Death in Fancy Dress is a country house golden age murder mystery by Anthony Gilbert. Originally released in 1933 this reformat and re-release, out 14th April 2020 is part of the British Library Crime Classics series by Poisoned Pen Press. The new edition is 272 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats. (Other editions available in other formats).

This is a short novel with a classic country house setting. The house party is varied, eccentric, and interesting. The murder victim was undeniably a cad, a blackmailer, a ne'er-do-well. The list of suspects is large, everyone wanted him to just go away, but one of them made it permanent. The denouement is satisfying and twisty, the plotting is well done and the whole is pleasantly diverting. It's a standalone novel. The collection includes two shorter works by the same author, both originally published in 1939.

For me, one of the draws of the books in the crime classics series are the erudite and always interesting introductions by editor Martin Edwards. Mr. Edwards has a prodigious knowledge of the genre and writes engagingly and well.

Well written, this entry and the series as a whole are well worth seeking out. This would make a superlative selection for readers of the genre as well as an introduction to classic crime fiction from the golden age by a lesser known author from the period. It's so nice to see these being released for a new generation of fans.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Many of the old classic mysteries spend a fair amount of time early on with a slow build which is rich in background narrative and scene setting. This book took its time to get into the juicier parts of the story but once it did, it was off to the races. Set in a Country Estate, a combined family is wrought with intrigue, blackmail and murder when it should have been celebrating the engagement of the daughter of the house.
Our hero and best friend have long standing relationships with the characters and are asked to find out what is going on and what it has to do with espionage and other crimes. There is a definite villain in the form of Ralph but much of the story revolves around the piecing together of his murder. There are current scandals and scandals from WWI and tons of intrigue as the characters are not whom the reader thinks they are at first. Some are decided surprises. That is half the delight of the story.
As an addendum, there are two short stories at the end which I confess I liked even better than the original long form tale. But in all cases, as it often is, reading the book harkens back to an England of the past where the stories take place. Four purrs and two paws up.

I had high hopes for this based on the description, but I gave up about 1/4 of the way
Nothing was going anywhere—characters prattling on for pages about God knows what; no character seemed realistic
Sorry..I usually live Poisoned Pen offerings but this didn’t make the grade for me.

Anthony Gilbert was a new to me mystery writer and I am more than happy I got this ARC because it is an amazing story.
It's a complex and enjoyable story with a cast of interesting and well thought characters.
There's a lot of secrets and an interesting description of the historical background.
The mystery is solid and the solution, after a lot of twists and red herrings, came as a surprise.
Another great addition to the British Library Crime Classics collection and I will look for other books by this author as I read this one in two settings and found it gripping and entertaining.
An excellent read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I found this novel (plus 2 short stories) to be the weakest in the series of British Library Crime Classics so far. The basic plot was just fine, but the writing had many flaws that marred the book. Sometimes the conversations were confusingly done so it was difficult, even impossible, to tell who was talking. At other times there were very lengthy expository paragraphs strung together.

Clearly this writer was not skilled enough for the task.

Revelry Amongst Higher Echelons......
Another entry in the wonderful British Library Crime Classics series. Revelry amongst the higher echelons - a fancy dress ball at a Country House - leads to murder. A body, a limited group of suspects, the British Secret Service and not to mention complex familial feuds, there is much going on here. Characterisation is enjoyable and the added bonus of a lovely twist. A very enjoyable read with the usual interesting and informative introduction from Martin Edwards. ( Edition also includes two additional short stories).

Anthony Gilbert was a marvellous writer, much under-rated, and some readers will have enjoyed her in one of her many guises, as Anne Meredith, author of "Portrait of a Murderer" , republished last year. This mystery is in a very different vein, much more a classic country house murder, but with the perfect twist which avid readers of Gilbert have come to expect.

Here we find blackmail and murder, as well as international intrigue dating back to WW1, romance, and family scandal. The murder takes place at the time of a fancy-dress ball, and the suspects comprise the closed circle of guests.

Gilbert's series detectives, Scott Egerton and Arthur Crook do not make an appearance, but the case is ably solved by Arthur Dennis of the British Foreign Office.

The author is strong on characterisation, but sometimes her endings can be rushed and weak, but that is not the case here. She is also brilliant at building atmospheres of menace and dread.

This edition comes with the added bonuses of two short stories and a most useful Introduction by Martin Edwards.

I hope that new readers will be inspired to read more of Gilbert's work. She was excellent at portraying spinsters- she never married- and her best work is as good as that of the famous Queens of Crime. Although she never sold as many copies as they did, she was a stalwart of the Detection Club and apparently had an engaging personality. Fans of Agatha Christie may like to note that my suspicion is that the character "Anthony Astor" in "Three Act Tragedy" is based on this author who was also a prolific playwright.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the digital review copy.

I am so pleased that some of these gems from the Golden Age era are been re- published, this is a particularly good one by Anthony Gilbert nee Lucy Malleson with murder, blackmail and a twisted tale with a surprise ending. A must for Golden Age fans.
Very enjoyable, fabulously woven with storyline with much impact.