Reading the Detectives discussion

I have to add John Dickson Carr to this discussion board. Due to his books being really quite difficult to get hold of, I've only managed to read a few, but have thoroughly enjoyed them. I picked up a copy of The Case of the Constant Suicides in a charity shop a few years ago. I found it gripping and hilarious. It is responsible for opening up the world of Golden Age, and especially locked room mysteries, to me.

I realise he is an American author, but since he spent a number of years living in England, and was a member of the British Detection Club, I hope he can be included here?

He was American but spent much of his working life in England. I think may have been the only American to become a grand master of the detection club.

Lately, some of his work has come out on Kindle but otherwise I have obtained them from used book stores/sales.

I have books 1-5 in order of the Fell series and some various others. Maybe he could be nominated as a group read at some time.

I have 19 of his books - not sure what order they fall in but I did recently get #1 in his first series, Henri Bencolin.

Thanks for starting up this thread, Tracey - I thought John Dickson Carr already had a thread, but I was wrong!

I mean to try one of his books very soon, but am frustrated by how hard a lot of his titles are to get hold of - I've been meaning to try him but there seem not to be all that many on Kindle or even in print, in the UK anyway.

There are more than 30 Carr titles available to borrow as ebooks from the Open Library. Some are checked out right now, but you can join the waitlists. Others are available immediately.

One of the reasons I haven't tried him is that there is no first book of any series available on kindle and I dislike reading books out of series order. The only book version of Hag's Nook is expensive and I try not to buy physical books, due to lack of room!

Thanks for that tip Patrick! I've a few I've yet to read that I've brought off ebay, when that supply runs out I'll be sure to check out open library.

There is a paperback of Hag’s Nook, just a pity it is so expensive. I would really like to start with the first Dr Fell. Thanks for the tip about Open Library, Patrick - I will have a look at it.

Tracey wrote: "I have to add John Dickson Carr to this discussion board. Due to his books being really quite difficult to get hold of, I've only managed to read a few, but have thoroughly enjoyed them. I picked u..."

John Dickson Carr is one of my favorite authors. Most of the books I have by him I got during the 70's and 80's from used book sales. I did find one of his books on Kindle for 99 cents featuring Sir Henry Merrivale. There were some errors as far as the change from a printed copy to digital but once you get past those or expect them it was a good mystery--an impossible crime. I wish someone would bring out his books at a more reasonable price or better yet would adapt them to the screen, probably to t.v. which would probably stimulate interest.

I have gotten mine from Powell's online used bookstore, probably some from alibris and abebooks. And they have all been relatively cheap. I prefer Powell's because the others charge $3.99 postage per book. Although I have noticed lately that many I have looked for have been sold out of Powell's.

A number of his books are available through Open Road Media/Mysterious Press in the US and are frequently on sale. Many of those available are non series mysteries. They have at least 6 Gideon Fell mysteries.