Trial and Error by Anthony Berkeley

Trial and Error by Anthony Berkeley was a real treat to find. Published in 1937, this was written by one of the most innovative crime writers in the 'golden age' of mysteries, and the founder of the still-active Detection Club, Anthony Cox (under a pseudonym).

"How can a murderer prove his own guilt?"

Mr. Todhunter is told he may have only a short time left to live. What to do? He poses this hypothetical question to several friends, and they reply, hypothetically, what if you commit the murder of the most obnoxious person you can find? Mr. Todhunter searches for a victim.

Written with tongue firmly in cheek, this is a mystery about psychology and detection. Often hilarious, with witty laugh-out-loud lines, the plot continues to twist. His first victim doesn't work out. He gets seduced by a gold digger, caught in an adultery scandal, finds a victim - and kills - only to have someone else be arrested for the murder! Mr. Todhunter did not mean for this to happen. When the innocent person is found guilty, Mr. Todhunter must enlist his friends in detection to find and expose the clues that will point the guilt back to himself.

The resulting trial is clever and hilarious as each member of the court must act the opposite of their normal part, as well as mangle the evidence presented, all to prove the defendant guilty. Shy and retiring Mr. Todhunter must turn the tables on conventional crime detection.

This is an overlooked crime classic. I have a soft spot for crime and mystery novels written around 1935 to 1945. To think this was written in 1937, yet retains the charm, wit, and originality as if alive today.

I don't hesitate to recommend it.

1937 / Paperback / 272 pages