Joseph Jefferson Farjeon was an English crime and mystery novelist, playwright, and screenwriter, born in London in 1883. He was the son of Benjamin Leopold Farjeon, a well-known novelist, and came from a family of writers, including his sister Eleanor Farjeon, a children's writer, and his brother Herbert Farjeon, a playwright. His maternal grandfather was the American actor Joseph Jefferson, after whom he was named.
Farjeon's writing career began in 1924 with the publication of 'The Master Criminal' by Brentano's. This novel marked the beginning of a prolific career that would span over 80 published novels, ending with 'The Caravan Adventure' in 1955. His works were known for their "ingenious and entertaining plots and characterization," as noted in his obituary in The Times. Farjeon was recognized for his ability to intertwine romance with crime, and for his keen humor and flashing wit. He also used sinister and terrifying storylines freely, making his works popular and well-received.
In addition to his novels, Farjeon wrote plays and short stories, many of which were adapted for the screen. His play 'Number 17' was made into a number of films, including a 1932 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. He also wrote the screenplay for Michael Powell's 'My Friend the King' (1932) and provided the story for Bernard Vorhaus's 'The Ghost Camera' (1933). Farjeon's crime novels were admired by Dorothy L. Sayers, who called him "unsurpassed for creepy skill in mysterious adventures."
Despite his success and popularity during his lifetime, many of Farjeon's works were forgotten after his death in 1955. However, there has been a resurgence of interest in his novels in recent years, with the British Library reissuing several of his novels, including 'Mystery in White: A Christmas Crime Story' in 2014, 'Thirteen Guests' and 'The Z Murders' in 2015, and 'Seven Dead' in 2016. His works have also been translated into several languages, including Italian, French, German, Spanish, Polish, Portuguese, and Russian.
Ben The Tramp Books
#
Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
No. 17
1926
2
Murderer’s Trail / Phantom Fingers
1931
3
Ben on the Job
1932
4
Ben Sees It Through
1932
5
Little God Ben
1935
6
Detective Ben
1936
7
Number Nineteen
1952
Standalone Novels
#
Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
The Confusing Friendship
1924
2
The Master Criminal
1924
3
Uninvited Guests
1925
4
The Crooks' Shadow
1925
5
Little Things That Happen
1925
6
At the Green Dragon / The Green Dragon
1926
7
The House of Disappearance
1928
8
More Little Happenings
1928
9
Shadows by the Sea
1928
10
Mystery Underground / Underground
1928
11
The Appointed Date
1929
12
The Person Called Z
1929
13
The 5:18 Mystery
1929
14
Following Footsteps
1930
15
The Mystery on the Moor
1930
16
The Z Murders
1931
17
The House Opposite
1931
18
Trunk Call / The Trunk Call Mystery
1932
19
Old Man Mystery
1933
20
Death in Fancy Dress / Fancy Dress Ball
1933
21
The Mystery of the Creek / The House on the Marsh
1933
22
Sinister Inn
1934
23
The Mystery of Dead Man's Heath / Dead Man's Heath
1934
24
Holiday Express
1935
25
The Golden Singer
1935
26
His Lady Secretary
1935
27
Mountain Mystery
1935
28
The Adventure of Edward
1936
29
Dangerous Beauty
1936
30
Mystery in White
1937
31
Holiday at Half Mast
1937
32
Yellow Devil
1937
33
The Compleat Smuggler
1938
34
Dark Lady
1938
35
End of An Author / Death in the Inkwell
1938
36
Thirteen Guests
1938
37
Seven Dead
1939
38
Exit John Horton / Friday the 13th
1939
39
Aunt Sunday Takes Command / Aunt Sunday Sees It Through
1940
40
Room Number Six
1941
41
Interrupted Honeymoon
1941
42
The Third Victim
1941
43
The Judge Sums Up
1942
44
The House of Shadows
1943
45
Murder at a Police Station
1943
46
Greenmask
1944
47
November the Ninth at Kersea
1944
48
Black Castle
1944
49
Rona Runs Away
1945
50
Peril in the Pyrenees
1946
51
The Oval Table
1946
52
Back to Victoria
1947
53
The Works of Smith Minor
1947
54
The Adventure at Eighty
1948
55
Benelogues
1948
56
Death of a World
1948
57
Prelude to Crime
1948
58
The Llewellyn Jewel Mystery
1948
59
The Disappearances of Uncle David
1949
60
The Impossible Guest
1949
61
The Lone House Mystery
1949
62
The Shadow of Thirteen
1949
63
Cause Unknown
1950
64
Change with Me
1950
65
Mother Goes Gay
1950
66
Adventure for Nine
1951
67
The House Over the Tunnel
1951
68
Mystery on Wheels
1951
69
Money Walks
1953
70
The Mystery of the Map
1953
71
The Double Crime
1953
72
Castle of Fear
1954
73
Bob Hits the Headlines
1954
74
The Caravan Adventure
1955
British Library Crime Classics Books
#
Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
The Notting Hill Mystery
1862
2
The Poisoned Chocolates Case
1929
3
It Walks by Night
1930
4
The Secret of High Eldersham / The Mystery of High Eldersham
1930
5
Castle Skull
1931
6
Mystery in the Channel
1931
7
The Incredible Crime
1931
8
Murder of a Lady
1931
9
The Lost Gallows
1931
10
The Z Murders
1931
11
The Corpse in the Waxworks / The Waxworks Murder
1932
12
The Division Bell Mystery
1932
13
Portrait of a Murderer
1933
14
Death in Fancy Dress
1933
15
Family Matters
1933
16
The Hog's Back Mystery
1933
17
Murder Underground
1934
18
Scarweather
1934
19
Death of an Airman
1934
20
The Spy Paramount
1934
21
The 12.30 from Croydon
1934
22
The Chianti Flask
1934
23
The Lake District Murder
1935
24
Death on the Cherwell
1935
25
The Cornish Coast Murder
1935
26
The Traitor
1936
27
The Santa Klaus Murder
1936
28
The Sussex Downs Murder
1936
29
Death in the Tunnel / Dark in the Tunnel
1936
30
Mystery in White
1937
31
Bats in the Belfry
1937
32
The Cheltenham Square Murder
1937
33
Excellent Intentions
1938
34
Murder in the Museum
1938
35
Antidote to Venom
1938
36
Thirteen Guests
1938
37
The Port of London Murders
1938
38
The Arsenal Stadium Mystery
1939
39
Seven Dead
1939
40
Verdict of Twelve
1940
41
A Scream in Soho
1940
42
Death of a Busybody
1942
43
The Dead Shall be Raised & Murder of a Quack
1942
44
Somebody at the Door
1943
45
Murder's a Swine: A Second World War Mystery
1943
46
Checkmate to Murder
1944
47
Fell Murder
1944
48
Murder by Matchlight
1945
49
Trouble on the Thames
1945
50
Fire in the Thatch
1946
51
Death Makes a Prophet
1947
52
Smallbone Deceased
1950
53
Calamity in Kent
1950
54
Death Has Deep Roots
1951
55
The Danger Within / Death in Captivity
1952
56
Murder in the Mill-Race
1952
57
Crossed Skis
1952
58
Death on the Riviera
1952
59
The Colour Of Murder
1957
60
The Christmas Egg
1958
61
The Progress of a Crime
1960
62
The Spoilt Kill
1961
63
The Body in the Dumb River
1961
64
Due to a Death
1963
65
Surfeit of Suspects
1964
66
The Belting Inheritance
1965
67
The Last Best Friend
1967
68
The End of the Web
1976
69
Capital Crimes: London Mysteries
2015
70
Resorting to Murder
2015
71
Silent Nights
2015
72
Murder at the Manor
2016
73
Serpents in Eden
2016
74
Crimson Snow
2016
75
Foreign Bodies
2017
76
The Long Arm of the Law
2017
77
Miraculous Mysteries
2017
78
Continental Crimes
2017
79
Blood on the Tracks
2018
80
The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories
2018
81
Golden Age of Detection Puzzle Book
2018
82
Deep Waters: Murder on the Waves
2019
83
The Measure of Malice
2019
84
Settling Scores: Sporting Mysteries
2020
85
A Surprise for Christmas and Other Seasonal Mysteries
2020
86
Two-Way Murder
2021
87
Guilty Creatures: A Menagerie of Mysteries
2021
J. Jefferson Farjeon Anthologies
#
Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
Capital Crimes: London Mysteries
2015
2
Resorting to Murder
2015
3
Silent Nights
2015
4
Murder at the Manor
2016
5
Serpents in Eden
2016
6
Crimson Snow
2016
7
Foreign Bodies
2017
8
The Long Arm of the Law
2017
9
Miraculous Mysteries
2017
10
Continental Crimes
2017
11
Blood on the Tracks
2018
12
The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories
2018
13
The Measure of Malice
2019
14
Settling Scores: Sporting Mysteries
2020
15
A Surprise for Christmas and Other Seasonal Mysteries