I've read another book by this author and really enjoyed it. However, I just couldn't get in to this one. It moves very slowly and has a lot of technical detail about the rare book business. Typically I plow through such issues, but this one just didn't hold my interest.

I really, really wanted to like this book. It seemed like it would be an atmospheric read since it is set in the 1950s (which is when the book was originally written), featured a ghost, and was set in an antique book shop. I was also excited to read a novel by an "Uncrowned Queen of Crime."

However, I just couldn't quite get into it. For one, at the beginning, it seemed like it was just a list of people leaving the book shop, and it was difficult to keep them all straight. I also felt like sometimes the dialogue was only there to give a laundry list of alibis and speculation about the crime, which made it a bit of a slog. I didn't feel there was a lot of character development. Sometimes I felt like the characters did things that made no sense (I'm looking at you, Fred). At no time did I ever feel that anyone actually suspected a ghost, which meant it never really had that is there/isn't there quality that can add to the atmosphere of the book. And though I wasn't reading it for the "romance," I didn't feel like that was very developed either. (As a side note, it's definitely a product of the times as far as gender roles and ideas.)

All in all, I was a little disappointed with it. That being said, I thought the idea of it was very interesting, but I just don't think I'm the real target audience for it. I think that readers who are Agatha Christie fans will enjoy it.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a review copy in exchange for honest feedback.

3 ½ stars really. Had a few misgivings before I started as I have recently read ‘Answer in the Negative’ and was tempted to give up. Quite convoluted and not that interesting. Fortunately, this was not the case here. Maybe because it is the first in the Heldar series when Sally & Johnny get together. A bit dated but I do generally enjoy these classic period crime stories. A short, easy and enjoyable read. Set in the closed set of a London antiquarian booksellers in the 1950s. Certainly improved my knowledge of antiquarian book terminology. Plot involved a lot of running up and downstairs.
Thanks to Netgalley.

On the plus side this was an engaging read. The. characters were well defined and, apart from the villain, empathetic. The police are treated respectfully . It’s a variation on a locked door mystery with appropriate twists and turns and lines of enquiry. The romantic interest is handles subtly, hovering in the background rather than taking over the narrative. I liked the sleuths and enjoyed the world of the post-war antiquarian book trade.

On the negative, the plot was a bit drawn out and the solution a touch ho hum.

I found it an enjoyable read and was drawn into its world. I’d read more by the author - but I am a bit of a Golden Age Crime tragic. If I could I’d give it about 3.75 stars.

The clock in the antiquarian bookstore strikes five – and within the next 45 minutes or so covered in Chapter One of The Two Hundred Ghost, by Henrietta Hamilton, most of the employees (personalities and appearances deftly sketched) come to our notice; the thoroughly dislikeable Victor Butcher forces unwanted attentions on fellow staff member Sally Merton, and bullies a lower-status employee who suffers what would today be termed PTSD; the typically sensible typist Lisa is terrified by the sight of a ghost; we learn of the murder on the premises, more than a century earlier, that allegedly led to several decades of hauntings.

A scream in the next chapter announces the discovery the next morning of Butcher’s corpse in his own office, a commando knife in his back. The police arrive and begin a competent but largely off-scene investigation; readers follow the unfolding of events through the amateur sleuthing of Sally and bookstore junior partner Johnny Heldar.

Sally and Johnny are a likeable duo: not deeply characterized, but intelligent, kind-hearted, and with an obvious affection for one another which remains unspoken until almost the end of the book.

Who killed Butcher, and with what motive? And how, if at all, is the ghost sighting related? No one among the bookstore employees mourns his death; most had ample reason to dislike him; one is so glad at his death that she exults within the hearing of a police officer. The initial investigation focuses heavily on bookstore staff; Sally and Johnny are significantly slower than the reader to realize that instances of unexpected behavior from certain regular customers may suggest that Butcher was implicated in serious professional misconduct. I am unsure whether Hamilton did or did not intend for readers to be ahead of the sleuths in this respect.

As one would expect from the title of the book, the ghost sighting does indeed relate to Butcher’s murder. When Sally and Johnny discover the explanation of the ghost, they also discover the murderer. Conveniently, though not very plausibly, they make their way through a hidden passage just at the right time to hear the murderer explain the details of his crime to an accessory.

Although such weaknesses in the plot lead me to rate this book with 4 instead of 5 stars, I enjoyed it sufficiently that I hope to read Hamilton’s subsequent three books featuring Sally and Johnny.


Agora Books provided me with an advance copy of The Two Hundred Ghost; I appreciate this opportunity to read and review another new offering in their Uncrowned Queens of Crime releases.

The Two Hundred Ghost was first published in 1956 and is the first book in Henrietta Hamilton’s Johnny and Sally Heldar mystery series. The unusual title refers to 200 Charing Cross Road, the address of the antiquarian bookshop in London which is owned by Johnny Heldar’s family and said to be haunted by a ghost. Sally Merton is one of the booksellers in the shop; she is not yet married to Johnny when we first meet her and has been attracting some unwelcome attention from one of the male employees, Victor Butcher. Mr Butcher is an unpleasant bully, disliked by everybody who knows him, so when he is found dead in his office with a knife in his back, there are plenty of suspects…including the ghost, which is sighted in the building shortly before the murder takes place!

This is a very short novel and the plot moves along at a steady pace, making it a quick and easy read; although, as with the other Hamilton novel I read (Answer in the Negative), I felt that there was a bit of repetition surrounding discussions of alibis, timing of events and layouts of rooms, this one has a better balance between these technical aspects of mystery-solving and the more ‘human’ aspects, such as motives and personalities. I didn’t guess who the murderer was, but I don’t think the author was unfairly holding back information from the reader and it may have been possible to solve the mystery if you were paying more attention than I was and didn’t miss any clues!

Henrietta Hamilton (a pseudonym of Hester Denne Shepherd) worked in a London bookshop in the years following World War II and had personal experience of selling antiquarian books, which gives the novel a feeling of authenticity. Bookselling is not just a background to the novel, but an important part of the plot, and the author’s knowledge and interest in ‘incunabula’ (early printed books) comes through very strongly.

I was pleased to find that Sally plays a bigger part in the investigations in this book than she did in Answer in the Negative and makes some important discoveries which prove to be turning points in the mystery – although, remembering that it was written in the 1950s, there’s always a sense that Johnny feels the need to protect her because she’s a woman. Still, both Johnny and Sally are characters who are easy to like and to care about; it was nice to get to know them before they were married and to see their relationship develop (although it does so quite subtly and their romance is only one small part of the story). Having enjoyed this book, I would like to meet the Heldars again – luckily, there are another two books in the series and I’m hoping they will be reissued soon too!

This was like an early Christmas present.
Set in the world of an established and traditional Antiquarian Book Shop, it will be a delightful read for anyone who loves books. The location reminded me of the many antiquated bookshops in buildings across several floors and properties, where I have spent many hours and I searched the many selves. I bring to mind shops,like a treasured one in Carnforth.
Well the publishers have done the work for us in republishing forgotten authors and titles from the previous century.
Thank you!
Also no little praise should be offered to Sophie Hannah a knowledgable writer with a passion for such books. Her introduction makes one want to read on and discover a “new” author.
Originally published in 1956 the decade I was born into, this is the first of a series of mysteries in and around the world of books by Henrietta Hamilton. The author’s real name is Hester Denne Shepherd but that was no greater help as I had never come across either name throughout my whole life of loving crime fiction. It seems a shame having cut my teeth on Agatha Christie’s mysteries as a teenager, other worthwhile books went unknown for lack of publication. At a time when books were books and no-one dreamed you could read one on a phone!

This classic 50’s period murder mystery is a wonderful throwback to a less complicated time, when a physical copy of a book was almost priceless but as one character finds out for themselves, perhaps not worth dying for.

At a time when you may think plot and dialogue were more predictable, I found to the contrary as this is both an engaging and complex thriller. The dutiful police have a number of suspects, but an arrest appears almost a crime solved, a guilty verdict at trial and a future appointment with the hangman.

Strange times but a fascinating and quite engrossing read I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish.
The book throws up an unlikely sleuthing duo. An anxious but thoughtful sales assistant Sally, and one of her bosses Johnny Heldar. They make an interesting pairing who talk and plan actions to resolve the case.
I loved the atmosphere; an old book perhaps but original in a number of ways. Misdirection, Withholding evidence, Lying to the Police and an official enquiry that reader’s have no insight into.

I also liked the layered plot of stolen books; poor alibis and loose motives among several players. Having a victim who no-one likes is an author’s delight I feel.
An old book is found in the shop telling of the haunted premises where the ghost may have reappeared and perhaps is involved in the new case. This is a clever subplot and is also cleverly constructed bringing uncertainty and a possible link to the present crime.

I think reading should be about balance and learning from the past can help us all appreciate better what we have now and perhaps treasure books even more.
See what you think!

This is the first book in the series and the second one I have read. I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love that Sally has just as much to add to the solving of the mystery as Johnny, sometimes even more. Considering when this was written, that is noteworthy. I can always count on my female golden age mystery writers to include, strong, intelligent females characters that don’t sacrifice their femininity in the process. I also enjoyed the other members of the Heldar family and staff. The family unity and quiet wisdom of the older members was so refreshing.

Now onto the mystery itself. As is very common in this genre, the victim was so incredibly unlikeable that suspects abounded. I like how they just followed the evidence, without the benefit of modern technology. The ending did have a little bit of a pat “just in the nick of time” aspect to it, but it’s to be forgiven. The ending was so satisfying that it didn’t affect my overall enjoyment of it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Agora Books for providing a copy of this book in return for a fair and honest review.

A Classic Golden-Age British Cozy Murder Mystery in a Bookstore -- Just My Cuppa Tea!

This cozy mystery was just my cuppa tea. Sally Merton, an employee at Heldar's Antiquarian Books at 200 Charing Cross Road, London, teams up with her boss, Johnny Heldar, to solve multiple mysteries: a resident ghost, the murder of an unpleasant employee, stolen and missing books, all mixed with a sweet 1950’s style romance. Great fun. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

The foreword by Sophie Hannah, 'The Mystery of Underrated Crime Writers', was a great addition..

A haunted London bookstore, a missing manuscript, an unpleasant murdered man, and a budding romance. Just some of the ingredients of this entertaining golden-age mystery (first published in 1956). The first mystery featuring the rather engaging Sally and Johnny as amateur detectives. Very enjoyable.

"The Two Hundred Ghost," first published in 1956, is the first of four mysteries by Henrietta Hamilton. The setting is an antiquarian bookshop at 200 Charing Cross (hence the title) owned and operated by the Heldar family. Sally Merton is employed by the Heldars to catalog and index requests from customers. The day after an altercation with a coworker, he is found stabbed to death, and she investigates, to clear not only her name, but the names of her fellow employees. Adding to the confusion is the resident ghost, who has appeared twice, including the day of the murder.

Johnny Heldar is a partner in the firm, and assists Sally with her sleuthing. He's a refreshingly modern man, and treats Sally as a (mostly) equal partner. Readers will enjoy their blossoming romance as well as the mystery.

The victim is Butcher, an employee who would meet with customers making special purchases. He verbally abuses his coworkers, and makes advances to Sally, leading to the aforementioned altercation. Butcher is also not above a bit of blackmail, and is a nasty bit of work. Readers may guess the basic motive for the crime fairly quickly, but the 'who' will elude them for longer.

The antiquarian book business has obviously changed since the novel's publication in 1956, but the desire to own unique items hasn't. There was a nice section where the business was explained to an American customer, which was educational without being pedantic. The "foreigners" were a bit stereotypical, but that's the only quibble I have with this book.

Agora Books have also republished "Answer in the Negative," the last book in the series. While I enjoyed that one, I wish they had republished "The Two Hundred Ghost" first, as I feel it's more enjoyable. I recommend both for anyone who enjoys post-Golden Age mysteries.

I received a free copy from Crime Classic Review Library and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first in the series of books by Henrietta Hamilton, her characters are mainly set around Johnny Heldar and Sally Merton before she became Johnny’s wife. The mystery is set in the bookshop where they are both working, Sally is front of shop and Johnny is one of the family who own the bookshop, There is one member of staff that nobody likes, Mr Butcher, he is rude, a bully and touches the female staff inappropriately, one evening he touches Sally and says something inappropriate and one of the other staff members hears it and tells Butcher to keep his hands and his opinions to himself, the next day Butcher is found stabbed to death in his office. Scotland Yard are called to investigate and all the staff are under suspicion, can Sally and Johnny get to the bottom of the mystery before the police charge the wrong person.

‘It’s murder, that’s wot it is.’

In London during the 1950s, the Heldar family have an antiquarian bookshop at 200 Charing Cross Road. It is an old building and is rumoured to have its own ghost. And, after an absence, the ghost reappears and is seen by several staff. Some of them are nervous as a consequence, but not Sally Merton. She is much more concerned about the unwelcome advances being made by her colleague, Victor Butcher.

But when Victor Butcher is found dead at his desk, stabbed in the back, there is no shortage of potential suspects. Butcher was not much liked by his colleagues and several them had had unpleasant confrontations with him. And the knife that killed him belonged to a Heldar family member.

Who killed Victor Butcher, and why?

The police have a few lines of inquiry while Sally Merton and Johnny Heldar join forces in an investigation of their own. The police are convinced that someone associated with the shop is involved: could it be one of the staff he bullied or the owner of the knife? Or someone else?

Ms Hamilton provides plenty of motives for the reader to consider as well as potential opportunities. In the meantime, the world of antiquarian bookselling is brought to life. There is an additional mystery as well, involving antiquarian books being stolen from other shops.

I enjoyed this novel, which was first published in 1956. I liked the way the various strands were woven together and learned a little about antiquarian books along the way. A very satisfying cozy mystery.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Agora Books for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

"The Two Hundred Ghost" by Henrietta Hamilton refers to the alleged ghost haunting Heldars' Antiquarian Books at Two Hundred Charing Cross Road in London. One of the office "girls" (written in 1956 so all the women are "girls") has seen and been frightened by the ghost. Mr. Butcher, who also works at Heldars, has pulled mean pranks like this in the past, and taunts and sexually harasses his co-workers. Is he behind this sighting? Before anyone can find out, he's stabbed in the back. No one mourns him; but, unfortunately, several of his co-workers now fall under suspicion of murder. Sally Merton also works in the bookshop and secretly likes junior partner Johnny Heldar. They team up to investigate the crime and hopefully prove no one at Heldars killed Butcher. As a sub-plot, there have been multiple thefts of valuable antique books from other bookstores; but there's no apparent link between them and the murder. This is an entertaining cozy mystery and the first among several where Sally and Johnny investigate crimes. It's a product of its time. Sally is agog that Johnny can cook--he opens a can of soup and gasp washes the dishes!

The book was first published in 1956. It has been reprinted by Agora Books on .
The story revolves around Heldar’s bookshop located at 200, Charing Cross, London. It deals in antiquarian books. It is owned and managed by the Heldar family consisting of 80 year old Father William Heldar, his nephew Charles, his grandson Johnny and his great-nephew Tim.
There is a legend that the building is inhabited by a ghost. But it has not been seen for a long time till now. First the typist Betty sights it and a week later, another typist Liza sees it.
There is an employee Butcher whose behavior is unpleasant and offensive. He is disliked by most of the other employees. It is suspected that he is impersonating the ghost as a prank.
The morning after the sighting of the ghost by Liza, Butcher is found murdered at his desk, stabbed on the back with a knife that belongs to Tim. He was actually killed the previous evening. Since Butcher is hated by most, there is no dearth of suspects.
There is also the problem of recent thefts of antiquarian books from other shops which add to the mystery.
The police investigate the case and arrest Tim.
There is a clerk Sally Merton in the shop with whom Johnny has a romantic relationship. The duo Johnny and Sally decide to investigate the case on their own since they believe that Tim is innocent. They are finally able to find the real culprit and also solve the mystery of the thefts.
It is an agreeable, enjoyable read, though nothing brilliant. There is a vivid depiction of life in an antiquarian bookshop. However, there is a lot of repetition which often slows down the pace. I rate it 3 stars.

I have read and reviewed another book by this author, but when I sat down with this one, I realised I had not done any research. I was a little perplexed with the narrator being Sally Merton. I thought she was undercover since the previous book had her happily married, and here she was single. It took me almost till the end of the first chapter to figure that this preceded the other that I read! Now, I rated them both the same on Goodreads, but I think this is better than the other.


Sally is a diligent employee of an antique book dealership. She works late and is fending off the advances of a boorish higher-up when others come to her rescue. During the initial narrative, we are smoothly provided all the required details of everyone who make up the ‘world’ of the book. Once the death occurs, Sally is thrown right in because she holds some salient facts to herself before the Police come by it on their own accord. As one after another people she likes and trusts are accused, she strives to find the solution. She is not alone in this, Jhonny, one of the bosses, helps her. Their romance is so sweet that I almost switched my focus on to them from the mystery. There is so little time spent in building up and describing their budding relationship, despite which it came to the forefront pretty strongly. I know they are married by the next book, but even if I did not have that info, I would have ‘shipped’ them.
The mystery itself was straightforward, and I did not guess the culprit this time around. I followed the thought process of our lead pair and arrived at a conclusion at the same time as them. Truthfully speaking, they did not completely solve the mystery since the villain reveals themself. Sally and Johnny were pretty close, and they worked intelligently on the case, and I have to give them (and the author) the credit for it.
I enjoyed the read, it was short and interesting throughout. My mind did not drift, and I read it in almost one stretch. I hope there are more releases from this series in the future.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.

I received an ARC of the reprint thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Henrietta Hamilton's endearing debut novel introduces us to the bookshop at Two Hundred Charing Cross Road which specializes in antiquarian books and incunabula. For generations the shop has been owned by the Heldar family.
One of the strengths of the novel is the poignant way in which the management and staff of the shop interact. It is the mid '50s and a way of life now extinct to us is beautifully drawn.
Johnny Heldar and Sally return in further mysteries and I can't wait to read them. Agora books have once again found an almost forgotten classic and I can't recommend reading it highly enough.

This is the first book of Henrietta Hamilton's 1950s British crime series where Sally and Johnny become interested in each other. It's an excellent story with suspense and excitement.

Sally Merton works at Heldar's Antiquarian Books in London at 200 Charing Cross Road. There is an old rumor that there is a ghost in the building. Butcher, one of the men working in the company is not very well liked by the female employees. One afternoon he came into the store to hit on Sally and got a little closer than she liked. Fred, who works packing in the basement told Butcher to get his hands off her. Butcher was very angry with Fred for interupting.

Later, one of the typists, Little Liza, gives a scream when seeing the ghost. The next morning shortly after Sally came into work, she heard another scream. Mrs. Brand had discovered Butcher dead in his office with a knife in his back. The knife belonged to Tim, the son of one of the Heldars, who was home from the university. The knife had gone missing the previous evening. It also comes out that someone else discovered the murder the previous evening, and the ghost showed again. The police arrive and begin questioning everyone. That afternoon, Sally goes to make tea, smells gas, and finds Fred with his head in the oven. It appears he thinks the police think he had something to do with the murder since he had had an altercation with the murdered man. Johnny Heldar takes care to see that Sally gets home okay and has someone watching over her. Then, he begins asking her to lunch and to dinner.

Sally and Johnny Heldar begin investigating on their own, especially when Scotland Yard names Tim as the prime suspect. When Tim is arrested, Sally and Johnny really have to find the real culprit to get Tim out of jail. First they find a very valuable book has been stolen from a competitor, and then they realize that some of their books have gone missing, and somehow Butcher could be responsible. They wonder if the missing books are related to the murder? Can the solve the whole mystery before Tim goes to trial?

I thank Crime Classics, Agora Books, and Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

A ghost story, a murder mystery, and a bit of old school romance? Yes, please. When a murder happens at the antiquarian bookshop where young Sally works, she and her charming boss Johnny must use their sleuthing skills to clear the names of their friends and discover the identity of the real murderer.

A fun little romp of a story, very much a product of its time (the 1950s), this whodunit reads a bit like Nancy Drew for grownups. There's nothing especially deep here, and certainly nothing frightening, but this story is a nice bit of light crime solving that can be read in a day or two.

This book is apparently the first in a series of four about the adventures of Sally and Johnny, though it seems that currently only the first and fourth books are widely available. The Two Hundred Ghost was first published in 1956 and the recent reprint is part of Agora Books’ Uncrowned Queens of Crime series. I hope they print all the books in the series.

Sally Merton is working in an antiquarian bookshop at 200 Charing Cross road.
It is an old building and the rumor is that there is a ghost due to a murder long ago.
It seems the ghost has returned and is seen by some of the employees.
Sally is fond of her job in the Heldar family’s shop, but not of the rude, inappropriate
mr. Butcher.
He is not very popular and is later found stabbed in his office and Scotland Yard is called.
Sally and Johnny Heldar (junior partner) start their own investigation to solve the murder
and the ghost story.
I enjoyed reading this novel very much.
It is a novel from the Golden Age of Detective Fiction published in the “Uncrowned Queens
of Crime Series”. The setting in an antiquarian bookshop is interesting and the various
people employed there are described very well, and the plot was exciting.
It was a great reunion with Sally and Johnny, who also solved the murder case in
Answer in the Negative.
Both novels were kindly given to me by Agora Books via NetGalley.