What is more fun than spending your spring break off reading or in my case re-reading a couple of your favorite mystery stories. I have always loved the Miss Marple mysteries created by Dame Agatha Christie. She was a marvel in her day and continues to entertain millions of fans every year who enjoy reading her stories, seeing her stories come to life on the screen (TV or Movies) and the adaptations by other writers out there. Although Ms. Christie’s life and career was widely publicized we can only guess at the struggles she went through to get her stories published and then her compensation was always less than her contemporary, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Doing some research over the last few days I have learned that the very first story she published in the Miss Marple series was called the “Tuesday Night Club” in 1927 and republished under the name “The Solving Six”; then again included within the 1932 short stories novel called “The Thirteen Problems”; There is a very nice review of the first six short stories - CLICK HERE
The first meeting of the newly formed Tuesday Night Club, they turn to Sir Henry Clithering's tale of three people poisoned at dinner with only one later dying. The story first appeared in the UK in The Royal Magazine, and was Miss Marple's debut in print in 1927.
Agatha Christie - 1890 to 1976 - Miss Marple - Check out the “OFFICIAL HOME OF AGATHA CHRISTIE” website: https://www.agathachristie.com/en/stories/the-tuesday-night-club
- The Tuesday Night Club (1927) - aka The Solving Six
- The Murder at the Vicarage (1930)
- Death By Drowning (1932)
- The Body in the Library (1942)
- The Moving Finger (1942)
- Sleeping Murder (1976)
- A Murder Is Announced (1950)
- They Do It with Mirrors (1952) - aka Murder with Mirrors
- A Pocket Full of Rye (1953)
- 4.50 from Paddington (1957) - aka What Mrs McGillicuddy Saw
- The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side (1961)
- A Caribbean Mystery (1964)
- At Bertram's Hotel (1965)
- The Bloodstained Pavement (1966)
- Nemesis (1971)
I really enjoyed pursing the official website and came across the following: https://www.agathachristie.com/stories/detection-club
“Formed in 1930, The Detection Club was a group of British mystery writers which included Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ronald Knox, Freeman Wills Crofts, Arthur Morrison, John Rhode, Jessie Rickard, Baroness Emma Orczy, R. Austin Freeman, G.D.H. Cole, Margaret Cole, E.C. Bentley, Henry Wade, and H.C. Bailey. Anthony Berkeley played a big role in setting up the club.
The Detection Club would not only help each other with technical aspects in their individual writings, but they also wrote a number of works together, with members of the club contributing one or more chapters in turn. Agatha Christie was the president of the Detection Club between 1957-1976.”
And this sent me down another rabbit hole of researching through the Newspaper archives to learn that the club is still active, and still publishing stories by it members to help fund the club’s activities. And according to the current president, Martin Edwards (https://martinedwardsbooks.com/home/about-martin/martins-writing/the-detection-club/), the members are still voted in and must take the following oath, “Do you promise that your detectives shall well and truly detect the crimes presented to them, using those wits which it may please you to bestow upon them, and not placing reliance on, nor making use of, Divine Revelation, Feminine Intuition, Mumbo Jumbo, Jiggery-Pokery, Coincidence, or Act of God?”
“The Floating Admiral” was the first one published story by the group and included chapters created by the founding members without knowing the outcome of the plot.
Taken from a 1937 Article in the Daily Herald:
Eric The Skull Lakes Them Members
GRAND and solemn ceremonial."
Months of eternal secrecy—and membership by invitation only are integral parts of the most mysterious and exclusive club in London, the Detection Club.
According to the famous writer of detective stories, Miss L. Savers, the club is described as "just an after-dinner club". At a recent initiation of a new member, a skull called "Eric," preceded by arch bearers, was carried on a velvet cushion. Part of the oath included the observation by the initiate of "seemly moderation in the use of gangs, death-rays, trapdoors, Chinamen and homicidal lunatics".
Miss Sayers mentioned that a new oath is being prepared, which "is not quite ready yet". The club meets every two months after dinner in their premises in Gerrard-street. She stated, "We give each other such assistance as we can concerning the writing of detective stories" and emphasized that they are under oath not to divulge any plots explained to them.
Membership is by invitation only, and all members must have written two stories of outstanding merit, which must not be thrillers. There are several honorary members, including Sir Norman Kendal, Assistant-Commissioner at Scotland Yard. Miss Sayers also noted, "We once took action against book reviewers of our books because some of them were giving away plots in their reviews".
When members join, they have to swear that they will write good English and no thrillers, ensuring that their detective stories will be as well written as other books.
There is so much her to research and it really gives you ideas for stories about the early days of the group and what they got up to every two months. Is your current writer’s group helping you get your stories written?
