The Bibliomystery is a sub-genre of Mysteries that I greatly enjoy. Bibliomysteries, as their name implies, are mysteries deeply intertwined with books and the literary world. These stories might involve the theft of a rare edition, the murder of a bookseller, or shady dealings within a publishing house. The defining characteristic is a substantial connection to the world of books, going beyond a mere backdrop. For example, a mystery set at a university with a professor-detective who happens to write wouldn’t typically qualify as a Bibliomystery unless the plot directly revolves around a book, manuscript, or another book-related theme.

Murder by the Book is a collection of Bibliomysteries collected and edited by Martin Edwards for the British Library Crime Classics Series. Edwards was also the editor of Murder at the Manor which I just recently reviewed here. The short story “Malice Domestic” came from Murder by the Book (you can read a review of that short story here).

Murder by the Book contains 16 stories that cover the gamut of the sub-genre of Bibliomystery. I highly recommend it to any bibliophiles who love Mysteries.

1. A Lesson in Crime by G.D.H and M. Cole


2. Trent and the Ministering Angel by E.C. Bentley

3. A Slice of Bad Luck by Nicholas Blake

4. The Strange Case of the Megatherium Thefts by S.C. Roberts

5. Malice Domestic by Phillip MacDonald

6. A Savage Game by A.A. Milne

7. The Clue in the Book by Julian Symons

8. The Manuscript by Gladys Mitchell

9. A Man and his Mother-in-Law by Roy Vickers

10. Grey’s Ghost by Michael Innes

11. Dear Mr. Editor… by Christianna Brand
 
12. Murder in Advance by Marjorie Bremner

13. A Question of Character by Victor Canning

14. The Book of Honour by John Creasey

15. We Know You’re Busy Writing… by Edmund Crispin

16. Chapter and Verse by Ngaio Marsh