The Secret of High Eldersham

Author: Miles Burton
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
ISBN: 1464205841
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 276

Book Description
Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder "First published in 1930, this entry in the British Library Crime Classics series evokes a time when stouthearted chaps did their duty for king and country, and the village had only one telephone." —Publishers Weekly 'They're terrible mistrustful of strangers in these parts.' Samuel Whitehead, landlord of the Rose and Crown, is a stranger in the lonely East Anglian village of High Eldersham. When the newcomer is stabbed to death in his pub, and Scotland Yard is called to the scene, it seems that the veil dividing High Eldersham from the outside world is about to be lifted. Detective-Inspector Young forms a theory about the case so utterly impossible that merely entertaining the suspicion makes him doubt his own sanity. Surrounded by sinister forces beyond his understanding, and feeling the need of rational assistance, he calls on a brilliant amateur and 'living encyclopedia', Desmond Merrion. Soon Merrion falls for the charms of a young woman in the village, Mavis Owerton. But does Mavis know more about the secrets of the village than she is willing to admit? Burton's best novels are fast-paced and crisply told, and The Secret of High Eldersham—which uncovers ancient secrets in sleepy rural England—is among the most entertaining of all his crime stories.

The Secret of High Eldersham

Author: Cecil John Charles Street
Publisher: DigiCat
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 215

Book Description

Death in the Tunnel

Author: Miles Burton
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
ISBN: 1464205825
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 232

Book Description
Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder "This offering in the British Library Crime Classics series is part of a popular subgenre of the time, called the 'railway murder mystery.' The train setting was ideal for encasing a wide variety of people in one place, giving them myriad chances for meetings and murder." —Booklist On a dark November evening, Sir Wilfred Saxonby is travelling alone in the 5 o'clock train from Cannon Street, in a locked compartment. The train slows and stops inside a tunnel; and by the time it emerges again minutes later, Sir Wilfred has been shot dead, his heart pierced by a single bullet. Suicide seems to be the answer, even though no reason can be found. Inspector Arnold of Scotland Yard thinks again when he learns that a mysterious red light in the tunnel caused the train to slow down. Finding himself stumped by the puzzle, Arnold consults his friend Desmond Merrion, a wealthy amateur expert in criminology. To Merrion it seems that the dead man fell victim to a complex conspiracy—but the investigators are puzzled about the conspirators' motives, as well as their identities. Can there be a connection with Sir Wilfred's seemingly untroubled family life, his highly successful business, or his high-handed and unforgiving personality? And what is the significance of the wallet found on the corpse, and the bank notes that it contained?

Masters of the "Humdrum" Mystery

Author: Curtis Evans
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786490896
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 310

Book Description
In 1972, in an attempt to elevate the stature of the "crime novel," influential crime writer and critic Julian Symons cast numerous Golden Age detective fiction writers into literary perdition as "Humdrums," condemning their focus on puzzle plots over stylish writing and explorations of character, setting and theme. This volume explores the works of three prominent British "Humdrums"--Cecil John Charles Street, Freeman Wills Crofts, and Alfred Walter Stewart--revealing their work to be more complex, as puzzles and as social documents, than Symons allowed. By championing the intrinsic merit of these mystery writers, the study demonstrates that reintegrating the "Humdrums" into mystery genre studies provides a fuller understanding of the Golden Age of detective fiction and its aftermath.

Trent's Last Case

Author: E. C. Bentley
Publisher: House of Stratus
ISBN: 075511583X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 241

Book Description
A scheming American capitalist is found dead in the garden of his country house. Why is the dead man not wearing his false teeth and why is his young widow seemingly relieved at his death? 'The Lady in Black', has a disarming effect on the refreshingly fallible and imaginative Trent, in this classic detective story that twists and turns.

The Secret of High Eldersham

Author: Cecil John Charles Street
Publisher: Good Press
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 222

Book Description
'The Secret of High Eldersham' by Cecil Street is a thrilling detective novel that kicks off the Desmond Merrion series. Set in the quaint village of Eldersham, a pub manager is brutally murdered, leaving behind a perplexing case with no leads or motives. As a Scotland Yard detective struggles to uncover the truth, peculiar occurrences grip the village, with even a voodoo doll making an appearance. With the help of his resourceful friend Desmond Merrion, secrets are unearthed, revealing a web of wartime connections, forbidden love, and dangerous clandestine activities. Prepare for a relentless rollercoaster of suspense, as old religious rituals, drug smuggling, and personal vendettas intertwine to create an electrifying puzzle that will keep you guessing until the final revelation.

Scarweather

Author: Anthony Rolls
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
ISBN: 1464207410
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 560

Book Description
Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder "Readers will be rewarded with a suspenseful read, rich in setting; characters; details about WWI and its aftermath; and a horrific resolution worthy of Hitchcock." —Booklist 'My friend Ellingham has persuaded me to reveal to the public the astounding features of the Reisby case. As a study in criminal aberration it is, he tells me, of particular interest, while in singularity of horror and in perversity of ingenious method it is probably unique.' 1913. John Farringdale, with his cousin Eric Foster, visits the famous archaeologist Tolgen Reisby. At Scarweather—Reisby's lonely house on the windswept northern coast of England—Eric is quickly attracted to Reisby's much younger wife, and matters soon take a dangerous turn. Fifteen years later, the final scene of the drama is enacted. This unorthodox novel from 1934 is by a gifted crime writer who, wrote Dorothy L. Sayers, 'handles his characters like a "real" novelist and the English language like a "real" writer—merits which are still, unhappily, rarer than they should be in the ranks of the murder specialists.'

Murder of a Lady

Author: Anthony Wynne
Publisher:
ISBN: 9789385285899
Category : Detective and mystery stories, English
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description

The Venner Crime

Author: John Rhode
Publisher: Open Road Media
ISBN: 1504072790
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 265

Book Description
The “astute and sharp-spoken” crime-solving professor must find out if a missing man got away with murder (The New York Times). After some initial suspicion, the death of Ernest Venner’s wealthy uncle was attributed to natural causes—a simple infection. But Dr. Lancelot Priestley and his crime-solving companions find it intriguing, to say the least, that as soon as Venner collected his much-needed inheritance, he vanished into the wind. Digging into the disappearance, though, will lead Priestley to some dangerous places, in this suspenseful Golden Age mystery featuring the scientifically minded sleuth . . .

The Essential Mystery Lists

Author: Roger M Sobin
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press Inc
ISBN: 1615952039
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 591

Book Description
For the first time in one place, Roger M. Sobin has compiled a list of nominees and award winners of virtually every mystery award ever presented. He has also included many of the “best of” lists by more than fifty of the most important contributors to the genre.; Mr. Sobin spent more than two decades gathering the data and lists in this volume, much of that time he used to recheck the accuracy of the material he had collected. Several of the “best of” lists appear here for the first time in book form. Several others have been unavailable for a number of years.; Of special note, are Anthony Boucher’s “Best Picks for the Year.” Boucher, one of the major mystery reviewers of all time, reviewed for The San Francisco Chronicle, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, and The New York Times. From these resources Mr. Sobin created “Boucher’s Best” and “Important Lists to Consider,” lists that provide insight into important writing in the field from 1942 through Boucher’s death in 1968.? This is a great resource for all mystery readers and collectors.; ; Winner of the 2008 Macavity Awards for Best Mystery Nonfiction.