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The Omnibus of Crime
In Dorothy Sayer's closing of her 'introduction' she had this to say, in part: " It is hoped that in running through the present volume, the reader will find himself presented with a kind of bird's-eye view of the general subject, extending from the literature of pure deduction on the one hand, through various types of mystery...natural and supernatural, explained and unexplained...to tales of sheer horror, without any mystery at all. Every tale in this book is guaranteed to have puzzled or horrified somebody; with any luck at all, some of them may puzzle and horrify you."
1177 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1929
10 people are currently reading
266 people want to read
About the author
Dorothy L. Sayers
703 books2,990 followersThe detective stories of well-known British writer Dorothy Leigh Sayers mostly feature the amateur investigator Lord Peter Wimsey; she also translated the
Divine Comedy
of Dante Alighieri.
This renowned author and Christian humanist studied classical and modern languages.
Her best known mysteries, a series of short novels, set between World War I and World War II, feature an English aristocrat and amateur sleuth. She is also known for her plays and essays.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy...
This renowned author and Christian humanist studied classical and modern languages.
Her best known mysteries, a series of short novels, set between World War I and World War II, feature an English aristocrat and amateur sleuth. She is also known for her plays and essays.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy...
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 2, 2025
This is a very large book with many, many short mystery/thriller/horror stories, most by people with whom I am unfamiliar. Being a fan of the golden age of mystery, I was disappointed to discover that this book was compiled in 1929, prior to those years, although there were a few authors represented who went on to become popular in the 1930/early 40s and beyond: Poe, Conan Doyle, Micheal Arlen and M.R, James to name a few.
The stories are grouped in the following categories: primitives; the modern detective; mystery and horror; and stories of the human and inhuman. And among those sections are some of the iconic short stories from the early 20th century; i.e. The Monkey's Paw by W.W. Jacobs, The Gioconda Smile by Aldous Huxley; and The Clever Cockatoo by E.C.Bentley. Other gems show up throughout the book but as with any collection, there are some losers (and a few that didn't make any sense at all). That's the beauty of reading this type of book....if you don't like a story, just pass on to the next one. At 1,100+ pages, it still leaves much to read and enjoy.
I would say that one might have to be a fan of the genre to enjoy this book but I may be wrong since it might make you a fan of the genre.
The stories are grouped in the following categories: primitives; the modern detective; mystery and horror; and stories of the human and inhuman. And among those sections are some of the iconic short stories from the early 20th century; i.e. The Monkey's Paw by W.W. Jacobs, The Gioconda Smile by Aldous Huxley; and The Clever Cockatoo by E.C.Bentley. Other gems show up throughout the book but as with any collection, there are some losers (and a few that didn't make any sense at all). That's the beauty of reading this type of book....if you don't like a story, just pass on to the next one. At 1,100+ pages, it still leaves much to read and enjoy.
I would say that one might have to be a fan of the genre to enjoy this book but I may be wrong since it might make you a fan of the genre.
November 22, 2014
Five stars to this big anthology (published 1929) of over fifty selections made by Dorothy Sayers, scholar and detective-story writer. It's not that all the selections are five-star ones; they are of ancient vintage, and some are dull. It's that the fifty-plus entries are such a great compilation in 1200 pages.
Bonus is the 46-page introduction by Dame Dorothy (she must have been a Dame)
The book offers a wide spectrum of then-"modern" (1850-1925) detective stories, by type of detective (e.g. amateur, police, journalist, specialist in chess or cards, intuitive like Fr. Brown). It's a great browse for (again I keep saying pre-1925) characters and plots that most readers in the 21st C. don't know, with some very memorable stories you won't find easily elsewhere. Okay, it's a time capsule.
The second half of the book, about 30 tales, moves away from detectives into "mystery and horror." I first read Arthur Machen's "The Black Seal" at about age 14 and it still leaves a shudder. So do "Lukundoo," by Edward Lucas White and "The Hair" by A.J. Alan. "The Monkey's Paw" is here. Saki's "The Open Window" is included though it does not belong, as it's of course a joke. Any excuse to read this is welcome; it's to my mind the cleverest short story in English.
Authors represented (partial list), besides some of the famous names in detective fiction include Dickens, Conrad, Quiller-Couch, de la Mare, Stevenson, Bierce, Jerome K. Jerome, Aldous Huxley, G.K. Chesterton, E.F. Benson, Bram Stoker, and H.G. Wells .
A MUST for the shelf of anyone who likes early modern horror stories (admittedly tame by later standards)and the illustrious predecessors of noire detectives and solvers of psychopathic serial-killings .
Bonus is the 46-page introduction by Dame Dorothy (she must have been a Dame)
The book offers a wide spectrum of then-"modern" (1850-1925) detective stories, by type of detective (e.g. amateur, police, journalist, specialist in chess or cards, intuitive like Fr. Brown). It's a great browse for (again I keep saying pre-1925) characters and plots that most readers in the 21st C. don't know, with some very memorable stories you won't find easily elsewhere. Okay, it's a time capsule.
The second half of the book, about 30 tales, moves away from detectives into "mystery and horror." I first read Arthur Machen's "The Black Seal" at about age 14 and it still leaves a shudder. So do "Lukundoo," by Edward Lucas White and "The Hair" by A.J. Alan. "The Monkey's Paw" is here. Saki's "The Open Window" is included though it does not belong, as it's of course a joke. Any excuse to read this is welcome; it's to my mind the cleverest short story in English.
Authors represented (partial list), besides some of the famous names in detective fiction include Dickens, Conrad, Quiller-Couch, de la Mare, Stevenson, Bierce, Jerome K. Jerome, Aldous Huxley, G.K. Chesterton, E.F. Benson, Bram Stoker, and H.G. Wells .
A MUST for the shelf of anyone who likes early modern horror stories (admittedly tame by later standards)and the illustrious predecessors of noire detectives and solvers of psychopathic serial-killings .
May 4, 2020
The crime story from its beginnings to the middle of the 1920s. Sayers did a marvelous job of selecting material. The stories are divided into two large categories: Detection and Mystery, and Detection and Horror, with smaller subcategories in each. If you want a taste of the origins and development of the crime story, you could do far worse than start here.
June 16, 2019
Dorothy Sayers always has intersting things to say, and her survey of mystery writing is lovely, even if you don't always agree with her. She has a nice selection of representative works often by writers largely forgotten today. A wonderful if somewhat serious collection.
Currently reading
May 9, 2023I shall rate each story as they come, organized as in the table of contents.
Detection and Mystery
Primitives
a. Oriental
- The History of Bel (Analysis of Material Evidence): 2 stars -- It was a biblical story that was very typically-biblically violent and self-righteous.
- The History of Susanna (Analysis of Testimony): 2 stars -- It was also a biblical story that was very violent and self-righteous, but it was more intriguing.
b. Latin
- The Story of Hercules and Cacus (Fabrication of False Clues): 2 stars -- It was a story one would expect to hear about Hercules.
c. Greek
- The Story of Rhampsinitus (Psychological Method of Detection: Plot and Counterplot): 2 stars -- It was quite violent (though old and thus non-emotional), but I thought the ending was unexpected.
The Modern Detective Story
1. The Story of Pure Sensation
a. The Ebony Box by Mrs. Henry Wood (The Solution Discovered by Chance): 3 stars -- A good mystery with a happy ending.
b. The Ace of Trouble by Hedley Barker (The Clues known to the Detective but withheld from the Reader): 2 stars -- Very disappointing protagonist.
2. The Story of Pure Analysis
- The Mystery of Marie Roget by Edgar Allen Poe: 2 stars -- Quite sad, based on a true story, and rather boring as it was all through though in the same place from a bunch of news articles.
3. Tales of Mixed Type
a. Amateur Detectives or Private Consultants
- The Adventure of the Priory School by Conan Doyle: 5 stars -- Excellent Sherlock Holmes story. Great mystery with a happy enough ending.
- The Ghost at Massingham Mansions by Ernest Bramah: 4 stars -- I didn't fully understand the ending or how it all worked. But it was well mysterious and had an amusing outcome.
- The Secret of the singular Cipher by F.A.M. Webster: 3 stars -- Action-packed mystery about spies! Wasn't super interesting to me, however.
- The English Filter by Bechhofer Roberts: 3 stars -- Kind of sad, but interesting enough.
b. The Journalist Detective
- The Clever Cockatoo by E.C. Bentley: 3 stars -- Unusual sort of mystery, but I liked it.
c. The Police Detective
- Prince Charlie's Dirk by Eden Phillpotts: 5 stars -- A good, action-packed mystery a la Agatha Christie or Sr Arthur Conan Doyle
- The Absent-minded Coterie by Robert Barr: 2 stars -- Quite good until the end.
d. The Scientific and Medical Detective
- The Face in the Dark by L.T. Meade and Robert Eustace: 3 stars -- Scary at times, but has a happy ending.
- Mr. Belton's Immunity by Edgar Jepson and Robert Eustace: 4 stars -- Happy ending all around.
- The Cyprian Bees by Anthony Wynne: 3 stars -- Sad, but good mystery.
- Diamond Cut Diamond by F. Britten Austin: 4 stars -- Very unusual and well crafted!
e. Specialists
- A Happy Solution by Raymond Allen (Chess): 5 stars -- Happy ending, and neat deduction!
- The Adventure of the Fallen Angels by Percival Wilde (Cards): 5 stars -- Well crafted mystery not about a murder.
- Sir Gilbert Murrell's Picture by Victor Whitechurch (Railways): 3 stars -- Not super interesting, but the character was funny.
f. The Intuitive Detective
- The Hammer of God by G.K. Chesterton: 5 stars -- Great plot twist.
- The Long Barrow by H.C. Bailey: 3 stars -- It was good, but I can't tell if I would have predicted the ending if fresh. I took a long break from this book and must have read this one before, so I knew what was to happen.
g. The Comic Detective
- The Hanover Court Murder by Sir Basil Thomson: 4 stars -- It was pretty funny in a macabre way.
4. The Interpretation of Real Life
- The Gioconda Smile by Aldous Huxley: 2 stars -- It was very well written, but was quite depressing.
- Her Last Adventure by Marie Belloc Lowndes: 2 stars -- Also very well written, but also quite depressing...additionally, to the modern eye, it is infuriating.
5. The Romance of Crime
- The Wrong House by E.W. Hornung: 4 stars -- Quite amusing.
Supernatural
Tales of Ghosts and Haunting
- The Open Door by Mrs. Oliphant: 3 stars -- The tale kept my interest, and was well-written. I liked it.
January 11, 2018
If you enjoy classic short stories of mystery, murder, and the supernatural, this compilation is for you. Dozens of stories will keep you at the edge of your seat, biting your finger nails.
Want to read
October 5, 2025Read so far:
*The ebony box / Mrs. Henry Wood --
The ace of trouble / Hedley Barker --2
The mystery of Marie Rogêt / Edgar Allan Poe --3
*The adventure of the priory school / Conan Doyle --
The ghost at Massingham Mansions / Ernest Bramah --2
The secret of the singular cipher / F.A.M. Webster --2
The English filter / Bechhofer Roberts --2
The clever cockatoo / E.C. Bentley --3
*Prince Charlie's dirk / Eden Phillpotts --
The absent-minded coterie / Robert Barr --3
*The face in the dark / L.T. Meade and Robert Eustace --
Mr. Belton's immunity / Edgar Jepson and Robert Eustace --
The Cyprian bees / Anthony Wynne --3
Diamond cut diamond / F. Britten Austin --2
A happy solution / Raymund Allen --2
The adventure of the fallen angels / Percival Wilde --
Sir Gilbert Murrell's picture / Victor Whitechurch --3
The Hammer of God / C.K. Chesterton --4
The long barrow / H.C. Bailey --2
The Hanover Court murder / Sir Basil Thomson --2
The Gioconda smile / Aldous Huxley --3
Her last adventure / Mrs. Belloc Lowndes --
The wrong house / E.W. Hornung --
The open door / Mrs. Oliphant --3
Story of the bagman's uncle / Charles Dickens --2
The trial for murder / Charles Collins and Charles Dickens --2
*Martin's Close / M.R. James --
How love came to Professor Guildea / Robert Hichens --2
The open window / Saki --3
*The novel of the black seal / Arthur Machen --
Tchériapin / Sax Rohmer --
The monkey's paw / W.W. Jacobs --3
The hair / A.J. Alan --3
Mrs. Amworth / E.F. Benson --3
Moxon's master / Ambrose Bierce --2
The dancing partner / Jerome K. Jerome --3
Thrawn Janet / R.L. Stevenson --1
The avenging of Ann Leete / Marjorie Bowen --3
August heat / W.F. Harvey --3
The anticipator / Morley Roberts --1
The brute / Joseph Conrad --3
Where their fire is not quenched / May Sinclair --3
Green tea / J.S. Le Fanu --1
The misanthrope / J.D. Beresford --2
The bad lands / John Metcalfe --2
Nobody's house / A.M. Burrage --2
The seventh man / A.C. Quiller-Couch --1
Proof / N. Royde-Smith --
Seaton's aunt / Walter de la Mare --2
Lukundoo / Edward Lucas White --3
The gentleman from America / Michael Arlen --3
The narrow way / R. Ellis Roberts --3
The squaw / Bram Stoker --2
*The Corsican sisters / Violet Hunt --
The end of a show / Barry Pain --1
The cone / H.G. Wells --2
*The separate room / Ethel Colburn Mayne--
*The ebony box / Mrs. Henry Wood --
The ace of trouble / Hedley Barker --2
The mystery of Marie Rogêt / Edgar Allan Poe --3
*The adventure of the priory school / Conan Doyle --
The ghost at Massingham Mansions / Ernest Bramah --2
The secret of the singular cipher / F.A.M. Webster --2
The English filter / Bechhofer Roberts --2
The clever cockatoo / E.C. Bentley --3
*Prince Charlie's dirk / Eden Phillpotts --
The absent-minded coterie / Robert Barr --3
*The face in the dark / L.T. Meade and Robert Eustace --
Mr. Belton's immunity / Edgar Jepson and Robert Eustace --
The Cyprian bees / Anthony Wynne --3
Diamond cut diamond / F. Britten Austin --2
A happy solution / Raymund Allen --2
The adventure of the fallen angels / Percival Wilde --
Sir Gilbert Murrell's picture / Victor Whitechurch --3
The Hammer of God / C.K. Chesterton --4
The long barrow / H.C. Bailey --2
The Hanover Court murder / Sir Basil Thomson --2
The Gioconda smile / Aldous Huxley --3
Her last adventure / Mrs. Belloc Lowndes --
The wrong house / E.W. Hornung --
The open door / Mrs. Oliphant --3
Story of the bagman's uncle / Charles Dickens --2
The trial for murder / Charles Collins and Charles Dickens --2
*Martin's Close / M.R. James --
How love came to Professor Guildea / Robert Hichens --2
The open window / Saki --3
*The novel of the black seal / Arthur Machen --
Tchériapin / Sax Rohmer --
The monkey's paw / W.W. Jacobs --3
The hair / A.J. Alan --3
Mrs. Amworth / E.F. Benson --3
Moxon's master / Ambrose Bierce --2
The dancing partner / Jerome K. Jerome --3
Thrawn Janet / R.L. Stevenson --1
The avenging of Ann Leete / Marjorie Bowen --3
August heat / W.F. Harvey --3
The anticipator / Morley Roberts --1
The brute / Joseph Conrad --3
Where their fire is not quenched / May Sinclair --3
Green tea / J.S. Le Fanu --1
The misanthrope / J.D. Beresford --2
The bad lands / John Metcalfe --2
Nobody's house / A.M. Burrage --2
The seventh man / A.C. Quiller-Couch --1
Proof / N. Royde-Smith --
Seaton's aunt / Walter de la Mare --2
Lukundoo / Edward Lucas White --3
The gentleman from America / Michael Arlen --3
The narrow way / R. Ellis Roberts --3
The squaw / Bram Stoker --2
*The Corsican sisters / Violet Hunt --
The end of a show / Barry Pain --1
The cone / H.G. Wells --2
*The separate room / Ethel Colburn Mayne--
behind-the-wall
November 18, 2025Edition I have is dated 1929 and has black cover with plainer art and not so much type. Maybe we're looking at a dust jacket here.
11/18/25: Cracked the cover at the 4 a.m. Book Club and was confronted by 45 pages of “Introduction.” Decided that today was not the occasion for serious study, but am impressed by Ms. Sayers’s work so far. Will take quite a while to do this book justice!
11/18/25: Cracked the cover at the 4 a.m. Book Club and was confronted by 45 pages of “Introduction.” Decided that today was not the occasion for serious study, but am impressed by Ms. Sayers’s work so far. Will take quite a while to do this book justice!
August 16, 2012
Can't believe I even read this but I loved it. It's like a textbook but cool, because it's about something I love to study and think about.
Want to read
May 3, 2019Synopsis: a short story, omnibus galore. Over 50 of them from about 1850 to date. Half are detective mysteries and half are horror mysteries.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews