Malice Aforethought

Malice Aforethought
Malice Aforethought  
Author(s) Anthony Berkeley
writing as Francis Iles
Country England
Language English
Genre(s) Crime novel
Publisher Gollancz
Publication date 1931
Media type Print (Hardcover and Paperback)
ISBN N/A
Followed by Before the Fact

Malice Aforethought (1931) is a murder mystery novel written by Anthony Berkeley Cox, using the pen name Francis Iles. It involves a Devon physician who slowly poisons his domineering wife so that he may be with the woman he loves. It is an early and prominent example of the "inverted detective story", invented by R. Austin Freeman some years earlier. The murderer's identity is revealed in the first line of the novel, which gives the reader insight into the workings of his mind as his plans progress. It also shows how the crime is investigated and how a case is developed by the police to the point of prosecution.

The novel was adapted as a four-part television mini-series by the BBC in 1979.[1] This version was later featured in the U.S. PBS series, Mystery!, introduced by Vincent Price. Another adaptation was produced by Granada Television and broadcast on ITV in 2005. It, too, has been shown on Mystery!.

References


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • malice aforethought — see malice Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996. malice aforethought …   Law dictionary

  • Malice aforethought — malice mal ice (m[a^]l [i^]s), n. [F. malice, fr. L. malitia, from malus bad, ill, evil, prob. orig., dirty, black; cf. Gr. me las black, Skr. mala dirt. Cf. {Mauger}.] 1. Enmity of heart; malevolence; ill will; a spirit delighting in harm or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Malice Aforethought (TV) — For the legal concept, see Malice aforethought. For the novel, see Malice Aforethought. Malice Aforethought DVD Cover Format Drama …   Wikipedia

  • Malice aforethought — For the novel, see Malice Aforethought. Criminal law …   Wikipedia

  • malice aforethought — See with malice aforethought …   Ballentine's law dictionary

  • malice aforethought — Law. a predetermination to commit an unlawful act without just cause or provocation (applied chiefly to cases of first degree murder). Also called malice prepense. [1660 70] * * * …   Universalium

  • malice aforethought — noun The criminal intent which precedes a crime, especially murder …   Wiktionary

  • malice aforethought — noun Law the intention to kill or harm, which distinguishes murder from unlawful killing …   English new terms dictionary

  • malice aforethought — mal′ice afore′thought n. law a predetermination to commit an unlawful act without just cause or provocation. Also called mal′ice prepense′ • Etymology: 1660–70 …   From formal English to slang

  • malice aforethought — noun (law) criminal intent; the thoughts and intentions behind a wrongful act (including knowledge that the act is illegal); often at issue in murder trials • Syn: ↑mens rea • Topics: ↑law, ↑jurisprudence • Hypernyms: ↑planning …   Useful english dictionary

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