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Moving Toyshop
Moving Toyshop | Edmund Crispin
Named by P.D. James as one of the best five mysteries of all time. Richard Cadogan is at loose ends in Oxford, very late at night. Charmed by the window display of an old-fashioned toyshop, he is worried to find the door unlocked; surely the owner should be alerted. And so Cadogan slips into the darkened store and up the narrow stairway to the apartment above. But rather than a snoring toyman, he finds a very dead old lady, the marks of murder still livid on her neck. But when Cadogan returns with the coppers, the toyshop...has disappeared. This, it seems, is a matter for Gervase Fen.
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rretzler
The Moving Toyshop | Edmund Crispin
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A random book from my TBR 📚. Day 2. Have had this one on my list for a long time. #tbrpile

CarolynM Gervase Fen❤ 3y
35 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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cottagelantern
The Moving Toyshop | Edmund Crispin
Mehso-so

Mostly enjoyed this for the descriptions of Oxford and Brit Lit references. The characters were enjoyable, but the murder “mystery” itself fell flat.

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BookladyOnTheMove
Moving Toyshop | Edmund Crispin
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Pickpick

This book picked me up and dropped me right in the middle of Oxford in 1938. Because of this time displacements, I am compelled to describe this book as "a delightful romp through the University of Oxford as Gervaise Fen solves this devilishly clever locked room mystery."
This book just dropped into my radar (Page-a-Day Calendar). Which is such a coincidence since I have been caught up in all sorts of academic mysteries lately.

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LeahBergen
The Moving Toyshop | Edmund Crispin
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I‘m loving my new Litsy mug. 💛❤️💙

Thanks so much, @Litsy !

tjwill So cute! 5y
Books88 I love that you matched the books to the mug!!! 5y
ElishaLovesBooks ♥️♥️ 5y
See All 19 Comments
Christine @AJBowers Yes!! Perfection. 5y
Aimeesue Crispin is so loony! Those endings! 5y
mcctrish Oh I love it 5y
Izai.Amorim And if you put some whiskey in it, you can say that you're drunk on social media... 😁 5y
Megabooks 😎😎👍🏻👍🏻 5y
Cathythoughts Very nice 😀👍🏻 5y
Sarah83 Great pic 🤩😍 5y
Tanisha_A @Izai.Amorim Hahahah, good one 5y
Tanisha_A Love the mug! 5y
Litsy Love the matching book stack! Cheers! 5y
Centique Ha! I need to replace my Twitter mug with a Litsy one like this - so it matches my actual digital footprint 😂😂 5y
Izai.Amorim @Tanisha_A couldn't resist... 5y
Ruthiella It‘s a nice size too! Roomy!😍 5y
Megabooks Are you okay? I haven‘t seen you around much. 5y
LeahBergen @Megabooks Awww! Thanks for asking, darlin. 😘😘😘 I‘m just travelling in the UK right now (after a week-long antiquarian book seminar in Colorado!) and haven‘t been checking in much. I‘ll be back to my usual Litsy-ing in 2 more weeks. 😆 5y
Megabooks @LeahBergen Great! I hope you‘re having fun! I just didn‘t want to lose one of my favorite Littens. 😘😘😘 5y
127 likes19 comments
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Aimeesue
The Moving Toyshop | Edmund Crispin
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Lunch with Edmund Crispin.
I made the curried chickpea salad that I‘ve been wanting to try, and chicken salad as a backup, because I don‘t always love Indian food. I needn't have worried, though, because the chickpea salad is pretty amazing. New fave!

Bookwomble Your chickpea salad sounds tasty! 7y
CarolynM It's a great book, but that cover illustration is NOT how I picture Gervaise Fen!! 7y
Aimeesue @CarolynM It is a VERY strange cover. Looks like he‘s expecting a downpour. Or is on his way to an underground club. 😋 7y
17 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Paty1
The Moving Toyshop | Edmund Crispin

I want to add this blurb to really underline how well Crispin describes Oxford's atmosphere. I really really enjoyed the intellectual talks they have, the witty arrogance and the constant reference to literature. A very important part of Oxford's life for me was that mix of charming and conceit attitude everyone had, it was inspiring and annoying at the same time. Really made me miss my days at that magic city

4 likes1 stack add
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Paty1
The Moving Toyshop | Edmund Crispin
Pickpick

This book was exactly what I was looking for. Exciting and engaging but also witty and sarcastic. Is one of the best detective novels I've read because of how much I enjoyed the two main characters, and the great rhythm of the book. The solution to the mystery was a bit disappointing to me but the book as a whole is fantastic. I have to admit that I'm a bit bias because I used to live in Oxford so to me the setting was familiar and nostalgic 4.5🌟

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Paty1
The Moving Toyshop | Edmund Crispin
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Can't wait to travel back to Oxford thanks to this mistery novel! Book haul 🌟

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Verity
The Moving Toyshop | Edmund Crispin
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Pickpick

Gervase Fen may be my new Golden Age obsession. Like an Agatha Christie crossed with the 39 Steps but with touches of Wodehousian humour. A few outdated word choices but that's fairly standard for this era. Worth a look. #recommendsday

deirdrebeecher If Agatha Christie and PG Wodehouse had a love child, it would be Edmund Crispen. 8y
Verity This is the only one of his I've read so far @deirdrebeecher but I think I agree with you! 8y
11 likes1 stack add2 comments
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HardcoverHearts
The Moving Toyshop | Edmund Crispin
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I may be making a really poor decision... it's almost 6pm and I just ordered a coffee. I usually have one per day and stop drinking it by 11am. But I have GOT to get my reading groove back. I have set aside all day tomorrow to dive into a book and try to really get myself reset. And so what is better than starting to read tonight by cranking up the caffeine? 😂. This is another one from the Oxford Murder syllabus for this summer. #2/5

23 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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LibrariansGuide
The Moving Toyshop | Edmund Crispin
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Current Read: Read this years ago but going to read again as part of my foray into classic crime titles.

SusanInTiburon I go on streaks of Golden Age mysteries, too. Got a copy of this one on my nightstand! 8y
LibrariansGuide It seems to be making a resurgence - a lot of people have mentioned it lately. 8y
4 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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AmyStewart
The Moving Toyshop | Edmund Crispin
Pickpick

Smart, hilarious, dead clever. Incredibly literary. You will want to spend the rest of your life sitting in a bar in Oxford with these two characters,playing a game called "Detestable Characters in Fiction." PD James loved this book and so do I.

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