English Mysteries Club discussion

Here is the thread to discuss Gladys Mitchell, both her works and the author herself.

This thread will be hosted by Jodie, who, in the tradition of all good mysteries, also goes by the name of Geranium Cat.

I loved Diana Rigg as Mrs. Bradley!

Gladys Mitchell is one of the most distinctive and prolific Golden Age mystery writers - her first novel A Speedy Death was published in 1929, to be followed at a rate of at least one book a year by 66 Mrs Bradley books and 20 others, including 10 for children, before her death in 1983 (which takes her well out of the Golden Age by then).

Her books are generally considered to be of patchy quality, but at her best they are splendidly baroque in theme, and her cackling harridan of a detective, Dame Adela Beatrice Lestrange Bradley, a notable psychoanalyst, is one of the most entertaining characters in the genre. Diana Rigg (thanks, John!), of course, was much too elegant to play her in the Mrs Bradley Mysteries, but the series nonetheless reflects much of the essence of the books and makes a good introduction to them. (Rigg was, though, spot on for Mrs Bradley's mellifluous voice, a trait frequently remarked upon in the stories.)

Mitchell was born near Oxford in 1901. She attended Goldsmiths' College and University College London, qualifying as a teacher, and despite becoming a successful writer, taught for much of her career, retiring finally in 1961, after which she continued to write.

Her books are nothing if not eclectic - Freudian analysis is a strong theme, given Mrs Bradley's profession, but witchcraft and the supernatural make diverting contributions, as does athletics. Characters are idiosyncratic, theatrical and sometimes just plain outrageous, with a strong thread of high camp running through many, so readers can be divided on their merits. Readers who enjoy Michael Innes, Edmund Crispin (who she described as a "delightful boy") and Margery Allingham are probably most likely to enjoy Mitchell.

I will try, in this thread, to offer some guidance about the best of her books - there are a number which need probably only be read by completists, who simply can't bear to have missed anything by a writer, or by those embarked on academic study.

A Speedy Death is a good place to start, though, as it offers an introduction to Mrs Bradley and a good, fast-paced plot. If you have favourites, recommendations or even warnings about particularly labyrinthine plots, let us know below!

I forgot to mention in the bio above that Mitchell didn't like either Michael Innes or Margery Allingham as writers - each to her own form of high-spirited erudition, I guess!

I've never read her, but my mum used to like Gladys Mitchell's books. I watched one episode with Diana Rigg, and found it too mannered for my taste (sorry John!) - which says nothing about the original books, of course! And I too went to Goldsmith's College, but for a post-grad diploma in multiculturalism in the evenings, whilst teaching. (I think it may have changed a bit since she was there!)

"Characters are idiosyncratic, theatrical and sometimes just plain outrageous, with a strong thread of high camp running through many"

I wonder if this would come across better for me on the page, than on screen ... thank you for the recommendation, Jodie :)

John wrote: "I loved Diana Rigg as Mrs. Bradley!"

I did too! So when I read the first book, A Speedy Death, it was a bit of a shock to find that Mrs. Bradley was quite different (and less appealing). As GeraniumCat put it "a cackling harridan"!

Thanks for the warning that the books are of variable quality, GeraniumCat. I have only read that first book - do you have a recommendation for another? Should they be read in order?

Jodie, (or anyone) can you recommend a book by Gladys Mitchell which would be a good introduction to how she writes?

Does anyone enjoy the "Mrs Bradley Mysteries"? Were there many series?

Oh perhaps they weren't very popular, then. Have you ever read one, Rita?

I watched "Speedy Death," but it didn't appeal to me, so I didn't watch any more of the series, even though I like Diana Rigg. I was hesitant to read the books, but once I started, I found I liked them for the most part. They're unpredictable and have some really odd motives for the murders. I will give Gladys Mitchell credit - she has managed to surprise me in all four books that I have read. You never really know what to expect with her.

Farewell to Diana Rigg, whom I felt really brought Mrs. Bradley to life!

Thanks for this John, (and Rita). To me Diana Rigg will always be the star of "the Avengers" in the mid-1960s, but she has had a phenomenal career, over several decades, with many Shakespearean roles. LINK HERE for the BBC obituary. She was 82.

Bionic Jean wrote: "Thanks for this John, (and Rita). To me Diana Rigg will always be the star of "the Avengers" in the mid-1960s, but she has had a phenomenal career, over several decades, with many S..."

Years ago, I saw her on stage in New York in Medea.

She was mostly a classical actress. She earned her Dame-hood :)

That must be a wonderful memory, John.

I recall her as the central character in a 1989 BBC series called Mother Love (she, of course, played Mother). So glad was I that I dislike marzipan!