The Poisoned Chocolates Case
Encyclopedia
The Poisoned Chocolates Case (1929
) is a detective novel
by Anthony Berkeley
set in 1920s London
in which a group of armchair detective
s, who have founded the "Crimes Circle", formulate theories on a recent murder case Scotland Yard
has been unable to solve. Each of the six members, including their president, Berkeley's amateur sleuth
Roger Sheringham, arrives at an altogether different solution as to the motive and the identity of the perpetrator, and also applies different methods of detection (basically deductive
or inductive
or a combination of both). Completely devoid of brutality but containing a lot of subtle, tongue-in-cheek humour
instead, The Poisoned Chocolates Case is one of the classic whodunnits of the so-called Golden Age
of detective fiction. As at least six plausible explanations of what really happened are put forward one after the other, the reader—just like the members of the Crimes Circle themselves—is kept guessing up to the final pages of the book, when the least likely suspect is revealed as the murderer.
; that the poison that was injected into each of the chocolates is nitrobenzene
; and that the accompanying letter was typewritten on a piece of stationery
from the manufacturers of the chocolates but not composed or sent by them.
Quite soon in the police investigations it becomes evident that the intended victim was Sir Eustace himself rather than the innocent Joan Bendix: No criminal could have predicted Sir Eustace giving away the box of chocolates to a man he hardly knew who just happened to be present when it was delivered. However, at a loss as to the further details of the crime, Scotland Yard conclude that the sender must have been some maniac or a fanatic trying to rid society of one of its most immoral members.
, a writer of detective novels, and a female author, the members of Roger Sheringham's Crimes Circle go about individually solving the case. After a week has passed, they present their findings on consecutive nights to their colleagues. Not surprisingly, they come up with various suspects: Sir Eustace's estranged wife; the father of a young lady whom Sir Eustace intended to marry after his divorce got through; one of Sir Eustace's discarded mistresses; and some more. While these discussions are going on, the murderer seems to feel safe with no need to cover up their tracks any further. At the very end of the novel, however, there is no doubt as to the identity of the perpetrator.
Not available for many years, The Poisoned Chocolates Case was republished by House of Stratus in 2001 (ISBN 0-7551-0206-1).
1929 in literature
The year 1929 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Candide by Voltaire is declared obscene by the United States Customs and seized in 1930....
) is a detective novel
Detective fiction
Detective fiction is a sub-genre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator , either professional or amateur, investigates a crime, often murder.-In ancient literature:...
by Anthony Berkeley
Anthony Berkeley Cox
Anthony Berkeley Cox was an English crime writer. He wrote under several pen-names, including Francis Iles, Anthony Berkeley and A. Monmouth Platts.- Life :...
set in 1920s London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in which a group of armchair detective
Armchair detective
Armchair detective is a term used for a fictional investigator who does not personally visit a crime scene or interview witnesses; instead, he or she either reads the story of the crime in a newspaper, or has it recounted to him by another person. As the armchair detective never sees any of the...
s, who have founded the "Crimes Circle", formulate theories on a recent murder case Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard is a metonym for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service of London, UK. It derives from the location of the original Metropolitan Police headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place, which had a rear entrance on a street called Great Scotland Yard. The Scotland Yard entrance became...
has been unable to solve. Each of the six members, including their president, Berkeley's amateur sleuth
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
Roger Sheringham, arrives at an altogether different solution as to the motive and the identity of the perpetrator, and also applies different methods of detection (basically deductive
Natural deduction
In logic and proof theory, natural deduction is a kind of proof calculus in which logical reasoning is expressed by inference rules closely related to the "natural" way of reasoning...
or inductive
Inductive reasoning
Inductive reasoning, also known as induction or inductive logic, is a kind of reasoning that constructs or evaluates propositions that are abstractions of observations. It is commonly construed as a form of reasoning that makes generalizations based on individual instances...
or a combination of both). Completely devoid of brutality but containing a lot of subtle, tongue-in-cheek humour
Humour
Humour or humor is the tendency of particular cognitive experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement...
instead, The Poisoned Chocolates Case is one of the classic whodunnits of the so-called Golden Age
Golden Age
The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology and legend and refers to the first in a sequence of four or five Ages of Man, in which the Golden Age is first, followed in sequence, by the Silver, Bronze, and Iron Ages, and then the present, a period of decline...
of detective fiction. As at least six plausible explanations of what really happened are put forward one after the other, the reader—just like the members of the Crimes Circle themselves—is kept guessing up to the final pages of the book, when the least likely suspect is revealed as the murderer.
Plot introduction
One of the most unusual, and possibly unique, features of the book is that, while it appears at first sight to be an expanded version of Berkeley's short story "The Avenging Chance", the eventual solution of the crime in the full-length novel is quite different from that in the short story. (In fact, the solution of "The Avenging Chance" is one of the suggested explanations in the novel which turns out to be false.)The case
While staying at his London club as he has been doing every morning for many years, Sir Eustace Pennefather, a known womanizer whose divorce from his current wife is pending, receives a complimentary box of chocolates through the post. Disapproving of such modern marketing techniques, Sir Eustace is about to throw away the chocolates in disgust but changes his mind when he learns that Graham Bendix, another member of the club whom he hardly knows, has lost a bet with his wife Joan and now owes her a box of chocolates. Bendix takes the box home and, after lunch, tries out the new confectionery together with his wife. A few hours later Joan Bendix is dead, whereas her husband, who has eaten far less of the chocolate, is taken seriously ill and hospitalized (but later recovers). The police can establish a few facts beyond any doubt: that the parcel was posted the previous evening near The StrandStrand, London
Strand is a street in the City of Westminster, London, England. The street is just over three-quarters of a mile long. It currently starts at Trafalgar Square and runs east to join Fleet Street at Temple Bar, which marks the boundary of the City of London at this point, though its historical length...
; that the poison that was injected into each of the chocolates is nitrobenzene
Nitrobenzene
Nitrobenzene is an organic compound with the chemical formula C6H5NO2. It is a water-insoluble pale yellow oil with an almond-like odor. It freezes to give greenish-yellow crystals. It is produced on a large scale as a precursor to aniline. Although occasionally used as a flavoring or perfume...
; and that the accompanying letter was typewritten on a piece of stationery
Stationery
Stationery has historically meant a wide gamut of materials: paper and office supplies, writing implements, greeting cards, glue, pencil case etc.-History of stationery:...
from the manufacturers of the chocolates but not composed or sent by them.
Quite soon in the police investigations it becomes evident that the intended victim was Sir Eustace himself rather than the innocent Joan Bendix: No criminal could have predicted Sir Eustace giving away the box of chocolates to a man he hardly knew who just happened to be present when it was delivered. However, at a loss as to the further details of the crime, Scotland Yard conclude that the sender must have been some maniac or a fanatic trying to rid society of one of its most immoral members.
The theories
Worthy pillars of society including a barristerBarrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
, a writer of detective novels, and a female author, the members of Roger Sheringham's Crimes Circle go about individually solving the case. After a week has passed, they present their findings on consecutive nights to their colleagues. Not surprisingly, they come up with various suspects: Sir Eustace's estranged wife; the father of a young lady whom Sir Eustace intended to marry after his divorce got through; one of Sir Eustace's discarded mistresses; and some more. While these discussions are going on, the murderer seems to feel safe with no need to cover up their tracks any further. At the very end of the novel, however, there is no doubt as to the identity of the perpetrator.
Release Details
- 1929, UK, Collins Crime Club, (ISBN NA), Pub date ? ? 1929, hardback (First edition)
- 1950, UK, Pan Books, (ISBN NA), Pub date ? ? 1950, paperback
- 1983, USA, Dell Publishing (ISBN 0-440-16844-9), Pub date ? November 1983, paperback
- 1983, UK, Penguin Books (ISBN 0-14-008161-5), Pub date ? July 1986, paperback
- 1991, USA, Black Dagger Crime Reprints (ISBN 0-86220-820-3), Pub date 4 December 1991, hardback
- ?, USA, Dales (ISBN 1-84262-217-X), Pub date ? ? ?, hardback (Large print edition)
- 2001, USA, House of Stratus (ISBN 0-7551-0206-1), Pub date 31 August 2001, paperback
Not available for many years, The Poisoned Chocolates Case was republished by House of Stratus in 2001 (ISBN 0-7551-0206-1).
External links
- Gadetection.pbwiki.com The Poisoned Chocolates Case