Time for Murder

The drawing-room whodunit is a uniquely British story type, and ever since Agatha Christie began plying her trade in the early 1920s, crime-fiction writers from across the big pond have labored feverishly to come up with variations that would continue to befuddle and delight armchair sleuths. Happily, this dedication to excellence has carried over to other media, especially television: as shows like Mystery! have ably demonstrated, nobody does “cozy” crime stories like the Brits. This two-disc collection contains all six hour-long whodunits specially commissioned for the 1985 miniseries Time for Murder, from such top writers as Antonia Fraser, Charles Wood, and Frances Galleymore, featuring performances by well-regarded British actors that include Trevor Howard, Claire Bloom, Charles Dance, Sylvia Sims, and Jane Asher. Each author had a mandate to turn out a tale that contained familiar elements but also featured a twist of some sort, some unique touch in plot, setting, or characterization. While there isn't a weak episode in the sextet, the best may be “The Murders at Lynch Cross,” a delightful variation on an old concept in which a raging blizzard traps the guests (as well as proprietors and employees) at a newly opened Yorkshire hotel. The snowbound inhabitants gradually realize they are linked by a crime that took place years ago—a revelation that also sparks a series of new murders in this tale in which scripter Michael Robson stands Dame Agatha's famous Ten Little Indians plot gambit on its head. A solid set of clever murder mysteries, Time for Murder is recommended. (E. Hulse)