''How Doth The Little Crocodile?'' was the first of two

murder mystery Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professional detective, of a crime, ...

novels written by twin authors Anthony and

Peter Shaffer Sir Peter Levin Shaffer (; 15 May 1926 – 6 June 2016) was an English playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. He wrote numerous award-winning plays, of which several were adapted into films. Early life Shaffer was born to a Jewish family in L ...

. It featured their eccentric

detective A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads th ...

Mr Verity who also appeared in their other novel ''

Withered Murder ''Withered Murder'' is the third of the collaborations of Anthony Shaffer and Peter Shaffer. The previous two books were published under the pseudonym Peter Antony while this one was published "by A. & P. Shaffer". It was first published by Go ...

''.

History

''How Doth The Little Crocodile?'' was first published in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

by Evans in 1952 in the US by MacMillan in 1957 as part of their "Cock Robin Mystery" books. The first edition by Evans was published under the pseudonym Peter Anthony but this was changed to Anthony & Peter Shaffer by Macmillan. Another change to note is the detective's name goes from Mr Verity in the original to Mr Fathom in the US edition.

Value

Despite several attempts by publishers to have them reprinted, these books are now long out of print and copies in excellent condition can sell for high prices. {{Anthony Shaffer British mystery novels Works published under a pseudonym