Three-a-Penny

by Lucy Malleson

A rediscovered classic memoir - a fascinating insight into the life of a crime writer during and after the First World War - a woman ahead of her time.
With a new introduction by Sophie Hannah

THREE-A-PENNY describes what it is like to be a woman in a man's world - about the ups and downs of earning a living as a writer in the 1920s and 30s.

Lucy Malleson wrote over 70 crime novels and was part of what is often referred to as the Golden Age of crime writing. But in order to be published she used a male pseudonym, and successfully concealed her true identity for many years.

From the poignancy of the First World War and its aftermath to the invitation to join the infamous Detection Club, this re-discovered classic gives a fascinating insight into what life was like as a woman living and working in a largely male world during and after the First World War.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction

304 pages, Paperback

First published December 12, 2019

About the author

Lucy Beatrice Malleson wrote under various pen names: Anthony Gilbert, Anne Meredith, J Kilmeny Keith.

Reviews

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the hour+ omnibus by the BBC. I enjoyed the descriptions of daily life and just how one gets on during and after the war, and would be interested in reading the book for that alone. If that turned out to be a minimal amount, I probably wouldn't pursue finishing it, as the pursuit of being a writer doesn't seem very interesting. I was also touched by her very insightful thoughts on the effects of war on a soldier and the broader implications on society as a whole.

[Lexi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a joy to read!! Lucy-Anthony-Ann has a gift of light, snappy description that makes feel like you are right in the room with her, crushed under the linoleum roll, and loving every awkward, adventurous minute! I NEED to get my hands and eyeballs on more of her books. Surely they will also delight!!

[John FitzGerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

In part this is about being a woman in a man's world, as the blurb claims, but it's about many other things as well -- her need to write to feel more than half-alive, the First World War and its terrible social effects, rampant poverty, the precarious life of the professional writer who is not a best-seller, the inside operations of the publishing industry (and of the mining industry!), and most of all it's about a real human being, Lucy Beatrice Malleson.

This is not a celebrity autobiography issued to make its subject look good. It's a beautifully written account of how Malleson got through her life during an important period in history, and what she learned on the way. Malleson chooses her words carefully, and many of her accounts of society are extremely powerful. You could read this solely as a historical work -- an intelligent and observant person's account of an important period -- but through it I also came to admire Lucy as a person.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good in parts.