First of the Flashback challenge

Having finished Purple hibiscus and waiting for a new book to arrive that I'd just ordered - I decided to re-visit an old friend The moving toyshop by Edmund Crispin. It's years since I last read it, and beyond the basic premise of the story I could remember nothing about it.

And...it's completely wonderful, a clever detective story, with wonderful surreal laugh-out-loud moments. Although it's a book it has a lot of the characteristics of screwball comedy films of the 1940s and '50s, a bit of a mix of Hellzapoppin and the Road films but with a good detective story thrown in, and one of my all-time favourite quotes.

While in pursuit of the villains Fen (the detective) and his sidekick arrive at a crossroads - which way should they turn? "Let's go left ... after all Gollancz are publishing this book"  Hilarious!

Edmund Crispin's real name was Bruce Montgomery, a musician and music critic, who composed several scores for British films, conducted film soundtracks, and even made the odd cameo appearance. His musical background shows : there are some great music jokes - which this musician, the second time around, thoroughly appreciated. Although bizarrely I have no recollection of them at all from my original reading.

The book is dedicated to Philip Larkin, who was a friend of Crispin's. As Fen's sidekick in this book is also a poet, one does wonder how much of Larkin may have been in Cadogan, it's an intriguing thought.