The Wychford Poisoning Case

The Wychford Poisoning Case
Anthony Berkeley

Tony Medawar

One of the earliest psychological crime novels, back in print after more than 80 years.Mrs Bentley has been arrested for murder. The evidence is overwhelming: arsenic she extracted from fly papers was in her husband’s medicine, his food and his lemonade, and her crimes are being plastered across the newspapers. Even her lawyers believe she is guilty. But Roger Sheringham, the brilliant but outspoken young novelist, is convinced that there is ‘too much evidence’ against Mrs Bentley and sets out to prove her innocence.Credited as the book that first introduced psychology to the detective novel, The Wychford Poisoning Case was based on a notorious real-life murder inquiry. Written by Anthony Berkeley, a founder of the celebrated Detection Club who also found fame under the pen-name ‘Francis Iles’, the story saw the return of Roger Sheringham, the Golden Age’s breeziest – and booziest – detective.

‘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_1d28dd18-f151-536c-99a7-56cc5f622bf9)

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 1926

Copyright © Estate of Anthony Berkeley 1926

Introduction © Tony Medawar 2017

Cover design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 1926, 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: 9780008216429

Ebook Edition © February 2017 ISBN: 9780008216436

Version: 2016-12-15

Dedication (#ulink_33583ec1-9199-504e-972d-27549e37255f)

TO

E. M. DELAFIELD

MOST DELIGHTFUL OF WRITERS

MY DEAR ELIZABETH,

There is only one person to receive the dedication of the book which has grown out of those long criminological discussions of ours. You will recognise in it many of your own ideas, which I have unblushingly annexed; but I hope you will also recognise the attempt I have made to substitute for the materialism of the usual crime-puzzle of fiction those psychological values which are (as we have so often agreed) the basis of the universal interest in the far more absorbing criminological dramas of real life. In other words I have tried to write what might be described as a psychological detective story.

In any case I offer you the result as a small expression of my admiration of your work and of my gratitude for the gift of your friendship.

Contents

Cover (#u28736fb1-474a-5a16-8ae3-a6fcfab558ec)

Title Page (#uaa613589-97dc-5e7b-a768-33e323213fbd)

Copyright (#u667a3193-197d-5af0-b020-0b8c12684678)

Dedication (#u7fc21405-1743-5528-9d8f-d7cea53dd07c)

Introduction (#u0b6c83d5-2d33-5a26-b23e-6c0c66e24ed5)

I. MARMALADE AND MURDER (#u73b4c108-ef65-5ae3-9a31-6459c5899327)

II. STATING THE CASE (#ud9d05a59-7590-5c41-a39a-06580e81c6f9)

III. MR SHERINGHAM ASKS WHY (#u167ff01c-df87-5ac7-986e-5daf818b7bd3)

IV. ARRIVAL AT WYCHFORD (#u868d73c3-7805-5002-9a71-53603a0a58e2)

V. ALL ABOUT ARSENIC (#ubae8aac9-5343-5a61-9bc8-0c6ed862e8ec)

VI. INTRODUCING MISS PUREFOY (#u80e00909-4c33-5c80-bd05-825c6ad08bc1)

VII. MOSTLY IRRELEVANT (#litres_trial_promo)

VIII. TRIPLE ALLIANCE (#litres_trial_promo)

IX. INTERVIEW WITH A HUMAN BURR (#litres_trial_promo)

X. SHOCKING TREATMENT OF A LADY (#litres_trial_promo)

XI. ENTIRELY FEMININE (#litres_trial_promo)

XII. THE HUMAN ELEMENT (#litres_trial_promo)

XIII. WHAT MRS BENTLEY SAID (#litres_trial_promo)

XIV. INTERVIEW WITH A GREAT LADY (#litres_trial_promo)

XV. MISS BLOWER RECEIVES (#litres_trial_promo)