Books › The Case of the Gilded Fly (Gervase Fen #1)
The Case of the Gilded Fly (Gervase Fen #1)
413 pages
A delightfully erudite romp through Oxford where the literary allusions fly as fast as the theatrical accusations.
What it feels like
Reading this classic mystery feels like being invited to high table at an Oxford college with the most entertaining and eccentric don in residence. The atmosphere is steeped in autumnal academia and theatrical drama, blending the cozy familiarity of a Golden Age puzzle with a distinctly farcical, literary edge. The narrative moves at a brisk, conversational clip, driven by sparkling dialogue and an unapologetic barrage of Shakespearean quotes and poetic allusions. It is a book that never takes itself too seriously, yet treats its central locked-room puzzle with rigorous intellectual respect. Perfect for readers who love their murder mysteries served with a side of sharp wit, academic satire, and a brilliantly chaotic amateur sleuth who is always the smartest person in the room.
- Mood
- autumnal
- cozy
- intellectual
- eccentric
- Tone
- wry
- erudite
- playful
- satirical
- theatrical
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- academic eccentricity · theatricality of murder · intellectual hubris · art versus reality
- The writing
- Highly literate and sparkling with wit, the prose is heavily peppered with literary allusions and sharp, farcical dialogue.
- The arc
- Begins with amused observation of theatrical egos clashing and builds to the satisfying intellectual click of a brilliantly constructed puzzle.
- Who it's for
- Readers who delight in Golden Age mysteries, eccentric amateur sleuths, and puzzles that require a working knowledge of English literature to fully appreciate.
Content notes
- murder
- suicide ideation
About the book
From Bloomsbury.com: "It is October 1940 and at Oxford the Full Term has just begun. Robert Warner, up and coming playwright known for his experimental approach, has chosen an Oxford repertory theater for the premiere of his latest play, Metromania. Together with his cast he comes to Oxford to rehearse a week before the opening, but Warner's troupe is a motley group of actors among whom is the beautiful but promiscuously dangerous Yseut Haskell. She causes quite a stir with her plots, intrigues and love triangles. When she is found shot dead in the college room of a young man who is infatuated with her, everyone is puzzled and worried –most of the actors have had a reason to get rid of the femme fatale and few have alibis.
The police are at loss for answers and are ready to proclaim the incident as suicide, but Gervase Fen, an Oxford don and professor of literature, who thrives off solving mysteries, is ready to help.
The Case of the Gilded Fly, first published in 1944, is Edmund Crispin's debut novel and also the first Gervase Fen Mystery."
Description from Open Library.
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