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Dr. Sam Johnson #1
Dr. Sam: Johnson, Detector
Nine mystery tales starring lexicographer Dr. Samuel Johnson in "the finest series of historical detective stories ever written" (Ellery Queen).For over two hundred years, devotees of English literature have lost themselves in James Boswell's Life of Johnson, a biography of the great eighteenth-century thinker and writer, chronicling everything from kitchen chemistry experiments to tackling a pickpocket to his legendary investigation of the Cock Lane ghost. But Dr. Sam Johnson was more than a great thinker--he was also a talented sleuth.From the chilling affair of the waxwork cadaver to the thrilling search for the stolen seal of England, the nine cases in this volume show Johnson at his very best--using his legendary intellect to apprehend the worst killers and thieves the era had to offer.Written by Lillian de la Torre, a mystery author with "a finely tuned ear for eighteenth-century prose," these charming stories are so believable, so perfectly in keeping with the Dr. Johnson we know and love, it's hard to believe they aren't true (TheNew York Times).
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1944
46 people are currently reading
110 people want to read
About the author
Lillian de la Torre
41 books7 followersLillian de la Torre was an American novelist and a prolific writer of historical mysteries. Her name is a pseudonym for Lillian de la Torre Bueno McCue.
Her most popular works were in a series of stories she wrote about Samuel Johnson and James Boswell, under the title 'Dr. Sam: Johnson, Detector'. She also wrote numerous books, short stories for Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, reviews for The New York Times Book Review, poetry and plays. She was a President of the Mystery Writers of America.
Her most popular works were in a series of stories she wrote about Samuel Johnson and James Boswell, under the title 'Dr. Sam: Johnson, Detector'. She also wrote numerous books, short stories for Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, reviews for The New York Times Book Review, poetry and plays. She was a President of the Mystery Writers of America.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
June 12, 2017
Dr. Sam Johnson, Detector is a collection of nine stories. To be honest, the mysteries are the weakest part of this book. You get to see Dr Johnson solving crimes and or situations that scared or worried the people who asked for his help. It is all recorded by his biographer Boswell. What makes them interesting for me, though, is how ordinary they are and I'm saying this as a compliment. Every single problem had its down to Earth solution. Plus, the language the author used and various historical details makes this a decent collection of stories.
Dr Johnson will hunt for murderers, kidnappers, highwaymen,, prevent robberies, find stolen or lost jewels, deal with ghosts, save a lady, and even meet a Prince.
ARC received from Open Road Integrated Media via NetGalley
Dr Johnson will hunt for murderers, kidnappers, highwaymen,, prevent robberies, find stolen or lost jewels, deal with ghosts, save a lady, and even meet a Prince.
The Wax-Work CadaverThe rest of the book are Notes on Historical Background in which the author explains the hows and whys and additional three short stories (The Tontine Curse, The Stroke of Thirteen and The Viotti Stradifarius).
The Second Sight of Dr. Sam: Johnson
The Flying Highwayman
The Monboddo Ape Boy
The Manifestations in Mincing Lane
Prince Charlie’s Ruby
The Stolen Christmas Box
The Conveyance of Emelina Grange
The Great Seal of England
ARC received from Open Road Integrated Media via NetGalley
October 18, 2011
"The happiest moments of a man's life are those he spends lying in bed in the morning...'tis when lying in bed in the morning...that a man enjoys the blessings of consciousness, without suffering its inconveniences." This keen observation is one of many sprinkled throughout de la Torre's wonderful book, which certainly set the standard for historical mysteries based on actual characters. The book, the first of several to feature that noted lexicographer Dr. Samuel Johnson and his biographer Boswell, was a forerunner in the field of fact-based mystery and is a delightful read. Each short story follows the great man as he applies his supreme powers of "racionization" to solving complex mysteries, from a King's missing ruby ring to the identity of a spectre haunting the home of a friend. Each story is based in some degree on actual events, which make them all the more plausible and interesting. De la Torre demonstrates a broad knowledge of the times as well as of her characters, creating scenarios that are both believable and entertaining. Anyone with a taste for historical mysteries is certain to enjoy this book.
March 16, 2018
Excellent historical fiction
By Charles van Buren on March 15, 2018
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
Nine delightful, cerebral mysteries which have much more in common with Sherlock Holmes than with Mike Hammer. The stories are related by James Boswell, the real life biographer of Dr. Samuel Johnson. Some are based upon actual events with Johnson and Boswell added by literary license. In all of the stories the language and surroundings ring true to the period. Well done!
By Charles van Buren on March 15, 2018
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
Nine delightful, cerebral mysteries which have much more in common with Sherlock Holmes than with Mike Hammer. The stories are related by James Boswell, the real life biographer of Dr. Samuel Johnson. Some are based upon actual events with Johnson and Boswell added by literary license. In all of the stories the language and surroundings ring true to the period. Well done!
Read
May 9, 2022"Great writers solve murders" is now a sub-genre of its own, and over the years I have seen novels in which everyone from Lord Byron to Jane Austen to Lewis Carroll to Oscar Wilde tries their hand at unravelling a mystery or two. They're always implausible (I would not trust any of the aforementioned people to nab a killer; sorry, guys) and almost invariably bad. But this was delightful. Lillian de la Torre evidently inhabited Dr. Johnson's world for many years and loves it, and him, with her whole heart, and that's the best - perhaps the only - way to go about writing historical fiction. If her Samuel Johnson has a flaw, it's that, well, he doesn't really have any flaws. But, of course, we are seeing him through the worshipful eyes of Boswell, and I guess it is in the nature of the golden age (or immediately post golden age, I guess) detective to be a little too hyper-competent.
July 24, 2020
Short stories aren't my favorite thing to read. It's too easy to finish a story and walk away. You can see that I started this in 2019 and finally finished it in 2020. They are good little mysteries and character is well developed for short stories. That said, none really surprised me. Really, it's more of a period piece.
July 7, 2024
I enjoy Dr Sam
These stories are simple, non violent, not suspenseful. Just clever little bits. I do not know anything about the two main characters except by chance. I’ve never read anything either wrote. But I enjoy Miss de La Torre’s take on them.
These stories are simple, non violent, not suspenseful. Just clever little bits. I do not know anything about the two main characters except by chance. I’ve never read anything either wrote. But I enjoy Miss de La Torre’s take on them.
April 11, 2025
I don't know why, but the writing just didn't connect. The cases seem florid and over complicated. The eighteenth century is a time of romance, gossip, scandal and financial calculation. Holmesian detection feels out of place.
January 26, 2019
Good, not great.
It’s been interesting, but the dialogue is difficult to get through. However, you can get the gist of it as you read.
It’s been interesting, but the dialogue is difficult to get through. However, you can get the gist of it as you read.
August 8, 2023
Very interesting idea and well done. Some of the mysteries were a bit obvious but I enjoyed them all.
October 16, 2024
好几个小故事组成，有一些颇有趣味。
Want to read
September 28, 2018Synopsis: narrated by Boswell who is Dr. Johnson's renowned biographer. Nine short mysteries.
August 9, 2019
Review title: Historical whodunit oddity
This was a random find at the Half Priced Books clearance sale of 2019: a 1946 first edition of a collection of nine short mystery stories solved by Dr. Samuel Johnson written in the style and first person voice of James Boswell his famous biographer. These are not great mysteries, but neither are they unworthy imitators of the original.
Of course, Dr. Johnson for all his many hats never wore a detective's, so these are just fluff, perhaps most inventive in the simple idea of writing Johnson as a detective with Boswell the Watson to his Sherlock Holmes. Indeed, the author seemed to model their relationship after Watson and Holmes at the same time she was writing in the admiring (one might say sycophantic or adoring) style of Boswell trailing in the towering shadow, cast by both his imposing physical stature and vaunted mental dexterity, of the brilliant, argumentative, and inimitable Johnson. While Boswell's Life of Johnson can be uncomfortably fawning, de La Torre casts these stories and their telling in a more light-hearted vein and allows Boswell to poke an occasional jab in the ribs of his subject even as he is solving these mysteries much like Holmes.
While the nine stories are all fictional, each one has an anchor either in a real-life incident from Boswell's biography or a contemporary event which Boswell and Johnson could plausibly have encountered. The author provides a brief explanation of each in a "Notes on Historical Background" section at the back of the book, where she also explains that six of the nine stories were originally published in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, the best known publishing outlet for mid 20th century mystery stories. While Johnson is given reign to perform feats of "ratiocination" equal to Holmes, the stories generally involve an ironic or redemptive twist and steer away from the truly evil or purely vile.
Two interesting notes:
1. On p. 39, the author writes that an old woman native to the western islands of Scotland "redded up" her cottage for her visitors. This is the first time I have seen this expression in writing, even though I heard it many times growing up as it was a common expression used by my mother. According to the webpage
https://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2007/12/reddy-or-not.html:
2. This particular copy has a handwritten note inside the front cover with the date 1946 identifying the name and address of the owner. When I mapped the address "10 Ellerdale Rd. Hampstead" in my GPS it came up as indeed near Hampstead Underground station in London. While this is perfectly plausible and fitting for a book featuring one of the names most closely associated with and known for his deep love of the city, it is a wonder how it ended up at a book sale in Western Pennsylvania seventy years later!
This was a random find at the Half Priced Books clearance sale of 2019: a 1946 first edition of a collection of nine short mystery stories solved by Dr. Samuel Johnson written in the style and first person voice of James Boswell his famous biographer. These are not great mysteries, but neither are they unworthy imitators of the original.
Of course, Dr. Johnson for all his many hats never wore a detective's, so these are just fluff, perhaps most inventive in the simple idea of writing Johnson as a detective with Boswell the Watson to his Sherlock Holmes. Indeed, the author seemed to model their relationship after Watson and Holmes at the same time she was writing in the admiring (one might say sycophantic or adoring) style of Boswell trailing in the towering shadow, cast by both his imposing physical stature and vaunted mental dexterity, of the brilliant, argumentative, and inimitable Johnson. While Boswell's Life of Johnson can be uncomfortably fawning, de La Torre casts these stories and their telling in a more light-hearted vein and allows Boswell to poke an occasional jab in the ribs of his subject even as he is solving these mysteries much like Holmes.
While the nine stories are all fictional, each one has an anchor either in a real-life incident from Boswell's biography or a contemporary event which Boswell and Johnson could plausibly have encountered. The author provides a brief explanation of each in a "Notes on Historical Background" section at the back of the book, where she also explains that six of the nine stories were originally published in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, the best known publishing outlet for mid 20th century mystery stories. While Johnson is given reign to perform feats of "ratiocination" equal to Holmes, the stories generally involve an ironic or redemptive twist and steer away from the truly evil or purely vile.
Two interesting notes:
1. On p. 39, the author writes that an old woman native to the western islands of Scotland "redded up" her cottage for her visitors. This is the first time I have seen this expression in writing, even though I heard it many times growing up as it was a common expression used by my mother. According to the webpage
https://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2007/12/reddy-or-not.html:
The terms “redd” and “redd up” came to the American Midlands with the many Scottish immigrants who settled there, according to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (4th ed.).
The word “redd” is still used in Scotland (and Northern Ireland), the dictionary says, and it’s especially common in Pennsylvania in the expression “redd up.”
Anyone who lives in Pittsburgh is familiar with the term. The city’s annual campaign against litter is called “Let’s Redd Up Pittsburgh.”
But you don’t have to be from Pennsylvania to redd up. The residents of the Shetland Islands, off northern Scotland, call their annual cleanup “Da Voar Redd Up” (“The Spring Clean Up”).
2. This particular copy has a handwritten note inside the front cover with the date 1946 identifying the name and address of the owner. When I mapped the address "10 Ellerdale Rd. Hampstead" in my GPS it came up as indeed near Hampstead Underground station in London. While this is perfectly plausible and fitting for a book featuring one of the names most closely associated with and known for his deep love of the city, it is a wonder how it ended up at a book sale in Western Pennsylvania seventy years later!
June 16, 2017
Lillian de la Torre's historical mystery series Dr. Sam: Johnson, Detector are being republished by Open Road Media. I could not pass up the chance to read about a fictional Dr. Johnson as a solver of mysteries.
Born in 1709, Dr. Johnson is best known for creating the first English dictionary and for his novel Rasselas.
His young friend Boswell. whom he met in 1763, recorded Johnson's sayings and their travels, and he wrote The Life of Samuel Johnson, which Harold Bloom named as the greatest biography in the English language
Johnson is one of the most widely quoted English writers, thanks to his lively dictionary definitions.
Lexicographer: A writer of dictionaries; a harmless drudge that busies himself in tracing the original, and detailing the signification of words.
Pension: An allowance made to any one without an equivalent. In England it is generally understood to mean pay given to a state hireling for treason to his country.
from Johnson's dictionary
Johnson's brilliant mind was housed in a body wracked with flaws; Johnson had scrofula as an infant and it left him partially blind and deaf and with scarred skin. He suffered from weird ticks and a compulsive disorder. He was oversized and badly dressed.
These short mystery stories are told by Boswell. The author has noted the historicity of events, people, and places used in the stories. De la Torre also employs 18th c spelling and language, which I found delightful. (But then I went through a period addicted to 18th c novels!) I was happy to come across Frances Burney as a girl in one story. Burney became a successful novelist. Burney's comedy of manners novel Evelina influenced Maria Edgeworth and Jane Austen.
For Johnson, the mysteries they come upon are puzzles to be solved and like the best detectives in literature, he is able to use what Boswell calls racionization. The mysteries are entertaining, but with a 'cozy' mystery feel.
The nine stories include diverse settings, including The Wax-Work Cadaver, The Flying Highwayman, The Monboddo Ape Boy, Prince Charlie's Ruby, and The Stolen Christmas Box. De la Torre includes a Life of Johnson, and a preview of The Detections of Dr. Sam: Johnson.
Lillian de la Torre was a professor and prolific writer. Her short stories appeared in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine and one of her teleplays was produced by Alfred Hitchcock's television series.
I enjoyed these stories.
I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
Born in 1709, Dr. Johnson is best known for creating the first English dictionary and for his novel Rasselas.
His young friend Boswell. whom he met in 1763, recorded Johnson's sayings and their travels, and he wrote The Life of Samuel Johnson, which Harold Bloom named as the greatest biography in the English language
Johnson is one of the most widely quoted English writers, thanks to his lively dictionary definitions.
Lexicographer: A writer of dictionaries; a harmless drudge that busies himself in tracing the original, and detailing the signification of words.
Pension: An allowance made to any one without an equivalent. In England it is generally understood to mean pay given to a state hireling for treason to his country.
from Johnson's dictionary
Johnson's brilliant mind was housed in a body wracked with flaws; Johnson had scrofula as an infant and it left him partially blind and deaf and with scarred skin. He suffered from weird ticks and a compulsive disorder. He was oversized and badly dressed.
These short mystery stories are told by Boswell. The author has noted the historicity of events, people, and places used in the stories. De la Torre also employs 18th c spelling and language, which I found delightful. (But then I went through a period addicted to 18th c novels!) I was happy to come across Frances Burney as a girl in one story. Burney became a successful novelist. Burney's comedy of manners novel Evelina influenced Maria Edgeworth and Jane Austen.
For Johnson, the mysteries they come upon are puzzles to be solved and like the best detectives in literature, he is able to use what Boswell calls racionization. The mysteries are entertaining, but with a 'cozy' mystery feel.
The nine stories include diverse settings, including The Wax-Work Cadaver, The Flying Highwayman, The Monboddo Ape Boy, Prince Charlie's Ruby, and The Stolen Christmas Box. De la Torre includes a Life of Johnson, and a preview of The Detections of Dr. Sam: Johnson.
Lillian de la Torre was a professor and prolific writer. Her short stories appeared in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine and one of her teleplays was produced by Alfred Hitchcock's television series.
I enjoyed these stories.
I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
June 12, 2013
I'm not done with these stories, but I have to mention that The Stolen Christmas Box was very enjoyable. Over all the stories are mildly interesting as somewhat light mysteries. Actually, they're light compared to other murder mysteries and general crime mysteries. They really carry a lot of great lines and humor and wisdom.
They are written as tho from the 18th century, so there are more language challenges than in something from the 19th but I love that kind of stuff. I marked this as historical fiction, but really, it's not an accurate description. These stories are written as tho Samuel Johnson played detective. His Boswell was fun to get to know as well as Johnson. I've been reading more about Johnson as a result of this little book.Many authors attempt to recreate a past era and end up looking affected and flimsy- this author did a much better job than that.
A child could read these, tho there are a few bones and a couple sexist references to women. We're supposed to be in the 1700s in this book.
They are written as tho from the 18th century, so there are more language challenges than in something from the 19th but I love that kind of stuff. I marked this as historical fiction, but really, it's not an accurate description. These stories are written as tho Samuel Johnson played detective. His Boswell was fun to get to know as well as Johnson. I've been reading more about Johnson as a result of this little book.Many authors attempt to recreate a past era and end up looking affected and flimsy- this author did a much better job than that.
A child could read these, tho there are a few bones and a couple sexist references to women. We're supposed to be in the 1700s in this book.
December 9, 2013
A collection of short stories featuring Dr Samuel Johnson (of dictionary fame) and his sidekick, James Boswell, as amateur sleuths. All the stories are set in the period of Boswell's friendship with Johnson, 1763-1784. They are inspired by contemporary events and personalities, and half of them deal with crimes that actually happened.
The Good
A literate new take on the Holmes and Watson crime-solving duo.
Half comedy half mystery, these stories definitely veer more towards the comedy side. De La Torre's historical accuracy and detail are exceptional, drawing inspiration from such works as Boswell's Journal of a Tour to The Hebrides.
The Bad
The language is very 18th century. While this is one of the high points of De La Torre's historical accuracy, it can take some getting used to.
Read
July 29, 2011this was lots of fun. each chapter is a mystery using the famous team of boswell and johnson and putting them very expertly into events that were historically true. i especially enjoyed reading the real events from which she took her fictional stories. de la torre included a chapter at the back of the book, in which you could read a paragraph about each of the incidents included in the book. it is written in the style that boswell wrote about dr. johnson. it takes a few sentences to get into the swing of it. each chapter is a different mystery, and that made it a very quick read. easy to pick up, put down, and go back to later.
October 3, 2013
Do to the use of mid-18th century language, syntax, and spelling, this was not an easy book to read. The mysteries, such as they are, are not very...mysterious for the most part. I probably would have stopped without finishing but I kept hoping that the glimmer of an occasional interesting story would blossom. But it turned that hat there was a lot more smoke than fire.
July 31, 2017
Maaaaan, this goes deep in the historical accuracy in dialogue and writing style which, for me, was ultimately such a slog that I had to give up. Points for the obvious dedication to the work by Ms. de la Torre, and I'm sure this will find a niche with the right kind of reader but I wasn't that audience.
I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 14, 2024
The waxwork cadaver --3
The second sight of Dr. Sam: Johnson --3
The flying highwayman --3
The Monboddo ape boy --3
The manifestations in Mincing Lane --2
Prince Charlie's ruby --2
The stolen Christmas box --2
The conveyance of Emelina Grange --2
The Great Seal of England --3
The second sight of Dr. Sam: Johnson --3
The flying highwayman --3
The Monboddo ape boy --3
The manifestations in Mincing Lane --2
Prince Charlie's ruby --2
The stolen Christmas box --2
The conveyance of Emelina Grange --2
The Great Seal of England --3
March 7, 2016
The mysteries are as thin as tissue paper but it was a pleasant read. I have the hardcover first edition and the book's design added considerably to my pleasure.
Want to read
April 20, 2021Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
Read
March 14, 2018fairly slim as mysteries but fun to be with dr. johnson.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews