As If By Magic: Locked Room Mysteries and Other Miraculous Crimes

by Martin Edwards (Editor)

Impossible crime stories have delighted readers since the invention of detective fiction as puzzle-lovers sought more cerebral entertainment. Following on from Miraculous Mysteries, CWA Diamond Dagger Award-winning crime writer Martin Edwards brings together a whole new casebook of mystifying locked room mysteries and impossible crimes. Featuring more great stories by John Dickson Carr, Julian Symons and Margery Allingham alongside newly rediscovered writers, this selection of stories will bring you more insight into one of the most celebrated and dazzling sub-genres of detective fiction.

Genres: Short Stories, Mystery, Audiobook, Crime, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, British Literature

349 pages, Paperback

Published September 10, 2025

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

[Brian Clegg]

Part of the British Library's extensive Crime Classics collection, this largely enjoyable set of short stories features what the subtitle calls 'locked room mysteries and other miraculous crimes'. The short story form is excellent for puzzle stories where an apparent impossibility takes place, and these tales range in period from the late Victorian era to 1980, though most are from the 1920s and 30s.

Some of the situations stretch credulity to the limit, but others are ingenious. Most are readable, though (perhaps not surprisingly) the earliest ones sometimes struggle a little. The feel varied significantly from an attempt to poke fun at the concept itself, where a series of ex butlers relate stories of crimes where (actual) fictional detectives go to extreme and unlikely lengths to show that the butler didn't do it, to the closing story which has an impressive, if grim, twist.

In case you are wondering why some well-known examples aren't here, this is the second collection Martin Edwards has compiled for the series, the other being Miraculous Mysteries. Relatively few of the stories in As if by Magic are page turners - but if you are a fan of the genre and like a good locked room mystery (or even a bad example) it's one you need to read.

[Shona Lidgey]

A fabulous collection of diverse and brilliant short stories. Full of funny characters and intrigue.

[Tasha]

A very fun read overall but a few of the stories were just alright. The murder game would have to be my favourite story of this collection.

[Blasr]

Some very complicated plots that entailed re-reading the endings of some stories several times. But I did get one solution correct!

[Martin Pilkington]

An interesting collection of short stories, only one of which I've read before. The stories vary in publishing dates from 1898 to 1980.

As you might expect with a set of short stories not all of them worked for me. At least one i just didn't understand the solution, actually that was the one I'd read before, I didn't understand it the first time and I didn't understand it now.

But, as I said, an interesting collection spanning well known names and people forgotten by the general reading population, into which bracket I happily put myself.

Definitely worth a read and useful as a pointer towards novels to try by the authors.

[thearcher89]

Normally, I don't read short stories but this one came highly recommended. Yet I think there are 3 stories in here that are good.

Two stories by John Dickson Carr are quite superb -- both very macabre if you stop to think about them. The other one that stood out was Christianna Brand's Murder Game. Even in a short story form, she managed to pack in her signature multiple solutions.

Other ones are meh.

[Richard Howard]

Any such anthology is likely to be a mixed bag and this one is no different. Some of the stories are ridiculously contrived, but there are a few real gems. One has a twist I did not see coming and, when it's revealed, it's an 'Oh, now it all makes sense!' moment. Another gleefully plays with 'The Butler did it' trope while cocking a snook at the golden age detectives.

[Colin]

Another classy volume of classic crime stories in the excellent British Library Crime Classics. No stand out pieces but all entertaining, and it pleasantly passed a long train journey! Recommended, if you like this sort of thing.

[Phil Butcher]

An enjoyable collection of locked room mysteries from the Golden Age of detective novels - including two by John Dickson Carr, one of which is hailed as the best ever written. I'm not sure about that accolade, but it's still a fun read.

[Kim Campbell]

There are some very good 'locked room' and 'closed circle' mysteries in this collection, most of them from the golden age of detective fiction.

[Heidi]

There are some gems in this one. Definitely a new favorite on my shelves that I’ll return to again and again.

[J Grimsey]

An enjoyable book but at least one tale was though well written had similar solution to Conan Doyle's Thor's Bridge

[Andrew]

Not my favourite of the short story collections in the British Library Crime Classics series but well worth a read

[Laura Anne]

Favourites are: "Murder Game," "The Last Meeting of the Butlers Club," and "The House in Goblin Wood."

[Shabbeer Hassan]

Martin Edwards' latest British Library anthology delivers 16 vintage locked-room mysteries spanning 1898-1980, anchored by my favourite GAD author's John Dickson Carr, only short story featuring the cantankerous yet brilliant Henry Merivale, "The House in Goblin Wood", which was well worth the price alone of an Audible credit.

While half the stories are well-known (Carr, Brand, Allingham), Edwards unearthed genuine rarities like Will Scott's "The Vanishing House" and Geoffrey Bush's delightfully satirical "The Last Meeting of the Butlers Club", which skewers all the Golden Age conventions with butler-narrators recounting how Wimsey, Thorndyke, and Father Brown repeatedly saved them from arrest.

Of course, as usual with such short story collections, the quality varies, with some solutions relying on tired tricks, but standouts like Christianna Brand's "Murder Game" (with its dizzying number of false solutions) and Michael Gilbert's elegant "The Coulman Handicap" make this essential reading for locked-room devotees.

My Rating - 5/5
(PS - John Telfer did a great job in narrating it as well)

[Jo]

Some of the stories were better than others, so overall just OK

[Ellen]

Some amazing stories (Christianne Brand; Michael Gilbert); the Geoffrey Bush was delightful. But I am just not a fan of the locked room.

[Sue Foster]

Great selection of stories.

[Sarah Black]

An excellent collection of short stories

[Walton]

Not all the stories have aged well, but some are ingenious. I enjoyed being introduced to obscure authors.