The White Cottage Mystery

My review as posted on Goodreads:

As I read this, I found that I needed to remind myself that the book was originally published in 1927.

There a several instances where the terms used would be deemed unacceptable today. Once I had adjusted to the fact that the language seems politically incorrect, I began to enjoy the clever way in which the mystery unfolded.

This is a well-crafted whodunnit. With an interesting twist at the end.

My Thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury reader USA for a copy in exchange for a review of this re-release of a 1927 title.

This is really a no brainer - it is absolutely fabulous. I remember reading it some years back and it was just wonderful to visit again with an old friends. If you like a good old fashion mystery with no gratuitous violence or sex, but with plenty of twist this is the book for you. Margery Allingham belonged to the Golden Age of mystery writers era, a writer of whom Agatha Christie admired.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bloomsbury for a review copy of The White Cottage Mystery, a traditional mystery originally published in 1927. Jerry Challoner stops to offer a young woman a lift home to The White Cottage and is passing the time of day after dropping her off with a cigarette and the local bobby when they hear shots. Eric Crowther, a neighbour, has been shot in The White Cottage. Jerry's father just happens to be Chief Inspector W. T. Challoner of the Yard so he is called in to investigate. The list of suspects is short but every one of them has a motive because Eric Crowther was not a nice man.

I read some of Ms Allingham's work as a teenager in the 70s but found it boring and irrelevant so I was interested to retry with a more mature frame of mind. Obviously it's still largely irrelevant to my way of life but I found The White Cottage an interesting read on several levels and finished it in one sitting. It is fairly typical of a novel of its era as it is plot driven and the characters are rather two dimensional. The plot, however, while lacking sophistication, is sufficiently convoluted to hold your attention and keep you wondering whodunit and I suspect the ending may have caused a bit of a stir at the time. The characters are all stereotypical, wise detective, unthinking sidekick (think Holmes and Watson), young female love interest, older stupid woman with a secret, token foreigner, assorted servants and a dastardly victim. It is all good clean fun.

My real interest lies in the attitudes of the time. It's all very sexist and classist (is that a word?) to our modern way of thinking, silly women and faithful servants being the most obvious but the underlying attitude is doing the "decent" thing and it shines through.

If you want a decent mystery with a more innocent perspective then The White Cottage Mystery will fit the bill.

This my first time reading anything by Margery Allingham, and I enjoyed it and highly recommend it! This story involves Detective W.T. (Greyhound) Challoner and his son, Jerry. They investigate the murder of a man whom everyone freely admits that they hate and all the suspects have a motive and the opportunity to have committed the crime, or do they??

My thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury USA for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A classic mystery novella, with beautiful characterization, simple but elegant prose, and quick pace makes this book a great read. The setting of the novel is a beautiful old cottage with an overhang of murder, blackmail, and secrets. Allingham's the best.

In an age where police dramas are all gritty and explicit, it's lovely to slip back into a more gentile time - even if it is to follow a murder investigation! Even if you guess the 'whodunnit', the period setting and weave of other deceits surrounding the case make this a lovely read.

I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA, Bloomsbury Reader.

I consider myself a fan of the Margery Allingham mystery novels so I was absolutely delighted to be given the chance to read this first mystery written by a favorite author. According to the information contained in the book this was the first detective story written by Allingham and was first presented in serial form in the Daily Express in 1927. It has all the elements necessary to make for a good mystery; everyone has secrets, everyone seems to have had the opportunity to commit murder, and everyone was relieved the victim was dead. Watching how Allingham unfolded the plot and the relationships between the characters was of great interest to me when compared with her more polished, more complex novels in the Albert Campion series. This one is good, but it was a pleasure to realize how much her talent grew as she continued to write.

Don't miss this one if you are a fan of that wonderful Golden Age of crime fiction. It has murder, a policeman and his son who play off each other to find clues and discuss suspects and motives plus travel to Paris and then on to the Riviera in search of a solution. This is a short novel, probably a result of being written for serialization, but it has a solution that may come as a surprise to you. Always something to be looked forward to if you are a true mystery buff.

Genuine golden oldie hailing from the golden age of mystery, this was the author's first venture into the genre originally serialized, but now, of course, we can read it all at once and digitally. Still no robots, but technology does impress now and again. Anyway...back to the book, it's quite short, novella length really, and very enjoyable, albeit in a dated (primarily having to do with the attitudes toward women, despite being written by one it is after all a product of its time) way. Nowadays this classic locked cottage mystery would probably be termed a cozy, since it's so well mannered and quaint, but the plot itself was good and surprising and certainly worth a read. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

I found this story to be a fun read. Its interesting from the very beginning to the last page. Its a well written book, not difficult to follow, but as you get involved in all the twists and turns of the varies theories of who might of committed the murder you keep turning the pages. Pleasantly your interest is peaked through out the entire book without any slow or boring spots. The ending is nicely done, no loose ends. And as far as who done it? You'll be surprised..... how good of a detective are you?

Given its age, I was surprised at how involving I found this 1927 mystery. It was shorter than I expected, and the characterization didn't go very deep -- particularly with the women, who are often written off in sexist fashion as not understanding the law or too emotional to be sensible -- but the murder is interesting and the events around its solution entertaining. It's great, particularly for a cozy fan, to be able to easily read a foundational work in the field.

Of course, this is a fine mystery,

For lovers of the 'Golden Age' this is perfect. Fab example of its type. Allingham has always been the wittiest of these writers and this book is no exception. Read it and wallow. Ok, so it isn't as fast paced as more recent mystery books, but this makes it special.

Loved this book by one of the greatest crime writers I've discovered. One of her one off books this held my attention from start to finish. Absolutely loved it!

I am almost done with this book and am enjoying it! The main character is funny and likes able. The author does a good job of creating the scenery! I am looking forward to the end!

I finished the book while on my vacation : ) I enjoyed the book, as well as the characters and the plot. It had some entertaining twists. I would recommend this book as a light summer read!

Classic mystery. Enjoyable read. Took me back to my childhood when I read many authors of this type of story. Love it.

Originally written in 1927 as a series for the Daily Express and then printed in book format in 1928.

Jerry Challenor drops off a young woman at the White Cottage. Moments later there is a scream and the body of Eric Crowther has been found. Everyone who had met Eric did not like him.

Detective Chief Inspector Challenor, Jerry's father has the task of finding out who did it from a long list of suspects.

This is a well written novella. If you are a fan of Agatha Christie this novella is for you.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bloomsbury USA and the author Margarey Allingham for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"I am an Englishman, and we like our facts like our food - without subtlety"

The same can be said for their mysteries! In this one, an unwanted visitor is shot in and everyone in the house has good reason to have wanted him dead. Chief Inspector W.T. Challenor and his son Jerry, who is quickly enamored with one of the suspects, are tasked with determining who did the deed they all wanted done. In sharp contrast to the modern mystery, this book, written in 1927, feels very much like an Agatha Christie novel: straight facts laid out for the reader, no unreliable narrator, no shocking unbelievable twists at the end. However, despite Ms. Allingham's sincerest attempt to point blank give the reader all the information they need to determine the killer, you still are surprised by the ending! This book had a very nostalgic, homey feeling to it. An odd feeling considering someone died at the beginning of it.