Detection Club

The Detection Club is a celebrated group of British mystery writers, formed in 1930 during the so-called ‘Golden Age’. In 1931, 14 members of the club – including Christie, G.K. Chesterton, Canon Victor Whitechurch and Dorothy L. Sayers – wrote this collaborative experiment. Each of the fourteen chapters was written by one of them, after which a suggested solution was sealed in an envelope, and the book was passed on to the next author for the next chapter. It’s far from perfect, but "The Floating Admiral" is a fascinating read: these 14 authors were experts in their field, and – although the sealed solutions show that many had picked up on at least the general direction of the clues – it’s marvelous to see how these professionals manage to pick up on the existing elements and weave them into a constantly-changing narrative. "The Floating Admiral" is tough to find these days, but if you can, grab it. (Personally, I recommend dating someone whose father collects such books; it’s a no-fail option.)… (mer)

Catorce miembros del prestigioso The Detection Club, entre ellos autores de la talla de A. Christie, D. L. Sayers, G. K. Chesterton o R. Knox, recibieron la propuesta de escribir una obra colectiva partiendo del planteamiento inicial de un caso criminal. Cada colaborador se enfrentó al misterio sin saber qué solución tenían en mente los autores precedentes y entregaron en un sobre cerrado su particular solución al crimen. Por primera vez en la historia, los creadores de Hercule Poirot, la Srta. Marple, lord Peter Wimsey y el padre Brown aplicaban conjuntamente su pericia al mismo caso. Así nació "El almirante flotante", considerada como una de las novelas clásicas del género policiaco.… (mer)