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The Moving Toyshop
The Moving Toyshop | Edmund Crispin
When a poet, Richard Cadogan, receives an unexpected 50 advance from his publisher for his new poetry book, he decides to go to Oxford for a well deserved holiday. The change of scenery and peace of mind is what he needs to recover his inspiration for writing, but little he suspects that what he envisioned as a leisurely time spent on long walks and visiting friends will turn into a mystery solving adventure full of unexpected and dangerous twists. After an eventful train journey, Cadogan arrives in Oxford late at night only to realise that he has forgotten the exact address of his stay. Relying on a distant memory of the place he boarded in years ago he accidentally enters a toyshop where, to his surprise and fright, he finds the dead body of a women. Before he knows he is knocked out and spends his first night of the holidays locked in the backroom of the shop. When he finally recovers from the concussion the body is gone and the toyshop turned mysteriously into a grocery store, and Cadogan himself is accused of trespassing and stealing food. Luckily for the puzzled poet his old university friend, the professor of literature, Gervase Fen is there ready to plunge into the midst of this mystery. The Moving Toyshop, first published in 1946, is Edmund Crispin's most famous novel featuring eccentric amateur detective, 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! 6y
CarolynM It's a great book, but that cover illustration is NOT how I picture Gervaise Fen!! 6y
Aimeesue @CarolynM It is a VERY strange cover. Looks like he‘s expecting a downpour. Or is on his way to an underground club. 😋 6y
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.

2 likes2 stack adds