Metropolitan Mysteries: A Casebook of London’s Detectives

by Martin Edwards

Lord Peter Wimsey reads murder in the minutiae of a Bloomsbury kitchen. Dr. Gideon Fell unravels a locked-room mystery from a flat in Chelsea. Superintendent Aldgate cracks the case of the body atop Nelson’s Column.

The streets of London have been home to many great detectives since the days of Sherlock Holmes and Watson, with some of the best authors in the genre taking to the short story form to pit their sleuths against crimes ranging from murders on the Tube to heists from the capital’s finest jewellers.

Featuring a roster of Scotland Yard’s meticulous best, a cohort of daring doctors and a cadre of characterful private investigators, this new selection by Martin Edwards includes eighteen vintage mystery stories from a period between 1908 and 1963 to showcase the city’s most compelling classic cases.

With contributions by Margery Allingham, John Dickson Carr and Dorothy L. Sayers along with rare finds by Raymond Postgate, J. Jefferson Farjeon and many more, this anthology invites you to join some of the greatest detectives ever written on their perilous trail through London’s darker underside.

Genres: Mystery, Short Stories, Fiction, Crime, London, Audiobook, Golden Age Mystery

324 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 10, 2024

About the author

Martin 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.

Reviews

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of the short stories in this book were pretty disappointing (I recommend Cyril Hare’s collection of short stories for really excellent mysteries short stories from the period) but it was interesting from a sort of historical/academic perspective.

[Aura C · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this as a concept more than I loved it as a full reading experience. As a curated anthology, it’s genuinely interesting from a historical and literary perspective, especially seeing how detective fiction evolved in London between the early 1900s and the 1960s. There’s something charming about revisiting familiar names alongside lesser-known writers, and a few of the stories really do shine.

That said, the quality is uneven. Some entries are clever, atmospheric, and memorable, while others feel dated or underdeveloped, ending just as they’re getting interesting. A few stories rely heavily on tropes that feel overfamiliar now, which pulled me out of the immersion rather than drawing me in.

Overall, this worked best for me as a sampling platter rather than a must-read collection. I appreciated the range and the glimpse into classic British crime fiction, but I didn’t connect strongly enough with most of the stories to rate it higher. Worth picking up if you enjoy vintage mysteries or literary history, just don’t expect every case to land.

[Sam Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore old school murder/crime mysteries, so when I got through the Post a book all about London mysteries I was excited. I’ve been going back and forth to London myself so this arrived at the perfect time.

There’s a great selection of stories here. Some better than others but each one is entirely different from the other. No two stories are alike which I suppose speaks volumes of the talent that was there back in the day.

Notably it was my first exposure to Arthur Conan Doyle too and I now fully understand the appeal people have towards Sherlock Holmes’ stories.
Each story was preceded by a brief biography of the author, some of these are pretty obscure so it’s nice to see them brought back into the spotlight.

I do enjoy books like these and I’m glad I have my subscription with the British Library.

4/5

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating 4

For me one of the best short collections published by BLCC.
Not really a dud story for me in the collection, granted a couple of very short tales but I enjoyed the majority very much. As Dorothy L Sayers when reviewing a short story “hundred times better worth reading than many a tale that has been blown up artificially to novel length in an attempt to circumvent the prejudice against short stories”
Which for me not only covers collections such as this but a lot of modern fiction where only page counts over 500 or so are considered well written books.

The reason for not being 5 rated are the opening titles …. Sherlock Holmes Bruce-Partington Plans & Wimsey Footsteps That Ran. Both aren’t bad in themselves but were over familiar to me.

Overall solid collection definitely recommend.

[John Of Oxshott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very impressed by this collection of stories and by the editorial skills of Martin Edwards.

The quality of writing in all the stories is surprisingly good. Some of them are very short, having first appeared in newspapers. Others are more involved. They are all very varied in style and substance.

The biographical notes are intriguing and made me want to know even more about the lives and careers of the authors.

I enjoyed this so much I went out and bought two more British Library anthologies edited by Martin Edwards. I'm not sure if I want to read a novel yet either by him or any of his fellow crime writers.

However grim the subject matter, these short stories are a refreshing antidote to the real life incidents reported in the news every day, so I've taken to reading these instead of looking at my phone.

[Robert Hepple · Rating 4 out of 5]

First published in 2024, 'Metropolitan Mysteries - A Casebook of London's Detectives' is a collection of 18 mostly vintage crime short stories set in the UK capital. The stories have been originally published over many years, from around 1908 up to 1963 and so feature a huge range of styles, and incidentally feature an equal sprinkling of well known authors alongside others who have dropped out of sight. The tales are a mixed bunch, some excellent and some totally daft. Some authors are helpful enough to provide a title that tells you that the story is one of the daft ones. Some of the less well known authors are just superb, and I love a phrase from 'Murder in St Jame's' by Malcolm Gair ''It was an unheard of thing for a private detective to be brought into an official police job'' - not many crime writers seem to agree with this! Loved it for the sheer range of styles.

[Bibliophile Foodie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed diving into this collection. There’s something special about vintage crime stories, and this book gave me a wide variety of detectives and mysteries, all set against the backdrop of London. Each story had its own style, and I liked how no two felt the same. Some were short and sharp, others more detailed and layered.

What made the book even more interesting was the mix of well-known names alongside authors I had never heard of before. The short introductions before each story gave me a glimpse into their lives and careers.

Of course, some stories stood out more than others, but that’s the fun of a collection like this. I liked seeing how different writers approached the idea of a detective in London. The city itself almost became a character, with its streets, landmarks, and atmosphere adding to the mood of each mystery.

[Shabbeer Hassan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another stellar British Library anthology curated by Martin Edwards, with 18 vintage mysteries (1908-1963) all prowling the streets of London.
We have Lord Peter Wimsey, Dr Gideon Fell, and Sherlock Holmes rub shoulders with lesser-known sleuths in tales ranging from locked room puzzles in Chelsea (which was fun) to bodies atop Nelson's Column (which was absurd).
The quality varies in the book, with some stories shining brilliantly while others feel middling, but the overall collection offers a fascinating snapshot of how detective fiction evolved across half a century. A rather satisfying sampler for fans of Golden Age mysteries like myself.

My Rating - 4/5

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mildly entertaining selection of short stories set in London,ably introduced by the ubiquitous Martin Edwards .

Although many famous names feature, the outstanding story is by the least-known, Eric Bennett.The vastly-underrated Henry Wade, one of my my favourite GAD writers, is favoured with two entries, both, alas, distinctly sub-par.

Most Gadistas will find themselves in familiar territory but these BLCC offerings continue to represent good value in more ways than one-albeit that many recent choices of novel and short story have been less obscure than I would wish.

[Niki (nikilovestoread) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like most short story collections, this collection was a mixed bag. It contains some really great stories and some real duds. My absolute favorites were Unsound Mind bh Anthony Berkeley and Death on Nelson's Column by Eric Bennett. Others I enjoyed were: The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans by Arthur Conan Doyle, The Miser of Maida Vale by Baroness Orczy, The Case of the Faulty Drier by Josephine Bell, Man in Bond Street by Anthony Gilbert, The Crime in Nobody's Room by Carter Dickson, and Sergeant Dobbin Works it Out by J. Jefferson Farjeon.

[Kim Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some really good stories

One or two of the stories in this book are very short indeed, but nonetheless entertaining for that. There are also a couple of authors I hadn't heard of before. All in all, this is a very good collection.

[Nichola · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with all anthologies there is a blend of good and bad in here. I loved the earlier narratives some of which I had read before and this has convinced me to pick up Dickson Carr sooner than I expected but overall mixed bag.

[Claire Q · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Sue Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable selection of short stories.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong collection. The Anthony Berkeley was quite dark…

[MS M ADAMS · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these anthologies

Stories from the Golden Age of crime fiction gathered together in one volume. Nothing sensational but an entertaining glimpse into times gone by.

[Pers · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent collection.

[Nigel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun read from the series of British Library books. Well worth your time. A few gems by lesser known, practically unknown authors.

[Donald · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting selection of London detectives, not a dud amongst them, although it was unfortunate to choose two escalator murders and place then one after the other...

[S. Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed all the stories in this collection (except maybe the one by Baroness Orczy, but I can see why it was included). The notes about the authors were good too.

[Najia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some very good short stories!!!

[Lass Loda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some stronger stories than others, but that's to be expected. Overall, an easy, entertaining read that's made more fun with the backdrop of London.

[Melissa Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good collection of stories. My favourites are by Dorothy L Sayers, Eric Bennett and Carter Dickson.

[Husna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

[Verity W · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another of the short story collections from the BLCC and as the title suggests features mysteries set in London. I can sometimes find the collections a bit patchy - but this is one of the stronger ones with one proviso: because it's got a lot of well known authors in it you may have come across some of these stories before. I had definitely read the Peter Wimsey short story before and the Allingham also seemed familiar. But if you haven't read as much of Sayers or Allingham's work as I have you may not have done and it's lovely to come across familiar (and reliable) authors. And there's one very clever if somewhat improbable mystery in here that I was completely bamboozled by and if I didn't quite believe the solution was possible, it was so much fun I didn't mind.

[Laura Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars My favorites were "The Crime in Nobody’s Room" (Carter Dickson), "Death on Nelson’s Column" (Eric Bennett), "Unsound Mind" (Anthony Berkeley), "Mum Knows Best" (Margery Allingham) and "The Case of the Faulty Drier" (Josephine Bell).