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Lessons in Crime: Academic Mysteries
An Oxford Master is slain on campus during Pentecost. A headmaster faces off in a deadly battle of wits with a disgruntled parent. A sixth-form public school prank courts a murderous consequence.
In this new anthology theft, blackmail, murder and mystery run amok through the hush of the university library, the cacophonies of school corridors and the simmering tensions of the staff room. Delving into the stacks and tomes of the British Library collections, Martin Edwards invites you to a course on the darker side of scholarly ambition with an essential reading list of fifteen masterful short stories.
With a cohort of writers including Dorothy L. Sayers, Ethel Lina White, Jacqueline Wilson, Michael Innes and Edmund Crispin, this new anthology offers a selection of classics and rarities to provide a rewarding education in the beguiling art of mystery writing.
In this new anthology theft, blackmail, murder and mystery run amok through the hush of the university library, the cacophonies of school corridors and the simmering tensions of the staff room. Delving into the stacks and tomes of the British Library collections, Martin Edwards invites you to a course on the darker side of scholarly ambition with an essential reading list of fifteen masterful short stories.
With a cohort of writers including Dorothy L. Sayers, Ethel Lina White, Jacqueline Wilson, Michael Innes and Edmund Crispin, this new anthology offers a selection of classics and rarities to provide a rewarding education in the beguiling art of mystery writing.
339 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2024
77 people are currently reading
206 people want to read
About the author
Martin Edwards
358 books811 followersMartin Edwards has been described by Richard Osman as ‘a true master of British crime writing.’ He has published twenty-three novels, which include the eight Lake District Mysteries, one of which was shortlisted for the Theakston’s Prize for best crime novel of the year and four books featuring Rachel Savernake, including the Dagger-nominated Gallows Court and Blackstone Fell, while Gallows Court and Sepulchre Street were shortlisted for the eDunnit award for best crime novel of the year. He is also the author of two multi-award-winning histories of crime fiction, The Life of Crime and The Golden Age of Murder. He has received three Daggers from the Crime Writers’ Association and two Edgars from the Mystery Writers of America and has also been nominated three times for Gold Daggers. In addition to the CWA Diamond Dagger (the highest honour in UK crime writing) he has received four other lifetime achievement awards: for his fiction, short fiction, non-fiction, and scholarship. He is consultant to the British Library’s Crime Classics, a former Chair of the CWA, and since 2015 has been President of the Detection Club.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
June 16, 2024
This anthology comprises fifteen stories of crimes in an educational setting and comes with an extensive, wide-ranging Introduction and biographical/bibliographic notes by Martin Edwards.
The Greek Play(HC Bailey,f.p. 1930)
Tragedy at a girls’ school investigated by the inimitably-unbearable Reggie Fortune.A beautifully-crafted riff on the Antigone story which encapsulates the author’s recurring engagement with issues of child-cruelty and financial misdoings.
The Adventure of the Priory School (AC Doyle, 1904)
Undoubtedly one of the best Holmes and Watson stories, tautly-plotted and full of interesting detail. The great detective, however, is complicit in breaking the letter of the law while earning a huge reward and engineering a happy ending.
The Missing Undergraduate (Henry Wade, 1933)
Wade is one of my favourite GAD authors. Here Inspector Poole investigates a disappearance. The solution is unexpected and tinged with horror.
The Gilded Pupil (Ethel Lina White, 1936)
Suspenseful crime story with an amusing idea in the solution.
Murder at Pentecost (DL Sayers,1933)
Montague Egg quickly identifies the murderer of the Master of Pentecost. Fun, as are most of the Egg short stories, if a tad obvious.
Ranulph Hall (Michael Gilbert,2000)
Thieves are targeting a boys’ preparatory school and it is up to the “CID” to sort it all out. Lightweight.
The Field of Philippi (EW Hornung,1905)
I find the Raffles stories much more dated than others of their era, perhaps because of the slightly mannered style and their upholding of a public school ethos which they supposedly subverted. This one owes more to Chesterton than to the author’s father-in-law.
Lesson In Anatomy (Michael Innes,1946)
If one ignores the cod-Welsh of the university Vice-Chancellor, then this slightly “Gothic” tale of murder and a disappearing corpse shows Innes at his whimsical best.
Dover Goes to School(Joyce Porter, 1978)
As the long-suffering Sergeant MacGregor would agree, a little Dover goes a long way. This case epitomises the insouciant Inspector with his dubious behaviour and ability to spot the culprit for all the wrong reasons.
When the Deaf Can Hear (Malcolm Gair, 1959)
Featuring the author’s series private eye, Raeburn, this is a nearly-turned story the effectiveness of which is ruined by its title.
Low Marks for Murder(Herbert Harris,1973)
An inverted tale, but, for me,decidedly B-.
The Harrowing of Henry Pygole(Colin Watson, 1974)
A characteristically-wry view of justice meted out among sixth-formers at a minor public school.
Dog in the Night-Time (Edmund Crispin, 1954)
A little gem about a missing diamond.
Battle of Wits(Miriam Sharman, 1967)
Beautifully-crafted and involving and very filmique as one would expect from a writer of screenplays. It reads like the opening of what would have been a good inverted detective novel.
The Boy Who Couldn’t Read (Jacqueline Wilson, 1978)
For all kinds of reasons this is very disturbing.
The “find” for me in this volume is the Miriam Sharman story, the psychological acuteness of which makes it shine even in this illustrious roster of authors. Overall the selection provides an interestingly-varied range of writing styles, approaches, crimes and locations.
4.25 stars.
The Greek Play(HC Bailey,f.p. 1930)
Tragedy at a girls’ school investigated by the inimitably-unbearable Reggie Fortune.A beautifully-crafted riff on the Antigone story which encapsulates the author’s recurring engagement with issues of child-cruelty and financial misdoings.
The Adventure of the Priory School (AC Doyle, 1904)
Undoubtedly one of the best Holmes and Watson stories, tautly-plotted and full of interesting detail. The great detective, however, is complicit in breaking the letter of the law while earning a huge reward and engineering a happy ending.
The Missing Undergraduate (Henry Wade, 1933)
Wade is one of my favourite GAD authors. Here Inspector Poole investigates a disappearance. The solution is unexpected and tinged with horror.
The Gilded Pupil (Ethel Lina White, 1936)
Suspenseful crime story with an amusing idea in the solution.
Murder at Pentecost (DL Sayers,1933)
Montague Egg quickly identifies the murderer of the Master of Pentecost. Fun, as are most of the Egg short stories, if a tad obvious.
Ranulph Hall (Michael Gilbert,2000)
Thieves are targeting a boys’ preparatory school and it is up to the “CID” to sort it all out. Lightweight.
The Field of Philippi (EW Hornung,1905)
I find the Raffles stories much more dated than others of their era, perhaps because of the slightly mannered style and their upholding of a public school ethos which they supposedly subverted. This one owes more to Chesterton than to the author’s father-in-law.
Lesson In Anatomy (Michael Innes,1946)
If one ignores the cod-Welsh of the university Vice-Chancellor, then this slightly “Gothic” tale of murder and a disappearing corpse shows Innes at his whimsical best.
Dover Goes to School(Joyce Porter, 1978)
As the long-suffering Sergeant MacGregor would agree, a little Dover goes a long way. This case epitomises the insouciant Inspector with his dubious behaviour and ability to spot the culprit for all the wrong reasons.
When the Deaf Can Hear (Malcolm Gair, 1959)
Featuring the author’s series private eye, Raeburn, this is a nearly-turned story the effectiveness of which is ruined by its title.
Low Marks for Murder(Herbert Harris,1973)
An inverted tale, but, for me,decidedly B-.
The Harrowing of Henry Pygole(Colin Watson, 1974)
A characteristically-wry view of justice meted out among sixth-formers at a minor public school.
Dog in the Night-Time (Edmund Crispin, 1954)
A little gem about a missing diamond.
Battle of Wits(Miriam Sharman, 1967)
Beautifully-crafted and involving and very filmique as one would expect from a writer of screenplays. It reads like the opening of what would have been a good inverted detective novel.
The Boy Who Couldn’t Read (Jacqueline Wilson, 1978)
For all kinds of reasons this is very disturbing.
The “find” for me in this volume is the Miriam Sharman story, the psychological acuteness of which makes it shine even in this illustrious roster of authors. Overall the selection provides an interestingly-varied range of writing styles, approaches, crimes and locations.
4.25 stars.
September 5, 2024
3.5☆
What a delightful fun collection of short stories. Of course, I am partial to an academic setting but there is an argument here that I might be pickier with what I enjoy within it. I felt this collection managed to find more angles to crime than student-on-student murder and it kept taking me by surprise, thematically, so I would say it is an overall success.
Favourite entries: "The Greek Play" by H.C. Bailey, "The Adventure at the Priory School" by Arthur Conan Doyle, "The Missing Undergraduate" by Henry Wade, "The Gilded Pupil" by Ethel Lina White, "Ranulph Hall" by Michael Gilbert, "Lesson in Anatomy" by Michael Innes, "The Harrowing of Henry Pygole" by Colin Watson, "Battle of Wits" by Miriam Sharman
What a delightful fun collection of short stories. Of course, I am partial to an academic setting but there is an argument here that I might be pickier with what I enjoy within it. I felt this collection managed to find more angles to crime than student-on-student murder and it kept taking me by surprise, thematically, so I would say it is an overall success.
Favourite entries: "The Greek Play" by H.C. Bailey, "The Adventure at the Priory School" by Arthur Conan Doyle, "The Missing Undergraduate" by Henry Wade, "The Gilded Pupil" by Ethel Lina White, "Ranulph Hall" by Michael Gilbert, "Lesson in Anatomy" by Michael Innes, "The Harrowing of Henry Pygole" by Colin Watson, "Battle of Wits" by Miriam Sharman
November 15, 2025
A great collection of short stories from the British Library Crime Classics series. Some of the authors i was familiar with and some not so much but all very well told stories and nicely put together.
August 1, 2024
Good collection of mysteries set mainly in schools
August 16, 2024
I love academic settings. I love mysteries. I love British period pieces. This is all of them!
October 22, 2024
Overall, 37/75.
The Greek Play, by H. C. Bailey (1930). The girl playing Antigone has taken method acting too far, and hanged herself. Ultimately rests on telenovela plot points. 2/5.
The Adventure of the Priory School, by Arthur Conan Doyle (1904). A boy disappears from his prestigious boarding school, and Holmes is gunning for the reward. A few clever twists. 4/5.
The Missing Undergraduate, by Henry Wade (1933). A university student goes missing and, oh dear, he's got lost in a horror story. 2/5.
The Gilded Pupil, by Ethel Lina White (1936). An Oxford MA takes up a post as a governess to a spoiled little rich girl, who's already had one attempted kidnapping and is waiting with interest for the next. More of a thriller than a mystery - albeit quite a sedate thriller - with a grammatical punchline. 3/5.
Murder at Pentecost, by Dorothy L. Sayers (1933). A reread, having been included in one of her anthologies. Sayers' lesser-known detective, Montague Egg, investigates a murder at an Oxford college. 3/5.
Ranulph Hall, by Michael Gilbert (2000). Burglars try to get into a boys' boarding school to search for a missing diamond. No mystery to it; it's well known who's responsible and what they're after. More of a Boys' Own adventure story, and felt the most dated entry despite the publication date. 1/5.
The Field of Philippi, by E. W. Hornung (1905). 'Amateur cracksman' or 'gentleman thief' Raffles decides to enforce an unpleasant ex-classmate's donation to the old school statue fund. Again, no mystery, and felt more like a very condensed character piece. 3/5.
Lesson In Anatomy, by Michael Innes (1946). A professor performing a playful anatomisation is unexpectedly swapped with the deceased. Leans on a character's Welsh accent for humour, and the plot doesn't hold up. 1/5.
Dover Goes to School, by Joyce Porter (1978). In this parody, a very lazy, very unpleasant detective inspector tries to skive his way through a murder investigation. Amusing in a small dose, but would probably get tiresome in a longer work. 2/5.
When the Deaf Can Hear, by Malcolm Gair (1959). Somebody has stolen the school cricket team's hidden prize fund! Who could it be? How could anyone even know about it? Well, you'll figure it out pretty quickly if you read the title. 1/5.
Low Marks for Murder, by Herbert Harris (1973). An inverted detective story, where a teacher murders the headmaster. Fair enough, many teachers probably want to. I thought it was going in a more interesting direction at the beginning, which is a shame. 1/5.
The Harrowing of Henry Pygole, by Colin Watson (1974). Two schoolboys play a prank on an overly-self-effacing prodigy. You already know there's going to be unforeseen consequences. 4/5.
Dog in the Night-Time, by Edmund Crispin (1954). A very short one-trick piece about a missing diamond and an unpleasant smell. 2/5.
Battle of Wits, by Miriam Sharman (1967). A vengeful parent confronts the headmaster who expelled his son, with mind games ensuing on both sides. 4/5.
The Boy Who Couldn’t Read, by Jacqueline Wilson (1978). A surprising name to see in a crime anthology, for me, but still picking up some of the themes she later used much more often. A teacher bullies a dyslexic student. This one felt the most modern and gritty. 4/5.
The Greek Play, by H. C. Bailey (1930). The girl playing Antigone has taken method acting too far, and hanged herself. Ultimately rests on telenovela plot points. 2/5.
The Adventure of the Priory School, by Arthur Conan Doyle (1904). A boy disappears from his prestigious boarding school, and Holmes is gunning for the reward. A few clever twists. 4/5.
The Missing Undergraduate, by Henry Wade (1933). A university student goes missing and, oh dear, he's got lost in a horror story. 2/5.
The Gilded Pupil, by Ethel Lina White (1936). An Oxford MA takes up a post as a governess to a spoiled little rich girl, who's already had one attempted kidnapping and is waiting with interest for the next. More of a thriller than a mystery - albeit quite a sedate thriller - with a grammatical punchline. 3/5.
Murder at Pentecost, by Dorothy L. Sayers (1933). A reread, having been included in one of her anthologies. Sayers' lesser-known detective, Montague Egg, investigates a murder at an Oxford college. 3/5.
Ranulph Hall, by Michael Gilbert (2000). Burglars try to get into a boys' boarding school to search for a missing diamond. No mystery to it; it's well known who's responsible and what they're after. More of a Boys' Own adventure story, and felt the most dated entry despite the publication date. 1/5.
The Field of Philippi, by E. W. Hornung (1905). 'Amateur cracksman' or 'gentleman thief' Raffles decides to enforce an unpleasant ex-classmate's donation to the old school statue fund. Again, no mystery, and felt more like a very condensed character piece. 3/5.
Lesson In Anatomy, by Michael Innes (1946). A professor performing a playful anatomisation is unexpectedly swapped with the deceased. Leans on a character's Welsh accent for humour, and the plot doesn't hold up. 1/5.
Dover Goes to School, by Joyce Porter (1978). In this parody, a very lazy, very unpleasant detective inspector tries to skive his way through a murder investigation. Amusing in a small dose, but would probably get tiresome in a longer work. 2/5.
When the Deaf Can Hear, by Malcolm Gair (1959). Somebody has stolen the school cricket team's hidden prize fund! Who could it be? How could anyone even know about it? Well, you'll figure it out pretty quickly if you read the title. 1/5.
Low Marks for Murder, by Herbert Harris (1973). An inverted detective story, where a teacher murders the headmaster. Fair enough, many teachers probably want to. I thought it was going in a more interesting direction at the beginning, which is a shame. 1/5.
The Harrowing of Henry Pygole, by Colin Watson (1974). Two schoolboys play a prank on an overly-self-effacing prodigy. You already know there's going to be unforeseen consequences. 4/5.
Dog in the Night-Time, by Edmund Crispin (1954). A very short one-trick piece about a missing diamond and an unpleasant smell. 2/5.
Battle of Wits, by Miriam Sharman (1967). A vengeful parent confronts the headmaster who expelled his son, with mind games ensuing on both sides. 4/5.
The Boy Who Couldn’t Read, by Jacqueline Wilson (1978). A surprising name to see in a crime anthology, for me, but still picking up some of the themes she later used much more often. A teacher bullies a dyslexic student. This one felt the most modern and gritty. 4/5.
November 14, 2025
This is another entry in the British Library Crime Classics series.
My favorites were:
"The Gilded Pupil," Ethel Lina White - Ann Shelley is an Oxford M.A., graduated at a time when they are thick on the ground and finding work is hard going. She is hired to be resident governess to Stella Williams: 15, physically unappealing, quite bright. Stella becomes attached to Ann as mentor and idol. She wants to cross the line of student/mentor and become best friends. Ann is delicately keeping the line. Stella is also the only child of a millionaire manufacturer - and those are worth money. Someone wants to use Ann - and her relationship with Stella- to get to Stella, and her father's money.
"Dover Goes to School," Joyce Porter - quite the most unpleasant lead detective character: DC Inspector Dover. He's fat, he smokes, he drinks, he dozes during interrogations, he lets attending lackeys handle the dirty work of making sure critical questions get asked. In the end, he wins by simply saying "You killed What's-his-name!" (literal quote). "To MacGregor's eternal disgust these tactics worked." The motive was dribbled throughout the story without ever being properly highlighted. It was a surprise; I liked it.
"Low Marks For Murder," Herbert Harris - told from the POV of the killer. Plot, motive, execution, alibi, investigation, frantic coverup, dénouement - it's all there in the killer's head and perspective.
"The Harrowing of Henry Pygole," Colin Watson. "By the time one reaches the sixth form of an English public school, one's judgment of character is pretty dependable. . . It would be an awful waste of effort if one were to end up with one's head crammed with maths and history and physics but without an idea of how to sum a fellow up and how to deal with him accordingly." So our narrator and his friend decide that a fellow student (Henry Pygole of titular fame) is a "prig of the first water. . .the bloody end" and decide to do something about it. The narrator doesn't consider that perhaps Henry Pygole has learned the same lesson in his six years of public school as well.
"Battle of Wits," Miriam Sharman - A retiring headmaster is packing his boxes at the end of an illustrious career that included the recent public humiliation and expulsion of a student accused of theft. The father comes to confront the headmaster: why the public humiliation, why the scorn, why not the quiet "Come and take your son, he is not a good fit for our institution"? What follows is a battle of wits over how the night will end. Will the headmaster die by murder made to look like suicide, or will he be able to save his life by intelligence and wit alone?
The best thing about these collections is that I find new authors to explore. Hooray for libraries!
My favorites were:
"The Gilded Pupil," Ethel Lina White - Ann Shelley is an Oxford M.A., graduated at a time when they are thick on the ground and finding work is hard going. She is hired to be resident governess to Stella Williams: 15, physically unappealing, quite bright. Stella becomes attached to Ann as mentor and idol. She wants to cross the line of student/mentor and become best friends. Ann is delicately keeping the line. Stella is also the only child of a millionaire manufacturer - and those are worth money. Someone wants to use Ann - and her relationship with Stella- to get to Stella, and her father's money.
"Dover Goes to School," Joyce Porter - quite the most unpleasant lead detective character: DC Inspector Dover. He's fat, he smokes, he drinks, he dozes during interrogations, he lets attending lackeys handle the dirty work of making sure critical questions get asked. In the end, he wins by simply saying "You killed What's-his-name!" (literal quote). "To MacGregor's eternal disgust these tactics worked." The motive was dribbled throughout the story without ever being properly highlighted. It was a surprise; I liked it.
"Low Marks For Murder," Herbert Harris - told from the POV of the killer. Plot, motive, execution, alibi, investigation, frantic coverup, dénouement - it's all there in the killer's head and perspective.
"The Harrowing of Henry Pygole," Colin Watson. "By the time one reaches the sixth form of an English public school, one's judgment of character is pretty dependable. . . It would be an awful waste of effort if one were to end up with one's head crammed with maths and history and physics but without an idea of how to sum a fellow up and how to deal with him accordingly." So our narrator and his friend decide that a fellow student (Henry Pygole of titular fame) is a "prig of the first water. . .the bloody end" and decide to do something about it. The narrator doesn't consider that perhaps Henry Pygole has learned the same lesson in his six years of public school as well.
"Battle of Wits," Miriam Sharman - A retiring headmaster is packing his boxes at the end of an illustrious career that included the recent public humiliation and expulsion of a student accused of theft. The father comes to confront the headmaster: why the public humiliation, why the scorn, why not the quiet "Come and take your son, he is not a good fit for our institution"? What follows is a battle of wits over how the night will end. Will the headmaster die by murder made to look like suicide, or will he be able to save his life by intelligence and wit alone?
The best thing about these collections is that I find new authors to explore. Hooray for libraries!
December 13, 2025
I continue my assault on reading all of the British Library Crime Classics reissues, this time an anthology of short stories all taking place around the halls of academia. Unlike most of the reissues, this collection also contains stories that were written in the modern era, not just the golden age mysteries we have come to expect.
As with most collections of short stories, the quality, tone, and length seems to vary greatly from story to story. Some of the authors are classics, some are lesser known, some are forgotten (and some of those rightfully so!). But still a worthwhile read.
“The Greek Play” by H.C. Bailey: A supposed suicide of a girl being harassed at school leads Reggie Fortune to solve the case. Fortune is insufferable.
“The Adventure of the Priory School” by Arthur Conan Doyle: Holmes helps search for a missing pupil. Quite intense and unexpected.
“The Missing Undergraduate” by Henry Wade: A missing undergraduate leads Inspector Poole to a horrific conclusion. A bit scary.
“The Gilded Pupil” by Ethel Lina White: Can a governess prevent the kidnapping of her spoiled little rich girl pupil? Another ok entry.
“Murder at Pentecost” by Dorothy L. Sayers: A fun little story about Montague Egg, salesman of port wine, and solver of who murdered the Master of Pentecost.
“Ranulph Hall” by Michael Gilbert: A missing diamond explains the attempted burglaries at a boys’ school. Just OK, not much here.
“The Field of Philippi” by E.W. Hornung: The gentleman thief Raffles goes back to his alma mater and decides to get additional funding to the collection for a statue. Humorous and a bit trying.
“Lesson In Anatomy” by Michael Innes: the last lecture of the term is usually full of pranks, but no one expected the murder of the professor and the disappearance of a corpse.
“Dover Goes to School” by Joyce Porter: unbelievably vulgar Detective Dover tries to solve a murder in an adult education school. Funny.
“When the Deaf Can Hear” by Malcolm Gair: not much of a tale, missing money from a cricket team.
“Low Marks for Murder” by Herbert Harris: the teacher figures out the perfect crime, but they never really are perfect, are they?
“The Harrowing of Henry Pygole” by Colin Watson: two students determine to pull a prank on a third student who manages to turn the tables on them. A bit harsh and cruel.
“Dog in the Night-Time” by Edmund Crispin: a short read that riffs on a famous Sherlock Holmes statement. Enjoyable.
“Battle of Wits” by Miriam Sharman: a distraught father looks for justice for his son from a overzealous headmaster. Interesting.
“The Boy Who Couldn’t Read” by Jacqueline Wilson: very disturbing tale about a special needs pupil and his overbearing teacher.
As with most collections of short stories, the quality, tone, and length seems to vary greatly from story to story. Some of the authors are classics, some are lesser known, some are forgotten (and some of those rightfully so!). But still a worthwhile read.
“The Greek Play” by H.C. Bailey: A supposed suicide of a girl being harassed at school leads Reggie Fortune to solve the case. Fortune is insufferable.
“The Adventure of the Priory School” by Arthur Conan Doyle: Holmes helps search for a missing pupil. Quite intense and unexpected.
“The Missing Undergraduate” by Henry Wade: A missing undergraduate leads Inspector Poole to a horrific conclusion. A bit scary.
“The Gilded Pupil” by Ethel Lina White: Can a governess prevent the kidnapping of her spoiled little rich girl pupil? Another ok entry.
“Murder at Pentecost” by Dorothy L. Sayers: A fun little story about Montague Egg, salesman of port wine, and solver of who murdered the Master of Pentecost.
“Ranulph Hall” by Michael Gilbert: A missing diamond explains the attempted burglaries at a boys’ school. Just OK, not much here.
“The Field of Philippi” by E.W. Hornung: The gentleman thief Raffles goes back to his alma mater and decides to get additional funding to the collection for a statue. Humorous and a bit trying.
“Lesson In Anatomy” by Michael Innes: the last lecture of the term is usually full of pranks, but no one expected the murder of the professor and the disappearance of a corpse.
“Dover Goes to School” by Joyce Porter: unbelievably vulgar Detective Dover tries to solve a murder in an adult education school. Funny.
“When the Deaf Can Hear” by Malcolm Gair: not much of a tale, missing money from a cricket team.
“Low Marks for Murder” by Herbert Harris: the teacher figures out the perfect crime, but they never really are perfect, are they?
“The Harrowing of Henry Pygole” by Colin Watson: two students determine to pull a prank on a third student who manages to turn the tables on them. A bit harsh and cruel.
“Dog in the Night-Time” by Edmund Crispin: a short read that riffs on a famous Sherlock Holmes statement. Enjoyable.
“Battle of Wits” by Miriam Sharman: a distraught father looks for justice for his son from a overzealous headmaster. Interesting.
“The Boy Who Couldn’t Read” by Jacqueline Wilson: very disturbing tale about a special needs pupil and his overbearing teacher.
July 23, 2024
Book focused on various crime stories around schooling/academia. There were a variety of stories from throughout the 20th (and sometimes 19th) century. I really enjoyed most of them, I like the insular nature of the school/university means there is a limited suspect pool and location changing. I enjoyed a lot of the stories being about the tension between people either working or studying together.
That said, there were a few stories in the last quarter/third which I really didn't care for and with them being the last ones in the collection, it left me with an unsatisfying ending. Like the last one by Jacqueline Wilson where it seems Where's the mystery in that? Is there even a crime there?
Overall I liked this collection, and especially the introductory notes on the authors which also includes when the stories were written/published. I just wish it had missed out on some of the shorter stories near the end.
3.5 stars!
That said, there were a few stories in the last quarter/third which I really didn't care for and with them being the last ones in the collection, it left me with an unsatisfying ending. Like the last one by Jacqueline Wilson where it seems Where's the mystery in that? Is there even a crime there?
Overall I liked this collection, and especially the introductory notes on the authors which also includes when the stories were written/published. I just wish it had missed out on some of the shorter stories near the end.
3.5 stars!
October 2, 2025
This is a collection of mysteries/crimes that happen at schools/universities. The first part are mysteries where someone is trying to find out the who what why how. The second half are inverted mysteries or crimes, where you know who is going to commit the crime or you simply watch a crime happen and the outcome. I would say I tend to prefer mysteries where there is a puzzle to figure out. The second half felt more like psychological twisting of events to kill someone. Which can be interesting, but also very disturbing.
The layout of the stories is from earlier to more recent times, which is a format that has been used a number of times in the short story collections. The stories selected pretty strong, though some for me felt a bit flat, and I think it was certainly due to the taste of the time. The introduction to the collection was well done and I have written down a number of the (novel length) stories mentioned to look for later.
As usual, even if you don’t like all the stories- there are ones here that you may not find elsewhere- and it’s always good to discover authors you may not want to have missed.
The layout of the stories is from earlier to more recent times, which is a format that has been used a number of times in the short story collections. The stories selected pretty strong, though some for me felt a bit flat, and I think it was certainly due to the taste of the time. The introduction to the collection was well done and I have written down a number of the (novel length) stories mentioned to look for later.
As usual, even if you don’t like all the stories- there are ones here that you may not find elsewhere- and it’s always good to discover authors you may not want to have missed.
November 15, 2025
In the main an enjoyable book but as with any collection different readers will favour different stories. All stories were relatively short so it was not a trial to finish even the ones you didn't like so much. They are all worth the read and to get such a varied collection all set in places of education was a great idea. That the stories are in chronological order was a plus, you could see how writing styles had changed over a period of about fifty years. My particular favourites were: The Greek Tragedy, The Missing Undergraduate, The Gilded Pupil, The Field Of Philippi, Lesson In Anatomy, Low Marks For Murder.
October 24, 2024
3.5 stars. Of the fifteen stories, only one was set at a girls school ! Nevertheless, it was an interesting mix of whimsy, creepy, suspenseful and a few disturbing stories from familiar (to me) writers and unknown ones.
My favourites were The Greek Play (Bailey), The Missing Undergraduate (Wade), The Harrowing of Henry Pygole (Watson), Dog in the Night Time (Crispin) and Battle of Wits (Sharman)
My favourites were The Greek Play (Bailey), The Missing Undergraduate (Wade), The Harrowing of Henry Pygole (Watson), Dog in the Night Time (Crispin) and Battle of Wits (Sharman)
August 5, 2024
Rating 3
For me this is one of the weaker short story collections published by BLCC.
I had previously read a couple of the stories in other collections in the recent past so that didn’t really help either.
The stories overall were okay but nothing really stood out for me and left an overall impression of the collection being ‘just okay’.
For me this is one of the weaker short story collections published by BLCC.
I had previously read a couple of the stories in other collections in the recent past so that didn’t really help either.
The stories overall were okay but nothing really stood out for me and left an overall impression of the collection being ‘just okay’.
September 21, 2024
Another in the British Library Crime Classics series. An excellent collection of short stories centred on academic locations and situations. There were a few authors I didn't know well and quite a few I did know, but where the stories were new to me.
Really enjoyed this and found it a very quick read.
Really enjoyed this and found it a very quick read.
September 26, 2024
A couple of familiar stories, a few known authors; but mostly unknown. Some of the stories like Gair's haven't aged well; but loved the subversive "Dover Goes to School". Wish more Joyce Porters are in print.
The stories by Watson, Wilson, and Sharman are refreshingly creepy (in what I wrongly assumed was an anthology of cozies).
The stories by Watson, Wilson, and Sharman are refreshingly creepy (in what I wrongly assumed was an anthology of cozies).
January 7, 2025
This is the usual high quality production from Martin Edwards and the British Library Crime Classics series. In terms of content, it is - as ever - a mixed bag of quirky, original, sometimes strong and sometimes weak, genre short stories, all with an educational setting. Worth reading if you like this sort of thing.
June 26, 2024
A great selection of stories compiled by Martin Edwards, with my top picks being: Dover Goes to School (Joyce Porter), The Adventure of the Priory School (AC Doyle), and Battle of Wits (Miriam Sharman).
July 10, 2024
Excellent selection of short stories. Of all of them only Dover goes to school I found a chore to get through. The character of Dover just didnot work and the ending was too rushed.
Included is one Sherlock Holmes story and one Raffles story.
Great summer reads.
Included is one Sherlock Holmes story and one Raffles story.
Great summer reads.
October 12, 2024
Crime short stories
This is a collection of short stories involving death, mostly murder.
They’re not bad, but not great.
There are introductions with brief pen pictures of the various authors.
The writing is competent but not outstanding.
This is a collection of short stories involving death, mostly murder.
They’re not bad, but not great.
There are introductions with brief pen pictures of the various authors.
The writing is competent but not outstanding.
October 30, 2024
As in all these anthologies, some stories are real winners and others, less so. But it is always good to meet authors one hasnt encountered before, to be encouraged to read other works of theirs. Delve in and find your special ones.
May 8, 2025
Dated in places but a few excellent plot twists.
In a collection of stories there are always some better than others, but this had a lot of good ideas in it. Above the average of those I’ve read in the series.
In a collection of stories there are always some better than others, but this had a lot of good ideas in it. Above the average of those I’ve read in the series.
September 29, 2025
The perfect book to have on hand in case you're waiting for a train, or stuck in doctor's office for that overdue appointment. Stimulating without overwhelming, and as always with this imprint, the cover is yummy!
October 9, 2025
There was a good variety of short stories, and I liked the details about the authors at the beginning of each story. My only quibble was that some of the stories weren't exactly mysteries, more revenge fantasies. Maybe there was a smaller pool of academic-themed mysteries for adults.
August 4, 2024
Not bad
Some of the stories were rather obvious and the rest were okay. Nothing really stands out other than Sherlock Holmes, in fact some have already faded into oblivion.
Some of the stories were rather obvious and the rest were okay. Nothing really stands out other than Sherlock Holmes, in fact some have already faded into oblivion.
August 8, 2024
This collection of fifteen short stories from across the twentieth century is an enjoyable read that lets you dip into the different styles of some of the great mystery writers.
December 29, 2024
OK
As with majority of mixed author short story collections some very good stories,mothers rather poor
As with majority of mixed author short story collections some very good stories,mothers rather poor
January 4, 2025
Engaging collection of stories with an academic setting, universities, colleges, public schools etc and featuring Golden Age as well as more contemporary authors.
May 10, 2025
Enjoyable collection of mystery short stories set in educational establishments. Writers range from Conan Doyle to Jacqueline Wilson - who I hadn't realised began her career writing crime fiction!
September 16, 2025
As always, Edwards does a great job selecting and introducing these mystery short stories.
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