Tales of Terror and Mystery

by Arthur Conan Doyle

A fully annotated collection of spooky tales from the master writer behind Sherlock Holmes

While he is now mostly associated with his Sherlock Holmes stories, the prolific Arthur Conan Doyle was also celebrated for the many masterful tales he wrote outside of that cycle. In this collection, published in 1922, he compiled various pieces of short fiction which fall into the categories of horror and detective fiction, two genres for which he has become a byword. These eclectic, captivating tales, dealing with topics such as mysterious jungles in the sky, 17th-century torture techniques, an enigmatic Brazilian cat, and a train mysteriously disappearing between two stations, showcase Arthur Conan Doyle at his creative best.

Genres: Horror, Mystery, Classics, Fiction, Short Stories, Fantasy, Crime

248 pages, Paperback

First published July 12, 1922

About the author

Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was a Scottish writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for A Study in Scarlet, the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Holmes and Dr. Watson. The Sherlock Holmes stories are milestones in the field of crime fiction.

Doyle was a prolific writer. In addition to the Holmes stories, his works include fantasy and science fiction stories about Professor Challenger, and humorous stories about the Napoleonic soldier Brigadier Gerard, as well as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels. One of Doyle's early short stories, "J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement" (1884), helped to popularise the mystery of the brigantine Mary Celeste, found drifting at sea with no crew member aboard.

Reviews

[Parmida R. A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tales of Terror and Mystery is a collection of twelve short stories by Arthur Canon Doyle and my first literary experience with him so far. I have to admit that some of stories were truly thrilling.

My ratings on each story:

1. The Horror of the Heights: ⭐ 3.5 stars
2. The Leather Funnel: ⭐ 4 stars
3. The New Catacomb: ⭐ 4.5 stars
4. The Case of Lady Sannox: ⭐ 4.5 stars
5. The Terror of Blue John Gap: ⭐ 4 stars
6. The Brazilian Cat: ⭐ 4 stars
7. The Lost Special: ⭐ 3 stars
8. The Beetle Hunter: ⭐ 2 stars
9. The Man with the Watches: ⭐ 3.5 stars
10. The Japanned Box: ⭐ 2.5 stars
11. The Black Doctor: ⭐ 3 stars
12. The Jew's Breastplate: ⭐ 3.5 stars

The average rating: ⭐ 3.45 stars

I enjoyed this book in general, and I admire writing style and creativity of Canon Doyle.

[A.E. Chandler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of the twelve stories included, my favourite was "The Brazilian Cat."

[Maja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zauvek ćemo biti uskraćeni za sve horor priče koje Artur Konan Dojl nije napisao. Odavno nisam osećala tu strepnju, taj užas sudbinama likova sa papira - zna Dojl kako da mi zaledi krv u žilama pukim poznavanjem ljudske psihologije. Ne opisuj, samo pusti da maštoviti um popuni praznine.

Prvih šest priča ove zbirke su, da ga nazovemo tako - ciklus priča o teroru; preostalih šest su više povratak standardnim detektivskim misterijama, ciklus Šerloka bez samih Šerloka i Votsona. Prvi ciklus je za mene bio čista petica, drugi trojka.

[Randy Money · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few of Doyle's supernatural/paranormal stories, and a handful of his non-Holmes and Watson crime/mystery stories. To single out a singular tale, "The Horror of the Heights" seems to anticipate some of H. P. Lovecraft's stories. As usual, Doyle had a magic touch with drawing a reader in and, in plain, but not dull prose, carrying them along to a tale's completion. Though not necessarily the best of Doyle's short work, an altogether entertaining collection.

[Fernando · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aunque el título del libro es "Cuentos de Terror", no asustan hoy en día. Tal vez, en esa época, harían poner incómodos a ciertos jóvenes por las noches. Hago mención al cuento "El embudo de cuero", ya que mantiene el suspense hasta el final y me gustó mucho. Los demás, correctos. Conan Doyle distaba mucho de ser Poe.

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the collection of stories that had convinced me about the incredible storytelling ability of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. People tend to remember him only as the creator of Sherlock Holmes. But these stories are miniature classics in building of suspense, mystery and horror.
Absolutely must-read. Highly Recommended.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

When we talk about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes always seems to be one of the first things that spring to mind. Sadly for this Scottish writer, this turned into both a blessing and a curse. Firstly, Sherlock Holmes remains a seminal part of crime writing and English literature, but limited the writer’s chances in exploring something different. In 1893 Doyle famously tried to kill off Sherlock Holmes in the story “The Final Problem” but due to public outcry and high demands the eccentric detective returned in the 1901 novel The Hound of the Baskervilles.

While Arthur Conan Doyle is known for his prolific writing, he didn’t gain much recognition for his works outside of Sherlock Holmes. Even though some critics believe his historical novels are some of his best works and The Lost World being the inspiration behind Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park. I picked up Doyle’s 1923 short story collection Tales of Terror and Mystery as part of our book club, but this afforded me the opportunity to explore his writing outside of Sherlock.

Tales of Terror and Mystery is a collection of thirteen short stories broken up into two topics; six stories on terror and seven on mystery. The book kicked off on a positive gear, the tales of terror are almost like a homage to Edgar Allen Poe. Even the short story “The New Catacomb” has a remarkable similarity to Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado”. What I enjoyed about these tales of terror was the way Doyle went a little darker and macabre to what I expected from this author.

Having such a great experience with the tales of terror it was a shame to move onto the tales of mystery. Here is a fun experiment; replace the protagonist name with Sherlock Holmes in these stories and see if they feel any different. It doesn’t work in all the stories; I wanted Conan Doyle to explore different styles of writing but I felt like the tales of mystery was almost like Holmes stories at times and the rest just didn’t work too well at all.

Some of the stories with Tales of Terror and Mystery worked really well but then the rest just feel short. I loved that Arthur Conan Doyle seemed to be influenced by great short story writers like Edgar Allen Poe or H.P. Lovecraft in some of the stories. However for the most part I was left wanting something a little more. Also, like what I have found with Doyle’s writing, there are some incredibly racist moments within this collection, with stories like “The Japanned Box” and “The Jews Breastplate”. After reading The Sign of Four earlier this year I have come to expect this colonialism nature from his writing. I like that some of these stories were macabre but overall I think this lacked the stylistic approach I am used to from this author.

This review originally appeared on my blog: http://literary-exploration.com/2014/...

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arthur Conan Doyle published these short stories later in his career. Half are tales of terror, and the other half are mysteries. It seems that Doyle is much more comfortable with the mysteries, particularly the two relating to railroads: "The Lost Special" and "The Man with the Watches."

The Black Doctor is a fairly fun read, though not the best of Doyle's work.

[The Phoenix · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as Sherlock Holmes, but not bad either. Collection of short stories, some with interesting endings.

[Marco Beneventi · Rating 4 out of 5]

-1 "L'imbuto di cuoio":
Parigi, un uomo, Lionel Dacre, amante dell'esoterismo e colezionista di oggetti curiosi, invita un suo caro amico Inglese a passare la notte nella sua dimora, lì gli farà "conoscere" uno strano oggetto, un vecchio ed enigmatico imbuto di cuoio nero recante lettere e strani segni impressi, quali indicibili segreti nasconderà questo curioso oggetto?

2- "Il caso di Lady Sannox":
Tre persone, Douglas Stone, rinomato chirurgo Londinese ritrovato completamente folle in camera sua, Lasy Sannox, donna facilmente preda di amori extraconiugali, repentinamente entrata in convento e Lord Sannox, uomo tranquillo e amante della floricultura.
Questo è il triangolo che vedrà, in una notte fredda e tempestosa, l'implacabile e Machiavelica vendetta abbattersi inesorabilmente e in maniera terrificante su due dei protagonisti.

3- "Il terrore del Blue John Gap":
Alla sua morte, fra gli effetti personali del dottor James Hardcastle, viene rinvenuto un diario con il resocondo di un'incredibile avventura a cui nessuno credette mai quando il dottore era in vita.
Si racconta di una leggenda che narra di una grotta chiama "Blue John Pit" e di una strana creatura che nelle notti buie e senza Luna esce per rubare pecore.
Il dottore, spinto dalla curiosità, indagherà su questo mistero per scoprire se questa leggenda, forse, non sia invece una terrificante realtà.

4- "Il gatto Brasiliano":
Marshall King un giovane a cui da poco è morto il ricco padre, giace in condizioni economiche precarie e "ricercato" dai creditori, in suo soccorso arriverà, casualmente, l'invito di un suo ricco cugino mai conosciuto, amante degli animali esotici, che lo inviterà a passare un pó di tempo nella sua tenuta, la speranza di un aiuto economico e la fuga dai debiti lo invoglierà ad accettare questa offerta.
Durante il soggiorno il giovane si scontrerà peró con l'arcigna moglie del cugino e farà la "conoscenza" del ferocissimo felino chiamato "Gatto del brasile".
Il giovane Marahall riuscirà a vedere esaudite le sue speranze o il ricco cugino avrà in serbo un altro finale per questa storia?

5- "Il treno scomparso":
Un uomo, Louis Caratal seguito da uno strano compagno recante con se una piccola e misteriosa cartelletta legata al polso chiedono urgentemente un treno speciale per raggiungere al più presto Parigi dall'Inghilterra.
Questo treno peró non arriverà mai a destinazione ma scomparirà letteralmente nel nulla senza lasciar traccia.
Chi erano questi uomini? Che segreti celavano? Ma sopratutto, che fine ha fatto il treno?

6- "L'uomo dagli orologi":
Euston Station, ore 17, su un treno diretto a Manchester salgono, all'ultimo momento, un signore di sessant'anni accompagnato da una giovane donna, nello scompartimento accanto invece viaggia un altro uomo intento a fumare il suo sigaro, all'arrivo a Manchester peró verrà fatta una raccapricciante scoperta, un giovane uomo senza biglietto e con sei orologi in tasca giace morto trafitto al cuore da una pallottola e dei 3 personaggi descritti prima nessuna ombra pur se il treno lungo il suo tragitto non ha effettuato nessuna fermata.
Chi è questo giovane? Cosa è accaduto durante il viaggio? Ma soprattutto dove sono finiti i tre individui scomparsi?

7- "Il dottore nero":
Bishop's Crossing, un piccolo villaggio inglese vicino Liverpool, vede l'arrivo di Aloysius Lana, eccellente medico di colore che piano piano si guadagnerà lì fama e rispetto, fra i tanti ammiratori troverà anche l'amore della signorina Frances Morton figlia del signorotto locale.
La situazione peró precipiterà quando un giorno l'arrivo di una lettera dall'Argentina sconvolgerà l'esistenza del medico, della giovane e di suo fratello, attirando l'attenzione dell'Inghilterra intera sulla tragica vicenda che vedrà, una notte, protagonista proprio il dottor Lana.

8- "La stanza degli incubi":
Archie e Lucille Mason due sposi, vivono più o meno serenamente la loro relazione sino alla scoperta da parte dell'uomo, di una bottiglietta di veleno custodita fra le cose della moglie, di una lettera e di un terzo in comodo che avrebbe ordito un sinistro piano.
Ma tutta questa storia è davvero come pare o ci sarà dell'altro?

9- "Lo specchio d'argento":
Un contabile, oberato di lavoro affidatogli da un giudice per incastrare un malfattore, si ritrova ogni sera, quando le fatiche di un lavoro alacre ed estremo si fanno sentire, ad avere particolari visioni all’interno di un vecchio e misterioso specchio d'argento.
Cosa gli verrà rivelato? E cosa significheranno quelle strane parole semi cancellate sul retro dello stesso?

"I racconti del mistero e del Terrore" sono una piccola raccolta di brevi racconti pubblicati nel 1898 ma scritti in diversi periodi dal papà di Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle.
Tutta questa produzione prende spunto dai più famosi e conosciuti scritti di Poe di cui Doyle era in gioventù un grande amante.
Il libro si presenta diviso in due, mentre i primi 4 racconti sono raccolti sotto l’etichetta "Racconti del terrore”, i restanti 5 vengono inseriti in “Racconti del mistero”.
Tutte queste brevi storie si presentano ben scritte, con un linguaggio semplice e asciutto, quasi analitico ma comunque capace in diverse parti di creare atmosfera, non tutti i racconti sono peró allo stesso livello fra loro, alcuni infatti risultano più deboli e privi di quel pathos che letture di questo genere dovrebbero produrre, fra tutti è sicuramente degno di nota è, per me, "Il terrore del Blue John Gap".
In conclusione questo “I racconti del terrore e del mistero” si puó considerare un buon libro da leggere, capace di intrattenere e far passare qualche momento rilassante proprio perchè non di difficile lettura.

[spalanai ⛤ · Rating 4 out of 5]

all i've learned is that arthur conan doyle was on the spectrum and i would be SEATED to listen to him YAP about ANYTHING <3

a tiny review summary of all the stories:

(3/5) The Horror of the Heights
(3/5) The Leather Funnel
(5/5) The New Catacomb
(4/5) The Case of Lady Sannox
(3/5) The Terror of Blue John Gap
(5/5) The Brazilian Cat
(3/5) The Lost Special
(3/5) The Beetle-Hunter
(5/5) The Man with the Watches
(5/5) The Japanned Box
(4/5) The Black Doctor
(4/5) The Jew's Breastplate

x

[Batgrl (Book Data Kept Elsewhere) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've long been a fan of Sherlock Holmes, but have only read bits and pieces of Doyle's other works. I know a lot are supposed to be (or so critcs will say) a bit pulpy, but this isn't something that bothers me. I enjoy a bit of melodrama, even if it's over the top at times - and Doyle definitely has a tendency to be over the top with his action-adventure stories, and his romances. This particular book contains twelve short stories - six under the section titled tales of terror and six under mystery. (Note that this is one of many Doyle books in public domain on Gutenberg and elsewhere.)

I'll add more about the stories as I finish them. [Except no, I won't, read a bit further.]

One story of note - The Lost Special - concerns a train that has disappeared between two stations, and officials are unable to find any trace of it, except for the dead body of the train's engine-driver. The mystery continues without answer, and newspapers begin printing speculation by "private individuals:"

[quote location: 50% in] "...One which appeared in The Times, over the signature of an amateur reasoner of some celebrity at that date, attempted to deal with the matter in a critical and semi-scientific manner...

..."It is one of the elementary principles of practical reasoning," he remarked, "that when the impossible has been eliminated the residuum, HOWEVER IMPROBABLE, must contain the truth..." " [Capitol letters as they were in the text.]

It's hard not to immediately assume that the "amateur reasoner" is Sherlock Holmes. In fact I thought that this story was one that was dramatized by ITV with Jeremy Brett as Holmes - only it doesn't seem to be on the episode list, so I must be imagining that I've seen it.

Doyle uses the same plot devise - the letter writer to a newspaper trying to solve the mystery - in another story in the collection: The Man with the Watches:

"...There was a letter in the Daily Gazette, over the signature of a well-known criminal investigator, which gave rise to considerable discussion at the time. He had formed a hypothesis which had at least ingenuity to recommend it...

"Whatever may be the truth," said he, "it must depend upon some bizarre and rare combination of events, so we need have no hesitation in postulating such events in our explanation. In the absence of data we must abandon the analytic or scientific method of investigation, and must approach it in the synthetic fashion. In a word, instead of taking known events and deducing from them what has occurred, we must build up a fanciful explanation if it will only be consistent with known events. We can then test this explanation by any fresh facts which may arise..."

Using "fanciful explanation" doesn't sound at all like Holmes, and then, the letter writer's theory turns out to be wrong in most aspects, perhaps right in another. So, not at all a secret wink to the reader that we should recognize the letter writer. Oh well.

...I was actually going to try and add little bits about each story, but for many of them what I find interesting would completely give away the ending, and these are rather short stories.

So instead I'll just quote a bit from one of the stories which, though a bit over the top here and there in that way you get used to with Doyle, does have some fun with technology. I'm referring to the first story in the collection; The Horror of the Heights, and I'd definitely have to categorize this as science fiction. I have no idea how accurate Doyle's writing is on the then-fairly-new technology of airplanes (the tech details seem very dry and boring), but his idea of unexplored areas of the sky are interesting:

"...Aeroplaning has been with us now for more than twenty years, and one might well ask: Why should this peril be only revealing itself in our day? The answer is obvious. In the old days of weak engines, when a hundred horse-power Gnome or Green was considered ample for every need, the flights were very restricted. Now that three hundred horse-power is the rule rather than the exception, visits to the upper layers have become easier and more common. Some of us can remember how, in our youth, Garros made a world-wide reputation by attaining nineteen thousand feet, and it was considered a remarkable achievement to fly over the Alps. Our standard now has been immeasurably raised, and there are twenty high flights for one in former years. Many of them have been undertaken with impunity. The thirty-thousand-foot level has been reached time after time with no discomfort beyond cold and asthma. What does this prove? A visitor might descend upon this planet a thousand times and never see a tiger. Yet tigers exist, and if he chanced to come down into a jungle he might be devoured. There are jungles of the upper air, and there are worse things than tigers which inhabit them..."

And later we do learn of what one such "tiger" looks like. Whether Doyle manages to make this experience creepy or amusing is probably up to whether you enjoy this sort story, and the style in which he writes.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I seem to find myself on a bit of a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle kick lately. I've been throughly enjoying his work but wanted to take a short break from Sherlock Holmes. What is an avid reader to do? Why, pick up "Tales of Terror and Mystery", of course!

This volume is broken up into two parts. The first half is tales of terror (you don't say!), and the second, tales of mystery (no, really??!!). I adored the tales of terror and was either indifferent or disliked the tales of mystery. Who'd have thought Doyle would be better at terror than mystery in something!?

"The Horror of the Heights" - I love the misunderstood concept of this one. This is told through a journal of an aeronautical explorer that was found after his disappearance. The concept? Man should be careful when flying to high because in the upper, upper atmosphere are near-transparent monsters. This was amazing!

"The New Catacomb" - Basically, Doyle's version of Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado." Seeing where the story is going does nothing to diminish this satisfying tale of revenge. This time, it is two explorers in an unexplored, deep, dark, catacomb.

"The Case of Lady Sannox" - Another tale that's easy to anticipate, but horribly disturbing. It involves a cuckolded husband, emergency surgery, and mistaken identity. Super creepy.

"The Terror of Blue John Gap" - This felt very Lovecraftian. Something is eating local sheep. There are rumors of a monster in a deep cave. An explorer sets out to find out what is what. (Spoiler alert: It's a mole bear! But the tension in the story is great and the claustrophobia is palpable!)

"The Brazilian Cat" - I totally guessed wrong on where this one was going. Huge cat with a taste for human. HUMAN! Good stuff.

I honestly didn't really care for the rest. But, I promise the stories aren't as racist as the names make them sound:
"The Japanned Box"
"The Jews Breastplate"

But don't worry, there was a little racism. This was 1922 after all!

[Steve Payne · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rather than 4.

Conan Doyle has a wonderfully easy to read style and a sense of cosiness that’s perfect for the dark winter nights. There are thirteen atmospheric stories here and even the three or four lesser stories are not without interest. About the only criticism I’d make is the formulaic feel to a number of the mysteries, whereby we have the setting up of a fascinating puzzle, an event happens, then the event is explained – often feeling like Sherlock Holmes without Holmes (The Lost Special and The Beetle-Hunter immediately come to mind here).

I’ve read this book over a longish period of time (I keep notes to refer back to), but the story which clearly remains in the memory without the need to refer to any notes is ‘The Terror Of The Blue John Gap,’ in which a man discovers a troglodyte creature underground. It’s richly atmospheric and one to savour with a glass on a dark and rainy night. If you take it as fantasy rather than science, 'The Horror Of The Heights' is a weird and descriptive story of a man in the early days of flight seeing strange gaseous creatures meandering around him.

This is just an enjoyable, undemanding, and satisfying read. No more, no less.

[Cindy B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

No cussing, graphic violence or sex - and there can still be mystery and a little 'looking back' fun. Who knew!?! ☺

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

With Tales of Terror and Mystery, Arthur Conan Doyle is on surer ground than in his collection of Tales of the Ring and the Camp or Tales of Pirates and Blue Water. Mystery is what Conan Doyle is most famous for, but as the Sherlock Holmes stories often demonstrate, he had a fine taste for the macabre and gruesome too.

The Tales of Terror opens with ‘The Horror of the Heights’, one of those stories that could never be written today. As with The Lost World, we know too much about the world now to get away with finding mysterious places in unexplored parts of the world. This time the unfamiliar territory is in the air.

At a time when flight was something of a rarity, Conan Doyle could imagine that the airways might be just as populated with mysterious creatures as the deep waters of the oceans, and that some of this might be just as deadly to us as the life down there. The solution? Get a weapon and go up there killing creatures, of course. The story hovers between H G Wells and H P Lovecraft in its look at hidden threats.

‘The Leather Funnel’ teases us with the details that we are not told. What causes the death of sensualist explorer of the occult, Lionel Dacre? A mention of his death early on might make us think that this story will be about his untimely end, but apparently not. This is just one incident in a story which is about Dacre showing a mysterious funnel to the narrator.

Here the tale is based on the idea that objects may carry memories with them that can be psychically transmitted to us. The narrator is asked to sleep with the funnel and has a dream where a woman is about to be tortured or murdered in a way that involves thrusting the funnel into her…well, we do not find out where the funnel is inserted, which leaves plenty to the imagination. Since drowning is the supposed cause of her death, perhaps it is only the nose or mouth.

Two ghastly stories of revenge follow that recall the style of Edgar Allan Poe. These are ‘The New Catacomb’ and ‘The Case of Lady Sannox’. I will not say too much, but apparently caddish behaviour towards women and adultery are worse crimes than murder or mutilation in the peculiar morals of Conan Doyle, since the former acts are punished whilst the latter acts are considered to be acceptable acts of revenge.

Back into Lovecraft territory but without the sense of a universal threat in ‘The Terror of Blue John Gap’. The narrator is investigating a monster that kills sheep and hides inside the mountain during the day. It would appear to be a subterranean monster, another undiscovered world still possible in Conan Doyle’s day.

In ‘The Brazilian Cat’, an impoverished sponger gets more than he bargained for when he visits a cousin from whom he hopes to borrow money. This collector of bizarre animals has a deadly South American feline in his collection. As in other places, Conan Doyle seems curiously sympathetic to cash-strapped heroes who hope to get money or inheritances from relatives (see also ‘The Brown Hand’ in Tales of Twilight and the Unseen).

This ends the Tales of Terror. Conan Doyle’s stories may occasionally tap into the nightmare world of Poe and Lovecraft, but he lacks the ornate intensity of Poe or the neurotic poetry of Lovecraft. His style is closer to that of the short stories of H G Wells. He tells a bizarre story in a matter of fact way that is almost journalistic.

That should not cause us to ignore the artistry involved in writing these commercial short stories. Conan Doyle is a master of suspense and mystery. The stories typically open with a few half-spoilers that tantalise the reader without revealing too much, and we must proceed with the stories to find out how they will turn out.

This is also true of the Tales of Mystery that follow. There is no Sherlock Holmes here, and many of the stories are only resolved when one of the leading participants, sometimes even the culprit, provides a timely confession.

I say there is no Sherlock Holmes, but in two stories we are told that a famous detective provides interesting speculations to the newspaper about what he thinks happened. This detective even quotes the famous Holmes adage that when you have eliminated the impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. If this is Holmes however, he forgets his other adage that it is a capital mistake to theorise without data, and his ideas fail to fully provide an answer to the mysteries.

‘The Lost Special’ refers to a missing train, no less. It passes through various stations and then is lost to view, with only the body of the driver found. The solution is a suitably bizarre one.

Another hard-up narrator is drawn into an adventure in ‘The Beetle-Hunter’. A newly-qualified doctor with an interest in the study of beetles is given a few days of work talking to an aristocrat who is something of an expert in the field of beetles, but why does Sir Thomas Rossiter’s brother-in-law want the doctor to humour Sir Thomas? Is the brother-in-law insane or Sir Thomas?

Another train mystery follows with ‘The Man with the Watches’. The passengers in two carriages go missing, leaving only a body in one carriage, and the body is not that of a passenger on the train. How did he get there, and where did they go? The final conclusion is an unexpectedly touching one that involves redemption and forgiveness.

A similar pathos brings ‘The Japanned Box’ to an end. A private tutor is hired to look after the children of the intimidating Sir John Bollamore, a man who seems decent enough, but who was something of a womaniser and drinker before his marriage. Now he is widowed, but appears to be talking to a female visitor. Is he slipping into his old ways? The modern reader, being more technologically minded than in Conan Doyle’s day, may guess the answer, but it is both sad and uplifting.

For ‘The Black Doctor’ we have a man of Argentine origin, the word ‘black’ being indiscriminately applied to anyone who had a darker skin than white people in those days. Indeed that was true in my childhood.

The doctor breaks off his engagement to an attractive woman for mysterious reasons, and later his body is found with marks of injury on it. Suspicion falls on the woman’s brother, who was angry about the broken engagement, but the solution proves more complex. It is a bit of a hackneyed resolution, but told with one or two clever jolts.

Next is a very Holmesian story, ‘The Jew’s Breastplate’, though the answer is arrived at by no more sophisticated a method than lying in wait for the culprit. The former curator of a museum sends a letter with badly-disguised handwriting warning his successor that the titular item will be stolen. The item is not stolen, but it is found badly damaged with a few of the settings around the gems damaged, yet the real gems are still there. The next night, the same damage occurs around another part of the breastplate. Why damage it and not steal the gems?

In ‘The Nightmare Room’, a man discovers his wife plans to poison him, but will he gallantly drink the poison so she can be with her lover, or will the lover drink it? A game of cards is in order, but a fourth stranger is in the room. I have no idea who that was. Death?

I imagine the reader will be able to guess the mystery in some of these stories before the end, which some will see as a weakness. However isn’t part of the fun of a mystery story trying to work out the answer from the clues provided? Nowadays detective stories have a bad habit of withholding vital information until the detectives discover it, so that reader and detective learn at the same moment who the killer is, but the classic whodunit gave the reader a chance to anticipate.

As a collection these stories are hugely enjoyable. There is a little bit of delicious nastiness, but not enough to repel the squeamish. Conan Doyle shows his gift for telling an exciting story and it is easy to see why his works are still read more than many of his contemporaries who wrote similar tales.

[Hanna (lapetiteboleyn) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Sherlock Holmes as much as anyone, but I maintain that it was Conan Doyle's singular moment of genius. As with all collections, some of these stories are more entertaining than others, but most are unfortunately forgettable.

[Blake Mendoza · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like the tales of terror! I find his writing very effective in that genre, especially the ones that are like the written equivalent of found footage horror. And I will never forget Tommy the Brazilian cat my beloved.

[Razor · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few of the stories are just plain boring but the others are really entertaining. 3 rounded up ig

[Perry Whitford · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Conan Doyle concept LP with a different theme on each side.

Side A features six tales of terror, the flip side has half a dozen tales of mystery. Unfortunately the concept was also a compilation; I'd read most of the stories before, - two from the first batch and all from the second - because they were all previously collected in Round the Fire Stories.

Of those I hadn't read 'The Horror of the Heights' presents the bloodstained fragment of a mssing pilot's journal to scare the bejesus out of any amateur aeronaut: 'There are jungles of the upper air, and there are worse things than tigers which inhabit them.'

'The New Catacomb' hinges on an unusual trade of information between rival archeologists. Even the mummified remains of the early Christians they encounter beneath Rome could have seen the twist coming a mile off.

'The Case of Lady Sannox'

[Ludditus · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mixed bag. Most are quite good, a few are even fabulous, but the first two—“The Horror of the Heights” and “The Leather Funnel”—are among the worst, showing the unscientific mind of Conan Doyle and his propensity towards the fantastic and the spiritualism.

In only twelve stories, there are also a few recurrent themes: special creatures, unexplainable things happening on trains, people adventuring in dangerous dark places with mere candles and matches (instead of storm lanterns), and even mentionings of “an amateur reasoner of some celebrity” and of an unknown but “well-known criminal investigator” (both unnamed, but obviously being the same you-know-who).

This being said, a reasonably enjoyable reading.

[Srijith Jagdish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another brilliant masterpiece...as mentioned in my earlier review of Doyle's short stories, I love the way the author transports you to the era and the surrounding of where the story takes place...entirely through his story telling skills...

The mystery and suspense is not earth shattering but the whole experience of the read is very enjoyable...

Highly recomended...for a lazy winter weekend with a nice warm cup of cocoa...

Regards,

Sri

[Marvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The perfect book for those who think Arthur Conan Doyle only wrote stories about Sherlock Holmes. This collection, divided into "Tales of Terror" and "Tales of Mystery", strengthens the argument that Doyle would have been remembered even if he did not create the famous detective. I prefer the tales of terror over the mystery, especially " The Horrors of The Height" and "The Brazilian Cat".

[J.E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love horror short stories from this period. These were perfect. Not too grim, not to dark, but full of suspense and rich description. Some were, of course, better than others. My particular favorite was The Argentinian Cat, I think it was called. I've been listening to these on audiobook for some time and just recently finished them.

[Ghislain · Rating 5 out of 5]

C'est bien dans les meilleurs pots livresques que l'on fait les meilleures confitures narratives ;-)

[Hanna-Anneli Belt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Häiritseviä erilaisia kauhukertomuksia ja eriskummallisia sattumuksia Sherlock Holmesin luojalta. Muutaman kerran jopa luulen viitattavankin tuohon kuuluisaan rikostenratkaisijaan näissä kertomuksissa. Tarinoissa on aina jokin yllättävä käänne, huippukohta tai loppupaljastus. Kiinnostaavaa luettavaa kaiken kaikkiaan.

[Stan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arthur Conan Doyle is quite the writer! These Tales of Terror and Mystery are so well written. Great pose. Great story-telling in a difficult format - the short story.

Now, they are not really terror filled stories by today's standards, but I am sure they were scandalously frightening when penned. The mysteries are well written and not very predictable. They will keep you thinking, unless you just read do discover rather than deduce.

Well written stories! Grab a copy and enjoy!

[Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

TALES OF TERROR AND MYSTERY is a massive collection of themed mystery, fantasy, and horror stories from famed Scottish author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This collection is notable for not featuring his most famous character of Sherlock Holmes in any way, shape or form, and yet containing stories that are stylistically linked to the Holmesian fare. There are a few gruesome horror tales, a collection of medical stories (which are more interesting than you might think), some mysteries, and even a couple of novels.

This anthology opens with no less than twelve horror and mystery stories. The 'lost manuscript' tale HORROR OF THE HEIGHTS is a perfect appetiser and has long been a personal favourite of mine; it describes an early aviator discovering a hitherto unknown race living above the cloud cover, and is completely brilliant, a favourite out of the hundreds of horror stories I've read. THE LEATHER FUNNEL concerns occultism in France and a medieval leather funnel with the power to disturb dreams. It's predictable, but engaging. THE NEW CATACOMB is a fun mood piece with a fantastic setting in the crumbling catacombs beneath Rome. THE CASE OF LADY SANNOX is an effective companion piece, telling of an adulterous surgeon, and extremely grisly with it.

THE TERROR OF BLUE JOHN GAP is my second favourite story collected here, just behind HORROR OF THE HEIGHTS. A monster lurks in the Peak District, and the narrator encounters it in this exciting tale of adventure and derring do. Pure escapism, and a delight to read. THE BRAZILIAN CAT is a straightforward story of revenge and a huge black panther, with some very thrilling passages. I skipped THE LOST SPECIAL having encountered it elsewhere, but THE BEETLE-HUNTER is a fascinating piece about a collector of rare beetles. It's the one story that feels most like Holmes.

THE MAN WITH THE WATCHES is another detective story about the discovery of a body in an empty train carriage. There's a delightful reference to Holmes himself and a real quality to the writing that makes it a winner and one of the book's strongest tales. THE JAPANNED BOX is more traditional and old-fashioned, but still builds the mystery in an appealing way. THE BLACK DOCTOR by contrast a cracking old mystery yarn, packed with suspense and a complex plot. Finally, THE JEW'S BREASTPLATE sees somebody tampering with museum jewels, but refusing to steal them. Great twists throughout keeps the reader on their toes.

Next up is a complete novel, no less than THE LOST WORLD, which has been filmed so many times that most people know the story about Professor Challenger and his team discovering a lost world packed with prehistoric life. Less familiar is that novel's sequel, THE POISON BELT, which is very nearly as good. It's a Wellsian disaster story in which Challenger and chums must seek to evade worldwide catastrophe, heavy on scientific detail and light on action. Still, the suspense level remains high throughout, making it a fun read.

The next part of the book is a collection of medical tales originally released in book format as ROUND THE RED LAMP. The first is BEHIND THE TIMES, about an old-fashioned village doctor, a slight but warming thing. HIS FIRST OPERATION does what it says on the tin and is extremely realistic, albeit nothing more than an elaborate joke. A STRAGGLER OF '15 refers to a Waterloo survivor and brings to life a nice atmosphere of nostalgia tinged with melancholy.

THE THIRD GENERATION is quite Holmesian, with a Watson-like doctor visited by a man harbouring a terrible secret. The fear of the inevitable is quite palpable. A FALSE START is a comic piece about a G.P. struggling to set up his new practice and encountering the usual pitfalls and set backs along the way. THE CURSE OF EVE explores childbirth from the father's perspective, and is an interesting look at social attitudes during the late 19th century.

SWEETHEARTS is about an old timer reminiscing of long lost romance and quite sweet and simple. A PHYSIOLOGIST'S WIFE is surprisingly poignant with a mean streak of black humour to see it through, and so well written that I loved every paragraph of it. THE CASE OF LADY SANNOX is repeated from earlier for some reason. A QUESTION OF DIPLOMACY is the weakest in the collection, a merely anecdotal effort with a tenuous medical connection. A MEDICAL DOCUMENT, about three gentlemen chatting in a club, is better and quite interesting. LOT NO. 249 is famously one of the earliest 'mummy on the rampage' stories in existence and one that would help inspire a whole slew of 20th century cinema. It's a grand monster-on-the-loose story, perfectly written and constructed.

The last three stories are a mixed bag. THE LOS AMIGOS FIASCO is about an electric chair and veers into science fiction, although it's whimsical and funny despite the dark subject matter. THE DOCTORS OF HOYLAND seems to be about a battle of the sexes in a rural practice, but it's very unpredictability is what makes it worthwhile. Finally, THE SURGEON TALKS is a mere string of medical anecdotes and as interesting as you could hope for.

[Sellynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of the twelve stories, my favorite is "The Black Doctor."

[Irina Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful news: the eternal coziness of an Arthur Conan Doyle mystery persists even when things take a creepier turn.