Matters Criminous
crime / mystery / detective literature:a critical list with discussions
About The Mystery Guild
"The walls were lined from floor to roof with books and books, most of them in ancient bindings,but some in strange new fashions which I had never seen, and which, were I to make the attempt, I could ill describe."
--Phantastes,
George MacDonald
Mystery Guild Benefits
The Mystery Guild offers two major benefits: books that are available in editions costing substantially less than retail (even at discount retailers like Amazon), and--at least equally interesting--occasional omnibus editions of older series or related books. In many cases, those omnibus volumes are the best way or, often, the only way to acquire clean new copies of some excellent works. (To my mind, they alone make membership well worth while.)
In truth, much of what the club offers as new selections will not ever make its way onto the lists on this site--but a definitely nontrivial percentage will. I have long been a member of its twin-sister organization, the Science-Fiction Book Club, and that is perhaps the best reference anyone can give.
The Guild has, like most such, enticing initial-membership offers, which vary somewhat from time to time. You can get full information, and easily sign up on line, by clicking on the rather regrettable animated image below.
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Incidentally: many people, I have found, shy away from book clubs on the supposed ground that one is likely to forget to send in the monthly reply even when no book is wanted, and so may end up with unwanted books. First, it's not that hard: you do get a mailing and plenty of time to respond. Second, you can return books you didn't really want. Third, after you have been a customer in good standing (met your initial obligation, paid your bills timely), you can request that you be converted to a program in which you are not automatically sent anything--you have to actively request books (but you still get the monthly mailings). This is not "automatic" or in writing anywhere I know of, but I have never heard of anyone requesting it and being denied (if, again, they have been members in good standing for a while).
Some Other Book Clubs
Since you are a book reader, you might have some interest in one or more of these other book clubs. I am, in honesty, not well familiar with each, but they are under the same umbrella as the Mystery Guild and may appeal to your interests. (This is, believe me, not a laundry list of all the choices I could have presented: I have tried to hold to types in which a visitor here might realistically be interested.) Like the Guild, each of these will have some attractive join-up offer.
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The Science-Fiction Book Club:
(Click the image for details.) |
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The Literary Guild:
(Click the image for details.) |
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Quality Paperback Club:
(Click the image for details.) |
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The Good Cook:
(Click the image for details.) Also see this page. |
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The History Book Club:
(Click the image for details.) |
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it was last modified on Tuesday, 6 February 2007, at 02:07 GMT
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