Death-Watch by John Dickson Carr. When Dr Fell and Hadley discover a body with a man holding a gun over it, the solution seems obvious, until they discover the body is that of a police officer and he's been stabbed. Atmospheric story, mostly set in one house in London.

Tour de Force by Christianna Brand. On holiday, Insp. Cockerill is forced to investigate the murder of one of his fellow travelers. Can he find the killer before the wrong person is hanged? My favourite Christianna Brand books so far. It's witty and twisty.

Death of a Bookseller by Bernard J. Farmer. Sgt Wigan befriends him Mike Fisk on his beat, the two bond over books. When Mike is murdered and the wrong man convicted, Wigan aims to find the real killer. Fun mystery, exploring book sellers, with an added flavour of demonology.

Liberty Bar by Georges Simenon Maigret is asked to investigate the death of a man on the cote d'azur and is distracted its glamour. However begins to see through the glossy veneer and finds something murkier beneath. Excellent Maigret, with well drawn characters and atmosphere.

To Wake The Dead by John Dickson Carr Dr Gideon Fell investigates the murder of a husband and wife days apart, and in different parts of the country. Decent mystery, though the explanation at the end seemed to go on forever.

Death of Mr. Dodsley by John Ferguson. After a man is killed late at night in a closed bookshop, the police and private detective McNabb investigate, uncovering a number of suspects. Enjoyable mystery, taking in parliament.

A Telegram from Le Touquet by John Bude Inspector Blampignon investigates the murder of an English woman in France, found in a luggage case at her holiday home. A fun mystery.

Death in White Pyjamas by John Bude At a rich theatre owners country home, a rehearsal for a new play is interrupted by the murder of one of the guests, amid romance, blackmail, and petty jealously. Very enjoyable tale, with atmosphere and plenty of mystery.

Death Knows No Calendar by John Bude Major Boddy investigates the death of his artist friend and neighbour. A whodunnit that turns into a how-to-prove-it. I especially liked the relationship between the Major and his loyal batman, making a fun pairing.

Death Has Deep Roots by Michael Gilbert Moves between a court case in London of a young French woman who was captured in WW2, and a search in France for clues to her innocence that lead to surprising discoveries. As much a thriller as a mystery, was most entertaining.

Lock No. 1 by Georges Simenon Another superb Maigret, starts as a mystery, but becomes an exploration of a small riverside community, centred around the dominant local figure of Ducrau, who Maigret finds himself liking.

After the Funeral with movie tie in from Murder at the Gallop. So, Miss Marple on the cover of a Poirot book.

The 12:30 from Croydon by Freeman Wills Crofts An Inspector French story told from the view of the murderer; Not the style of story I prefer to read, but it was well done, and the killer's confidence turning to despair in realising he's underestimated the cop was a lot of fun.

Big Ben Strikes Eleven by David Magarshack Police investigate the murder of a millionaire found in his limousine. A little slow in the beginning, but it picked up a bit later, and I enjoyed it by the end.

Antidote to Venom by Freeman Wills Crofts George Surridge, faces marriage and money problems, starts to think of murder as a solution. Inspector French arrives towards the end to investigate. Enjoyable story, though the protagonist wasn't as sympathetic as the book suggested.

Fear Stalks the Village by Ethel Lina White Letters appear in a village claiming to reveal the dark histories of its inhabitants, then a death occurs. The curate brings in his friend to help solve the mystery. Enjoyed this story, which had many turns, and engaging characters.

Family Matters by Anthony Rolls Robert Arthur Kewdingham is abusive, isolated, and self-pitying. Two of the characters in the story set out to poison him, and many more would like to. Well written, with a fairly feminist view, but the ending was underwhelming and rushed.

The Murder of My Aunt by Richard Hull First person account from Edward Powell, a hideous weasel of a man, who plots to murder his aunt, thinking he's much cleverer than everyone in the small Welsh village where he lives. Well told, with a nice twist.

Verdict of Twelve by Raymond Postgate First part introduces us to 12 jurors, whose history defines how they will approach the verdict of the murder case, uncovered in part two. Different style of story was enjoyable, with a bit of a sting in the tail.

The Colour of Murder by Julian Symons We get a first person account in part 1 of John Wilkins, and his view of his life and what leads to his trial for murder, before switching to the 3rd person, where we get other people's view of the same events at his trial. It's well done.