Agatha Christie is a well-known name in the literary world and is immediately identified with the mystery genre. Outside of her novels, she was also a prolific playwright and many of her plays were staged in the famous West End in London, England. Additionally, there were a handful of other writers during the same time period who followed in her footsteps and crafted engaging mystery plays, most of which have been forgotten over the ensuing years.
Luckily, Amnon Kabatchnik’s Murder In the West End takes a look back at these authors and their mystery plays and brings them back into the light where they can be appreciated. Kabatchnik’s love for these forgotten dramas is apparent, as he obviously spent a great deal of time researching not only the works, but also the men and women who wrote them, and even some of the actors who played key roles in the productions.
The main focus of this book is obviously Agatha Christie, but Kabatchnik also spends time discussing the writer Edgar Wallace, who was a prolific writer of thrillers and mysteries prior to Christie’s rise to prominence. According to the text, “one out of every four books manufactured in England” during the 1920s and 1930s was written by Wallace. Not being familiar with his work, I found this section of the book to be both educational and fascinating.
Kabatchnik spends the remainder of Murder In the West End discussing dozens of other plays, playwrights, the actors, and the recognition the works received.
One thing to note: this book is not a collection of plays. It’s geared more for the theater historians and readers who enjoy knowing more about the background and context of these works. Kabatchnik provides detailed summaries of each play, which is almost akin to reading the plays themselves, and the level of detail he provides makes this a pleasant read. For lovers of theater and theater history, this is a must-have for your bookshelf.
This review was originally posted at Reader Views. For more book reviews and recommendations, check out my Reading List page.
RB
Great post and review, Richard. You’ve piqued my interest in reading this book. 😊
Thank you, MM!
You’ve written a fantastic article …
It’s clear and informative. It also captures the essence of the book perfectly
Your insights make me want to read it!
Loved it, Richard!
I appreciate the kind words, Roksana!
Excellent and very enticing review, Richard. You caught our attention by leading with Dame Agatha and then reeled us in with the synopsis and information about Edgar Wallace. Now to see if my local library has it.
Oh, good luck…hope you can find a copy. If not, let me know and I can share mine with you.
Cheers, Pat!