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Roger Sheringham Cases #4
The Silk Stocking Murders
A classic Golden Age crime novel, and one of the first to feature a serial killer.
Investigating the disappearance of a vicar’s daughter in London, the popular novelist and amateur detective Roger Sheringham is shocked to discover that the girl is already dead, found hanging from a screw by her own silk stocking. Reports of similar deaths across the capital strengthen his conviction that this is no suicide cult but the work of a homicidal maniac out for vengeance – a desperate situation requiring desperate measures.
Having established Roger Sheringham as a brilliant but headstrong young sleuth who frequently made mistakes, trusted the wrong people and imbibed considerable liquid refreshment, Anthony Berkeley took his controversial character into much darker territory with The Silk Stocking Murders, a sensational novel about gruesome serial killings by an apparent psychopath bent on targeting vulnerable young women.
Investigating the disappearance of a vicar’s daughter in London, the popular novelist and amateur detective Roger Sheringham is shocked to discover that the girl is already dead, found hanging from a screw by her own silk stocking. Reports of similar deaths across the capital strengthen his conviction that this is no suicide cult but the work of a homicidal maniac out for vengeance – a desperate situation requiring desperate measures.
Having established Roger Sheringham as a brilliant but headstrong young sleuth who frequently made mistakes, trusted the wrong people and imbibed considerable liquid refreshment, Anthony Berkeley took his controversial character into much darker territory with The Silk Stocking Murders, a sensational novel about gruesome serial killings by an apparent psychopath bent on targeting vulnerable young women.
222 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1928
30 people are currently reading
263 people want to read
About the author
Anthony Berkeley
121 books166 followersAnthony Berkeley Cox was an English crime writer. He wrote under several pen-names, including Francis Iles, Anthony Berkeley Cox, and A. Monmouth Platts. One of the founders of The Detection Club
Cox was born in Watford and was educated at Sherborne School and University College London.
He served in the Army in World War I and thereafter worked as a journalist, contributing a series of humourous sketches to the magazine 'Punch'. These were later published collectively (1925) under the Anthony Berkeley pseudonym as 'Jugged Journalism' and the book was followed by a series of minor comic novels such as 'Brenda Entertains' (1925), 'The Family Witch' (1925) and 'The Professor on Paws' (1926).
It was also in 1925 when he published, anonymously to begin with, his first detective novel, 'The Layton Court Mystery', which was apparently written for the amusement of himself and his father, who was a big fan of the mystery genre. Later editions of the book had the author as Anthony Berkeley.
He discovered that the financial rewards were far better for detective fiction so he concentrated his efforts on that genre for the following 14 years, using mainly the Anthony Berkeley pseudonym but also writing four novels and three collections of short stories as Francis Isles and one novel as A Monmouth Platts.
In 1928 he founded the famous Detection Club in London and became its first honorary secretary.
In the mid-1930s he began reviewing novels, both mystery and non-mystery, for 'The Daily Telegraph' under the Francis Isles pseudonym, which he had first used for 'Malice Aforethought' in 1931.
In 1939 he gave up writing detective fiction for no apparent reason although it has been suggested that he came into a large inheritance at the time or that his alleged remark, 'When I find something that pays better than detective stories I shall write that' had some relevance. However, he produced nothing significant after he finished writing with 'Death in the House' (Berkeley) and 'As for the Woman' (Isles) in 1939.
He did, however, continue to review books for such as 'John O'London's Weekly', 'The Sunday Times', 'The Daily Telegraph' and, from the mid-1950s to 1970, 'The Guardian'. In addition he produced 'O England!', a study of social conditions and politics in 1934.
He and his wife lived in an old house in St John's Wood, London, and he had an office in The Strand where he was listed as one of the two directors of A B Cox Ltd, a company whose business was unspecified!
Alfred Hitchcock adapted the Francis Isles' title 'Before the Fact' for his film 'Suspicion' in 1941 and in the same year Cox supplied a script for another film 'Flight from Destiny', which was produced by Warner Brothers.
His most enduring character is Roger Sheringham who featured in 10 Anthony Berkeley novels and two posthumous collections of short stories.
He died on 9 March 1971.
Gerry Wolstenholme
January 2012 (less)
Cox was born in Watford and was educated at Sherborne School and University College London.
He served in the Army in World War I and thereafter worked as a journalist, contributing a series of humourous sketches to the magazine 'Punch'. These were later published collectively (1925) under the Anthony Berkeley pseudonym as 'Jugged Journalism' and the book was followed by a series of minor comic novels such as 'Brenda Entertains' (1925), 'The Family Witch' (1925) and 'The Professor on Paws' (1926).
It was also in 1925 when he published, anonymously to begin with, his first detective novel, 'The Layton Court Mystery', which was apparently written for the amusement of himself and his father, who was a big fan of the mystery genre. Later editions of the book had the author as Anthony Berkeley.
He discovered that the financial rewards were far better for detective fiction so he concentrated his efforts on that genre for the following 14 years, using mainly the Anthony Berkeley pseudonym but also writing four novels and three collections of short stories as Francis Isles and one novel as A Monmouth Platts.
In 1928 he founded the famous Detection Club in London and became its first honorary secretary.
In the mid-1930s he began reviewing novels, both mystery and non-mystery, for 'The Daily Telegraph' under the Francis Isles pseudonym, which he had first used for 'Malice Aforethought' in 1931.
In 1939 he gave up writing detective fiction for no apparent reason although it has been suggested that he came into a large inheritance at the time or that his alleged remark, 'When I find something that pays better than detective stories I shall write that' had some relevance. However, he produced nothing significant after he finished writing with 'Death in the House' (Berkeley) and 'As for the Woman' (Isles) in 1939.
He did, however, continue to review books for such as 'John O'London's Weekly', 'The Sunday Times', 'The Daily Telegraph' and, from the mid-1950s to 1970, 'The Guardian'. In addition he produced 'O England!', a study of social conditions and politics in 1934.
He and his wife lived in an old house in St John's Wood, London, and he had an office in The Strand where he was listed as one of the two directors of A B Cox Ltd, a company whose business was unspecified!
Alfred Hitchcock adapted the Francis Isles' title 'Before the Fact' for his film 'Suspicion' in 1941 and in the same year Cox supplied a script for another film 'Flight from Destiny', which was produced by Warner Brothers.
His most enduring character is Roger Sheringham who featured in 10 Anthony Berkeley novels and two posthumous collections of short stories.
He died on 9 March 1971.
Gerry Wolstenholme
January 2012 (less)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
April 17, 2020
I find Anthony Berkeley Cox one of the more intelligent writers of Golden Age fiction with a pacy prose style and an engaging hero. By no means perfect, Sheringham has plenty of human foibles, not least his own amour-propre and his injured pride when he feels slighted or worse bested by the detectives of Scotland Yard. He makes a significant error early in the investigation which is a direct consequence of his own self-importance but later redeems himself by unmasking the murderer via logical deduction.
I found this novel an enjoyable read though it was marred by some comments about the murderer's ethnicity which might have been acceptable in 1928 but would not be now. I try to look on distasteful material of this sort as an indication of how far Society has moved against such discrimination and therefore a hopeful sign that things have improved, though it is nonetheless an ugly passage within the novel.
The plot was well constructed with the exception of the weakness of the final trap for the murderer. It seems hard to believe that the murderer would reveal himself so casually after being so cunning for the rest of the novel. Or that the police would allow a girl to be half strangled in order to elicit this possible confession. The identity of the murderer was certainly plausible, though not such a surprise as perhaps ABC thought it would be in the final reveal, and his behaviour throughout was consistent.
One of the things the author does well is to inject humour into the novel. A character connected to stage revues and with a distinctly effete personality was named Beverley, and I can only assume this was a sly reference to Beverley Nichols. The fact that Scotland Yard began to politely exclude Sheringham from their confidence at the right time but for altogether the wrong reason; the bumptious way that the amateur sleuth sets about the case and very nearly jeopardises it from the beginning; these instances show that we are dealing with human beings who make errors and false assumptions rather than a superhuman crime solving machine. It makes the novel so much more interesting.
I found this novel an enjoyable read though it was marred by some comments about the murderer's ethnicity which might have been acceptable in 1928 but would not be now. I try to look on distasteful material of this sort as an indication of how far Society has moved against such discrimination and therefore a hopeful sign that things have improved, though it is nonetheless an ugly passage within the novel.
The plot was well constructed with the exception of the weakness of the final trap for the murderer. It seems hard to believe that the murderer would reveal himself so casually after being so cunning for the rest of the novel. Or that the police would allow a girl to be half strangled in order to elicit this possible confession. The identity of the murderer was certainly plausible, though not such a surprise as perhaps ABC thought it would be in the final reveal, and his behaviour throughout was consistent.
One of the things the author does well is to inject humour into the novel. A character connected to stage revues and with a distinctly effete personality was named Beverley, and I can only assume this was a sly reference to Beverley Nichols. The fact that Scotland Yard began to politely exclude Sheringham from their confidence at the right time but for altogether the wrong reason; the bumptious way that the amateur sleuth sets about the case and very nearly jeopardises it from the beginning; these instances show that we are dealing with human beings who make errors and false assumptions rather than a superhuman crime solving machine. It makes the novel so much more interesting.
April 19, 2014
Reading this book, you can see how what the Nazis were able to get away with their plans for exterminating the Jews. Not that Berkeley is advocating anything like that here. But, the casual antisemitism is shocking for someone reading his work today. The fact that these were the common views of the day and no one seemed to think that there was anything wrong with publishing something like what follows:
“I’ve never met a Jew I liked so much before,” Anne remarked.
“The real pure-blooded Jew, like Pleydell,” Roger told her, “is one of the best fellows in the world. It’s the hybrid Jew, the Russian, Polish and German variety, that’s let the race down so badly.”
“And yet he seems as reserved and unimpassioned as an Englishman,” Anne mused. “I should have thought that the pure-blooded Jew would have retained his Oriental emotionalism almost unimpaired.”
This antisemitic writing is common in the other two Berkeley books I've read as well. I just felt I needed to get these feelings off my chest because they stopped me in my enjoyment of the story. The mystery was okay. The ending was insane and utterly unbelievable. Yet, on the whole, I didn't hate the book.
“I’ve never met a Jew I liked so much before,” Anne remarked.
“The real pure-blooded Jew, like Pleydell,” Roger told her, “is one of the best fellows in the world. It’s the hybrid Jew, the Russian, Polish and German variety, that’s let the race down so badly.”
“And yet he seems as reserved and unimpassioned as an Englishman,” Anne mused. “I should have thought that the pure-blooded Jew would have retained his Oriental emotionalism almost unimpaired.”
This antisemitic writing is common in the other two Berkeley books I've read as well. I just felt I needed to get these feelings off my chest because they stopped me in my enjoyment of the story. The mystery was okay. The ending was insane and utterly unbelievable. Yet, on the whole, I didn't hate the book.
September 9, 2020
Goodreads deleted this review.
September 7, 2025
é meu segundo livro do Berkeley e eu queria muito gostar do herói dele, mas não é pra mim. além de ficar beijando moças aleatoriamente (assediando), ele é muito devagar no que se propõe, porque pela primeira vez eu consegui adivinhar o assassino antes de um detetive e ficava pensando como ele pode ser tão burro e ficar entregando o jogo assim?
August 28, 2018
3,5 estrellas
April 16, 2025
Series detective Sheringham at his most annoying solves a disturbing series of murders after spending a couple hundred pages dithering and wringing his hands. Would I dither and wring my hands in his place? Yes. This is why I am not a fictional series detective.
There is some pejorative discussion of Jewish people in this book, highly reflective of attitudes held by many English and American authors and readers of the time. To be scrupulously fair to the author, it was not worse and in fact milder than I've encountered in other contemporary works of popular fiction. But in many works it is an ugly mark on an otherwise-worthy effort; here, it ends up being an ugly mark in a pretty sordid and dull book.
There is some pejorative discussion of Jewish people in this book, highly reflective of attitudes held by many English and American authors and readers of the time. To be scrupulously fair to the author, it was not worse and in fact milder than I've encountered in other contemporary works of popular fiction. But in many works it is an ugly mark on an otherwise-worthy effort; here, it ends up being an ugly mark in a pretty sordid and dull book.
October 10, 2023
This was my first Anthony Berkeley book and I am looking forward to reading many more. A very clever plot which kept me guessing all the way through. A very skilful writer who clearly knew his craft and how to lay out his story extremely well
August 21, 2025
Even though I was able to guess who the culprit was, I found the plot to be pretty clever. Roger wasn't nearly as insufferable as he was in the first book in the series. The antisemitism wasn't unexpected, but still made me feel gross.
March 8, 2025
Sheringham is approached by a vicar concerning his missing daughter. On investigation he finds she is dead, the police belief that she killed herself by hanging with a silk stocking. Then there is another death, exactly the same. Who could be responsible as the deaths continue and why
Inspector Moresby officially leads the investigation
An enjoyable historical mystery
Originally published in 1928
Inspector Moresby officially leads the investigation
An enjoyable historical mystery
Originally published in 1928
September 15, 2019
This review also appears on my blog
Roger Sheringham is clever but not quite as clever as he thinks he is. The author is very aware of this fact and uses occasionally for some light which immediately earns the books some bonus points. I do enjoy it when mystery writers don’t take themselves/their books and heroes completely serious.
At the same time, everybody takes the case very serious. As they should, since this is the story of a serial killer who is targeting young women. You know, the plot of 2/3 of all Criminal Minds episodes and 3-4 episodes per season of Any Other Crimeshow. Now, of course this book pre-dates all of them, so it’s not its fault that I have seen far to many screaming women and men feeling sad because women are suffering. And I admit, I didn’t expect much from this book. After all it’s from a time when murder mysteries were mostly puzzles, so I wouldn’t have been surprised if it had just one women after the other dropping dead and Roger Sheringham proclaiming “I must solve this mystery!” But it’s not like this at all. Instead he meets friends or family of most of the victims and sees them all as people. And while he does want to solve the puzzle, it’s also quite clear that he wants justice for these women.
So, a perfect book that I can whole-heartedly recommend? Sadly, not quite. For one, you’ll easily guess the killer, if you’ve some prior experience with crime fiction. Once again, it’s not the book’s fault that I’m reading it in 2019 and not in 1928, when the twists were probably more surprising due to not having been used extensively in crime fiction of all sorts.
The other issue is…well Welcome to Eva’s Period-Appropriate -ism-Corner. Or rather more than the period-appropriate isms. Because you can’t read books written in the 20s and 30s and expect them to be perfect in their treatment of minorities. Chances are there are some questionable throwaway comments in many of them. But The Silk Stocking Murders doesn’t just have some throwaway comments. Roger Sheringham – surprisingly considering what I wrote above – has some very questionable thoughts about women. Though I at least had the feeling that the author doesn’t necessarily share all of those and mocks him slightly for it, in the same way he mocks Roger for being not quite as clever as he thinks he is. Perhaps that’s wishful thinking on my part, and even if it isn’t it’s not a joke that aged very well. But that’s not the only thing. The book also features a Jewish character and pretty much everybody – including Roger Sheringham – keeps going on about how surprising it is that he’s a decent person, you know considering…conversations along those lines happen several times, sometimes featuring explanations attempts as to why that is, that only make everything worse.
I still found it interesting to look at such an early attempt at a mystery featuring a serial killer and I did like Roger in those moments when he wasn’t giving the reader his questionable opinions but if you think about reading this book, you should know that he isn’t too shy about sharing them.
Roger Sheringham is clever but not quite as clever as he thinks he is. The author is very aware of this fact and uses occasionally for some light which immediately earns the books some bonus points. I do enjoy it when mystery writers don’t take themselves/their books and heroes completely serious.
At the same time, everybody takes the case very serious. As they should, since this is the story of a serial killer who is targeting young women. You know, the plot of 2/3 of all Criminal Minds episodes and 3-4 episodes per season of Any Other Crimeshow. Now, of course this book pre-dates all of them, so it’s not its fault that I have seen far to many screaming women and men feeling sad because women are suffering. And I admit, I didn’t expect much from this book. After all it’s from a time when murder mysteries were mostly puzzles, so I wouldn’t have been surprised if it had just one women after the other dropping dead and Roger Sheringham proclaiming “I must solve this mystery!” But it’s not like this at all. Instead he meets friends or family of most of the victims and sees them all as people. And while he does want to solve the puzzle, it’s also quite clear that he wants justice for these women.
So, a perfect book that I can whole-heartedly recommend? Sadly, not quite. For one, you’ll easily guess the killer, if you’ve some prior experience with crime fiction. Once again, it’s not the book’s fault that I’m reading it in 2019 and not in 1928, when the twists were probably more surprising due to not having been used extensively in crime fiction of all sorts.
The other issue is…well Welcome to Eva’s Period-Appropriate -ism-Corner. Or rather more than the period-appropriate isms. Because you can’t read books written in the 20s and 30s and expect them to be perfect in their treatment of minorities. Chances are there are some questionable throwaway comments in many of them. But The Silk Stocking Murders doesn’t just have some throwaway comments. Roger Sheringham – surprisingly considering what I wrote above – has some very questionable thoughts about women. Though I at least had the feeling that the author doesn’t necessarily share all of those and mocks him slightly for it, in the same way he mocks Roger for being not quite as clever as he thinks he is. Perhaps that’s wishful thinking on my part, and even if it isn’t it’s not a joke that aged very well. But that’s not the only thing. The book also features a Jewish character and pretty much everybody – including Roger Sheringham – keeps going on about how surprising it is that he’s a decent person, you know considering…conversations along those lines happen several times, sometimes featuring explanations attempts as to why that is, that only make everything worse.
I still found it interesting to look at such an early attempt at a mystery featuring a serial killer and I did like Roger in those moments when he wasn’t giving the reader his questionable opinions but if you think about reading this book, you should know that he isn’t too shy about sharing them.
March 10, 2011
The Silk Stocking Murders by Anthony Berkeley (1928) is another fine example of the Golden Age amatuer detective. Independent and a writer of best-selling novels as well as a crime-themed article for The Daily Courier, Roger Sheringham is interested in detection and always ready to help the officials out when they seem to be going astray.
Sheringham is first brought into this mystery by a note from a country parson. His daughter Janet had left home to try and ease his burden of feeding five daughters and to try and make her way in the world well enough to send home support for her sisters. After writing faithfully for some time, her letters simply stopped. The vicar doesn't want publicity and doesn't want to involve the police, but, having read Sheringham's articles, thought he might be willing to investigate. Sheringham is touched by the letter and the vicar's faith in him and sets out to find the girl. Unfortunately, he has been set on the trail too late and he soon finds that Janet is dead. She was found hanged by her own silk stocking and the coroner and his jury quickly found for a case of suicide. But then other girls, including a society darling, are found dead in similar circumstance and Sheringham and the police begin to wonder if this is simply a case of copycat suicides or something much more sinister. It takes one final attempt on the sister of the first victim for Sheringham to finally work out who the culprit is. But there is no real evidence and he is forced to perform a reconstruction of the crimes in order to flush the villain out.
Sheringham is, as I said, another example of the Golden Age detective...with a twist. He is by no means infallible...and makes several mistakes along the way to the solution. He is also young and brash and very sure of himself--and the police, primarily in the person of Inspector Moresby, are often on hand to see his brashness land him in one of his many mistakes. It is refreshing to have an amatuer detective who isn't perfect and always right. I was a bit dismayed at how long it took Sheringham to figure out that he had murder on his hands and not suicides. I realize that I, as the reader, had a head-start on him--after all, the book wasn't titled The Silk Stocking Suicides--but still. Would a girl really hang herself with one sock on and one sock off, as it were? I don't think so.
I hadn't read any of Berkeley's mysteries since The Poisoned Chocolate Case (one of his best) and have missed his style and his detective. Even though I was ahead of Sheringham throughout (I fingered the culprit early on, although I could not for the life of me figure out how he managed to be in two places at once), I thoroughly enjoyed this romp through the Golden Age. And I absolutely love Sheringham's parting shot to Inspector Morseby: "Do you know what's the matter with your real detectives at Scotland Yard, Morseby? You don't read enough of those detective stories." Three and a half stars
Sheringham is first brought into this mystery by a note from a country parson. His daughter Janet had left home to try and ease his burden of feeding five daughters and to try and make her way in the world well enough to send home support for her sisters. After writing faithfully for some time, her letters simply stopped. The vicar doesn't want publicity and doesn't want to involve the police, but, having read Sheringham's articles, thought he might be willing to investigate. Sheringham is touched by the letter and the vicar's faith in him and sets out to find the girl. Unfortunately, he has been set on the trail too late and he soon finds that Janet is dead. She was found hanged by her own silk stocking and the coroner and his jury quickly found for a case of suicide. But then other girls, including a society darling, are found dead in similar circumstance and Sheringham and the police begin to wonder if this is simply a case of copycat suicides or something much more sinister. It takes one final attempt on the sister of the first victim for Sheringham to finally work out who the culprit is. But there is no real evidence and he is forced to perform a reconstruction of the crimes in order to flush the villain out.
Sheringham is, as I said, another example of the Golden Age detective...with a twist. He is by no means infallible...and makes several mistakes along the way to the solution. He is also young and brash and very sure of himself--and the police, primarily in the person of Inspector Moresby, are often on hand to see his brashness land him in one of his many mistakes. It is refreshing to have an amatuer detective who isn't perfect and always right. I was a bit dismayed at how long it took Sheringham to figure out that he had murder on his hands and not suicides. I realize that I, as the reader, had a head-start on him--after all, the book wasn't titled The Silk Stocking Suicides--but still. Would a girl really hang herself with one sock on and one sock off, as it were? I don't think so.
I hadn't read any of Berkeley's mysteries since The Poisoned Chocolate Case (one of his best) and have missed his style and his detective. Even though I was ahead of Sheringham throughout (I fingered the culprit early on, although I could not for the life of me figure out how he managed to be in two places at once), I thoroughly enjoyed this romp through the Golden Age. And I absolutely love Sheringham's parting shot to Inspector Morseby: "Do you know what's the matter with your real detectives at Scotland Yard, Morseby? You don't read enough of those detective stories." Three and a half stars
May 6, 2020
Major characters:
Janet Manners a.k.a. Unity Ransome, chorus girl, victim #1
Moira Carruthers, Janet/Unity's roommate
Anne Manners, Janet/Unity's sister
Elsie Benham, prostitute, victim #2
Lady Ursula Graeme. victim #3
--- Playdell, Lady Ursula's fiancé
Dorothy Fielder, actress, victim #4
George Dunning, suspect #1
Hon. Arnold Beverley, suspect #2
Gerald Newsome, suspect #3
Roger Sheringham, novelist, newspaper contributor, amateur detective
Chief Inspector Moresby of Scotland Yard
Synopsis: Roger Sheringham, amateur detective/novelist/newspaper contributor, receives a letter from parson A. E. Manners, inquiring if he could look into the disappearance of his eldest daughter Janet Manners. Roger finds she had taken the name of Unity Ransome for a London theatre production, and was in the news for having committed suicide by hanging herself with one of her stockings.
Once Roger confirms that Unity is really Janet, he informs the parson; and strikes up a friendship with next-eldest daughter Anne Manners.
Two more identical deaths occur almost immediately: Prostitute Elsie Benham and socialite Lady Ursula Graeme. Both die in identical methods: hanging on a hook on a door, by one of their own stockings, just removed, leaving the mate in place.
Roger takes up a collaboration with Chief Inspector Moresby of Scotland Yard, on the theory a newspaper man is better at getting people to talk than a Scotland Yard man.
A similar case has been reported in Monte Carlo. By comparison of lists of male friends of the victims, three names are found in common (George Dunning, Arnold Beverley, Gerald Newsome), and become the prime suspects.
A fourth death occurs: Dorothy Fielder, actress.
Roger, convinced on Gerald Newsome's innocence, teams up with him and ends his collaboration with Scotland Yard. Roger gathers the suspects for a re-staging of the crime and denouément.
Review:
I was able to pick out the murderer from his introduction to the story, which generally eludes me. However, I couldn't see the motive - the motive I had in mind from the first did not pan out.
A unique twist occurs when Roger seemingly abandons his Scotland Yard alliance and teams up with one of the suspects.
The reconstruction of the crime / denouément staged by Roger is very Nero Wolfe .. specific placement of chairs and seating for the show, and the police conveniently standing near the murderer. The murderer is revealed by not reacting to a certain event, as he knew what was coming. (This immediately brought to mind the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, in which one vital lead to the perpetrators was a security camera image of the crowd, all heads turned towards the sound of the explosion, except for two - the bombers - who did not react.)
Note: stereotypes of Jewish persons abound.
Janet Manners a.k.a. Unity Ransome, chorus girl, victim #1
Moira Carruthers, Janet/Unity's roommate
Anne Manners, Janet/Unity's sister
Elsie Benham, prostitute, victim #2
Lady Ursula Graeme. victim #3
--- Playdell, Lady Ursula's fiancé
Dorothy Fielder, actress, victim #4
George Dunning, suspect #1
Hon. Arnold Beverley, suspect #2
Gerald Newsome, suspect #3
Roger Sheringham, novelist, newspaper contributor, amateur detective
Chief Inspector Moresby of Scotland Yard
Synopsis: Roger Sheringham, amateur detective/novelist/newspaper contributor, receives a letter from parson A. E. Manners, inquiring if he could look into the disappearance of his eldest daughter Janet Manners. Roger finds she had taken the name of Unity Ransome for a London theatre production, and was in the news for having committed suicide by hanging herself with one of her stockings.
Once Roger confirms that Unity is really Janet, he informs the parson; and strikes up a friendship with next-eldest daughter Anne Manners.
Two more identical deaths occur almost immediately: Prostitute Elsie Benham and socialite Lady Ursula Graeme. Both die in identical methods: hanging on a hook on a door, by one of their own stockings, just removed, leaving the mate in place.
Roger takes up a collaboration with Chief Inspector Moresby of Scotland Yard, on the theory a newspaper man is better at getting people to talk than a Scotland Yard man.
A similar case has been reported in Monte Carlo. By comparison of lists of male friends of the victims, three names are found in common (George Dunning, Arnold Beverley, Gerald Newsome), and become the prime suspects.
A fourth death occurs: Dorothy Fielder, actress.
Roger, convinced on Gerald Newsome's innocence, teams up with him and ends his collaboration with Scotland Yard. Roger gathers the suspects for a re-staging of the crime and denouément.
Review:
I was able to pick out the murderer from his introduction to the story, which generally eludes me. However, I couldn't see the motive - the motive I had in mind from the first did not pan out.
A unique twist occurs when Roger seemingly abandons his Scotland Yard alliance and teams up with one of the suspects.
The reconstruction of the crime / denouément staged by Roger is very Nero Wolfe .. specific placement of chairs and seating for the show, and the police conveniently standing near the murderer. The murderer is revealed by not reacting to a certain event, as he knew what was coming. (This immediately brought to mind the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, in which one vital lead to the perpetrators was a security camera image of the crowd, all heads turned towards the sound of the explosion, except for two - the bombers - who did not react.)
Note: stereotypes of Jewish persons abound.
November 9, 2012
Novelist and amateur detective Roger Sheringham sets out to investigate the death of a country vicar's daughter turned London chorus girl. The coroner declares the girl's death (she was found hung from her own silk stocking) a suicide, but Roger begins to have his doubts. Those doubts grow into a certainty that there's been murder done when first one girl and then another die in the same unusual way. Roger, as loquacious, conceited and peremptory as ever, launches an independent investigation, enlisted new-found acquaintances and old-school chums along the way. While you'll discern the murderer before Roger does, his detection remains pretty clever and the denouement is very suspenseful.
You can't help but like Roger, even if he is thoroughly conceited and a bit too fond of letting his presuppositions run wild. Anthony Berkeley applies such a light touch as he pokes fun at Roger and the conventions of the early 20th century detective novel that you'll find yourself grinning and laughing throughout at Berkeley's wit. I found this novel, the fourth in the Roger Sheringham series, probably his best. Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed The Poisoned Chocolates Case (the next novel in this series) and loved Roger Sheringham and the Vane Mystery (the previous one in the mystery series), where Roger blunders about on quite a few wild goose chases before he learns who murdered two people. But Roger's acumen is particularly clever in The Silk Stocking Murder, and it's great to savor Roger's triumph. I will be reading every single novel in this delightful British cozy series. I've already bought the Kindle edition of No. 6 in the excellent series, The Second Shot.
CAVEAT: Berkeley published The Silk Stocking Murder in 1928, and the attitude toward Jews is very mildly anti-Semitic. (A Jew, portrayed sympathetically as very honorable and generous, is nonetheless stereotyped as a shrewd and fabulously wealthy businessman.)
You can't help but like Roger, even if he is thoroughly conceited and a bit too fond of letting his presuppositions run wild. Anthony Berkeley applies such a light touch as he pokes fun at Roger and the conventions of the early 20th century detective novel that you'll find yourself grinning and laughing throughout at Berkeley's wit. I found this novel, the fourth in the Roger Sheringham series, probably his best. Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed The Poisoned Chocolates Case (the next novel in this series) and loved Roger Sheringham and the Vane Mystery (the previous one in the mystery series), where Roger blunders about on quite a few wild goose chases before he learns who murdered two people. But Roger's acumen is particularly clever in The Silk Stocking Murder, and it's great to savor Roger's triumph. I will be reading every single novel in this delightful British cozy series. I've already bought the Kindle edition of No. 6 in the excellent series, The Second Shot.
CAVEAT: Berkeley published The Silk Stocking Murder in 1928, and the attitude toward Jews is very mildly anti-Semitic. (A Jew, portrayed sympathetically as very honorable and generous, is nonetheless stereotyped as a shrewd and fabulously wealthy businessman.)
September 6, 2019
The Silk Stocking Murders involved a serial murder, an early example in the genre I guess, of young women that were killed in such a method that suggested suicide by hanging from a stocking. Roger Sheringham was not convinced that it was merely suicide. So, he contacted Scotland Yard, whom he had collaborated previously, to discuss the matter. Turned out, he's not the only one who had doubts about the suicide angle, Scotland Yard and even relatives of the victims thought so too.
Anthony Berkeley is one of my favorite GAD authors. I think I have the same view as him regarding detective fiction. How he played around with the case, theorizing here and there, developing multiple solutions to the case at hand. With each theory developed in the course of the novel, you could kinda see where he's trying to lead you and or mislead you; which showed that he is playing fair with the reader.
The Silk Stocking Murders was not so different from his other novels that I've read. It involved a unique case, clever deduction, a fair share of clues and evidence, and a sound solution; which I think, is the most important aspects of a detective story. An astute reader could figure out the solution before the big reveal, which of course adds to the satisfaction of reading detective fiction.
Oh, and this time, Roger Sheringham didn't make an ass out of himself. LOL. It's nice that his deduction actually led him to the right person. xD
Anthony Berkeley is one of my favorite GAD authors. I think I have the same view as him regarding detective fiction. How he played around with the case, theorizing here and there, developing multiple solutions to the case at hand. With each theory developed in the course of the novel, you could kinda see where he's trying to lead you and or mislead you; which showed that he is playing fair with the reader.
The Silk Stocking Murders was not so different from his other novels that I've read. It involved a unique case, clever deduction, a fair share of clues and evidence, and a sound solution; which I think, is the most important aspects of a detective story. An astute reader could figure out the solution before the big reveal, which of course adds to the satisfaction of reading detective fiction.
Oh, and this time, Roger Sheringham didn't make an ass out of himself. LOL. It's nice that his deduction actually led him to the right person. xD
May 6, 2017
This is an extremely clever classic mystery featuring Roger Sheringham. He receives a letter from a Dorset clergyman asking him to find out what has happened to his daughter who seems to have disappeared in London. Roger's interest is aroused and he soon discovers that the girl is already dead - apparently she committed suicide but Roger isn't convinced.
When other girls seem to have followed the dead girl's method in all its details even though not all the details were revealed to the public it becomes clear that there is a serial killer at work and Roger and his friends as well as Scotland Yard must work together to track down the killer before he strikes again. I have to admit I was pretty sure I knew who the murderer was very early on but it didn't spoil my enjoyment of the story as it was interesting to see who the killer was tracked down.
I think the denouement is one of the most frightening things I've read for a long time. My only criticism of the book is that there is no real psychological explanation for the killer's actions which would of course have been present if the book had been first published today. In spite of the absence of the psychology it is still worth reading for the plot and the way the tiny details all build up to make a case.
When other girls seem to have followed the dead girl's method in all its details even though not all the details were revealed to the public it becomes clear that there is a serial killer at work and Roger and his friends as well as Scotland Yard must work together to track down the killer before he strikes again. I have to admit I was pretty sure I knew who the murderer was very early on but it didn't spoil my enjoyment of the story as it was interesting to see who the killer was tracked down.
I think the denouement is one of the most frightening things I've read for a long time. My only criticism of the book is that there is no real psychological explanation for the killer's actions which would of course have been present if the book had been first published today. In spite of the absence of the psychology it is still worth reading for the plot and the way the tiny details all build up to make a case.
May 14, 2012
"El crimen de las medias de seda" es la segunda (mal llamada, porque son varios, no sólo uno) novela que se publica por estos lares de Anthony Berkeley,
otro de esos miembros de ese fantástico Detection Club cuyos mayores exponentes fueron Chesterton, Christie y Sayers. Nuevamente tenemos un caso de lo más entretenido, sin la enjundia de los anteriores, pero con detalles excelentes y un detective, Roger Sheringham, de una vitalidad y personalidad arrolladoras. El caso está muy bien planteado, y acaba con una ingeniosa trampa final que desvela al autor de los asesinatos. La novela además se lee sin esfuerzo debido a un estilo sencillo, claro, y tremendamente efectivo, con descripciones justas pero sin enrevesarlas demasiado. Esperamos que sigan publicando novelas de este hombre para seguir disfrutando de su humor e ingenio ("¿Sabe lo malo de los auténticos detectives de Scotland Yard Moresby? -Preguntó con amabilidad- Que no leen novelas policíacas")
otro de esos miembros de ese fantástico Detection Club cuyos mayores exponentes fueron Chesterton, Christie y Sayers. Nuevamente tenemos un caso de lo más entretenido, sin la enjundia de los anteriores, pero con detalles excelentes y un detective, Roger Sheringham, de una vitalidad y personalidad arrolladoras. El caso está muy bien planteado, y acaba con una ingeniosa trampa final que desvela al autor de los asesinatos. La novela además se lee sin esfuerzo debido a un estilo sencillo, claro, y tremendamente efectivo, con descripciones justas pero sin enrevesarlas demasiado. Esperamos que sigan publicando novelas de este hombre para seguir disfrutando de su humor e ingenio ("¿Sabe lo malo de los auténticos detectives de Scotland Yard Moresby? -Preguntó con amabilidad- Que no leen novelas policíacas")
October 5, 2019
As I have said before, I am not an admirer of A B Cox (to whom, so amusingly, this book is dedicated), in any of his guises.This was dreadful, for a number of reasons.
Would anti-semitism, misogyny, fatuousness, bad-writing and careless plotting do for starters? Add a stupid and bumptious detective and incompetent professionals, an ending which was beyond unbelievable and a perpetrator so glaringly obvious that even a short story format would have been stretching things.
We start with the idea of a crazy, serial killer and that is where we finish. Everyone except the reader fingers the wrong person.
Why was this chosen for a reprint when there are so many other better and unjustly neglected detective writers and novels from the period?
Unless someone comes up with a convincing argument, this is my last by this writer.
Would anti-semitism, misogyny, fatuousness, bad-writing and careless plotting do for starters? Add a stupid and bumptious detective and incompetent professionals, an ending which was beyond unbelievable and a perpetrator so glaringly obvious that even a short story format would have been stretching things.
We start with the idea of a crazy, serial killer and that is where we finish. Everyone except the reader fingers the wrong person.
Why was this chosen for a reprint when there are so many other better and unjustly neglected detective writers and novels from the period?
Unless someone comes up with a convincing argument, this is my last by this writer.
March 24, 2019
Anthony Berkeley doing what he does best, which probably explains why he decided to dedicate this book to himself. Roger Sheringham is invited to investigate a disappearance, which turns into suicide, which turns into serial murder, which in turn leads to a dramatic denouement - implausibly dramatic, admittedly, but still powerful. If you're familiar with Golden Age conventions, you can probably guess the murderer's identity early on, but Berkeley still leads you on a playful journey to the splendid revelation.
December 29, 2017
Really disappointing. The setup, where Roger Sheringham gets involved in a case to show off his not-particularly-impressive deductive prowess, was very funny and promising, but ended up being overshadowed by the book's pervasive antisemitism. With golden age mysteries it's common to run into jarring, anachronistic bigotry that would never be published now, but this was particularly extreme (and tied to the ludicrous conclusion).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 15, 2017
Too easy to guess whodunnit. The anti-Semitism also made for uncomfortable reading given the original publication date (1941)...
August 11, 2021
Anthony Berkeley patří mezi neklasické autory klasické anglické detektivky. Česky jsem četl dva tituly – a oba hodně zajímavé. Případ otrávené bonboniéry byla odpověď na kriminálky, kde detektivové ze stop vydedukují vždy jeden jasný a jednoznačný závěr. Tady je několik detektivů, všichni mají stejné stopy – a každý s jejich pomocí odvodí zcela jiný průběh vraždy a jiného pachatele. Knížka Přelíčení a omyl (taky vyšlo jako Rána z milosti) šla ještě dál. Její hlavní hrdina má před sebou jen pár měsíců života, takže se rozhodne zlepšit svět tím, že zabije někoho, kdo ostatním škodí. Povede se mu skvělá a nevystopovatelná vražda, jenže to má háček. Z jeho vraždy je obviněný někdo jiný. A hlavní hrdina teď musí, s pomocí soukromého detektiva, dokázat svou vlastní vinu. Což zdaleka není jednoduché.
Oboje dvoje jsou to výborné nápady (zvláště to, že se člověk snaží prokázat, že je vrah) a vždycky jsem litoval, že toho u nás nevyšlo víc. Ale, jak se ukazuje, ne každé jeho dílo bylo tak revoluční. The Silk Stocking Murders je v podstatě klasická detektivka, jen místo jedné vraždy tu máme sériového vraha, který škrtí mladé dívky hedvábnými punčochami. V té době se v detektivkách sérioví vrazi neobjevovali, ale jinak je to klasika. Samotný případ je dost jednoduchý a hrdina působí spíš jako trouba, který se v tom do poslední chvíle plácá a všem prozrazuje zásadní stopy. Pachatel je čtenářům poměrně jasný minimálně od poloviny knihy, zatímco hrdina na něj přijde až pět minut před koncem. Ani samotné provedení vražd není příliš komplikované a způsob, jakým detektiv přinutí pachatele k přiznání, je dost nevěrohodný.
Takže z hlediska detektivky spíše slabota. Zachraňuje to velmi anglické pojetí. Detektiv má několik podezřelých, ale ví, že ani jeden z nich to nemůže být, protože to jsou gentlemani, kteří by něco takového nikdy neudělali. I když je někdo obviněný z vraždy a žádá o pomoc, píše o tom s pořádnou dávkou rezervovanosti a nadhledu, á la "starý brachu, je mi to žinantní, ale chtějí mě oběsit a i když má paměť není nic moc, myslím, že kdybych někoho zabil, určitě by mi to uvízlo v hlavě... takže pokud bys měl trochu času a neměl do čeho píchnout..."Nikdo se nikam nežene, vždycky je čas na pivo či jiný alkoholický nápoj… koneckonců, umírají pouze ženy, nikdo zásadní.
Nevím jestli je to tím, jak jsem vyrůstal na Wodehousovi a četl i nějakého toho Dickense, ale mám prostě slabost pro tenhle styl, ve kterém se sice dějou hrozné věci, ale všechno je to popisováno s odstupem a lehkou ironii. Tenhle román není sice nějak zlomový a i námětově už lehce zastaral, ale pořád je zábavně napsaný.
Oboje dvoje jsou to výborné nápady (zvláště to, že se člověk snaží prokázat, že je vrah) a vždycky jsem litoval, že toho u nás nevyšlo víc. Ale, jak se ukazuje, ne každé jeho dílo bylo tak revoluční. The Silk Stocking Murders je v podstatě klasická detektivka, jen místo jedné vraždy tu máme sériového vraha, který škrtí mladé dívky hedvábnými punčochami. V té době se v detektivkách sérioví vrazi neobjevovali, ale jinak je to klasika. Samotný případ je dost jednoduchý a hrdina působí spíš jako trouba, který se v tom do poslední chvíle plácá a všem prozrazuje zásadní stopy. Pachatel je čtenářům poměrně jasný minimálně od poloviny knihy, zatímco hrdina na něj přijde až pět minut před koncem. Ani samotné provedení vražd není příliš komplikované a způsob, jakým detektiv přinutí pachatele k přiznání, je dost nevěrohodný.
Takže z hlediska detektivky spíše slabota. Zachraňuje to velmi anglické pojetí. Detektiv má několik podezřelých, ale ví, že ani jeden z nich to nemůže být, protože to jsou gentlemani, kteří by něco takového nikdy neudělali. I když je někdo obviněný z vraždy a žádá o pomoc, píše o tom s pořádnou dávkou rezervovanosti a nadhledu, á la "starý brachu, je mi to žinantní, ale chtějí mě oběsit a i když má paměť není nic moc, myslím, že kdybych někoho zabil, určitě by mi to uvízlo v hlavě... takže pokud bys měl trochu času a neměl do čeho píchnout..."Nikdo se nikam nežene, vždycky je čas na pivo či jiný alkoholický nápoj… koneckonců, umírají pouze ženy, nikdo zásadní.
Nevím jestli je to tím, jak jsem vyrůstal na Wodehousovi a četl i nějakého toho Dickense, ale mám prostě slabost pro tenhle styl, ve kterém se sice dějou hrozné věci, ale všechno je to popisováno s odstupem a lehkou ironii. Tenhle román není sice nějak zlomový a i námětově už lehce zastaral, ale pořád je zábavně napsaný.
March 10, 2018
A young woman, having left home to take up a career as an actress, is found dead. She apparently committed suicide by hanging herself from a door with one of her own silk stockings.
Roger Sheringham, a noted novelist, columnist and private investigator, had already been contacted by her father, a country clergyman, who was worried for her safety having become concerned when her regular letters home stopped arriving.
When another suicide victim is found in identical circumstances, Sheringham at first dismisses it as a 'copycat' suicide, but soon begins to suspect that a homicidal maniac (the Nineteen Twenties term for serial killer) is on the loose, driven by lust to hang women with their own stockings.
He teams up informally (as he has previously) with Inspector Moresby of Scotland Yard and the Jewish millionaire Pleydell whose fiancee is one of the victims.
As there aren't an enormous amount of suspects it's not difficult to spot the murderer fairly early on, but that's not really an issue since this isn't so much a Whodunnit as rather a Howdunnit and a Whydunnit.
The Jewish character is treated a little oddly, since it seems that Sheringham finds Pleydell acceptable in polite society because he is a pure Israeli Jew as opposed to those diluted German and East European Jews who seemingly can't be trusted. It's a bit of a chilling passage given subsequent events in Europe and leaves a bit of a nasty taste in the mouth. Thankfully the rest of the narrative avoids any major anti-semitism. I'm resigned to accepting that this was written some ninety years ago in a different time with different attitudes.
Apart from that it's an enjoyable romp in which an innocent man is accused and Sheringham has a race against time in which to identify the real killer before his friend faces the noose.
It hasn't dated too badly and - if one can forgive or skip over the mercifully brief anti-semitic issues - is well worth a read.
Roger Sheringham, a noted novelist, columnist and private investigator, had already been contacted by her father, a country clergyman, who was worried for her safety having become concerned when her regular letters home stopped arriving.
When another suicide victim is found in identical circumstances, Sheringham at first dismisses it as a 'copycat' suicide, but soon begins to suspect that a homicidal maniac (the Nineteen Twenties term for serial killer) is on the loose, driven by lust to hang women with their own stockings.
He teams up informally (as he has previously) with Inspector Moresby of Scotland Yard and the Jewish millionaire Pleydell whose fiancee is one of the victims.
As there aren't an enormous amount of suspects it's not difficult to spot the murderer fairly early on, but that's not really an issue since this isn't so much a Whodunnit as rather a Howdunnit and a Whydunnit.
The Jewish character is treated a little oddly, since it seems that Sheringham finds Pleydell acceptable in polite society because he is a pure Israeli Jew as opposed to those diluted German and East European Jews who seemingly can't be trusted. It's a bit of a chilling passage given subsequent events in Europe and leaves a bit of a nasty taste in the mouth. Thankfully the rest of the narrative avoids any major anti-semitism. I'm resigned to accepting that this was written some ninety years ago in a different time with different attitudes.
Apart from that it's an enjoyable romp in which an innocent man is accused and Sheringham has a race against time in which to identify the real killer before his friend faces the noose.
It hasn't dated too badly and - if one can forgive or skip over the mercifully brief anti-semitic issues - is well worth a read.
July 26, 2025
Roger Sheringham is back to his usual urbane style of detection, but this time on a kind of semi-official detachment to Scotland Yard. Unofficially, he also ropes in his friend Plato, to undertake an investigation into the serial murders of young actresses, and in one case, a prostitute.
The beginning is interesting, but I confess I was appalled at the way the young Sheringham tried to influence the police investigation, and the continuing blunders he made, which effectively made sure that the police blocked him out of their inquiries after his wild guesses led to more young girls being killed in the same way.
The book is altogether sexist, with a strong suspicion of sadism, especially in the way the young victims' deaths are described. It has also been described as antisemitic.
So, not a very “nice” book, but one where the reader is kept absorbed and amused by the sheer force of the writing and speed of events. It should not be a surprise that the book was written long before the PACE Act of 1984. Today no amateur would be allowed near the investigation and put women, suspects and possible witnesses into such danger as Roger Sheringham does.
The beginning is interesting, but I confess I was appalled at the way the young Sheringham tried to influence the police investigation, and the continuing blunders he made, which effectively made sure that the police blocked him out of their inquiries after his wild guesses led to more young girls being killed in the same way.
The book is altogether sexist, with a strong suspicion of sadism, especially in the way the young victims' deaths are described. It has also been described as antisemitic.
So, not a very “nice” book, but one where the reader is kept absorbed and amused by the sheer force of the writing and speed of events. It should not be a surprise that the book was written long before the PACE Act of 1984. Today no amateur would be allowed near the investigation and put women, suspects and possible witnesses into such danger as Roger Sheringham does.
April 6, 2023
Old fashioned traditional but enjoyable murder mystery.
I'm a big fan of mysteries from the "golden age" but feel a lot are let down by a weak detective. Roger is a three dimensional, flawed detective who is interesting to follow. Admittedly there are some flaws in this novel - some of the themes are a bit suspect with blatant misogamy, antisemitism, etc but this is sadly prevalent in many works of this era. And some people may feel the arrogance or attitudes of the central character is a turn off but I feel it at least holds your attention, since he is anything but boring.
Sadly, the book loses a point because the solution is obvious. I not only guessed how it was done but who would have done it, far before the conclusion.
Dispite this, I wasn't bored reading this but constantly entertained. An enjoyable traditional murder mystery. Worth a read.
I'm a big fan of mysteries from the "golden age" but feel a lot are let down by a weak detective. Roger is a three dimensional, flawed detective who is interesting to follow. Admittedly there are some flaws in this novel - some of the themes are a bit suspect with blatant misogamy, antisemitism, etc but this is sadly prevalent in many works of this era. And some people may feel the arrogance or attitudes of the central character is a turn off but I feel it at least holds your attention, since he is anything but boring.
Sadly, the book loses a point because the solution is obvious. I not only guessed how it was done but who would have done it, far before the conclusion.
Dispite this, I wasn't bored reading this but constantly entertained. An enjoyable traditional murder mystery. Worth a read.
November 13, 2019
3.4 stars is about what this deserves.Written in 1928,this must be one of the very first serial killer stories as it predates ABC murders or Murder Gone Mad by a few years ...But at the same time it is a bit muddled and amateurish.The author first decides to have 3 suspects,then he decides to ignore them,then he thinks let's add two more..And does so casually and finally decides to have a surprise solution that must be evident to anyone just from reading the Secret Adversary ...
However,the prose style is good ,there are lots of witty descriptions and jokes as well.
So all in all,it was pleasant enough read except ofcourse the too vivid descriptions of slow strangulation of the heroine of the piece.But it's not as good as the same authors Poisoned chocolates case.
However,the prose style is good ,there are lots of witty descriptions and jokes as well.
So all in all,it was pleasant enough read except ofcourse the too vivid descriptions of slow strangulation of the heroine of the piece.But it's not as good as the same authors Poisoned chocolates case.
January 21, 2021
A very enjoyable story with a very unique amateur sleuth in Roger Sheringham, who is former newspaper man and writer. Sheringham is certainly unique and a total snob and looks down on everyone include the police he is supposed to be helping. Asked by the local vicar to search for a missing daughter who has gone to London. To Sheringham's surprise he discovers she has committed suicide with a silk stocking. Suspecting murder he contacts his friend Chief Inspector Morseby who is looking in to a similar case. After initially working in conjunction with the police, Sheringham goes is his own way with collection of friends and interested party's. It's bizarre investigation but holds the attention up to the point where Sheringham solves the crimes and explains how great he was!
October 10, 2025
I love Anthony Berkeley and Roger Sheringham. Berkeley has a style and sense of humour that I greatly admire. This is a great story, perhaps the earliest written serial killer murder story I've read, it's pacey and clever and there is a lot of humour in it. The only issue is that straight away you'll guess the murderer. I did. As soon as he appeared in the novel, I just knew it was him. Watching Sheringham catch up with the reader is fun, but I read murder mysteries because I want to be left gasping at the end, going 'no way, it can't possible be them!' and this novel just does not deliver. There is gore and emotion and lots of other good stuff, but there is no surprise ending. If you love Berkeley, you'll enjoy this, so it is still a recommend.
February 22, 2023
First published in 1928, 'The Silk Stocking Murders' a murder mystery, and has been reported by some writers as having been the first murder mystery novel published in the UK plotted around a serial killer. Whether that is true or not I cannot say, but it is an interesting and rather quick read with a lot of period detail and well drawn characters. The plot does rely way too much on a sloppy approach to police forensics that beggars belief - I fully realise that forensics were in their infancy in 1928, by comparison to where things are now, but even so I would have expected something. Passable, but not that special.
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May 17, 2025No stars.
Although this is a Golden Age mystery by a well known author, I did not enjoy this book.
One, the subject matter was distressing: women dying torturous strangling deaths. While this may be common in modern mysteries, it is not typical of Golden Age mysteries, which tend to focus more on the puzzle than the violence. In other words, they rarely force the reader to imagine the terrible deaths of innocent victims.
Two, aspects of the way the mystery was solved required suspending credibility, which is deeply unsatisfying.
Third, the casual antisemitism was completely unacceptable, making this book unreadable. That alone is enough to earn my no-stars rating.
Although this is a Golden Age mystery by a well known author, I did not enjoy this book.
One, the subject matter was distressing: women dying torturous strangling deaths. While this may be common in modern mysteries, it is not typical of Golden Age mysteries, which tend to focus more on the puzzle than the violence. In other words, they rarely force the reader to imagine the terrible deaths of innocent victims.
Two, aspects of the way the mystery was solved required suspending credibility, which is deeply unsatisfying.
Third, the casual antisemitism was completely unacceptable, making this book unreadable. That alone is enough to earn my no-stars rating.
May 25, 2025
#4 in the author Roger Sheringham cases mystery series 9 months after the Vane mystery.
When the daughter of a country parson goes missing in London, Roger Sheringham receives a letter from her father pleading for help. As the amateur sleuth investigates, he discovers that the girl is already dead, found hanging from a door by her own silk stocking. It is presumed suicide, but when more young women are found dead in the same manner, questions arise. Was it merely copycat suicide, or will the case lead Sheringham into a maze of murder? Sheringham vies again with Chief Inspector Moresby to solve the case.
When the daughter of a country parson goes missing in London, Roger Sheringham receives a letter from her father pleading for help. As the amateur sleuth investigates, he discovers that the girl is already dead, found hanging from a door by her own silk stocking. It is presumed suicide, but when more young women are found dead in the same manner, questions arise. Was it merely copycat suicide, or will the case lead Sheringham into a maze of murder? Sheringham vies again with Chief Inspector Moresby to solve the case.
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