The Mammoth Book of Great Detective Stories

by Herbert van Thal (Editor)

Now expanded to include in one volume four complete collections of detective stories compiled by the master anthologist Herbert van Thal, this extraordinarily popular Mammoth Book adds nine more tales by major mystery writers to its suspenseful pages. Joining such classic authors of the detective tale as Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Dulcie Gray, Christianna Brand, June Thomson, G. K. Chesterton, E. C. Bentley, Michael Innes, Georges Simenon, and Raymond Chandler, along with nineteenth-century forebears like William Wilkie Collins, are such eminent names in the field as Ellery Queen, John Wainwright, Antonia Fraser, and P. D. James. New to this volume, too, are taut, literate tales of criminal intent and murderous purpose like Lawrence Trent's "B as in Bludgeon," Elwyn Jones's "To Protect the Innocent," F. Tennyson Jesse's "Lot's Wife," Sir Basil Thomson's "The Hanover Court Murder Case," and Hulbert Footner's "The King of the Gigolos." Accompany the sleuths in these engaging and challenging tales as they seek the key to the mystery -- some of them with superior intelligence, others with dogged determination, an overactive curiosity, or intuitive brilliance -- and as they crack "The Moabite Cipher" of R. August Freeman or solve "The Mystery of the Child's Toy" by Leslie Charteris or discover what "The Judge Corroborates" by J. S. Fletcher. You'll be continually, chillingly, and amply riveted.

Genres: Mystery, Short Stories, Fiction, Anthologies

800 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Herbert Maurice van Thal (1904-1983), known as Bertie van Thal, was a British bookseller, publisher, agent, biographer, and anthologist.

Reviews

[Princessjay · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 STARS

An enjoyable anthology mostly filled with older stories of one Great Detective or another. The better ones have their own quirks and history, twists and turns, and just high-quality writing. A great majority are located in a melodramatic world, or whimsical world, very different from more recent stories that tend to be more firmly grounded in reality. Some of my favorites are:

-THE SCAPEGOAT--Christianna Brand: melodrama, lots of twists, and illustration of human psychology through the Freudian lens that was so popular at that time;
-THE RUBBER TRUMPET--Roy Vickers: Elmore Leonard-type shenanigans narrated by an ironic jane Austen voice, a great combination;
-THE CAVE OF ALI BABA--Dorothy L. Sayers: Lord Wimsey navigating James Bond's world;
-SUPERINTENDENT WILSON'S HOLIDAY--Margaret Cole: a very fair story about murder by a cliffside that the reader could solve along with the detective;
-THE BITER BIT--Wilkie Collins: I typically have no patience for Victorian writing, but in this epistolary story Wilkie Collins is having fun playing a silly amateur detective with some no-nonsense policemen, and also, shenanigans;
-WE KNOW YOU'RE BUSY WRITING--Edmund Crispin: Don't interrupt a debt-ridden writer trying to complete his job, even the mildest of British men has a limit; the actual writing, turns of phrases, etc, are hilarious;
-MURDER!--Arnold Bennett: the tale of someone who did get away with it;
-THE EYE OF APOLLO--G.K. Chesterton: Father Brown being a little gray mouse as drab as melodramatically possible, versus a golden New Priest of Apollo;
-THE WOMAN IN THE BIG HAT--Baroness Orczy: A ladylike but powerful and respected female Great Detective!
-THE GIRL WITH THE RED-GOLD HAIR--June Thomas: well-written and empathetic;
-THE EVIDENCE OF THE ALTAR BOY--George Simenon: Inspector Maigret solves a case while feverish in bed, sneaking pipe smoking and a sip of run whenever his wife's back's turned.

[Jendi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mixed bag of genteel British mystery stories from the Agatha Christie era. The elegant language and period detail are enjoyable even in those stories whose ending feels contrived. Only about half of them were really memorable. Favorites: HRF Keating, Georges Simenon, Raymond Chandler, Leslie Charteris, GK Chesterton.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Massive and a good variety. You might not like every story but I'm sure there's something for everyone here

[Adam Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice hodgepodge of crime and detective fiction from the early part of the 20th Century. It's a nice sampler of various authors. Some stories worked for me better than others and I'd really rather it hadn't included stories that were really about crimes and murder with no detective.

[Cameron Trost · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is undeniably a mammoth book, but it was lacking in truly great detective stories; you know what I mean, the kind that focus on a mystery and provide clues which will enable the astute and imaginative reader to have a crack at solving it. With a title like "The Mammoth Book of Great Detective Stories" and a total of twenty-six tales, the mystery fan expects clues, red herrings, and twists and turns galore. In fact, there were only a few captivating tales, so I can't give the anthology more than 2/5 stars overall.
Here are the contributions that I think are worth mentioning:
Margaret Coles' story was the standout murder mystery, including a great setting, clues, and even a map, while Leslie Charteris and Freeman Wills Crofts offered thought-provoking howdunnits, one involving a child's toy and the other a murder on a train. Dulcie Gray and June Thomson provided tales of psychological suspense, exploring the murderous mind, and Dorothy Sayers took us on an action-packed adventure with Lord Peter Wimsey.

Twenty-six

[Sharmistha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This compilation of mostly short stories and some medium length ones written by both known and not-so-known authors would cater to most mystery lovers' taste buds. All the stories are straight forward plot-wise but what makes them delightful are the uncommon investigators and their insightful approaches. While they surely do not rate up to the higher mortals like SH, HP, The Mammoth Book of Great Detective Stories do make an excellent read for night owls who find each mystery story "unputdownable".

[Steven Cooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good collection of older detective stories. None of them were poorly written, although a majority of them copied the "Watson-Holmes" format right down to the professions of the detective and collaborator! Short stories of varying lengths allow for both long and short opportunities to open the book.

[Jane Mackay · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fifth star just because it's such a huge collection of stories.