Fen Country: 26 Stories (Classic Crime)

"Fen Country" (1979) is a posthumous collection of short mysteries, with only one story repeated from Crispin's earlier collection, "Beware of the Trains" (1953). If you are new to this author, I suggest you start with one of his full-length mysteries to get the full flavor of his sometimes cranky, always brilliant amateur detective, Gervase Fen.The best of the "Fen Country" stories feature Professor Fen with Chief Inspector Humbleby of New Scotland Yard as his Watson. Some of the mysteries feature different, anonymous detectives and these stories tend to be clever puzzles with only the barest accouterments of character development or setting.There is one semi-autobiographical, wish-fulfillment story, "We Know You're Busy Writing, but We Thought You Wouldn't Mind if We Just Dropped in for a Minute." "I am forty-seven, unmarried, living alone, a minor crime-fiction writer earning, on average, rather less than 1,000 [pounds] a year."The crime writer lives alone in Devon, and has begged his friends and creditors not to interrupt him during working hours. Naturally they do, including a man and woman on the lam from their respective spouses. There is no great mystery as to the fate of the lovers, only a great deal of authorly glee."Fen Country" is a good read for Crispin fans, but "Beware of the Trains," whose stories he personally collected is better. Neither short story collection transcends the genre of `brilliant, eccentric detective' fiction like his novels do. If you are an avid reader of Allingham, Sayers, or Innes from the Golden Age of British mystery writing, try Crispin's "Buried for Pleasure," "The Long Divorce," or "Love Lies Bleeding." You might even be tempted to put Professor Fen at the top of your great detectives list, ahead of the likes of Lord Peter, Sir John Appleby, and Mr. Campion.

"Fen Country" (1979) is a posthumous collection of short mysteries, with only one story repeated from Crispin's earlier collection, "Beware of the Trains" (1953). If you are new to this author, I suggest you start with one of his full-length mysteries to get the full flavor of his sometimes cranky, always brilliant amateur detective, Gervase Fen.The best of the "Fen Country" stories feature Professor Fen with Chief Inspector Humbleby of New Scotland Yard as his Watson. Some of the mysteries feature different, anonymous detectives and these stories tend to be clever puzzles with only the barest accouterments of character development or setting.There is one semi-autobiographical, wish-fulfillment story, "We Know You're Busy Writing, but We Thought You Wouldn't Mind if We Just Dropped in for a Minute." "I am forty-seven, unmarried, living alone, a minor crime-fiction writer earning, on average, rather less than 1,000 [pounds] a year."The crime writer lives alone in Devon, and has begged his friends and creditors not to interrupt him during working hours. Naturally they do, including a man and woman on the lam from their respective spouses. There is no great mystery as to the fate of the lovers, only a great deal of authorly glee."Fen Country" is a good read for Crispin fans, but "Beware of the Trains," whose stories he personally collected is better. Neither short story collection transcends the genre of 'brilliant, eccentric detective' fiction like his novels do. If you are an avid reader of Allingham, Sayers, or Innes from the Golden Age of British mystery writing, try Crispin's "Buried for Pleasure," "The Long Divorce," or "Love Lies Bleeding." You might even be tempted to put Professor Fen at the top of your great detectives list, ahead of the likes of Lord Peter, Sir John Appleby, and Mr. Campion.