In March 1981 author-critic (
Mortal Consequences/Bloody Murder, etc.) and then-Detection Club president
Julian Symons (1912–94) delivered a lecture on "
The Mystique of the Detective Story" at the Vancouver Institute, contrasting modern works with those of the Golden Age. He gave a humorous precis of a typical English country-house mystery and emphasized "the power of reason" in Golden Age mysteries. Symons discussed the work of
Patricia Highsmith, noting, "Ripley is the horrific modern counterpart of [
E. W. Hornung's] Raffles."
He also dealt with the mysteries of
P.D. James and
Ruth Rendell as well as his own books. "Whatever its merits may be, [the crime story] does begin and end as sensational literature," he stated. He mentioned his admiration for
George V. Higgins, as well as
Maj Sjowall and
Per Wahloo, and critiqued
John Creasey. Symons considered
Nicholas Blake (aka Cecil Day-Lewis) as one writer who bridged Golden Age and modern mysteries.
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