The Silk Stocking Murders

The Silk Stocking Murders
Anthony Berkeley

Tony Medawar

A classic Golden Age crime novel, and one of the first to feature a serial killer.Investigating the disappearance of a vicar’s daughter in London, the popular novelist and amateur detective Roger Sheringham is shocked to discover that the girl is already dead, found hanging from a screw by her own silk stocking. Reports of similar deaths across the capital strengthen his conviction that this is no suicide cult but the work of a homicidal maniac out for vengeance – a desperate situation requiring desperate measures.Having established Roger Sheringham as a brilliant but headstrong young sleuth who frequently made mistakes, trusted the wrong people and imbibed considerable liquid refreshment, Anthony Berkeley took his controversial character into much darker territory with The Silk Stocking Murders, a sensational novel about gruesome serial killings by an apparent psychopath bent on targeting vulnerable young women.

‘THE DETECTIVE STORY CLUB is a clearing house for the best detective and mystery stories chosen for you by a select committee of experts. Only the most ingenious crime stories will be published under the THE DETECTIVE STORY CLUB imprint. A special distinguishing stamp appears on the wrapper and title page of every THE DETECTIVE STORY CLUB book—the Man with the Gun. Always look for the Man with the Gun when buying a Crime book.’

Wm. Collins Sons & Co. Ltd., 1929

Now the Man with the Gun is back in this series of Collins Crime Club reprints, and with him the chance to experience the classic books that influenced the Golden Age of crime fiction.

Copyright (#ulink_fff0cc5d-e593-5cbe-8e17-9352ca91fe86)

Published by COLLINS CRIME CLUB

An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk (http://www.harpercollins.co.uk)

First published in Great Britain by The Crime Club by W. Collins Sons & Co. Ltd 1923

Copyright © Estate of Anthony Berkeley 1928

Introduction © Tony Medawar 2017

Cover design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 1928, 2017

A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Source ISBN: 9780008216399

Ebook Edition © February 2017 ISBN: 9780008216405

Version: 2016-12-28

Dedication (#ulink_318362c6-93f7-50c6-b87b-3d9c6c46e892)

TO

A. B. COX

WHO

VERY KINDLY

WROTE THIS BOOK FOR ME

IN HIS SPARE TIME

Contents

Cover (#u4d9e7066-0740-56be-8a70-0951ec9a5811)

Title Page (#u091255db-bf16-55e9-ae34-710272081e1e)

Copyright (#ud2b87dda-14cb-5438-9ca9-d0a0e57087d5)

Dedication (#u1f75bf01-f340-5b84-be6a-c30c324872c8)

Introduction (#uc4a539bb-e4b0-53ed-a358-21a52a79bbbc)

I. A LETTER FOR MR SHERINGHAM (#ufb8c42d7-ebf5-59af-a293-d63d569f7ce8)

II. MR SHERINGHAM WONDERS (#u6cc700a3-3609-5e5b-aa8b-a05e0fa48293)

III. MISS CARRUTHERS IS DRAMATIC (#u7ce6e770-62df-54a1-9de6-0ca81575c631)

IV. TWO DEATHS AND A JOURNEY (#uab22dcaa-fcab-520f-afff-e885e8d37dcc)

V. ENTER CHIEF-INSPECTOR MORESBY (#ue9de7554-063b-57b8-8808-3ad3572b2a5d)

VI. DETECTIVE SHERINGHAM, OF SCOTLAND YARD (#u89a3f839-5545-5123-904c-c6877db5ed6e)

VII. GETTING TO GRIPS WITH THE CASE (#ubc10dc64-cc6b-5126-bd94-2ac0dec18db4)

VIII. A VISITOR TO SCOTLAND YARD (#litres_trial_promo)

IX. NOTES AND QUERIES (#litres_trial_promo)

X. LUNCH FOR TWO (#litres_trial_promo)

XI. AN INTERVIEW AND A MURDER (#litres_trial_promo)

XII. SCOTLAND YARD AT WORK (#litres_trial_promo)

XIII. A VERY DIFFICULT CASE (#litres_trial_promo)

XIV. DETECTIVE SHERINGHAM SHINES (#litres_trial_promo)

XV. MR SHERINGHAM DIVERGES (#litres_trial_promo)

XVI. ANNE INTERVENES (#litres_trial_promo)

XVII. AN UNOFFICIAL COMBINATION (#litres_trial_promo)