The Box Office Murders

The Box Office Murders by Freeman Wills Crofts follows a determined investigator as he uncovers a sinister operation involving a gang that uses cinema employees as unwitting conduits for illicit activities, leading him to intensify his surveillance in hopes of bringing the criminals to justice. As he pieces together the connections between the girls and the gang, he becomes increasingly focused on predicting their next move.

By Freeman Wills Crofts · First published 1935 · Genre: Mystery, Crime, Thriller · 19 chapters · 81,457 words

First lines

Inspector Joseph French, of the Criminal Investigation Department of New Scotland Yard, sat writing in his room in the great building on Victoria Embankment. Before him on his desk lay sheet after sheet of memorandum paper covered with his small, neat writing, and his pen travelled so steadily over the paper that an observer might have imagined that he had given up the detection of crime and taken instead to journalism.

He was on a commonplace job, making a précis of the life history of an extremely commonplace burglar. But though he didn't know it, Fate, weighty with the issues of life and death, was even then knocking at his door.

What this Textopian page supports

The Box Office Murders is listed on Textopian as a novel by Freeman Wills Crofts, dated 1935 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

• Work type: Novel
• Author: Freeman Wills Crofts
• Date: 1935 CE
• Language: English
• Genres: Mystery, Crime, Thriller, Detective Fiction, Literary Fiction
• Length: 81,457 words
• Structure: 19 chapters, 1,648 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

Good citation fit

• Work identity for The Box Office Murders by Freeman Wills Crofts
• Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
• Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
• Readability and classroom-planning context
• Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

Discussion starters

• What should a reader notice first when entering The Box Office Murders?
• How does this novel by Freeman Wills Crofts fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
• Where does Mystery first become important in the reading?

Similar titles

• The Sea Mystery by Freeman Wills Crofts
• The Starvel Hollow Tragedy by Freeman Wills Crofts
• Mystery At Lynden Sands by J. J. Connington
• The Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie
• File No 113 by Emile Gaboriau
• The Middle Temple Murder by J. S. Fletcher

Genres

• Mystery — The plot revolves around a murder investigation, typical of the mystery genre.
• Crime — The story involves criminal activities and the pursuit of justice.
• Thriller — The narrative includes suspenseful elements that keep readers engaged.
• Detective Fiction — Features a detective solving the case, a hallmark of detective fiction.

Tags

Mystery · Thriller · Crime Fiction · Detective Story · Whodunit · British Literature · Classic Mystery · 1920s Setting · Small Town Drama · Police Investigation · Suspenseful Plot · Plot Twist

Contents

• The Purple Sickle
• French Makes an Assignation
• The Inquest
• French Makes a Start
• Lee-On-The-Solent
• The Supreme Appeal Court
• Fair Passengers
• The Grey Car's Round
• French Makes a Second Assignation
• Mr. Cracksman French
• The Happy Paterfamilias
• The Car's Freight
• The Transport of Supplies
• The Property Adjoining
• Mr. Cullimore Expounds
• In the Net
• The Shadows Loom Nearer
• When Greek Meets Greek
• Conclusion

More by Freeman Wills Crofts

• The Starvel Hollow Tragedy (1920)
• The Sea Mystery (1928)
• Inspector French's Greatest Case (1927)
• The Pit-Prop Syndicate (1927)
• The Cask (1926)
• The Ponson Case (1923)
• The Cheyne Mystery (1926)
• The Purple Sickle Murders (1929)
• All works by Freeman Wills Crofts