cowardly Ben finds himself in the thick of thieves with no way of escape.
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Series or Standalone? :
This is Book One in the ‘Roderick Alleyn’ series.
"A Man Lay Dead" Book Blurb:
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Series or Standalone? :
This is a standalone novel.
"The Verdict of You All" Book Blurb:
Geoffrey Hastings is doing very well for himself: having survived the Great War, he is not only working for wealthy financier Sir John Smethurst but is engaged to his daughter, Emily. Hastings has a rival for Emily’s affections in the form of Samuel McCorquodale, a successful businessman and both friend and rival of Sir John, and there is no love lost between the two men. Then Sir John is found murdered, and suspicion falls on Hastings until an unexpected alibi sets him free. But who did murder Sir John? Layer after layer of deception is peeled away until the shocking truth emerges.
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Series or Standalone? :
This is a standalone novel.
"The Red House Mystery" Book Blurb:
The narrative transports readers to the Red House, Mr. Mark Ablett’s bachelor pad in the tranquil English countryside. While visiting this welcoming location, amateur investigator Anthony Gillingham and his friend Bill Beverley look into the disappearance of their kind host and its connection to a covert gunshot. In a humorous sequence of pranks, Gillingham and Beverley explore the probabilities of intriguing undersea evidence, secret passageways, and other atmospheric devices in between complex endeavours. This unique gem will enchant readers who enjoy mysteries with its sparkling dialogue, deft writing, and fascinating cast of characters.
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Series or Standalone? :
This is Book One in the ‘Fu Manchu’ series.
"The Mystery of Dr. Fu-Manchu" Book Blurb:
Commissioner Nayland Smith returns to London from Burma, telling his old friend and colleague, Doctor Petrie, of a master criminal who has been active in Burma… …the criminal is Doctor Fu-Manchu, a great scientist and the most dangerous criminal mind the world has ever known… …and Fu-Manchu has come to London. His purpose is unknown but very soon the greatest scientists in Europe begin to disappear.
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Series or Standalone? :
This is Book 4 in the ‘Henri Bencolin’ series.
"The Corpse in the Waxworks" Book Blurb:
Last night Mademoiselle Duchêne was seen heading into the Gallery of Horrors at the Musée Augustin waxworks, alive. Today she was found in the Seine, murdered. The museum’s proprietor, long perturbed by the unnatural vitality of his figures, claims that he saw one of them following the victim into the dark – a lead that Henri Bencolin, head of the Paris police and expert of ‘impossible’ crimes, cannot possibly resist. Surrounded by the eerie noises of the night, Bencolin prepares to enter the ill-fated waxworks, his associate Jeff Marle and the victim’s fiancé in tow. Waiting within, beneath the glass-eyed gaze of a leering waxen satyr, is a gruesome discovery and the first clues of a twisted and ingenious mystery.
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Series or Standalone? :
This is a standalone novel.
"The Dangerfield Talisman" Book Blurb:
The story revolves around the illustrious Dangerfield Talisman, a resplendent golden bracelet adorned with diamonds, boasting a valuation of fifty thousand pounds. Despite its allure, it remained unshielded, and though it had been pilfered on multiple occasions, it invariably found its way back. Equally intriguing was the enigma surrounding the Dangerfield lineage. During an extravagant soiree hosted by the venerable Rollo Dangerfield, the talisman mysteriously disappeared amidst a tempestuous storm. Yet, the patriarch remained unfazed, firmly believing in the talisman’s inevitable return within a week’s time. History lent credence to his faith, as a previous burglar was discovered deceased on the estate, clutching the talisman, succumbing to cardiac arrest. The guests, driven by curiosity, embarked on a self-led inquiry, only to stumble upon a labyrinth of perplexing twists. The tale is woven with astute detective manoeuvres, replete with original turns and even includes a cerebral chess conundrum.
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