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Reggie Fortune
Call Mr. Fortune
In the suburbs of London, a remarkable detective fights for the underdog
When father is away, Reggie Fortune is left in charge of his quiet country medical practice. A young doctor with a sluggish work ethic and a passion for sweets, Fortune is at his happiest when tending to an old man's illness or curing a poor boy's broken leg. When a call comes in alerting Fortune that the archduke has been found unconscious in the road, he hurries no more than he would for a regular patient. But as he discovers when he inspects the lord, this is a most irregular case. The archduke lives--but another man has been murdered in his name.
This collection of six puzzling stories introduced the world to Reggie Fortune, a remarkable detective whose rotund frame conceals a razor-sharp mind and a fighting spirit. A true champion of the oppressed, Fortune will never let a murderer escape justice--whether his victim was royalty or the lowest of the low.
Ths ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
When father is away, Reggie Fortune is left in charge of his quiet country medical practice. A young doctor with a sluggish work ethic and a passion for sweets, Fortune is at his happiest when tending to an old man's illness or curing a poor boy's broken leg. When a call comes in alerting Fortune that the archduke has been found unconscious in the road, he hurries no more than he would for a regular patient. But as he discovers when he inspects the lord, this is a most irregular case. The archduke lives--but another man has been murdered in his name.
This collection of six puzzling stories introduced the world to Reggie Fortune, a remarkable detective whose rotund frame conceals a razor-sharp mind and a fighting spirit. A true champion of the oppressed, Fortune will never let a murderer escape justice--whether his victim was royalty or the lowest of the low.
Ths ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
164 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1920
92 people are currently reading
376 people want to read
About the author
H.C. Bailey
144 books16 followersHenry Christopher Bailey (1878 – 1961) was an English author of detective fiction. Bailey wrote mainly short stories featuring a medically-qualified detective called Reggie Fortune. Fortune's mannerisms and speech put him into the same class as Lord Peter Wimsey but the stories are much darker, and often involve murderous obsession, police corruption, financial skulduggery, child abuse and miscarriages of justice. Although Mr Fortune is seen at his best in short stories, he also appears in several novels.
A second series character, Josiah Clunk, is a sanctimonious lawyer who exposes corruption and blackmail in local politics, and who manages to profit from the crimes. He appears in eleven novels published between 1930 and 1950, including The Sullen Sky Mystery (1935), widely regarded as Bailey's magnum opus.
A second series character, Josiah Clunk, is a sanctimonious lawyer who exposes corruption and blackmail in local politics, and who manages to profit from the crimes. He appears in eleven novels published between 1930 and 1950, including The Sullen Sky Mystery (1935), widely regarded as Bailey's magnum opus.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
February 4, 2020
I discovered H.C. Bailey and his redoubtable Reggie Fortune through a short story in Martin Edwards’ excellent anthology Deep Waters: Mysteries on the Waves. I simply had to find more with Reggie Fortune, the jocular, cynical medical examine-sleuth who bedevils Scotland Yard detective Lomas and amuses Lomas’ boss, Superintendent Bell.
Call Mr. Fortune contains six lengthy cases that are solved by Reggie Fortune, although not always neatly. One of them had a bit of an implausible motive, but I enjoyed them all well enough. A warning, though: Published in 1920, H.C. Bailey occasionally uses the casual racism common to that era.
Call Mr. Fortune contains six lengthy cases that are solved by Reggie Fortune, although not always neatly. One of them had a bit of an implausible motive, but I enjoyed them all well enough. A warning, though: Published in 1920, H.C. Bailey occasionally uses the casual racism common to that era.
December 11, 2016
This is the first collection of Reggie Fortune stories. Reggie is similar to Lord Peter Wimsey and Albert Campion - a wealthy, upper class, educated amateur detective who is a lot smarter than he looks:
There's a good deal of humor in the stories, and Reggie appears to take very little seriously. He gets annoyed at being dragged into criminal cases:
Reggie can be quite rude to the police or anyone else in authority. That's a good deal of his charm. For example, in the first story, "The Archduke's Tea," Reggie is called in to treat Archduke Maurice. Reggie's father is starstruck after treating Maurice previously and brags about it for some time. Reggie is unimpressed and is simply glad that his father is still on holiday because, "If his [the elder Dr Fortune's] head swelled so over an archducal fish bone, he would have burst over an archduke knocked down." The irreverence can get a bit much at times and Reggie can sometimes be annoying. However, for the most part, the humor works.
"The Hottentot Venus" is a silly tale about a missing heiress. It's really just a confusing piece of fluff. I found it a waste of time. Bailey got a very carried away with his humor in that one. Despite the humor, some of the stories can get quite dark - "The Business Minister" is about obsession, suicide, and a really twisted, convoluted revenge. In "The Sleeping Companion," a young woman is framed for a brutal murder. In another of the stories, Reggie very easily deals with a murderer who tries to kill him - and the murderer ends up killing himself instead.
Despite being originally published in 1920, these stories have aged well and are still very readable. "The Hottentot Venus" and "The Archduke's Tea" are the weakest of the lot, but the other stories are quite good.
"At Oxford, at his hospital, Reggie did what was necessary to take respectable degrees, but no more than he could help. It was remarked by his dean that he did things too easily. He always had plenty of time, and spent it here, there, and everywhere, on musical comedy and prehistoric man, golf and the newer chemistry, bargees and psychical research. There was nothing which he knew profoundly, but hardly anything of which he did not know enough to find his way about in it. Nobody, except his mother, had ever liked him too much, for he was a self-sufficient creature, but everybody liked him enough; he got on comfortably with everybody from barmaids to dons.
He was of a round and cheerful countenance and a perpetual appetite. This gave him a solidity of aspect emphasized by his extreme neatness. Neither his hair nor anything else of his was ever ruffled. He was more at his ease with the world than a man has a right to be at thirty-five."
There's a good deal of humor in the stories, and Reggie appears to take very little seriously. He gets annoyed at being dragged into criminal cases:
"Reggie stared at it with gloomy apprehension. 'I believe the beggars get murdered just to bother me,' he was reflecting, when a jovial tea-merchant (wholesale— that club is a most respectable club) clapped him on the shoulder, and asked what the news was. 'They only do it to annoy because they know it teases,' said Reggie, and held up the tape."
Reggie can be quite rude to the police or anyone else in authority. That's a good deal of his charm. For example, in the first story, "The Archduke's Tea," Reggie is called in to treat Archduke Maurice. Reggie's father is starstruck after treating Maurice previously and brags about it for some time. Reggie is unimpressed and is simply glad that his father is still on holiday because, "If his [the elder Dr Fortune's] head swelled so over an archducal fish bone, he would have burst over an archduke knocked down." The irreverence can get a bit much at times and Reggie can sometimes be annoying. However, for the most part, the humor works.
"The Hottentot Venus" is a silly tale about a missing heiress. It's really just a confusing piece of fluff. I found it a waste of time. Bailey got a very carried away with his humor in that one. Despite the humor, some of the stories can get quite dark - "The Business Minister" is about obsession, suicide, and a really twisted, convoluted revenge. In "The Sleeping Companion," a young woman is framed for a brutal murder. In another of the stories, Reggie very easily deals with a murderer who tries to kill him - and the murderer ends up killing himself instead.
Despite being originally published in 1920, these stories have aged well and are still very readable. "The Hottentot Venus" and "The Archduke's Tea" are the weakest of the lot, but the other stories are quite good.
"'Well, sir, it’s a good thing you didn’t take to crime,' said Superintendent Bell.
'Oh, that’s much harder,' said Reggie.'
March 3, 2012
This is fairly early Bailey, and not as polished as his stories later became. BUT it is also the book with stories that introduce regular series favorites. Not only does Reggie Fortune start his crime-solving career, but he also meets Lomas, Inspector Bell, his chauffeur Sam, and even the future Mrs. Fortune. Well worth it for fans.
June 16, 2016
I enjoyed this collection of stories about Reggie Fortune. He reminded me a bit of Lord Peter Wimsey. The author alluded to poetry and songs at various places, which I found amusing. ("who is Sandford, what is he, that all the world don't love him?" as in "who is Sylvia, what is she?")
Unfortunately, he also showed the prejudice of the times (1920) by referring to Jews in a disparaging way, and used the N word a few times. Completely unnecessary to the story and really offensive to me, although I do know that it was common in those days.
Aside from that, the book was fun, although certainly not up to the level of Agatha Christie or Dorothy Sayers. I'll probably read more of the series when I feel like some enjoyable light entertainment.
Unfortunately, he also showed the prejudice of the times (1920) by referring to Jews in a disparaging way, and used the N word a few times. Completely unnecessary to the story and really offensive to me, although I do know that it was common in those days.
Aside from that, the book was fun, although certainly not up to the level of Agatha Christie or Dorothy Sayers. I'll probably read more of the series when I feel like some enjoyable light entertainment.
July 1, 2017
This is a collection of short stories about a British physician and surgeon, Reginald Fortune. I am not a lover of short stories but Reginald Fortune is better in small doses. There is not much character development going on here, we have to take the author at his word that solving crimes is fairly easy for Reggie. The mysteries solved are good and Reggie is not always right which adds to the enjoyment of the book.
December 11, 2018
Excellent anthology of stories.
April 10, 2020
This is a collection of six short stories by the English author H.C. Bailey published in 1920. It is the first set of short stories featuring H.C. Bailey’s series detective Dr. Reggie Fortune. The first story in the book (The Archduke’s Tea) introduced Reggie Fortune from a good medical family. As the first story in the series, it also introduced some recurring characters such as the head of CID Stanley Lomas, his subordinate Inspector Bell and Reggie’s factotum Samuel Baker. The stories involve simple puzzles and there is not much in character development. In addition, instead of developing the story with clues and logic, in many stories H.C. Bailey just have Reggie pronounce his findings and conclusions oftentimes using his intuition rather than clues and logic.
Case 1: The Archduke’s Tea. (4 Star) This is probably my favorite story in the book. As the first story, it introduced Reginald Fortune to the readers. He was 35 years old at the time and a graduate of Oxford. He was to inherit his father’s fortune and his father’s rich medical practice in a western suburb of London called Westhampton. Archduke Maurice, the heir apparent to Emperor of Bohemia who was residing in London at the time with his wife. One morning the Archduke was knocked down by a car and became unconscious. Dr. Reggie Fortune was called. He found a sliver of steel in Maurice’s body caused by somebody trying to kill him a second time after the first failed attempt. However, the steel hatpin missed his heart and failed to kill him. Reggie then set a trap for Archduke Leopold, the brother of Archduke Maurice, and caught him trying to poison his brother. In the end, Leopold tried to poison Reggie by putting poison in his tea. Reggie switched cup with Leopold and Leopold ended up killing himself.
Case 2: The Sleeping Companion (4 star). The story involves an elderly actress patient of Reggie called Birdie Bolton and her young live-in companion May Weston. Birdie was found dead one morning and May was drugged, both still wearing their evening gowns from the night before. All of Birdie’s jewels were stolen from her safe. It turns out that Birdie was murdered by her maid Flora and her accomplice Bunco. Flora drugged the coffee of both Birdie and May, hoping to burglarize the safe when both Birdie and May became unconscious. Birdie, however, did not drink her coffee that night and therefore caught the two red-handed. In a struggle, Bunco killed Birdie. Reggie was able to determine the murderer was Bunco because he has a disfigured hand with fingers missing and the strangle mark on Birdie’s neck matched Bunco’s hand.
Case 3: The Nice Girl (3 star). The story is about the murder of Albert Lunt, a mining magnate who was shot in his garden. Albert Lunt and his brother Victor own the Lunt Brothers company. All suspicions initially pointed to Vernon Cranford, a mining engineer who has been cheated out of a rich copper mine discovery by the Lunt Brothers. When Albert was murdered, Cranford was charged and put on trial. Cranford’s fiance hired Reggie to help clear Cranford. By looking at some black fur grabbed in Albert’s hand, which was similar to the fur on Victor’s coat, as well as footprints that matches Victor’s boots, Reggie concluded Victor was the murderer and as a result Cranford was acquitted. It turns out that Reggie was wrong. While Victor did have a confrontation with his brother Albert that day, Victor ran into Albert only after Albert has been fatally shot by Cranford. Cranford brought two guns and challenged Albert to a dual. Albert refused by taking one of the two guns and shot at Cranford. Albert missed and Cranford returned fire and fatally injured Albert.
Case 4: The Efficient Assassin (3 star) In this story, I find Reggie did too much speculation and not enough detection. Reggie’s old Oxford friend Geoffrey Chalecote has a father called Stephenson who disapproves of his son’s chosen profession as an artist. A few years ago, the two argued and Geoffrey left England for the Continent, where he married an Italian called Lucia. Later Geoffrey and Lucia returned to England and made peace with Stephenson. One night, after the three had dinner, Stephenson was found stabbed to death outside Geoffrey’s house. Only that morning had Stephenson changed his will to give almost everything to son Geoffrey again. Prior to that, he had disinherited Geoffrey and gave his estate to Geoffrey’s cousin Herbert. Reggie correctly observed that the two stab wounds (one to the heart and the other to the neck) were both fatal and both very efficient and precise. Later, cousin Herbert (who was deeply in debt) was found drowned in a canal. Reggie were able to discover that the murderer of both Stephenson and Herbert was the family doctor Dr. Newton. Newton advanced money to Herbert for gambling, expecting a big payoff when he killed Stephenson and Herbert inherits. When it was shown that Stephenson has changed his will, the two had a fallout and Newton killed Herbert as well. Reggie does not believe he had enough evidence to prove his case, so he bluffed Newton and told him Herbert survives the drowning and has confessed. Newton then jumped out the window of a tall building and killed himself.
Case 5: The Hottentot Venus (2 Star). Reggie’s friend Stanley Lomas of the CID has a sister Brer who runs a prestigious girl’s school. When somebody ransacked the school a couple of times only to steal some girls photos, Stanley asked Reggie to look into it. Reggie found a very valuable antique stone idol called the Hottentot Venus in the school and concluded it must be left behind by a rich collector or archeologist. Reggie also realizes the reason somebody wants to steal some photos were to identify somebody they are looking for. It turns out Reggie was just in time to foil a plot by the rich Prince of Ragusa to kidnap his daughter (who have never met his father because custody of her was with the estranged Princess) and try to marry her off to her cousin. The method the Prince used was to hire an actress to pretend to be a student and to enroll in the school. She befriended the princess (also a student in the school) and tricked her into boarding the Prince’s yacht so they can be kidnapped and sailed outside England. Reggie discovered the plot and injected himself. At the end all’s well that ends well. The Ragusa family all reconciled.
Case 6: The Business Minister (2 Star) This is the longest story in the book. It is more like a novella than a short story. The story is about an obsessive maniac Horace Kimball, who was a government minister and is President of the Board of Trade. Horace has a sister Ellen Kimball. When Horace started his career years ago, Ellen kept house for him. Horace was possessive of Ellen and was jealous when Ellen fell in love and married a clerk Sandford over Horace’s objection. The two siblings never talked again. Horace then trapped Ellen’s husband into a dishonorable deal and ruined him professionally. Years later, Horace tried to ruin Ellen’s son as well.
He hired Ellen’s son the young Sandford to be his private secretary. When Horace became the government minister in charge of nationalizing some coal mines in England, Horace leaked out confidential information on which mines will be nationalized prior to the public announcement date to some brokerage houses so they can buy up those stocks prior to the announcement. Horace made it look like the leak came from Sandford. He even used a middleman called Mason to deposit 3000 pounds into Sandford’s bank account to look like Sandford was taking bribes. He then fired Sandford to destroy his reputation. However, subsequently, there was a fallout between Horace and Mason and Horace ended up killing Mason. Reggie, again using more intuition than deduction, concluded that Horace was behind all these and bluffed him. Horace, thinking he will be exposed, set up his own suicide but try to make it look like he was murdered by young Sandford. However, Reggie was able to predict his move and were able to prove Sandford were not involved in Horace’s death.
Case 1: The Archduke’s Tea. (4 Star) This is probably my favorite story in the book. As the first story, it introduced Reginald Fortune to the readers. He was 35 years old at the time and a graduate of Oxford. He was to inherit his father’s fortune and his father’s rich medical practice in a western suburb of London called Westhampton. Archduke Maurice, the heir apparent to Emperor of Bohemia who was residing in London at the time with his wife. One morning the Archduke was knocked down by a car and became unconscious. Dr. Reggie Fortune was called. He found a sliver of steel in Maurice’s body caused by somebody trying to kill him a second time after the first failed attempt. However, the steel hatpin missed his heart and failed to kill him. Reggie then set a trap for Archduke Leopold, the brother of Archduke Maurice, and caught him trying to poison his brother. In the end, Leopold tried to poison Reggie by putting poison in his tea. Reggie switched cup with Leopold and Leopold ended up killing himself.
Case 2: The Sleeping Companion (4 star). The story involves an elderly actress patient of Reggie called Birdie Bolton and her young live-in companion May Weston. Birdie was found dead one morning and May was drugged, both still wearing their evening gowns from the night before. All of Birdie’s jewels were stolen from her safe. It turns out that Birdie was murdered by her maid Flora and her accomplice Bunco. Flora drugged the coffee of both Birdie and May, hoping to burglarize the safe when both Birdie and May became unconscious. Birdie, however, did not drink her coffee that night and therefore caught the two red-handed. In a struggle, Bunco killed Birdie. Reggie was able to determine the murderer was Bunco because he has a disfigured hand with fingers missing and the strangle mark on Birdie’s neck matched Bunco’s hand.
Case 3: The Nice Girl (3 star). The story is about the murder of Albert Lunt, a mining magnate who was shot in his garden. Albert Lunt and his brother Victor own the Lunt Brothers company. All suspicions initially pointed to Vernon Cranford, a mining engineer who has been cheated out of a rich copper mine discovery by the Lunt Brothers. When Albert was murdered, Cranford was charged and put on trial. Cranford’s fiance hired Reggie to help clear Cranford. By looking at some black fur grabbed in Albert’s hand, which was similar to the fur on Victor’s coat, as well as footprints that matches Victor’s boots, Reggie concluded Victor was the murderer and as a result Cranford was acquitted. It turns out that Reggie was wrong. While Victor did have a confrontation with his brother Albert that day, Victor ran into Albert only after Albert has been fatally shot by Cranford. Cranford brought two guns and challenged Albert to a dual. Albert refused by taking one of the two guns and shot at Cranford. Albert missed and Cranford returned fire and fatally injured Albert.
Case 4: The Efficient Assassin (3 star) In this story, I find Reggie did too much speculation and not enough detection. Reggie’s old Oxford friend Geoffrey Chalecote has a father called Stephenson who disapproves of his son’s chosen profession as an artist. A few years ago, the two argued and Geoffrey left England for the Continent, where he married an Italian called Lucia. Later Geoffrey and Lucia returned to England and made peace with Stephenson. One night, after the three had dinner, Stephenson was found stabbed to death outside Geoffrey’s house. Only that morning had Stephenson changed his will to give almost everything to son Geoffrey again. Prior to that, he had disinherited Geoffrey and gave his estate to Geoffrey’s cousin Herbert. Reggie correctly observed that the two stab wounds (one to the heart and the other to the neck) were both fatal and both very efficient and precise. Later, cousin Herbert (who was deeply in debt) was found drowned in a canal. Reggie were able to discover that the murderer of both Stephenson and Herbert was the family doctor Dr. Newton. Newton advanced money to Herbert for gambling, expecting a big payoff when he killed Stephenson and Herbert inherits. When it was shown that Stephenson has changed his will, the two had a fallout and Newton killed Herbert as well. Reggie does not believe he had enough evidence to prove his case, so he bluffed Newton and told him Herbert survives the drowning and has confessed. Newton then jumped out the window of a tall building and killed himself.
Case 5: The Hottentot Venus (2 Star). Reggie’s friend Stanley Lomas of the CID has a sister Brer who runs a prestigious girl’s school. When somebody ransacked the school a couple of times only to steal some girls photos, Stanley asked Reggie to look into it. Reggie found a very valuable antique stone idol called the Hottentot Venus in the school and concluded it must be left behind by a rich collector or archeologist. Reggie also realizes the reason somebody wants to steal some photos were to identify somebody they are looking for. It turns out Reggie was just in time to foil a plot by the rich Prince of Ragusa to kidnap his daughter (who have never met his father because custody of her was with the estranged Princess) and try to marry her off to her cousin. The method the Prince used was to hire an actress to pretend to be a student and to enroll in the school. She befriended the princess (also a student in the school) and tricked her into boarding the Prince’s yacht so they can be kidnapped and sailed outside England. Reggie discovered the plot and injected himself. At the end all’s well that ends well. The Ragusa family all reconciled.
Case 6: The Business Minister (2 Star) This is the longest story in the book. It is more like a novella than a short story. The story is about an obsessive maniac Horace Kimball, who was a government minister and is President of the Board of Trade. Horace has a sister Ellen Kimball. When Horace started his career years ago, Ellen kept house for him. Horace was possessive of Ellen and was jealous when Ellen fell in love and married a clerk Sandford over Horace’s objection. The two siblings never talked again. Horace then trapped Ellen’s husband into a dishonorable deal and ruined him professionally. Years later, Horace tried to ruin Ellen’s son as well.
He hired Ellen’s son the young Sandford to be his private secretary. When Horace became the government minister in charge of nationalizing some coal mines in England, Horace leaked out confidential information on which mines will be nationalized prior to the public announcement date to some brokerage houses so they can buy up those stocks prior to the announcement. Horace made it look like the leak came from Sandford. He even used a middleman called Mason to deposit 3000 pounds into Sandford’s bank account to look like Sandford was taking bribes. He then fired Sandford to destroy his reputation. However, subsequently, there was a fallout between Horace and Mason and Horace ended up killing Mason. Reggie, again using more intuition than deduction, concluded that Horace was behind all these and bluffed him. Horace, thinking he will be exposed, set up his own suicide but try to make it look like he was murdered by young Sandford. However, Reggie was able to predict his move and were able to prove Sandford were not involved in Horace’s death.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2021
Stimulating and good fun!
Some might find the writing style old fashioned. I, however, find it intriguing. I also am in love with the character if Reggie Fortune! I wish more book featuring him were on Kindle!
Some might find the writing style old fashioned. I, however, find it intriguing. I also am in love with the character if Reggie Fortune! I wish more book featuring him were on Kindle!
April 14, 2022
Oh Reggie, you're a doll.
November 3, 2023
Overall, I am opposed to any screen reading, as I will always love having a physical book on me, but Call Mr. Fortune was due to be the exception to the rule due to its availability. It is accessible via Google Books at 262 pages.
Call Mr. Fortune is set as six short stories, making it easily digestible. I went in fully prepared to read one case and call it done, but was quickly enveloped in the Sherlock Holmes-esque storytelling. Mr. Fortune starts out as a general family doctor taking over his father's business, but rapidly turns into a criminal investigator with his medical background.
Each story is its own mystery, not always(see Case V), but commonly referring to a murder. In Case I, Mr. Fortune is not trusted to take on the case as he is a young physician, a family doctor, but quickly asserts his prowess in the field as he solves the mystery at hand. He is then trusted by the Criminal Investigation Department and called upon for any new case to be investigated for cause of death, and ultimately, the person behind the crime.
"Of course he does know a lot, does Mr. Fortune, a rare lot of stuff. But that's natural, as it were. What upsets you is the sort of way he feels men. It's as is if he had senses you haven't got. Very strange the way he knows men." (page 240) Reggie Fortune is able to pick apart and see things at an angle no other could take, making him into a detective akin to Sherlock Holmes.
And then, there is his love of muffins that is recurring and made me giggle the more I saw it across each case. Mr.Fortune is a carbohydrate king:
"Reginald communed with himself as he ate his third muffin." (page 3)
"Reggie, having eaten all the muffins, lit his pipe and meditated on the cases left him by his father." (page 6)
"There he sat before an empty plate which held muffins, and lit one of his largest cigars." (page 165)
"'What I want is muffins,' said Reggie-'several muffins and a little tea and my domestic hearth. Then I'll feel safe.'" (page 210)
"'I found scraps of wool in Herbert's mouth and nostrils. That's the case, Lomas, old thing. Come and have tea. There's rather decent muffins at the Academies'.'/'Good God!' said Lomas. 'Muffins!'" (page 150)
Call Mr. Fortune is set as six short stories, making it easily digestible. I went in fully prepared to read one case and call it done, but was quickly enveloped in the Sherlock Holmes-esque storytelling. Mr. Fortune starts out as a general family doctor taking over his father's business, but rapidly turns into a criminal investigator with his medical background.
Each story is its own mystery, not always(see Case V), but commonly referring to a murder. In Case I, Mr. Fortune is not trusted to take on the case as he is a young physician, a family doctor, but quickly asserts his prowess in the field as he solves the mystery at hand. He is then trusted by the Criminal Investigation Department and called upon for any new case to be investigated for cause of death, and ultimately, the person behind the crime.
"Of course he does know a lot, does Mr. Fortune, a rare lot of stuff. But that's natural, as it were. What upsets you is the sort of way he feels men. It's as is if he had senses you haven't got. Very strange the way he knows men." (page 240) Reggie Fortune is able to pick apart and see things at an angle no other could take, making him into a detective akin to Sherlock Holmes.
And then, there is his love of muffins that is recurring and made me giggle the more I saw it across each case. Mr.Fortune is a carbohydrate king:
"Reginald communed with himself as he ate his third muffin." (page 3)
"Reggie, having eaten all the muffins, lit his pipe and meditated on the cases left him by his father." (page 6)
"There he sat before an empty plate which held muffins, and lit one of his largest cigars." (page 165)
"'What I want is muffins,' said Reggie-'several muffins and a little tea and my domestic hearth. Then I'll feel safe.'" (page 210)
"'I found scraps of wool in Herbert's mouth and nostrils. That's the case, Lomas, old thing. Come and have tea. There's rather decent muffins at the Academies'.'/'Good God!' said Lomas. 'Muffins!'" (page 150)
January 19, 2024
1920 Dated Short Stories
Call Mr. Fortune is in the Queens Quorum list considered as the most 125 important detective crime fiction books ever written. This prestigious list was compiled by the noted team of Frederic Danay; Manfred Lee better known as Ellery Queen and has stood the test of time. Unfortunately, the main character of Call Mr. Fortune, Reggie Fortune, a medically qualified detective, time has not aged in this group of short stories so well. H.C. Bailey, the author noted as a1st tier author in the golden age of detection; mystery fiction followed with many books using the detective Reginald Fortune throughout many adventures. Sadly, the stories fall short of expectation using theatrically flowery mannerisms; speech in the characters dialogue. The words are stilted and worn with language; expressions in many circles today that would be even considered corny. The buildup of drama; suspense to reveal the secret of the methods; capture of the murderers lack the sharp detective nuances of plot lines born of other detective novels from the same era. Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers still capture our imagination years after these early works were published but as a comparison to Call Mr. Fortune, the book falls far short as a golden era gem.
Call Mr. Fortune is in the Queens Quorum list considered as the most 125 important detective crime fiction books ever written. This prestigious list was compiled by the noted team of Frederic Danay; Manfred Lee better known as Ellery Queen and has stood the test of time. Unfortunately, the main character of Call Mr. Fortune, Reggie Fortune, a medically qualified detective, time has not aged in this group of short stories so well. H.C. Bailey, the author noted as a1st tier author in the golden age of detection; mystery fiction followed with many books using the detective Reginald Fortune throughout many adventures. Sadly, the stories fall short of expectation using theatrically flowery mannerisms; speech in the characters dialogue. The words are stilted and worn with language; expressions in many circles today that would be even considered corny. The buildup of drama; suspense to reveal the secret of the methods; capture of the murderers lack the sharp detective nuances of plot lines born of other detective novels from the same era. Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers still capture our imagination years after these early works were published but as a comparison to Call Mr. Fortune, the book falls far short as a golden era gem.
February 17, 2023
📚NOVEL THOUGHTS📚
After I started to read this book, I had to find out in what century it was written because, though it was in english, it was in an english from another time. Sure enough, the book was published in 1920!! Main character Mr. aka Dr. Reggie Fortune is a single man of mid-30s and makes comments about being unmarried like not sure if he wished to be or might be passed that time to be so. He is a bit full of himself while also trying to be coy and complimenting to his fellow investigators except he always seems to be one up on them, seeing clues that no one pays attention to. He would have been a popular detective character during the 1920s England when Sherlock Holmes, Mrs. Marple and those from the pen of Dorothy Sayers, however, I've never heard of him!
It's unlikely I will read another book featuring him only because the prose just a little hard to follow, I really didn't like the character and what was accepted in thought and speech as it relates to ethnicities back then, is not longer so in today's literature.
After I started to read this book, I had to find out in what century it was written because, though it was in english, it was in an english from another time. Sure enough, the book was published in 1920!! Main character Mr. aka Dr. Reggie Fortune is a single man of mid-30s and makes comments about being unmarried like not sure if he wished to be or might be passed that time to be so. He is a bit full of himself while also trying to be coy and complimenting to his fellow investigators except he always seems to be one up on them, seeing clues that no one pays attention to. He would have been a popular detective character during the 1920s England when Sherlock Holmes, Mrs. Marple and those from the pen of Dorothy Sayers, however, I've never heard of him!
It's unlikely I will read another book featuring him only because the prose just a little hard to follow, I really didn't like the character and what was accepted in thought and speech as it relates to ethnicities back then, is not longer so in today's literature.
September 10, 2019
Bailey and Reggie Fortune were highly popular at one time and still seem to find fans. Martin Edwards includes one of the volumes in his "The Story of Classic Crime" and has anthologised several individual tales.
I remain unconvinced as to their worth, having read this and" Mr Fortune's Practice". Perhaps the later works are better, but there is no getting away from the very dated style and offensive attitudes displayed here.
There are puzzles, but there is no 'fair play', and too many of the solutions are plucked out of the air with few clues for the reader. There is a whiff of science-Fortune is a doctor- but the professionals are treated as second string idiots who have to be taught their job and basic methodology by the amateur.
I shall try more Bailey at a later date, having learned not to be too dismissive after my experience with J.J. Connington.
I remain unconvinced as to their worth, having read this and" Mr Fortune's Practice". Perhaps the later works are better, but there is no getting away from the very dated style and offensive attitudes displayed here.
There are puzzles, but there is no 'fair play', and too many of the solutions are plucked out of the air with few clues for the reader. There is a whiff of science-Fortune is a doctor- but the professionals are treated as second string idiots who have to be taught their job and basic methodology by the amateur.
I shall try more Bailey at a later date, having learned not to be too dismissive after my experience with J.J. Connington.
August 20, 2020
Free | Fair, standard for the time | I was first interested in reading this when I was working my way through the fictional detectives that Tommy and Tuppence Beresford parodied in Partners in Crime. There's nothing outstanding here, Fortune is pretty interchangeable with any other amateur detective of the period. In some of the stories he drops the g from some words (rollin', playin', etc) but not from others, and because he doesn't always do it, doesn't do it with any grammatical consistency, and it doesn't fit what a man of his background and class would have done at that time, it's jarring and distracting.
Time period usual xenophobia, anti-Semitism, and racism, including use of the n-word.
Time period usual xenophobia, anti-Semitism, and racism, including use of the n-word.
October 3, 2022
These six stories were the first to feature Dr Reggie Fortune and they are very much a product of their times. If you can thole the casual anti-semitism and use of the "n" word, get over the snobbery, classism, and irritating speech patterns, then what do you find?
I would say some slightly second rate tales in which Fortune does little actual detecting, but uses a combination of medical science, intuition, logic and psychology to beat Lomas and Bell of the CID and confound everyone by his brilliance.
These are not HC Bailey at his best. There are moments of light amusement, but little to tax the reader-detective.
I would say some slightly second rate tales in which Fortune does little actual detecting, but uses a combination of medical science, intuition, logic and psychology to beat Lomas and Bell of the CID and confound everyone by his brilliance.
These are not HC Bailey at his best. There are moments of light amusement, but little to tax the reader-detective.
January 30, 2024
What an odd collection of mysteries! They are certainly dated; Reggie Fortune has an adverse response to women. He flips back and forth from acting somewhat prim and proper to being completely rude and hostile. I may go searching for other stories, because I have no clear Image of his personality in my head.
April 18, 2024
Quirky Periodic Mysteries
This group of short stories is a collection of the trials and tribulations of a doctor turned investigator. With an unusual approach to each case, he solves the mystery.
As it was written many years ago, the language used is particular to the time frame and may offend some people.
This group of short stories is a collection of the trials and tribulations of a doctor turned investigator. With an unusual approach to each case, he solves the mystery.
As it was written many years ago, the language used is particular to the time frame and may offend some people.
May 10, 2020
Mr. Fortune is Just an Adequate Detective
As detectives go, I would just Mr. Fortune as an interesting character that is very intelligent but the cases presented are pedestrian. I received the book for free, so I guess I got what I deserved.
As detectives go, I would just Mr. Fortune as an interesting character that is very intelligent but the cases presented are pedestrian. I received the book for free, so I guess I got what I deserved.
Read
July 20, 2022This collection of short stories was a bit slow in places, but for the most part, the mysteries were engaging and well-plotted. Mr. Fortune is a bit of a smarty-pants, but usually for good reason. He's well matched with the villains, and these stories are mostly quite satisfying.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2025
Case I: The Archduke's Tea - 3/5
Case II: The Sleeping Companion - 4/5
Case III: The Nice Girl - 3/5
Case IV: The Efficient Assassin - 3/5
Case V: The Hottentot Venus - 2/5
Case VI: The Business Minister - 3/5
Case II: The Sleeping Companion - 4/5
Case III: The Nice Girl - 3/5
Case IV: The Efficient Assassin - 3/5
Case V: The Hottentot Venus - 2/5
Case VI: The Business Minister - 3/5
April 3, 2019
My first Bailey and so far not a big fan maybe his later works improve but in terms of difficult puzzle plots these stories had none.
June 26, 2020
2 stars.
September 9, 2020
A nice set of short murder mysteries. Mr Fortune is quite the character, impressing the police chief and clearing up cases with ease.
July 20, 2021
The characters are well drawn and fleshed. I couldn't put it down.
January 3, 2024
Interesting short stories. Can be downloaded on Gutenberg though.
dnf
March 13, 2025These are solid mystery stories, but I personally found both the protagonist and the narration style kind of abrasive, so I'm gonna dnf this one.
March 24, 2017
I can see some potential in this character and plan to read more of Bailey's work.
Want to read
October 6, 2018Synopsis: the first collection of short stories about Reggie Fortune. He acts as an assistant to Scotland Yard.
July 18, 2023
This book of mystery short stories from 1920 is four stars purely for the pleasure it gives me; I have read it two or three times now and each time I enjoy it utterly. The stories are really not that good, but I find Mr. Fortune fascinating; here is a highly intelligent doctor who at thirty-five is being lectured by his father for his lack of ambition, and he quickly turns into It is fascinating and disturbing, the way the narrative is so certain of his rightness, and so pleasant about everything, and I do not think Bailey was trying to create a complex character here, I think a great deal of it is in my own head, but perhaps that is why I like it so much, trying to put together a whole out of the little scraps of personal information shared around the plot-driven necessities of the genre. I wish more of his work were available as ebooks, especially just now with all the libraries still closed.
For my own memory, the six stories in this volume are:
For my own memory, the six stories in this volume are:
December 19, 2010
Before the reader opens an H. C. Bailey book they may wonder why his name is not well remembered even by those who have a particular liking for English fiction written in the “golden era” of murder mysteries. After reading just a few pages this puzzle is solved. Bailey’s writing style is pedestrian, his characters caricatures and his plotting nonsensical. Coming across writers of this ilk helps the reader to understand the treatment book reviewers gave Christie, Allingham and Sayers.
In addition to infelicities of style, structure and plotting, this particular volume reads as though it was at best cursorily edited with sentences of various tenses packed together into the same paragraph. Although not every character is imbued with the same voice there are fewer voices than there are characters. Fortune, the surgeon/private detective, is obnoxiously self important without, apparently, Bailey being aware of that fact. Fortune is able to solve cases because the police are incompetent: Fortune is aware of information he does not share with them and occasionally he simply intuits the truth. Yes, Bailey indeed uses the oldest trick in the book to make his protagonist outwit the police by have the police having little wit to better. In the occasional case, such as “The Business Minister” Fortune is actually shown in some detail inspecting the possible scene of the crime. And it is here that one can see, lain bare, the method by which Bailey had his amateur detective outdo the professional police. The police, one sees, are barely able to fulfill the most basic aspects of their jobs. They do not even call upon their own coroner to inspect the corpse. They follow Fortune about as he inspects the likely scene of the murder. Having looked in the living room and the bedroom Fortune suggests they move on to the bathroom “‘We haven’t seen the bathroom,’ said Reggie. Bell looked and him and shrugged. ‘Not likely to be much there, sir,’ said the Inspector. ‘There could be,’ said Reggie gravely, and led the way.” Yet, in comparison to such incompetence Fortune is still able to shine only dimly given Bailey’s leaden prose and incoherent plotting.
In addition to infelicities of style, structure and plotting, this particular volume reads as though it was at best cursorily edited with sentences of various tenses packed together into the same paragraph. Although not every character is imbued with the same voice there are fewer voices than there are characters. Fortune, the surgeon/private detective, is obnoxiously self important without, apparently, Bailey being aware of that fact. Fortune is able to solve cases because the police are incompetent: Fortune is aware of information he does not share with them and occasionally he simply intuits the truth. Yes, Bailey indeed uses the oldest trick in the book to make his protagonist outwit the police by have the police having little wit to better. In the occasional case, such as “The Business Minister” Fortune is actually shown in some detail inspecting the possible scene of the crime. And it is here that one can see, lain bare, the method by which Bailey had his amateur detective outdo the professional police. The police, one sees, are barely able to fulfill the most basic aspects of their jobs. They do not even call upon their own coroner to inspect the corpse. They follow Fortune about as he inspects the likely scene of the murder. Having looked in the living room and the bedroom Fortune suggests they move on to the bathroom “‘We haven’t seen the bathroom,’ said Reggie. Bell looked and him and shrugged. ‘Not likely to be much there, sir,’ said the Inspector. ‘There could be,’ said Reggie gravely, and led the way.” Yet, in comparison to such incompetence Fortune is still able to shine only dimly given Bailey’s leaden prose and incoherent plotting.
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