True,the pace is somewhat slower, but the story, told from the murderer's perspective, is solid " golden age " ( )

Andrew Crowther, a retired manufacturer, flies from Croydon to Paris with his son-in-law, granddaughter, and personal attendant to visit his daughter. He is dead on arrival in Paris. Was it accident, suicide, or murder? Actually, we find out very quickly that it’s murder, and we find out whodunnit, flashing back to the planning and observing how the murderer falls apart with the stress and strain of covering up his crime.

I picked this up mainly because there was a gorgeous airplane on the cover of the British Library Crime Classics edition, and I was hoping for some good airplane bits. The book duly delivered at the beginning—I love stories set during the early days of passenger flight. There wasn’t much airplane after that, but that was OK. The rest of the story was well constructed and would have been quite unconventional at the time the book was first published (1934). I was kept in suspense throughout and appreciated the chapters at the end where Inspector French explains how he solved the case.

I also liked the little nods to other detective fiction of the period: one of the police inspectors on the case initially is named Appleby, and at one point the murderer makes a reference to the works of R. Austin Freeman.

This is definitely worth picking up if you’re interested in the golden age of detective fiction. ( )

Decades before it was a staple on the "Columbo" television series, this book (originally written in 1934) shows us up front whodunnit. Indeed, the back-of-the-book blurb on my edition all but says it outright. The key here is: will the killer get away with his murders, which we see him planning and plotting in a great deal of detail? The solution was mostly satisfying, though a few key bits of information (which the killer didn't know about) are also withheld from us (such as a key possible source of poison not being viable). But the solution, which is explained in the last few chapters, is logical. Overall, an interesting mystery well worth reading. ( )

This was a rather revolutionary book when it came out, I think. For most of the plot there is no doubt who the killer is, but only the exact details and whether he'll get away with it or not. All it will take is a cool head and deliberation, just as he showed in the planning and execution of the murder – but can he maintain it?

It's well-written, gripping stuff – a fascinating look at the other side of the whodunnit.

The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review. ( )

This novel was sent to me by the publisher Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. Thank you.

The 12:30 from Croydon is a mystery by Freeman Wills Crofts and a departure from the usual style of Golden Age detective stories. In the first chapter Andrew Crowther is murdered. The 12:30 flight from Croydon to Paris is the scene of the crime. It is a small plane with not many passengers and so the suspects are limited.

And then Crofts turns the story on its head because Chapter Two identifies the murderer and, in flashback, the reader follows Charles Swinburn as he contemplates the murder, plans it, and carries it out. The reader is inside the head of the murderer. Today this is not an uncommon device, witness the popularity of Dexter. In 1934 it was unique.

And Crofts does not create an evil murderer. He creates an ordinary man who does an evil act. The reader even understands his motives and can sympathize with his problems. It may be self-serving, but when Swinburn considers murdering his uncle in order to get the inheritance which will save his business, he rationalizes that he is saving the jobs of his employees, many who were with the company when it was founded. And, indeed, the first thing he does is order new equipment for the factory when he gets the money.

And so, from the first fleeting thought to what Swinburn believes is the foolproof plan and execution, we see his doubts, bouts of conscience, and moments of exaltation when he pulls off a particularly tricky aspect of his plan.

When Crofts’ Inspector French enters the story at the very end it is almost anticlimactic.

This must have caused the same sensation as Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.
And, like the Christie novel, it stands the test of time. A highly recommended read. ( )