The Crime Club Magazine by Collins

In the United Kingdom, Collins took a unique approach to running The Crime Club compared to other book clubs. Unlike traditional clubs, membership was free, and books were distributed through booksellers and libraries. Instead of sending titles directly to readers each month, a newsletter/magazine was provided, featuring a list of forthcoming titles. This method can be seen as more of a marketing promotion than a gatekeeping distribution strategy.

Informed club members had the advantage of being able to promptly visit their local bookshops or libraries and be among the first to access their favorite authors' works. Agatha Christie, a renowned author, regularly released her books as Collins Crime Club editions, adding to the club's appeal.

The back cover blurb of The Murder at the Vicarage highlights that the reach of detective novels extends to a diverse audience, including cabinet ministers, business magnates, specialists from Harley Street, prominent judges, bishops, religious leaders, teachers, and individuals from all walks of life. Collins aimed for an educated readership, and their promotional materials reflected an open-minded approach to their broad range of readers. The Crime Club magazine specifically emphasized the high-quality writing of Murder on the Orient Express in its advertisement for the title, further showcasing their commitment to exceptional literature.

Spring 1934 Crime Club Magazine

Classic Crime Fiction has been kind enough to digitize the entire ten-page Collins Crime Club newsletter from the spring of 1934.  I've added a couple of screenshots here to liven-up the visuals, and recommend viewing the entire issue on their site if you are so inclined. 

Page 2:

Page 8:

Once again, if you'd like to read the entire newsletter, please visit Classic Crime Fiction.

Details About The Crime Club Newsletter Magazine

Customers who enrolled in the Collins Crime Club had the opportunity to receive regular newsletters, mailed to them every three months. These newsletters served as a valuable source of information, informing members about the latest crime books that had been released or were scheduled to be published. Collins had a clear plan in mind: to unveil three new crime books on the first Monday of each month. These selections were carefully curated by a panel of experts, led by Cyril Alington, who diligently handpicked one book as the prestigious "Selection" of the month, while designating the other two as "Recommended" choices.

As a marketing strategy, the club proved to be highly successful, attracting a substantial subscriber base. In fact, Collins proudly boasted of having 25,000 subscribers in 1934, a testament to the appeal of their offerings. The popularity of the club led to an expansion in the number of books published, surpassing the initial promise of three books per month. This trend continued, peaking in 1938 with an impressive 42 books published, showcasing the Crime Club's dedication to providing crime fiction enthusiasts with a wide range of captivating reads.

The Collins Crime Club newsletter played a significant role in engaging members and promoting upcoming titles. It served as a means of communication and anticipation for readers interested in crime and mystery literature.  

Content: The newsletter contained a variety of content related to crime fiction. Alongside the list of forthcoming titles, it featured articles, reviews, author interviews, and recommendations. The content aimed to provide readers with valuable insights into the world of crime writing and keep them informed about the latest releases.

Author Spotlights: The newsletter often highlighted specific authors, allowing readers to delve into their background, writing style, and notable works. These author spotlights gave readers a deeper understanding of the writers behind their favorite crime novels and introduced them to new authors to explore.

Exclusive Offers: The newsletter occasionally included exclusive offers, such as special editions, limited releases, or collector's items. These offers provided members with unique opportunities to enhance their crime fiction collection and access rare or highly sought-after editions.

Reader Interaction: Collins Crime Club valued the opinions and feedback of its readers. The newsletter encouraged reader participation through features like letters to the editor, book recommendations from members, and reader polls. This interactive element fostered a sense of community among crime fiction enthusiasts.

Extras and Extras Plus: In addition to the standard newsletter, Collins Crime Club introduced "Extras" and "Extras Plus" inserts. These inserts provided additional content, such as short stories, puzzles, quizzes, and other crime-related diversions. They added an extra layer of enjoyment and entertainment for readers.

The Collins Crime Club newsletter went beyond a mere list of forthcoming titles. It offered a comprehensive reading experience, combining informative articles, author features, exclusive offers, and opportunities for reader engagement. It catered to the interests and passions of crime fiction fans, creating a sense of anticipation and connection within the community.

The War Years

During the challenging times of World War II, the Collins Crime Club faced significant difficulties due to paper shortages. In 1942, the club regretfully announced that it could no longer produce quarterly newsletters as a result. Additionally, the page count of their books was significantly reduced, ranging from an average of 252-280 pages to 160-192 pages. To accommodate these changes, smaller typefaces were employed, and the quality of paper used was inferior. Moreover, the production of new books saw a drastic decline, reaching an all-time low in 1946 with only 16 new releases.

The Enclosed Postcard

The Collins Crime Club newsletter prominently featured a recurring footer message encouraging members to "Re-Enrol Now!" and providing instructions to fill out the enclosed postcard. This postcard served as a means for members to renew their membership and stay connected with the club.

 

References

• Wikipedia: Collins Crime Club
  
• Classic Crime Fiction: Collins Crime Club
• The Hooded Gunman: An Illustrated History of Collins Crime Club

Photo Crime: The Crime Club Party Game

Pepys, the same company that created The Crime Club Card Game also put out The Crime Club Party Game called Photo Crime.  The game came out about 1950, and there were a few variations of the box over the years, with the purple box having four different "crimes" to be solved than the green box.  The later red and white box contains two crimes from the green box and two from the purple (no new crimes). 

The game comes with 12 photo cards, which is made up of four photo scenes in sets of three. Therefore, up to 12 people can play four rounds in each game. The photos include a mystery scenario that can be solved by carefully looking at the photos and reading the witness report. The first person to get the answer in each round scores a point. At the end of four rounds, the highest score wins! 

The Photo Crime Scenarios

Included in The Crime Club Party Game are four mystery set-ups that you must solve by reading the short story and carefully examining the photo to see what the solution is.  Here are the Photo Crime sheets that are in a particular "green" box version of the game.  As shown in the photo of another green box above, the four scenarios in that version are different! 

Four Crime Scenes from a "light green" box: 

A different variation of crime scene photos from a "darker green" box:

All of these screens came from different green boxes, and because I do not have any examples from the purple box it is hard to determine the total number of photos scenes created overall. Currently, there looks to be eight, but the purple box "could" contain another set of four different photos. 

NOTE: My apologies for the partially obscured photo #4 from the second set; I don't have a good scan of that one.  

Instructions

Photocrime

Party Game for 2 to 12 Players

Description: 12 cards are provided, giving 4 "crimes" to be solved. Each "crime" is repeated on 3 cards.

HOW TO PLAY:  Give one card to each player. Tell the players they are given 5 minutes to study the information given on their cards, in conjunction with the picture of Inspector Cameron's interview with the Witness. The object is to discover why Inspector Cameron came to his conclusion that the Witness was lying. 

When the 5 minutes are "up" the M.C. calls upon any players who think they have solved the problem to come forward one at a time and tell him their answers, taking care that other players do not overhear them. Those with correct answers (see Solutions below) are the winners of that round.

Players then exchange cards so that each a new "crime" and play the second round. Since the 12 cards are made of 3 each of 4 different pictures, the game can be played 4 times by 12 players and each time every player will have a different crime to solve. 

 

Last Edition

The most recent version of the game maintains the four crime scenes format, carefully selecting the best from the earlier editions to ensure the best gameplay experience. Upon examining a photo of the contents from an eBay listing, it appears that the scenario labeled as #3 in the first set of cards (above) is now numbered as #1 in the later edition. Furthermore, the game includes scenario #2 from the later box, indicating that the creators have done their best to mix up the elements without having to create new "crimes."

While it would have been exciting to have all eight crimes included in the final set, the decision to curate a selection of scenes ensures that players can still enjoy a captivating and diverse gameplay experience, even if they had played one of the versions before.

Collins Crime Club

Collins Crime Club, often referred to as the Crime Club, was a British publishing imprint specializing in crime and mystery fiction. It was established by Collins Publishers in 1930 and gained a reputation for publishing some of the finest detective and thriller novels of its time.

Collins Crime Club published works from a wide range of celebrated authors in the genre, including Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham, among others. These authors and their novels became synonymous with the Crime Club and contributed significantly to its popularity and success.

Murder on the Orient Express, 1st UK Edition 1934 with Crime Club "book of the month" band

Similar to its American counterpart, the Doubleday Crime Club, the Collins Crime Club had a distinct logo that appeared on its book covers. The logo featured a black crow perched on a skull and crossbones, adding an air of intrigue and mystery to the books.

The Crime Club novels were known for their intricate plots, well-developed characters, and captivating storytelling. They spanned various subgenres within crime and mystery fiction, including classic whodunits, psychological thrillers, and suspenseful tales.

Throughout its existence, Collins Crime Club published a significant number of crime and mystery novels, becoming an influential force in the British publishing scene. The imprint continued to release books under the Crime Club name until the mid-1990s, providing readers with decades of gripping and engaging stories.

In summary, Collins Crime Club was a renowned British publishing imprint specializing in crime and mystery fiction. It published works from acclaimed authors and played a pivotal role in shaping the genre. The imprint's distinctive logo and its association with top-notch crime fiction made it a respected and sought-after publisher for fans of detective novels and thrilling mysteries.

Doubleday vs. Collins

The Doubleday Crime Club and the Collins Crime Club were two separate publishing imprints that focused on crime and mystery fiction, operating in different countries and catering to distinct markets. Here are some of the key differences between the two:

Location: The Doubleday Crime Club was an American publishing imprint, while the Collins Crime Club was based in Britain. They catered to readers in their respective countries and had different publishing strategies tailored to their specific markets.

Publishers: The Doubleday Crime Club was a division of Doubleday & Company, a major American publishing house. On the other hand, Collins Crime Club was part of Collins Publishers, a prominent British publishing company.

Book Selection: The Doubleday Crime Club primarily published American crime and mystery novels, featuring works from notable American authors such as Ellery Queen, Erle Stanley Gardner, and Mary Roberts Rinehart. The Collins Crime Club, on the other hand, focused on British crime and mystery fiction, featuring works from renowned British authors like Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Margery Allingham.

Logo and Branding: The two crime clubs had distinct logos and branding. The Doubleday Crime Club logo featured a gunman fashioned from the letters C, R, I, M, and E. The Collins Crime Club logo, on the other hand, incorporated a black crow perched on a skull and crossbones, adding a unique visual element to their book covers.

Publishing Period: The Doubleday Crime Club had a longer publishing history, beginning in 1928 and continuing for several decades. The Collins Crime Club, established in 1930, also had a significant publishing run, but it eventually phased out in the mid-1990s.

Geographic Reach: The Doubleday Crime Club primarily focused on the American market, although some of their books were distributed internationally. The Collins Crime Club primarily targeted the British market, but their books also gained readership worldwide.

While both crime clubs shared a common goal of publishing quality crime and mystery fiction, their unique origins, target markets, and author selections distinguished them from one another. Each imprint left its own mark on the genre and contributed to the rich history of crime and mystery literature.

References

• A Series of Series: Crime Club
• Wikipedia: Collins Crime Club
  
• Classic Crime Fiction: Collins Crime Club
  
• The Hooded Gunman: An Illustrated History of Collins Crime Club