I was sorting through a pile of books on a shelf the other day, when I came across a little book published by the British Library Crime Classics series. It is a stocking filler that I received at the Christmas before last and that has been tucked away under other books for ages, in true Landing Tales tradition. This small tome is The Pocket Detective (2018) compiled by Kate Jackson, which contains more than a hundred crime fiction inspired puzzles. Now, the British Library editions are a bit of an enthusiasm of mine hence the gift of this puzzle book from He Who Put The Shelves Up. Not all of the brain teasers relate directly to titles in the series, some are more generally Golden Age related.
Sad to say, my knowledge of Agatha Christie murder victims, weapons and book titles is already shown to be wanting. My excuse is that it is many years since I read any of the books, though I could have sworn I was a bit of a fan (not in the specialist subject Mastermind kind of a way, but still…) The page I show here of questions on Christie murder victims is a case in point. I did manage to get two correct, but I had cheat and look the other answers up in the back of the book (yes, dear reader, there is instant relief from brain scratching!) But I am enjoying myself enormously despite the limits of my classic crime fiction knowledge.
Puzzling over the answers
" data-orig-size="1271,1923" data-id="7263" data-image-title="The Pocket Detective book jacket" data-orig-file="https://talesfromthelandingbookshelves.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/the-pocket-detective-book-jacket.jpg" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" width="198" data-medium-file="https://talesfromthelandingbookshelves.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/the-pocket-detective-book-jacket.jpg?w=198" data-permalink="https://talesfromthelandingbookshelves.com/the-pocket-detective-book-jacket/" alt="Book jacket of The Pocket Detective" height="299" class="wp-image-7263" data-large-file="https://talesfromthelandingbookshelves.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/the-pocket-detective-book-jacket.jpg?w=640" />Puzzling over the answers
Falling at the first hurdle
" data-orig-size="2372,1829" data-id="7264" data-image-title="Who was Killed in Agatha Christie" data-orig-file="https://talesfromthelandingbookshelves.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/who-was-killed-in-agatha-christie.jpg" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" width="1024" data-medium-file="https://talesfromthelandingbookshelves.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/who-was-killed-in-agatha-christie.jpg?w=300" data-permalink="https://talesfromthelandingbookshelves.com/who-was-killed-in-agatha-christie/" alt="Page from The Pocket Detective showing an Agatha Christie quiz" height="789" class="wp-image-7264" data-large-file="https://talesfromthelandingbookshelves.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/who-was-killed-in-agatha-christie.jpg?w=640" />Falling at the first hurdle
More reading inspiration
" data-orig-size="2337,1845" data-id="7262" data-image-title="Odd One Out Puzzle" data-orig-file="https://talesfromthelandingbookshelves.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/odd-one-out-puzzle.jpg" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" width="300" data-medium-file="https://talesfromthelandingbookshelves.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/odd-one-out-puzzle.jpg?w=300" data-permalink="https://talesfromthelandingbookshelves.com/odd-one-out-puzzle/" alt="Odd one out puzzle from The Pocket Detective" height="236" class="wp-image-7262" data-large-file="https://talesfromthelandingbookshelves.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/odd-one-out-puzzle.jpg?w=640" />More reading inspirationI have now discovered that Kate Jackson runs a crime fiction book blog called crossexaminingcrime.com that looks well worth a browse and a follow. Not that I need any more books to read, if I am ever to make any further inroads into the Landing Book Shelves backlist. Actually, I wish that I could get hold of some titles in the British Library series in the Playaway format, which is great for commuting. As readers know, I am very fond of a little crime on the bus (so to speak).
Anyway, it seems to me that that my little crime puzzler might be just the thing for some leisurely Bank Holiday activity next weekend. It is just a pity that I didn’t unearth it before Easter when we had a holiday break of solid rain and gardening wasn’t on the agenda. See you when I have run out of puzzles!
