What do you think?
Rate this book
Langham and Dupré Mystery #1
Murder By the Book
This brand-new historical mystery series represents an exciting new direction for award-winning science fiction writer Eric Brown.
London, 1955. When crime writer Donald Langham’s literary agent asks for his help in sorting out ‘a delicate matter’, little does Langham realize what he’s getting himself into. For a nasty case of blackmail leads inexorably to murder as London’s literary establishment is rocked by a series of increasingly bizarre deaths. With three members of the London Crime Writers’ Association coming to sudden and violent ends, what at first appeared to be a series of suicides looks suspiciously like murder – and there seems to be something horribly familiar about the various methods of despatch.
With the help of his literary agent’s assistant, the delectable Maria Dupre, Langham finds himself drawing on the skills of his fictional detective hero as he hunts a ruthless and fiendishly clever killer – a killer with old scores to settle.
London, 1955. When crime writer Donald Langham’s literary agent asks for his help in sorting out ‘a delicate matter’, little does Langham realize what he’s getting himself into. For a nasty case of blackmail leads inexorably to murder as London’s literary establishment is rocked by a series of increasingly bizarre deaths. With three members of the London Crime Writers’ Association coming to sudden and violent ends, what at first appeared to be a series of suicides looks suspiciously like murder – and there seems to be something horribly familiar about the various methods of despatch.
With the help of his literary agent’s assistant, the delectable Maria Dupre, Langham finds himself drawing on the skills of his fictional detective hero as he hunts a ruthless and fiendishly clever killer – a killer with old scores to settle.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
80 people are currently reading
292 people want to read
About the author
Eric Brown
375 books186 followersEric Brown was a British science fiction author and Guardian critic.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
August 19, 2014
This is a delightful crime novel set in 1950’s London. Donald Langham is a forty year old author of crime mysteries, featuring his private detective Sam Brooke. Langham is widowed and lives a slightly solitary life, but is successful at what he does and enjoys his writing. His literary agent, Charles Elder, invites him to lunch and then asks him for his advice. Elder is being blackmailed after being photographed with a young man in a very compromising position. Donald Langham had worked briefly for a detective agency after the war and has lived vicariously though his Sam Brooke novels, so offers to help. This also brings him into closer proximity with the lovely Maria Dupre, who works with Charles Elder.
Before long, Donald and Maria, find themselves involved in ransom demands, blackmail and murder. For it seems that there is a sudden spate of suicides and murders among literary figures, many known to Donald personally. Can he untangle the crimes and find the link between blackmail and murder? What is more, can he solve the crimes before he too becomes a victim?
If you enjoy Golden Age detective fiction, you will be sure to like this fun novel. Although it is set in a slightly later period – post war London – it has a great sense of time and place. The plot is full of twists and turns and there are many nods to authors from that period which will appeal to lovers of the mystery genre. Donald Langham is a wonderfully understated hero and the other characters help flesh out the storyline. Events are fast moving and this looks to be the start of a wonderful series.
Before long, Donald and Maria, find themselves involved in ransom demands, blackmail and murder. For it seems that there is a sudden spate of suicides and murders among literary figures, many known to Donald personally. Can he untangle the crimes and find the link between blackmail and murder? What is more, can he solve the crimes before he too becomes a victim?
If you enjoy Golden Age detective fiction, you will be sure to like this fun novel. Although it is set in a slightly later period – post war London – it has a great sense of time and place. The plot is full of twists and turns and there are many nods to authors from that period which will appeal to lovers of the mystery genre. Donald Langham is a wonderfully understated hero and the other characters help flesh out the storyline. Events are fast moving and this looks to be the start of a wonderful series.
November 20, 2020
There are two unavoidable pillars on which a murder mystery novel should be built: one is its characters and the other the ingenuity of the plot. Thankfully, Murder by the Book is reasonably successful on both accounts.
For this, his first foray in the genre from a extensive career in sci-fi, Brown, as is traditional, is setting up a pair of amateur sleuths to be the heroes of his series. One is a murder detective author and the other, who doubles up as the love interest, is a French literary agent.
It is likely that her boss will also feature widely in future books. All three are likeable enough and sufficiently well-rounded characters that readers will probably trust them enough to follow their adventures, in this case, set in the murder mystery publishing industry (an added bonus, I found), and original enough to warrant attention.
Where troubles arise is in the form however. There are a number of problems that significantly take away from this novel and could have been easily avoided.
The quality of the writing, often an issue in genre novels, is on the whole pretty decent but the characters' language register in the dialogue sections is often questionable and generally too elaborate.
On the subject of language (and bearing in mind that one of the protagonist is supposed to be French), Brown seems to confuse the phrase "savoir faire" (which he uses twice in the book) with "laissez faire," and even if he had used the right phrase he doesn't seem to actually know what it really means.
Although the story is set in 1955 London, Brown fails to convey a proper sense of that period and place, something that could have added richness to the narrative. The time occupied by the book is in fact bland and disappointingly undefined.
There are even a number of anachronistic mistakes that actively undermine any attempt at portraying the period convincingly. For example, Brown forgets to mention the convention of the Wolfenden committee (1954) in the context of a discussion of the decriminalisation of homosexuality, or he states erroneously that smoking wasn't allowed in hospitals at the time.
Other mistakes includes a sketchy knowledge of the geography of London (Bow Street Police Station was not in Bow, as stated, but in Covent Garden) and the amount of time needed to travel between two locations in the capital, which seems oddly devoid of public transport.
And what's with the characters' obsession with drinking Earl Grey tea?
Perhaps most importantly of all, there are problems with the investigative elements themselves. At one point the hero arbitrarily arrives to an accurate conclusion while neglecting and ignoring the known points of the story that should have led him to that conclusion.
There is also mentions of bail and of a sum of money that should be given to obtain it. Having asked a lawyer friend, it seems that this would be a very rare occurrence in the British legal system (unlike the US one), and not something that would happen either systematically (as implied here) or even at all for the charge under consideration here.
So, yes, the book is entertaining and generally not a complete failure, but it also needs more, research, care and attention to details to be truly successful. Something it could have been, I think.
For this, his first foray in the genre from a extensive career in sci-fi, Brown, as is traditional, is setting up a pair of amateur sleuths to be the heroes of his series. One is a murder detective author and the other, who doubles up as the love interest, is a French literary agent.
It is likely that her boss will also feature widely in future books. All three are likeable enough and sufficiently well-rounded characters that readers will probably trust them enough to follow their adventures, in this case, set in the murder mystery publishing industry (an added bonus, I found), and original enough to warrant attention.
Where troubles arise is in the form however. There are a number of problems that significantly take away from this novel and could have been easily avoided.
The quality of the writing, often an issue in genre novels, is on the whole pretty decent but the characters' language register in the dialogue sections is often questionable and generally too elaborate.
On the subject of language (and bearing in mind that one of the protagonist is supposed to be French), Brown seems to confuse the phrase "savoir faire" (which he uses twice in the book) with "laissez faire," and even if he had used the right phrase he doesn't seem to actually know what it really means.
Although the story is set in 1955 London, Brown fails to convey a proper sense of that period and place, something that could have added richness to the narrative. The time occupied by the book is in fact bland and disappointingly undefined.
There are even a number of anachronistic mistakes that actively undermine any attempt at portraying the period convincingly. For example, Brown forgets to mention the convention of the Wolfenden committee (1954) in the context of a discussion of the decriminalisation of homosexuality, or he states erroneously that smoking wasn't allowed in hospitals at the time.
Other mistakes includes a sketchy knowledge of the geography of London (Bow Street Police Station was not in Bow, as stated, but in Covent Garden) and the amount of time needed to travel between two locations in the capital, which seems oddly devoid of public transport.
And what's with the characters' obsession with drinking Earl Grey tea?
Perhaps most importantly of all, there are problems with the investigative elements themselves. At one point the hero arbitrarily arrives to an accurate conclusion while neglecting and ignoring the known points of the story that should have led him to that conclusion.
There is also mentions of bail and of a sum of money that should be given to obtain it. Having asked a lawyer friend, it seems that this would be a very rare occurrence in the British legal system (unlike the US one), and not something that would happen either systematically (as implied here) or even at all for the charge under consideration here.
So, yes, the book is entertaining and generally not a complete failure, but it also needs more, research, care and attention to details to be truly successful. Something it could have been, I think.
June 10, 2022
It didn’t feel like a page turned
The murders were brilliantly done. The characters very attractive but, for some reason, I wasn’t eager to turn the next page. Slow? Dialogue? No idea. But, by no means, a bad book.
The murders were brilliantly done. The characters very attractive but, for some reason, I wasn’t eager to turn the next page. Slow? Dialogue? No idea. But, by no means, a bad book.
October 5, 2014
I found this mystery very good indeed. I liked the main set of characters- Donald and Maria; Charles took a bit of time for me to warm up to- not because he is homosexual but because of how he spoke sometimes but then again so did many of the characters that came through the book. Things like "Langham made his way back towards the facade, pain pounding through his skull in syncopation with his heartbeat." and "I curse myself for being such an abject, pusillanimous fool!" bugged me to no end because no one speaks this way- not even British people. There were more such lines throughout the book that irked me quite a bit because it sounded so unnatural but other than that, I thought the author did a very nice job of putting this mystery together and adding a bit of romance to the book- not too much to over saturate it but just enough to make it interesting and have you care about the characters. The only thing I will say also that was a tad muddling and it might have just been me so you'll have to judge it on your own merit but the way the characters spoke made me sometimes think the book was set in the late Victorian era or early 1900's. It took me a few times as I was reading to remind myself that the story is set in the 1950's. Again though, aside from that and how some of the language was in the book that no one would ever use in real life, I think the mystery itself was quite good and worth a read. I'd just suggest to the author for future works to use more every day language and words rather than words that make the speaker sound intelligent but also clumsy at the same time because of the fact that no one uses such words in their every day lexicon, even in the mid-20th century.
September 9, 2013
For me, Eric Brown's Murder By The Book began slowly, too slowly for my taste. Perhaps it was the often stilted language, or the lack of a character one could grasp hold of, or perhaps just the seeming difficulty the book had in gaining its initial traction for me. My general rule of reading is to give a book 40 pages, or an hour of my time. if I'm not engaged by then, chances are I won't be. There are plenty of other books lined up waiting to be opened.
Well, the book teetered on being put down, but that never happened. I read it, and found the pace and the crime/mystery did pick up somewhat. There were good clues, red herrings and the usual cast of suspects, enough to keep me going, at any rate.
This book was not my cup of tea (but enough Earl Gray tea is drunk in the book's pages to re-float the Titanic.) for those who do read the novel my tea comment might seem like a murderous clue, but not a spoiler. A good beach, cottage, holiday read, perhaps, but not enough for me to read any of the author's other works.
Well, the book teetered on being put down, but that never happened. I read it, and found the pace and the crime/mystery did pick up somewhat. There were good clues, red herrings and the usual cast of suspects, enough to keep me going, at any rate.
This book was not my cup of tea (but enough Earl Gray tea is drunk in the book's pages to re-float the Titanic.) for those who do read the novel my tea comment might seem like a murderous clue, but not a spoiler. A good beach, cottage, holiday read, perhaps, but not enough for me to read any of the author's other works.
October 16, 2019
I absolutely hate to get buy a book that says it's about book or bookstores and then find out the books are only props. This book was a wonderful surprise, in that not only the problem of begin a writer; but the mean back biting of the publishing industry, was laid bare for all. A great plot and true to historical setting. I'll be buying the rest of this set for sure.
May 3, 2022
It is the 1950’s in London. The War is so recent it is still a part of everyone’s thoughts.
Donald is a mystery writer. His books are good reading. He makes a living with his writing and that gives him pleasure. His war experiences are far enough behind him that he can put them far in the back of his mind. But, some of those skills may come in handy.
When Donald’s agent, Charles, asks for his help, of course he will help. There is a blackmailer who has pictures. This was during a time when being a homosexual in England was punishable by jail time. Donald likes Charles too much to allow him to be put in a jail cell.
Marie is Charles’ assistant. She is devoted to Charles and he is devoted to her. When she finds out about the blackmail, she wants to help Donald put an end to it as quickly as possible. And she is a forceful and strong woman. And there is a very subtle attraction between Marie and Donald.
This is a terrific book. Mr Brown is a very talented story teller.
Donald is a strong character. He is not a superman, but he is willing to put himself in danger in order to save others. He is smart and he solves puzzles as well as his fictional detective does. He has a sense of humor, he sees the beauty in the world and he has a kindness about him. Most of all, he is aware that there are dangers and bad people in the world.
This book has mystery. There are victims and a villain who seems to enjoy killing. He is a man with a plan. And his plan seems to be working very well.
This first entry in a mystery series is a real winner. I hope to see more of Donald and his ability to help people who need his skills, charm, kindness and humor.
Donald is a mystery writer. His books are good reading. He makes a living with his writing and that gives him pleasure. His war experiences are far enough behind him that he can put them far in the back of his mind. But, some of those skills may come in handy.
When Donald’s agent, Charles, asks for his help, of course he will help. There is a blackmailer who has pictures. This was during a time when being a homosexual in England was punishable by jail time. Donald likes Charles too much to allow him to be put in a jail cell.
Marie is Charles’ assistant. She is devoted to Charles and he is devoted to her. When she finds out about the blackmail, she wants to help Donald put an end to it as quickly as possible. And she is a forceful and strong woman. And there is a very subtle attraction between Marie and Donald.
This is a terrific book. Mr Brown is a very talented story teller.
Donald is a strong character. He is not a superman, but he is willing to put himself in danger in order to save others. He is smart and he solves puzzles as well as his fictional detective does. He has a sense of humor, he sees the beauty in the world and he has a kindness about him. Most of all, he is aware that there are dangers and bad people in the world.
This book has mystery. There are victims and a villain who seems to enjoy killing. He is a man with a plan. And his plan seems to be working very well.
This first entry in a mystery series is a real winner. I hope to see more of Donald and his ability to help people who need his skills, charm, kindness and humor.
May 16, 2020
In Murder by the Book Eric Brown introduces Donald Langham, a slightly diffident but agreeable crime writer living alone in mid-fifties London. He is soon drawn into the travails of his agent, Charles Elder. Elder is a fine, vivid character in his own right, as is his secretary, Maria Dupre and it is Maria and Donald’s burgeoning relationship that forms the core of the book. Elder’s life and freedom is threatened and the three of them are pulled into a vortex of blackmail and murder.
Brown’s characters are warmly drawn and I particularly like the way that Langham’s innate decency is shown through his actions and his interactions with other characters, particularly Maria. I liked (most) of the characters very much and cared about what happened to them, something that doesn’t happen all that often these days. The plotting is deft and unobtrusive and the period, one perhaps under-explored in crime fiction, is skilfully evoked.
This is an excellent introduction to Langham and Dupre, so much so that I ordered and read the next instalment almost immediately.
Brown’s characters are warmly drawn and I particularly like the way that Langham’s innate decency is shown through his actions and his interactions with other characters, particularly Maria. I liked (most) of the characters very much and cared about what happened to them, something that doesn’t happen all that often these days. The plotting is deft and unobtrusive and the period, one perhaps under-explored in crime fiction, is skilfully evoked.
This is an excellent introduction to Langham and Dupre, so much so that I ordered and read the next instalment almost immediately.
April 23, 2022
I picked this up for nearly nothing on a Kindle book sale, and am certainly glad I did! Written in the style of Golden Age mystery writers like Agatha Christie, it follows mystery writer Donald Langham as he stumbles into unearthing a series of murders made to look like accidents or suicides among the writing community. The book has just the right touch of chaste romance with his editor's junior partner, the lovely Maria Dupre.
Because it is emulating the style of Golden Age writers the dialogue occasionally sounds a bit stilted, but in that old, formal British way rather than in a bad-writing way. Other than that it is a delightful little book. It clips along at a brisk pace with a complex plot that unfolds believably and lots of interesting characters.
It is the first in a new series by this author, who was previously famous for his sci-fi writing. I am certainly open to reading more!
Because it is emulating the style of Golden Age writers the dialogue occasionally sounds a bit stilted, but in that old, formal British way rather than in a bad-writing way. Other than that it is a delightful little book. It clips along at a brisk pace with a complex plot that unfolds believably and lots of interesting characters.
It is the first in a new series by this author, who was previously famous for his sci-fi writing. I am certainly open to reading more!
March 21, 2025
When I started, I was prepared for the typical murder mystery formula: meet your characters, get to know the setting, potential suspects, and such. And then the body drops... Based on the jacket description, it seemed like it would follow this typical path.
We met our protagonist, his close friends... But we start not with a body, but blackmail. The first half of this book felt far more like a detective noir, and I settled into that rhythm, hints and bodies slowly dropping in the background, until suddenly we are embroiled hip deep around the halfway mark. Once the pace picks up, it doesn't slow back down, and even surprised me (despite there being a few hints) on who the final culprit was! All in all, a highly enjoyable read, that kept my attention the entire way through.
We met our protagonist, his close friends... But we start not with a body, but blackmail. The first half of this book felt far more like a detective noir, and I settled into that rhythm, hints and bodies slowly dropping in the background, until suddenly we are embroiled hip deep around the halfway mark. Once the pace picks up, it doesn't slow back down, and even surprised me (despite there being a few hints) on who the final culprit was! All in all, a highly enjoyable read, that kept my attention the entire way through.
April 1, 2022
During Covid I found myself reading more and more mysteries. I guess part of the reason is that there was always an end to the story...something being solved. In most cases, I read books by authors who were at the top of their craft; books that kept my attention and that taught me new things.
While this book was enjoyable, it didn't quite live up to what I had hoped. Nonetheless, it was worth reading and if you like a story set in the 50s that has a good deal of twists and turns, you might enjoy it.
While this book was enjoyable, it didn't quite live up to what I had hoped. Nonetheless, it was worth reading and if you like a story set in the 50s that has a good deal of twists and turns, you might enjoy it.
August 2, 2022
I usually avoid cosy mysteries as they rarely feature sympathetic characters. Murder By the Book is an exception.
Eric Brown has created a very likeable cast of English eccentrics without resorting to stereotypical caricatures. Unassuming protagonist Donald Langham is the unlikely hero you will root for and his sidekick Maria, together with her boss Charles are a delight. The author captures the atmosphere of mid-50s London well, without straying too much from the clever plot.
I look forward to reading book 2 in this series which I will no doubt start soon.
Eric Brown has created a very likeable cast of English eccentrics without resorting to stereotypical caricatures. Unassuming protagonist Donald Langham is the unlikely hero you will root for and his sidekick Maria, together with her boss Charles are a delight. The author captures the atmosphere of mid-50s London well, without straying too much from the clever plot.
I look forward to reading book 2 in this series which I will no doubt start soon.
April 19, 2022
An enjoyable mystery featuring a killer that is targeting mystery writers & agents. This is set in post-WWII (1950s) but the story doesn't really convey the feel of the time to me. The plot was a bit convoluted on occasion, but overall the mystery kept my interest. I loved some of the nods to the mystery writers of that time. There was a nice chemistry between our sleuth / writer, Donald, and his agent's secretary/partner, Maria. I look forward to reading more in this series.
May 21, 2019
I'm not a big fan of mysteries but I am a big fan of Eric Brown's science fiction so I thought I would give his mystery series a try. This first book was pretty good though a couple of the secondary characters seemed over the top in their portrayal. But it was a good enough read that I will eventually read the others.
February 20, 2022
A good, old fashioned mystery
I enjoyed the language used throughout the story, old fashioned and erudite. Murder By the Book is is a light hearted, fun mystery with surprises along the way. The action quickens towards the halfway mark with bodies being knocked off and no killer recognizable. A fun twist.
I enjoyed the language used throughout the story, old fashioned and erudite. Murder By the Book is is a light hearted, fun mystery with surprises along the way. The action quickens towards the halfway mark with bodies being knocked off and no killer recognizable. A fun twist.
February 5, 2018
Very garden-variety murder mystery of the "cozy" species. One plot twist. The guy never quite gets around to, um, doing his French girlfriend. And now they are to be the next Odd Couple of brilliant private investigators, in post-war England? No thanks.
May 17, 2018
A really well constructed and plotted mystery in the classic style. Lots of plot twists, red herrings, and dead bodies. As others have also noted, it was a bit slow moving, but never so bad as to become a DNF.
February 7, 2019
Who knew that in 1937 The United Kingdom started using 999 for emergencies. I thought I'd caught an anachronism but this author does his research - and writes an engaging, entertaining murder mystery to boot.
May 11, 2019
Most enjoyable!
Initially I had doubts about this book but it turned out to be quite well done. I enjoyed the characters very much and the story was believable. Loved the setting and time period as well. Very, very British.
Initially I had doubts about this book but it turned out to be quite well done. I enjoyed the characters very much and the story was believable. Loved the setting and time period as well. Very, very British.
March 21, 2020
Murder by the Book is a stereotypical boiler plate mystery. The characters are one dimensional and all perform very much as expected. If you’re looking for a quick read set in an earlier British time period to kill a small amount of free time, this might work for you. Hardly a page turner.
October 3, 2021
This was a good book. I thought at first that it would be pretty predictable, but I was wrong. I liked the characters and am anxious to read I think it's book 3 or 4 in the series where the amateur detective is working in the movie industry the plot of that book just sounded really exciting.
June 1, 2023
Like the characters which of course makes the book. Langham is a Mystery writer and his girlfriend is now a partner at his publisher's. Together they run into issues (well Langham does and she helps him) other people want them to solve.
December 29, 2025
Really enjoyed this book. I’ll admit I’m a sucker for mysteries set on the streets of London and Murder by the Book didn’t disappoint. Loved the relationship between Langham and Dupre’ and can’t wait to read more in the series.
September 22, 2017
This book got off to a very slow start and I almost abandoned it. I did enjoy it, however, once I got into it.
April 22, 2019
Charming launch of a cleverly conceived literary thriller series.
April 15, 2020
This book is pretty good. It's a light read but still involved enough to be a good mystery. It's a good story with vibrant characters. I really enjoyed it.
March 27, 2021
Predictable but entertaining.
April 4, 2021
2-3*s
July 11, 2021
I liked this book!!! Can't wait to read the next one.
February 24, 2022
Good first book. I think it has promise as a series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews