THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 26, 2013 5:30-7:30PM
The Floating Admiral by Agatha Christie
This unique mystery classic combines the talents of Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, and 12 other spectacular mystery writers, each of whom contributes one chapter to the mystery The Floating Admiral--and provides his or her own solution, resulting in one of the most unusual whodunits ever written....Click here to check our catalog
Some Background on Christie and the Detection Club
In the 1930's Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie and Anthony Berkely founded the Detection Club. Mystery writers of the day got together once a month for dinner and discussion regarding mysteries. Some of the more famous members included; Naigo Marsh, C.K. Chesterson, Ruth Rendell, A.A. Milne and Ian Rankin to name a few. Periodically they would write novels like The Floating Admiral to raise money for the club. Each author would write a chapter and as they finished they were expected to make predictions about "who dunnit". All solutions are listed at the back of the book.A club member had to nominate an author for membership and members were expected to loosely follow the fair play rules listed below. Although rumors have it that Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie had a falling out over Agatha's publication of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd because Christie broke one of the major fair play rules.
THE FAIR PLAY RULES
I. The criminal must be someone mentioned in the early part of the story, but must not be anyone whose thoughts the reader has been allowed to follow.
II. All supernatural or preternatural agencies are ruled out as a matter of course. To solve a detective problem by such means would be like winning a race on the river by the use of a concealed motor-engine.
III. Not more than one secret room or passage is allowable.
IV. No hitherto undiscovered poisons may be used, nor any appliance which will need a long scientific explanation at the end.
V. No Chinaman must figure in the story.
VI. No accident must ever help the detective, nor must he ever have an unaccountable intuition which proves to be right
VII. The detective must not himself commit the crime.
VIII. The detective must not light on any clues are not instantly produced for the inspection of the reader
IX. The stupid friend of the detective, the Watson, must not conceal any thoughts which pass through his mind; his intelligence must be slightly, but very slightly, below that of the average reader.
X. Twin brothers, and doubles generally, must not appear unless we have been duly prepared for them.
They were never intended as more than guidelines, and not all the members took them seriously. The Club continues to exist, although the fair play rules have been considerably relaxed.
