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Resorting to Murder: Holiday Mysteries
Holidays offer us the luxury of getting away from it all. So, in a different way, do detective stories. This collection of vintage mysteries combines both those pleasures. From a golf course at the English seaside to a pension in Paris, and from a Swiss mountain resort to the cliffs of Normandy, this new selection shows the enjoyable and unexpected ways in which crime writers have used summer holidays as a theme.
These fourteen stories range widely across the golden age of British crime fiction. Stellar names from the past are well represented – Arthur Conan Doyle and G. K. Chesterton, for instance – with classic stories that have won acclaim over the decades. The collection also uncovers a wide range of hidden gems: Anthony Berkeley – whose brilliance with plot had even Agatha Christie in raptures – is represented by a story so (undeservedly) obscure that even the British Library seems not to own a copy. The stories by Phyllis Bentley and Helen Simpson are almost equally rare, despite the success which both writers achieved, while those by H. C. Bailey, Leo Bruce and the little-known Gerald Findler have seldom been reprinted.
These fourteen stories range widely across the golden age of British crime fiction. Stellar names from the past are well represented – Arthur Conan Doyle and G. K. Chesterton, for instance – with classic stories that have won acclaim over the decades. The collection also uncovers a wide range of hidden gems: Anthony Berkeley – whose brilliance with plot had even Agatha Christie in raptures – is represented by a story so (undeservedly) obscure that even the British Library seems not to own a copy. The stories by Phyllis Bentley and Helen Simpson are almost equally rare, despite the success which both writers achieved, while those by H. C. Bailey, Leo Bruce and the little-known Gerald Findler have seldom been reprinted.
320 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2015
238 people are currently reading
1097 people want to read
About the author
Martin Edwards
357 books802 followersMartin Edwards has been described by Richard Osman as ‘a true master of British crime writing.’ He has published twenty-three novels, which include the eight Lake District Mysteries, one of which was shortlisted for the Theakston’s Prize for best crime novel of the year and four books featuring Rachel Savernake, including the Dagger-nominated Gallows Court and Blackstone Fell, while Gallows Court and Sepulchre Street were shortlisted for the eDunnit award for best crime novel of the year. He is also the author of two multi-award-winning histories of crime fiction, The Life of Crime and The Golden Age of Murder. He has received three Daggers from the Crime Writers’ Association and two Edgars from the Mystery Writers of America and has also been nominated three times for Gold Daggers. In addition to the CWA Diamond Dagger (the highest honour in UK crime writing) he has received four other lifetime achievement awards: for his fiction, short fiction, non-fiction, and scholarship. He is consultant to the British Library’s Crime Classics, a former Chair of the CWA, and since 2015 has been President of the Detection Club.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
June 23, 2021
It's another great anthology from the British Library Crime Classics. This is one of the books I set aside for summertime reading and I very much enjoyed it. The stories are set during holidays ("vacations" in North America) and it's either people on holiday helping to solve the murders or people who've gone on holiday and wound up the victims. There's a mix of amateur sleuths, detective inspectors and superintendents. The locales are seaside, alpine and countryside.
Here are my thoughts on my favourite stories in this book:
A Schoolmaster Abroad by E.W. Hornung - in which an attempted murder by strychnine puts a doctor under suspicion and another attempt reveals the murderer and the recuperation after surgery the motive. A well-done story by the brother-in-law of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Murder! by Arnold Bennett- in which on the Channel coast a poet and a tough are at odds over the wife of one of them. The result is murder but the best twist comes as a result of the investigators' rumination on the clues (a superintendent and a doctor).
The Murder on the Golf Links by M.McDonnell Bodkin- in which a murder on the green at the golf mad Thornhurst Hotel is played cleverly but not enough to abscond the reaches of Mr. Beck. Only a hint of absurdity creeps in with a flurry of disguises in the resolution.
The Vanishing of Mrs. Fraser by Basil Thompson- in which Mary Fraser's ill mother goes missing upon their arrival to their hotel in Paris. The reason for the ruse is understandable in part but taken too far and results in a bit of an odd story.
A Mystery of the Sand - Hills by R. Austin Freeman- in which a Colombo-like investigator gathers information on a possible crime by inspection of footprints and pile of clothes found on a beach. I especially liked how he determined which was the favoured hand of the owner of a pocket knife. A tiny bit overlong but a good story.
The Hazel Ice by H.C.Bailey- in which the search for a missing/possibly dead man takes interesting and unexpected turns as the investigators try to piece together whodunnit, howdunnit and whydunnit. Also, the title hasn't a thing to do with the mystery.
Razor Edge by Anthony Berkeley- in which the manner of death and personal effects found make for an interesting tale.
Holiday Task by Leo Bruce- in which an unnamed narrator is on vacation with Sargent Beef when a murder of a prison warden confounds a local investigator. Very cleverly done story.
A Posteriori by Helen Simpson- in which I had to call upon my school French a bit in this utterly charming and witty tale of a vacationing woman who gets into a bit of a tangle. Any woman who has had to traverse a not-so-tidy public restroom will appreciate the main character's ultimate predicament (I cackled too).
Where Is Mr Manetot? by Phyllis Bentley- in which the tale of a missing academic intersects with a hotelier after the professor overhears something in a train station. While easy enough to tell how part of this would go, there's a chilling twist I hadn't expected. In the end, there's more than one type of sand on display at the seaside.
The House of Screams by Gerald Findler- in which a brother handles the husband of his departed sister in a clever way. I suspected the mechanism and it was nice to read the details of how and why. This relates to holidays as the narrator is a writer on holiday when he happens upon the lodging in Cumberland.
Cousin Once Removed by Michael Gilbert- in which the most delicious part of reading about a conniving cousin is watching them foiled. Also, there's a sad end to a cocker spaniel that got to me (I still miss my buff cocker Charlemagne Louis of my childhood).
Recommended. As ever, I'll continue with the British Library Crime Classics.
Here are my thoughts on my favourite stories in this book:
A Schoolmaster Abroad by E.W. Hornung - in which an attempted murder by strychnine puts a doctor under suspicion and another attempt reveals the murderer and the recuperation after surgery the motive. A well-done story by the brother-in-law of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Murder! by Arnold Bennett- in which on the Channel coast a poet and a tough are at odds over the wife of one of them. The result is murder but the best twist comes as a result of the investigators' rumination on the clues (a superintendent and a doctor).
The Murder on the Golf Links by M.McDonnell Bodkin- in which a murder on the green at the golf mad Thornhurst Hotel is played cleverly but not enough to abscond the reaches of Mr. Beck. Only a hint of absurdity creeps in with a flurry of disguises in the resolution.
The Vanishing of Mrs. Fraser by Basil Thompson- in which Mary Fraser's ill mother goes missing upon their arrival to their hotel in Paris. The reason for the ruse is understandable in part but taken too far and results in a bit of an odd story.
A Mystery of the Sand - Hills by R. Austin Freeman- in which a Colombo-like investigator gathers information on a possible crime by inspection of footprints and pile of clothes found on a beach. I especially liked how he determined which was the favoured hand of the owner of a pocket knife. A tiny bit overlong but a good story.
The Hazel Ice by H.C.Bailey- in which the search for a missing/possibly dead man takes interesting and unexpected turns as the investigators try to piece together whodunnit, howdunnit and whydunnit. Also, the title hasn't a thing to do with the mystery.
Razor Edge by Anthony Berkeley- in which the manner of death and personal effects found make for an interesting tale.
Holiday Task by Leo Bruce- in which an unnamed narrator is on vacation with Sargent Beef when a murder of a prison warden confounds a local investigator. Very cleverly done story.
A Posteriori by Helen Simpson- in which I had to call upon my school French a bit in this utterly charming and witty tale of a vacationing woman who gets into a bit of a tangle. Any woman who has had to traverse a not-so-tidy public restroom will appreciate the main character's ultimate predicament (I cackled too).
Where Is Mr Manetot? by Phyllis Bentley- in which the tale of a missing academic intersects with a hotelier after the professor overhears something in a train station. While easy enough to tell how part of this would go, there's a chilling twist I hadn't expected. In the end, there's more than one type of sand on display at the seaside.
The House of Screams by Gerald Findler- in which a brother handles the husband of his departed sister in a clever way. I suspected the mechanism and it was nice to read the details of how and why. This relates to holidays as the narrator is a writer on holiday when he happens upon the lodging in Cumberland.
Cousin Once Removed by Michael Gilbert- in which the most delicious part of reading about a conniving cousin is watching them foiled. Also, there's a sad end to a cocker spaniel that got to me (I still miss my buff cocker Charlemagne Louis of my childhood).
Recommended. As ever, I'll continue with the British Library Crime Classics.
June 10, 2023
Come with me and let me take you on an adventure through some resorts where murder and mayhem lies in wait.
What you say?
This wasn't how you had planned your vacation? Think again.
I read these short stories awhile ago, but I am now bringing this review to Goodreads.
What I love about this book is best shared in the first two sentences in the book's introduction:
"Holidays offer us the luxury of getting away from it all. So, in a different way, do detective stories."
Isn't it true? We love the escapism of both. I think this is what attracts me to stories like this - especially cozy mysteries - a simpler time, but still something devious going on, and we as readers have a chance to tag along for the ride.
These stories are the work of British writers. 14 stories in all. The collection is fresh and invigorated with suspense, intrigue, clever who-dun-its and some that are rather easy to figure out.
They are nice to read in-between the larger novels we are working our way through. Enjoy!
What you say?
This wasn't how you had planned your vacation? Think again.
I read these short stories awhile ago, but I am now bringing this review to Goodreads.
What I love about this book is best shared in the first two sentences in the book's introduction:
"Holidays offer us the luxury of getting away from it all. So, in a different way, do detective stories."
Isn't it true? We love the escapism of both. I think this is what attracts me to stories like this - especially cozy mysteries - a simpler time, but still something devious going on, and we as readers have a chance to tag along for the ride.
These stories are the work of British writers. 14 stories in all. The collection is fresh and invigorated with suspense, intrigue, clever who-dun-its and some that are rather easy to figure out.
They are nice to read in-between the larger novels we are working our way through. Enjoy!
July 18, 2015
Resorting to Murder is one of those books that call the name of the dedicated vintage mystery reader when she walks into the library. At least...the name of this dedicated vintage mystery reader. Martin Edwards and British Library Crime Classics--with the help of the Poisoned Pen Press here in the States--have been steadily re-introducing classic crime novels and short stories to a modern readership. For those of us who already know and love the Golden Age of detective stories, this is an incredible bonanza--a chance for some of us who haven't a fortune to spend on ABE books or Ebay to get our hands on original editions to read the work of authors whose names we've heard/seen.
This is a collection of such short stories. A collection with a holiday theme--holiday in the British sense, referring to a vacation of sorts rather than Christmas or Halloween. The authors take us to seaside resorts and French hotels, on walking tours and mountain-climbing trips. We enjoy stories by well-known authors like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, G. K. Chesterton and Anthony Berkeley, but also sample the work of Phyllis Bentley, Helen Simpson, and M. McDonnell Bodkin and others. We see murderers polish off their victims through drowning and climbing accidents and disappearances down boggy holes. There are houses that scream and a prison governor who is mysteriously transported from the prison grounds to the wreckage of his car at the bottom of a cliff.
Of course, murder may not be everyone's idea of the perfect holiday get-away, but a good murder or two (or fourteen--which just happens to be the number in this collection) with a classic detective to ferret out the clues and resolve the mystery is just the kind of vacation I like. This is a grand group of stories with puzzles to keep the armchair traveler absorbed and entertained.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
This is a collection of such short stories. A collection with a holiday theme--holiday in the British sense, referring to a vacation of sorts rather than Christmas or Halloween. The authors take us to seaside resorts and French hotels, on walking tours and mountain-climbing trips. We enjoy stories by well-known authors like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, G. K. Chesterton and Anthony Berkeley, but also sample the work of Phyllis Bentley, Helen Simpson, and M. McDonnell Bodkin and others. We see murderers polish off their victims through drowning and climbing accidents and disappearances down boggy holes. There are houses that scream and a prison governor who is mysteriously transported from the prison grounds to the wreckage of his car at the bottom of a cliff.
Of course, murder may not be everyone's idea of the perfect holiday get-away, but a good murder or two (or fourteen--which just happens to be the number in this collection) with a classic detective to ferret out the clues and resolve the mystery is just the kind of vacation I like. This is a grand group of stories with puzzles to keep the armchair traveler absorbed and entertained.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
September 23, 2016
All in all, this is a fair to good collection of stories. However, I don't think it's quite as good as Serpents in Eden: A British Library Crime Classic or Murder at the Manor: Country House Mysteries.
A breakdown of the stories:
"The Adventure of the Devil's Foot" by Arthur Conan Doyle - one of my favorite Sherlock Holmes stories. A woman is found dead and two of her brothers are completely insane. This was made into a creepy TV episode starring Jeremy Brett.
"A Schoolmaster Abroad" by E.W. Hornung - Hornung is best known as the creator of Raffles, the gentleman-thief. However, he also authored the Dr. John Dollar series. This is the John Dollar story I have read and I would like to read more. Dollar is a "crime doctor" and tries to prevent the crime from occurring in the first place. In this story, he deals with the case of a dissolute young man and his guardian. Is there a crime taking place or is Dollar just imagining things? Very good story. (Hornung was also the brother-in-law of Arthur Conan Doyle, so it is appropriate that his story comes right after Conan Doyle's.)
"Murder!" by Arnold Bennett - Bennett is better known for his straight novels such as Clayhanger and Anna of the Five Towns. However, he also reviewed detective fiction and touched on crime in some of his novels, such as The Grand Babylon Hotel. Then there's this story, which is one of my favorites. It's a story about a sympathetic killer and totally unsympathetic victim.
"The Murder on the Golf Links" by M. McDonnell Bodkin - another good Paul Beck story. Beck comes to the aid of a young woman who is being forced to marry a rich older man she despises. When the rich man is brutally murdered, the young woman's lover is suspected of the crime. While the plot is a bit cliche, Bodkin gives it a fresh spin.
"The Finger of Stone" by G.K. Chesterton - This is a rather weird non-series story about the disappearance and apparent murder of a Professor Boyg. The story was not easy to read and was rather long-winded. Not one of GKC's better efforts. I always find him dull when he starts waxing philosophical.
"The Vanishing of Mrs. Fraser" by Basil Thomson - This is the first Mr. Pepper story that I have read. I was not terribly impressed. This plot has been used many times, even in an episode of "The Big Valley" TV show in the 1960s. A woman and her daughter arrive in Paris and check into their hotel. The mother is ill, so the daughter summons a doctor. The daughter is gone for a brief period and when she returns, her mother is gone and everyone acts as if the older woman never existed in the first place.
"A Mystery of the Sand-Hills" by R. Austin Freeman - Dr. Thorndyke investigates a drowning. The mystery concerns not only what caused the man's death, but also the victim's identity. Another excellent mix of scientific investigation and mystery by RAF.
"The Hazel Ice" by H.C. Bailey - I've really come to enjoy Bailey's Reggie Fortune stories. They're a charming mix of humor and mystery. I love this:
While vacationing in the Swiss Alps, Reggie Fortune investigates the death of a fellow tourist, apparently in a landslide. The young man who was with the dead man escaped unharmed. Was the landslide an accident? Is the survivor innocent or a killer? This is a good little mystery with a killer that took me by surprise.
"Razor Edge" by Anthony Berkeley - a pretty simple Roger Sheringham story with not much mystery. Two men go swimming and one drowns. It sounds simple enough, but, of course, it's not. This plot has been used many times before, most notably by Agatha Christie. I'm not really surprised this story was not published until 1994. It's not one of Berkeley's better tales.
"Holiday Task" by Leo Bruce - another entertaining Sergeant Beef story. Beef is a cheery, down-to-earth fellow who solves crimes using common sense. He's sort of an English Columbo (though he doesn't pester his suspects like Columbo does). Beef is vacationing in Normandy when "the most detected man in the French prison service" is killed in a suspicious car crash. At first, suicide is suspected, but Beef believes that this is actually a case of murder.
"A Posteriori" by Helen Simpson (note: the Helen Simpson listed on GR is a different person) - more of a thriller story about a middle-aged Englishwoman, Miss Charters, who finds herself caught up in a spy plot when she discovers a spool of film in her hotel room. I found the story rather dull and uninvolving. The numerous untranslated French quotes did not help.
"Where is Mr. Manetot?" by Phyllis Bentley - an interesting, well-written story with a nice twist at the end. Mr. Manetot vanishes, but not before leaving behind a letter for a friend that details his suspicions of a murder that may have taken place. I have never heard of this author before - she is best known for her "Inheritance" trilogy, which was dramatized in the 1960s with John Thaw in the cast.
"The House of Screams" by Gerald Findler - a mystery/ghost story about a man who leases a house with a sad history - and a guest upstairs. The explanation of the mystery and the ghost is quite good. Findler is the author of a pamphlet, "Ghost of the Lake Counties," which was published in the 1970s. He's definitely the most obscure author I've come across so far.
"Cousin Once Removed" by Michael Gilbert - one of the best stories in the book. A man thinks he has committed the perfect murder - but things don't turn out quite as expected. The twist at the end is delightfully ironic. This would have made an excellent episode of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents."
A breakdown of the stories:
"The Adventure of the Devil's Foot" by Arthur Conan Doyle - one of my favorite Sherlock Holmes stories. A woman is found dead and two of her brothers are completely insane. This was made into a creepy TV episode starring Jeremy Brett.
"A Schoolmaster Abroad" by E.W. Hornung - Hornung is best known as the creator of Raffles, the gentleman-thief. However, he also authored the Dr. John Dollar series. This is the John Dollar story I have read and I would like to read more. Dollar is a "crime doctor" and tries to prevent the crime from occurring in the first place. In this story, he deals with the case of a dissolute young man and his guardian. Is there a crime taking place or is Dollar just imagining things? Very good story. (Hornung was also the brother-in-law of Arthur Conan Doyle, so it is appropriate that his story comes right after Conan Doyle's.)
"Murder!" by Arnold Bennett - Bennett is better known for his straight novels such as Clayhanger and Anna of the Five Towns. However, he also reviewed detective fiction and touched on crime in some of his novels, such as The Grand Babylon Hotel. Then there's this story, which is one of my favorites. It's a story about a sympathetic killer and totally unsympathetic victim.
"The Murder on the Golf Links" by M. McDonnell Bodkin - another good Paul Beck story. Beck comes to the aid of a young woman who is being forced to marry a rich older man she despises. When the rich man is brutally murdered, the young woman's lover is suspected of the crime. While the plot is a bit cliche, Bodkin gives it a fresh spin.
"The Finger of Stone" by G.K. Chesterton - This is a rather weird non-series story about the disappearance and apparent murder of a Professor Boyg. The story was not easy to read and was rather long-winded. Not one of GKC's better efforts. I always find him dull when he starts waxing philosophical.
"The Vanishing of Mrs. Fraser" by Basil Thomson - This is the first Mr. Pepper story that I have read. I was not terribly impressed. This plot has been used many times, even in an episode of "The Big Valley" TV show in the 1960s. A woman and her daughter arrive in Paris and check into their hotel. The mother is ill, so the daughter summons a doctor. The daughter is gone for a brief period and when she returns, her mother is gone and everyone acts as if the older woman never existed in the first place.
"A Mystery of the Sand-Hills" by R. Austin Freeman - Dr. Thorndyke investigates a drowning. The mystery concerns not only what caused the man's death, but also the victim's identity. Another excellent mix of scientific investigation and mystery by RAF.
"The Hazel Ice" by H.C. Bailey - I've really come to enjoy Bailey's Reggie Fortune stories. They're a charming mix of humor and mystery. I love this:
"Mrs. Fortune can be easily led to discuss the institution of marriage. She has been heard to say, with a sad, impartial eye upon her husband, that the trials of being married to a small boy are not adequately explained in women's education."
While vacationing in the Swiss Alps, Reggie Fortune investigates the death of a fellow tourist, apparently in a landslide. The young man who was with the dead man escaped unharmed. Was the landslide an accident? Is the survivor innocent or a killer? This is a good little mystery with a killer that took me by surprise.
"Razor Edge" by Anthony Berkeley - a pretty simple Roger Sheringham story with not much mystery. Two men go swimming and one drowns. It sounds simple enough, but, of course, it's not. This plot has been used many times before, most notably by Agatha Christie. I'm not really surprised this story was not published until 1994. It's not one of Berkeley's better tales.
"Holiday Task" by Leo Bruce - another entertaining Sergeant Beef story. Beef is a cheery, down-to-earth fellow who solves crimes using common sense. He's sort of an English Columbo (though he doesn't pester his suspects like Columbo does). Beef is vacationing in Normandy when "the most detected man in the French prison service" is killed in a suspicious car crash. At first, suicide is suspected, but Beef believes that this is actually a case of murder.
"A Posteriori" by Helen Simpson (note: the Helen Simpson listed on GR is a different person) - more of a thriller story about a middle-aged Englishwoman, Miss Charters, who finds herself caught up in a spy plot when she discovers a spool of film in her hotel room. I found the story rather dull and uninvolving. The numerous untranslated French quotes did not help.
"Where is Mr. Manetot?" by Phyllis Bentley - an interesting, well-written story with a nice twist at the end. Mr. Manetot vanishes, but not before leaving behind a letter for a friend that details his suspicions of a murder that may have taken place. I have never heard of this author before - she is best known for her "Inheritance" trilogy, which was dramatized in the 1960s with John Thaw in the cast.
"The House of Screams" by Gerald Findler - a mystery/ghost story about a man who leases a house with a sad history - and a guest upstairs. The explanation of the mystery and the ghost is quite good. Findler is the author of a pamphlet, "Ghost of the Lake Counties," which was published in the 1970s. He's definitely the most obscure author I've come across so far.
"Cousin Once Removed" by Michael Gilbert - one of the best stories in the book. A man thinks he has committed the perfect murder - but things don't turn out quite as expected. The twist at the end is delightfully ironic. This would have made an excellent episode of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents."
May 28, 2023
I have always been a fan of the British Library Crime Classics series but 'Resorting to Murder: Holiday Mysteries' just did not cut the mustard for me. The reason is, I feel sure, I am not the greatest fan of short stories; I find that the development of a mystery in a few pages does not work for me and characters are not fully developed either so in the end, the story does not sparkle and grab my full attention.
That is not to say that in this collection there are not some good authors but there are also some indifferent ones as far as mystery fiction is concerned. The book begins promisingly because it is a Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes tale that opens proceedings. 'The Adventure of the Devil's Foot' has Watson relating a case that was known as the Cornish horror that took place while Holmes and Watson were spending time in a small cottage near Poldhu Bay, at the further extremity of the Cornish peninsula. Holmes, at his detecting best, needless to say solves the problem.
E W Hornung's 'A Schoolmaster Abroad' and Arnold Bennett's 'Murder!' follow but they do not live up to the Conan Doyle tale. M McDonnell Bodkin's 'The Murder on the Golf Links' restores a little parity but G K Chesterton's 'The Finger of Stone' is very disappointing as are stories later on by Helen Simpson and Phyllis Bentley. The stories by the little-known Gerald Findler and Leo Bruce (real name Rupert Croft-Cooke) have seldom been reprinted and a read of them perhaps tells us why that is for they, too, are somewhat disappointing.
The best of the rest is H C Bailey's 'The Hazel Ice', an innocuous enough title, but one which hides an intriguing mystery involving two climbers on a mountain side. And that is that - let's get back to the full length novels from now on!
One last mention is that Martin Edwards does a splendid job, not only of writing an interesting introduction but also by providing short pen pictures of the authors whose work is included in the anthology - and the latter are sometimes more interesting than the stories themselves!
That is not to say that in this collection there are not some good authors but there are also some indifferent ones as far as mystery fiction is concerned. The book begins promisingly because it is a Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes tale that opens proceedings. 'The Adventure of the Devil's Foot' has Watson relating a case that was known as the Cornish horror that took place while Holmes and Watson were spending time in a small cottage near Poldhu Bay, at the further extremity of the Cornish peninsula. Holmes, at his detecting best, needless to say solves the problem.
E W Hornung's 'A Schoolmaster Abroad' and Arnold Bennett's 'Murder!' follow but they do not live up to the Conan Doyle tale. M McDonnell Bodkin's 'The Murder on the Golf Links' restores a little parity but G K Chesterton's 'The Finger of Stone' is very disappointing as are stories later on by Helen Simpson and Phyllis Bentley. The stories by the little-known Gerald Findler and Leo Bruce (real name Rupert Croft-Cooke) have seldom been reprinted and a read of them perhaps tells us why that is for they, too, are somewhat disappointing.
The best of the rest is H C Bailey's 'The Hazel Ice', an innocuous enough title, but one which hides an intriguing mystery involving two climbers on a mountain side. And that is that - let's get back to the full length novels from now on!
One last mention is that Martin Edwards does a splendid job, not only of writing an interesting introduction but also by providing short pen pictures of the authors whose work is included in the anthology - and the latter are sometimes more interesting than the stories themselves!
December 17, 2021
One consolation of being home sick is the chance to read. As with all short story collections, some hits and some misses. But I love the context of the period, the settings, and just the idea of a different era in manners and civilities. This collection is yet another entry in the British Library's Crime Classics series, bringing to light lost and forgotten mystery writers of the last century.
July 21, 2015
Trains and boats and planes... 3½ stars
Another in the British Library Crime Classics series, this works well as a companion piece to Martin Edward's other recent anthology, Capital Crimes: London Mysteries. As the title suggests, Resorting to Murder is a collection of classic crime stories set in holiday destinations. While a lot of them are set in and around Britain, several others take us abroad, mainly to Europe with the Swiss mountains featuring more than once (well, a good place to make a murder look like an accident, eh?). In his introduction, Edwards suggests that holiday settings were popular with authors since the novelty of the location allowed them to concentrate a bit less on creating strong plots. The stories are in rough chronological order, as in Capital Crimes, again allowing us to see the progression of the mystery story.
There are a few well known names in here – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Adventure of the Devil's Foot is the first story and GK Chesterton appears with a non-Father Brown story. But there also many whom I didn't recognise at all or only knew because they had also appeared in Capital Crimes.
Here are a few of the stories that stood out for me...
The Finger of Stone by GK Chesterton – I admit that the Father Brown stories have never appealed much to me, so it was refreshing to read something different from Chesterton. This one centres on the creation versus evolution debate when a scientist who has 'proved' that the Biblical timetable can't be correct disappears. It's a bit silly, especially the twist ending, but fun and well written.
Holiday Task by Leo Bruce – this is a great example of a howdunit. A newly appointed prison governor is killed when he apparently drives his car off a cliff. But was it murder? And if it was, how was it done? The solution is clever and I kicked myself for not being able to work it out. As Holmes often remarked, it's all so easy once you know how...
The Hazel Ice by HC Bailey – I enjoyed Bailey's contribution in Classic Crimes and liked this one just as much. Reggie Fisher is again the amateur detective, this time in a story involving a man who is missing after an accident in the mountains. Edwards puts Bailey's decline from the public eye down to his quirky writing style, but I find it entertaining. It's terribly upper-class 1920/30s style – Fisher doesn't wear a monocle but one feels he should. A cross between Lord Peter Wimsey and PG Wodehouse, though admittedly not quite as well written as either. But fun.
A Posteriori by Helen Simpson – A short and strictly humorous story centring on the dangers of ladies travelling alone and being forced to make use of... ahem... public conveniences. Made me chuckle.
The House of Screams by Gerald Findler – a great little horror/crime story about a man renting a haunted house. Are the screams that he hears in the middle of the night the ghost of a previous tenant? I'd have loved to read more of Findler's work, but Edwards tells us that he only published one other story.
In truth, I thought this collection was quite a bit weaker than the London stories. Perhaps it's the locations – London has always been such a great setting for crime fiction – or perhaps Edwards' point about plotting is at the root of it, but on the whole I found many of these stories pretty obvious and not overly original or atmospheric, and often without much sense of place despite the interesting locations. There is some crossover of authors between the two collections, but there are also several in this who don't appear in the other volume, and I felt one or two had been included for their curiosity value more than for the intrinsic quality of the stories. As usual in any collection, though, the quality is variable and there are enough good stories to outweigh the weaker ones overall, meaning this is still an enjoyable read. 3½ stars for me, so rounded up.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, who publish the Kindle version. The paper version is part of the British Library’s Crime Classics series.
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Another in the British Library Crime Classics series, this works well as a companion piece to Martin Edward's other recent anthology, Capital Crimes: London Mysteries. As the title suggests, Resorting to Murder is a collection of classic crime stories set in holiday destinations. While a lot of them are set in and around Britain, several others take us abroad, mainly to Europe with the Swiss mountains featuring more than once (well, a good place to make a murder look like an accident, eh?). In his introduction, Edwards suggests that holiday settings were popular with authors since the novelty of the location allowed them to concentrate a bit less on creating strong plots. The stories are in rough chronological order, as in Capital Crimes, again allowing us to see the progression of the mystery story.
There are a few well known names in here – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Adventure of the Devil's Foot is the first story and GK Chesterton appears with a non-Father Brown story. But there also many whom I didn't recognise at all or only knew because they had also appeared in Capital Crimes.
Here are a few of the stories that stood out for me...
The Finger of Stone by GK Chesterton – I admit that the Father Brown stories have never appealed much to me, so it was refreshing to read something different from Chesterton. This one centres on the creation versus evolution debate when a scientist who has 'proved' that the Biblical timetable can't be correct disappears. It's a bit silly, especially the twist ending, but fun and well written.
Holiday Task by Leo Bruce – this is a great example of a howdunit. A newly appointed prison governor is killed when he apparently drives his car off a cliff. But was it murder? And if it was, how was it done? The solution is clever and I kicked myself for not being able to work it out. As Holmes often remarked, it's all so easy once you know how...
The Hazel Ice by HC Bailey – I enjoyed Bailey's contribution in Classic Crimes and liked this one just as much. Reggie Fisher is again the amateur detective, this time in a story involving a man who is missing after an accident in the mountains. Edwards puts Bailey's decline from the public eye down to his quirky writing style, but I find it entertaining. It's terribly upper-class 1920/30s style – Fisher doesn't wear a monocle but one feels he should. A cross between Lord Peter Wimsey and PG Wodehouse, though admittedly not quite as well written as either. But fun.
A Posteriori by Helen Simpson – A short and strictly humorous story centring on the dangers of ladies travelling alone and being forced to make use of... ahem... public conveniences. Made me chuckle.
The House of Screams by Gerald Findler – a great little horror/crime story about a man renting a haunted house. Are the screams that he hears in the middle of the night the ghost of a previous tenant? I'd have loved to read more of Findler's work, but Edwards tells us that he only published one other story.
In truth, I thought this collection was quite a bit weaker than the London stories. Perhaps it's the locations – London has always been such a great setting for crime fiction – or perhaps Edwards' point about plotting is at the root of it, but on the whole I found many of these stories pretty obvious and not overly original or atmospheric, and often without much sense of place despite the interesting locations. There is some crossover of authors between the two collections, but there are also several in this who don't appear in the other volume, and I felt one or two had been included for their curiosity value more than for the intrinsic quality of the stories. As usual in any collection, though, the quality is variable and there are enough good stories to outweigh the weaker ones overall, meaning this is still an enjoyable read. 3½ stars for me, so rounded up.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, who publish the Kindle version. The paper version is part of the British Library’s Crime Classics series.
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August 12, 2016
From the ‘golden age’ of crime fiction, fourteen stories of murder are collected here. Some authors I knew (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Arnold Bennett and GK Chesterton). Others were new to me (Basil Thomson, H.C. Bailey and Phyllis Bentley).
Holidays tempt us to shed our carefully developed corporate persona, and instead indulge in such fantasies of “what-if?” So it is that the title of the book reflects an intelligent commercial proposition; even if its page headers, left and right, seriously irritated me by referring solely to “Resorting to Murder”; i.e. the right-hand side page headers did not courteously jog my memory to gently remind me of the title of the actual story I was reading at the time.
It’s a good collection. I particularly enjoyed the black humour in Michael Gilbert’s seven-page “Cousin Once Removed”, a story where the reader is introduced to speleology (the systematic exploration and description of caves). The dénouement is refreshingly succinct and unexpected. Habits of reading three-volume books such as Tolstoy’s “War and Peace”, may after all, be best left on the shelf.
Holidays tempt us to shed our carefully developed corporate persona, and instead indulge in such fantasies of “what-if?” So it is that the title of the book reflects an intelligent commercial proposition; even if its page headers, left and right, seriously irritated me by referring solely to “Resorting to Murder”; i.e. the right-hand side page headers did not courteously jog my memory to gently remind me of the title of the actual story I was reading at the time.
It’s a good collection. I particularly enjoyed the black humour in Michael Gilbert’s seven-page “Cousin Once Removed”, a story where the reader is introduced to speleology (the systematic exploration and description of caves). The dénouement is refreshingly succinct and unexpected. Habits of reading three-volume books such as Tolstoy’s “War and Peace”, may after all, be best left on the shelf.
August 15, 2025
A great summer read. I really enjoyed this collection of short stories that ranged from an original publish date of 1910, authored by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, to the 1970s. I read works by some familiar authors and some very obscure. There were some real hidden gems in this book.
January 13, 2016
I didn't like this as much as Capital Crimes: London Mysteries: A British Library Crime Classic in the same series because I didn't really find any of the stories exceptional (except for the Sherlock Holmes story The Devil's Foot which opens the collection, but that feels kind of cheating) and some dragged quite a bit but I still enjoyed this trawl through the short stories of the Golden Age. Again the very short intros to each story are interesting and appreciated.
For ones I'll mention for having some particularly interesting feature:-
Murder! by Arnold Bennett: The story is told from the murderer's perspective and it's not amazing but the ending has a really nice twist
A Posteriori by Helen Simpson: A part humorous take on the sensibilities of middle class women of the period travelling abroad and unravelled by their own self-importance. Not really a mystery but I liked it.
Cousin Once Removed by Michael Gilbert: A very short one but well written and the ending is a very satisfying take on "crime doesn't pay"
The Vanishing of Mrs Fraser by Basil Thomson: Not especially stand out but notable because it follows the storyline of what's now an urban legend . Contains some fun playing around with the amateur detective/police relationship stuff.
Of the ones I didn't like much I'll note that the Chesterton tale is very typical of him - a heavy handed "atheists are bad!! science means nothing without faith" type thing. It's about as well executed as such a thing can be but it made me roll my eyes a bit. A Mystery of the Sand Hills wasn't bad but very strong on the "long explicit descriptions of deductions" type thing. It was hard to follow and drew me out of the story a lot. The rest were generally enjoyable although not particularly exciting. You'll probably like it if you're into golden age mystery stuff.
For ones I'll mention for having some particularly interesting feature:-
Murder! by Arnold Bennett: The story is told from the murderer's perspective and it's not amazing but the ending has a really nice twist
A Posteriori by Helen Simpson: A part humorous take on the sensibilities of middle class women of the period travelling abroad and unravelled by their own self-importance. Not really a mystery but I liked it.
Cousin Once Removed by Michael Gilbert: A very short one but well written and the ending is a very satisfying take on "crime doesn't pay"
The Vanishing of Mrs Fraser by Basil Thomson: Not especially stand out but notable because it follows the storyline of what's now an urban legend . Contains some fun playing around with the amateur detective/police relationship stuff.
Of the ones I didn't like much I'll note that the Chesterton tale is very typical of him - a heavy handed "atheists are bad!! science means nothing without faith" type thing. It's about as well executed as such a thing can be but it made me roll my eyes a bit. A Mystery of the Sand Hills wasn't bad but very strong on the "long explicit descriptions of deductions" type thing. It was hard to follow and drew me out of the story a lot. The rest were generally enjoyable although not particularly exciting. You'll probably like it if you're into golden age mystery stuff.
May 9, 2015
I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley for an open and honest review.
As a huge fan of crime fiction and its myriad of sub-genres, I have to say I was thrilled when Poisoned Pen Press allowed me to read this book. The golden age of crime is aptly named and it was wonderful to read ‘new’ stories from some known authors as well as be introduced to others.
This is a great read and something I would indeed take on holiday, or even have as a winter standby to read by the fire. It is a fantastic compilation of crime fiction short stories and I really enjoyed most of them. As I didn’t enjoy all – more down to my fickle preferences than the author’s skill – I couldn’t give the book the full 5 out of 5 stars. But, as said, this wasn’t due to the stories being bad; I simply didn’t enjoy them as much as I did others. But as about 85% of the stories were highly enjoyable reads, I really can’t say anything negative about this book. It really is a wonderful collection of some old tales and I am very thankful to know there are people out there like Poisoned Pen Press preserving and sharing these stories.
I highly recommend this book, will now be seeing if I can find more stories by some of the authors it has introduced me to and look forward to seeing more ‘golden oldies’ brought back to mainstream reading by this publishing house. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for more!
If you are a fan of crime fiction from the mid-nineteenth century through to the nineteen fifties (this golden age of which I speak) then you will enjoy this book. And I hope you are introduced to some ‘new’ authors through it too.
As a huge fan of crime fiction and its myriad of sub-genres, I have to say I was thrilled when Poisoned Pen Press allowed me to read this book. The golden age of crime is aptly named and it was wonderful to read ‘new’ stories from some known authors as well as be introduced to others.
This is a great read and something I would indeed take on holiday, or even have as a winter standby to read by the fire. It is a fantastic compilation of crime fiction short stories and I really enjoyed most of them. As I didn’t enjoy all – more down to my fickle preferences than the author’s skill – I couldn’t give the book the full 5 out of 5 stars. But, as said, this wasn’t due to the stories being bad; I simply didn’t enjoy them as much as I did others. But as about 85% of the stories were highly enjoyable reads, I really can’t say anything negative about this book. It really is a wonderful collection of some old tales and I am very thankful to know there are people out there like Poisoned Pen Press preserving and sharing these stories.
I highly recommend this book, will now be seeing if I can find more stories by some of the authors it has introduced me to and look forward to seeing more ‘golden oldies’ brought back to mainstream reading by this publishing house. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for more!
If you are a fan of crime fiction from the mid-nineteenth century through to the nineteen fifties (this golden age of which I speak) then you will enjoy this book. And I hope you are introduced to some ‘new’ authors through it too.
May 26, 2015
This an interesting collection of holiday themed crime short stories from the Golden Age of British crime fiction. It is edited by Martin Edwards who has written an interesting introduction to the book as well as brief introductions to each story.
There are fourteen short stories in this collection, some only a few pages while others are quite long. There are well known authors such as Anthony Berkeley and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as well as less well known ones such as Leo Bruce and Gerald Findler.
My favourite story - and I'm still chuckling over it the day after I read it - is Helen Simpson's 'A Posteriori' It is impossible to say anything about this story without giving away the plot - suffice it to say that it is set in France.
If you like crime short stories then give this book a try. The stories are all different in character with the only common theme being the fact that the sleuths, or main characters are out of their normal environment on holiday.
There are fourteen short stories in this collection, some only a few pages while others are quite long. There are well known authors such as Anthony Berkeley and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as well as less well known ones such as Leo Bruce and Gerald Findler.
My favourite story - and I'm still chuckling over it the day after I read it - is Helen Simpson's 'A Posteriori' It is impossible to say anything about this story without giving away the plot - suffice it to say that it is set in France.
If you like crime short stories then give this book a try. The stories are all different in character with the only common theme being the fact that the sleuths, or main characters are out of their normal environment on holiday.
December 18, 2022
This wonderful collection of whodunit short stories was a great way to sample many new-to-me mystery authors without the time commitment of reading a full-length novel.
This is the second collection of mystery short stories edited by Martin Edwards that I've read and I think he does a great job of choosing well-written and intriguing stories that fit the theme and mood of the collection, as well as introducing each story with a short author bio. The only thing that I feel is missing is the date that each story was written or published (I really do love to read with the historical context in mind, even when it's a short story).
Recommended for: Fans of puzzle mysteries.
Where I found it: Library ebook.
This is the second collection of mystery short stories edited by Martin Edwards that I've read and I think he does a great job of choosing well-written and intriguing stories that fit the theme and mood of the collection, as well as introducing each story with a short author bio. The only thing that I feel is missing is the date that each story was written or published (I really do love to read with the historical context in mind, even when it's a short story).
Recommended for: Fans of puzzle mysteries.
Where I found it: Library ebook.
August 30, 2021
This anthology of early and Golden Age short-story mysteries have murders that take place while people are vacationing, with some of the stories being quite rare. My favorites were:
The Vanishing of Mrs. Fraser by Basil Thomson. A woman and her ailing mother arrive at a hotel in Paris. A doctor is called, and he tells the woman to get in a cab and get some medicine. When she finally returns, exasperated by delays, no one at the hotel claims to know her or her mother. When she barges into the room she had booked earlier that day, it looks completely different. Is she crazy?
Where Is Mr Manetot? by Phyllis Bentley. Mr. Manetot mistakenly arrives a day early for a lecture so decides to travel to a nearby seaside town and books a room for the night. The proprietress of the hotel goes out for a while and fails to return. Mr. Manetot starts putting two and two together about people he has seen on his journey, and writes about his suspicions in a letter that he sent to his lawyer the day before Mr. Manetot himself disappeared. This story sent a chill through me.
The Vanishing of Mrs. Fraser by Basil Thomson. A woman and her ailing mother arrive at a hotel in Paris. A doctor is called, and he tells the woman to get in a cab and get some medicine. When she finally returns, exasperated by delays, no one at the hotel claims to know her or her mother. When she barges into the room she had booked earlier that day, it looks completely different. Is she crazy?
Where Is Mr Manetot? by Phyllis Bentley. Mr. Manetot mistakenly arrives a day early for a lecture so decides to travel to a nearby seaside town and books a room for the night. The proprietress of the hotel goes out for a while and fails to return. Mr. Manetot starts putting two and two together about people he has seen on his journey, and writes about his suspicions in a letter that he sent to his lawyer the day before Mr. Manetot himself disappeared. This story sent a chill through me.
May 9, 2015
Resorting to Murder: Holiday Mysteries marks the first original anthology in the British Library Crime Classic line, a collection built around the theme of mysteries solved by vacationing sleuths and detectives. Martin Edwards has collected fourteen stories from across the Golden Age of detection—it actually may stretch the Golden Age definition to its extremes, as the collection starts with a Sherlock Holmes tale from 1910 and ends with a mystery published in 1953.
The collection begins with contemporaries Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and E.W. Hornung. Conan Doyle’s “Adventure of the Devil’s Foot” is one of the later tales of the famed Sherlock Holmes, who, despite his health issues, cannot resist being drawn in to solve a mysterious murder (though I’d hope this case taught him not to test his own theories out on himself). Hornung’s entry is one of several starring Dr. John Dollar, the Crime Doctor; while vacationing in Switzerland, he learns that suspicion of attempted murder has fallen on the very doctor who saved Dollar’s life years before. Both are models of what the Golden Age mystery would become, easy-going mysteries that hold up rather well. And while his story was penned much later than Doyle’s or Hornung’s, G.K. Chesterton was no less influential on the genre. His story here, “The Finger of Stone,” combines an almost science-fictional murder of a local scientist with a morbid impossible crime that would make John Dickson Carr proud.
Many of the authors included in this collection were once prominent in the field, and Edwards has done a remarkable job bringing them back into the spotlight. While Conan Doyle and Chesterton are still well-known, many of the authors in this book have faded into unwarranted obscurity. H.C. Bailey’s “The Hazel Ice” is one winner by a now-forgotten author; its protagonist is Mr. Fortune, a precursor to Peter Whimsey. An aristocrat vacationing at an alpine resort, Fortune learns that a tourist has become separated from his companion by a rock slide. Rushing to help, Fortune and Swiss policeman Herr Stein find themselves at the scene of a murder, staged to look like an accident. Surprisingly modern, with an affable wit and brilliant writing, this was my favorite of the collection.
Basil Thomson’s “Vanishing of Mrs. Fraser” builds a suspenseful mystery around a young woman and her mother visiting Paris during the Exhibition; when the mother falls ill, then vanishes, the daughter’s pleas for help leads to a detective uncovering a dark secret… The story’s core is a common urban legend that’s been re-used in several other novels and an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, though the well-drawn Parisian atmosphere makes Thomson’s version quite good. M. McDonnell Bodkin’s “Murder on the Golf Links” is a delightful murder-mystery set at a golf resort, where a love triangle’s friction may have lead to murder; R. Austin Freeman’s “A Mystery of the Sand Hills” is an ingenious tale of a missing beachgoer, whose appearance—and killer—are reconstructed by way of astute scientific detection. Any of these should prove excellent reading for the Golden Age fan.
Not all stories are about detectives; several deal with the criminals needed to produce the mystery’s murder. Is murder ever justifiable? Do crimes ever go unpunished? Michael Gilbert’s “Cousin Once Removed” sees a man, in impoverished desperation, plot to kill his cousin in order to receive a shared inheritance. The method of murder he hopes to use is ingenious, as is the surprise ending. “Murder!” by Arnold Bennett sees an altercation come to a head between a vacationer and his nemesis, both in love with the same woman—one is her abusive husband who refuses divorce, the other her young suitor. A well-drawn story, it balances a cutting wit with a little paranoia, and I found it very entertaining. There’s even a haunted house tale: Gerald Findler’s “House of Screams,” proving that a ghost story can have both fiendish supernatural horror and a logical explanation behind it all.
Themed anthologies are a tough balancing act: make the theme too broad, and there’s not enough to tie the collection together; make the theme too niche and you may end up struggling to find enough quality fiction, or end up with sixteen versions of the same story. While I enjoyed the iconic “murder on holiday” theme well before starting Resorting to Murder, I was half worried that there wasn’t a diverse enough pool of mysteries behind it to fill an entire collection. I’m glad to say that I stand corrected; I’ll try not to doubt Martin Edwards in the future. The fourteen stories in Resorting to Murder are all very good, and while some of them seem similar this is quite a diverse collection. All of the stories may deal with murders on holiday, but there’s enough kinds of mystery story here to keep the collection fresh and invigorated. Not only did Edwards pick a great batch of stories, he also continues to write excellent introductions for the British Library volumes. While I found a few of the tales forgettable or not my cup of tea, there’s not a stinker among them, and several stories lead me to new authors. Short fiction is an interesting new avenue for the British Library to pursue, but after this volume, I’m confident that they will continue their winning trend.
Full review, and other mystery reviews, found on my blog.
The collection begins with contemporaries Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and E.W. Hornung. Conan Doyle’s “Adventure of the Devil’s Foot” is one of the later tales of the famed Sherlock Holmes, who, despite his health issues, cannot resist being drawn in to solve a mysterious murder (though I’d hope this case taught him not to test his own theories out on himself). Hornung’s entry is one of several starring Dr. John Dollar, the Crime Doctor; while vacationing in Switzerland, he learns that suspicion of attempted murder has fallen on the very doctor who saved Dollar’s life years before. Both are models of what the Golden Age mystery would become, easy-going mysteries that hold up rather well. And while his story was penned much later than Doyle’s or Hornung’s, G.K. Chesterton was no less influential on the genre. His story here, “The Finger of Stone,” combines an almost science-fictional murder of a local scientist with a morbid impossible crime that would make John Dickson Carr proud.
Many of the authors included in this collection were once prominent in the field, and Edwards has done a remarkable job bringing them back into the spotlight. While Conan Doyle and Chesterton are still well-known, many of the authors in this book have faded into unwarranted obscurity. H.C. Bailey’s “The Hazel Ice” is one winner by a now-forgotten author; its protagonist is Mr. Fortune, a precursor to Peter Whimsey. An aristocrat vacationing at an alpine resort, Fortune learns that a tourist has become separated from his companion by a rock slide. Rushing to help, Fortune and Swiss policeman Herr Stein find themselves at the scene of a murder, staged to look like an accident. Surprisingly modern, with an affable wit and brilliant writing, this was my favorite of the collection.
Basil Thomson’s “Vanishing of Mrs. Fraser” builds a suspenseful mystery around a young woman and her mother visiting Paris during the Exhibition; when the mother falls ill, then vanishes, the daughter’s pleas for help leads to a detective uncovering a dark secret… The story’s core is a common urban legend that’s been re-used in several other novels and an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, though the well-drawn Parisian atmosphere makes Thomson’s version quite good. M. McDonnell Bodkin’s “Murder on the Golf Links” is a delightful murder-mystery set at a golf resort, where a love triangle’s friction may have lead to murder; R. Austin Freeman’s “A Mystery of the Sand Hills” is an ingenious tale of a missing beachgoer, whose appearance—and killer—are reconstructed by way of astute scientific detection. Any of these should prove excellent reading for the Golden Age fan.
Not all stories are about detectives; several deal with the criminals needed to produce the mystery’s murder. Is murder ever justifiable? Do crimes ever go unpunished? Michael Gilbert’s “Cousin Once Removed” sees a man, in impoverished desperation, plot to kill his cousin in order to receive a shared inheritance. The method of murder he hopes to use is ingenious, as is the surprise ending. “Murder!” by Arnold Bennett sees an altercation come to a head between a vacationer and his nemesis, both in love with the same woman—one is her abusive husband who refuses divorce, the other her young suitor. A well-drawn story, it balances a cutting wit with a little paranoia, and I found it very entertaining. There’s even a haunted house tale: Gerald Findler’s “House of Screams,” proving that a ghost story can have both fiendish supernatural horror and a logical explanation behind it all.
Themed anthologies are a tough balancing act: make the theme too broad, and there’s not enough to tie the collection together; make the theme too niche and you may end up struggling to find enough quality fiction, or end up with sixteen versions of the same story. While I enjoyed the iconic “murder on holiday” theme well before starting Resorting to Murder, I was half worried that there wasn’t a diverse enough pool of mysteries behind it to fill an entire collection. I’m glad to say that I stand corrected; I’ll try not to doubt Martin Edwards in the future. The fourteen stories in Resorting to Murder are all very good, and while some of them seem similar this is quite a diverse collection. All of the stories may deal with murders on holiday, but there’s enough kinds of mystery story here to keep the collection fresh and invigorated. Not only did Edwards pick a great batch of stories, he also continues to write excellent introductions for the British Library volumes. While I found a few of the tales forgettable or not my cup of tea, there’s not a stinker among them, and several stories lead me to new authors. Short fiction is an interesting new avenue for the British Library to pursue, but after this volume, I’m confident that they will continue their winning trend.
Full review, and other mystery reviews, found on my blog.
July 28, 2017
Found the stories here a bit odd or unexpected or not what I was anticipating... a variety of all of this. I thought the stories would feel more like someone visiting a new land or entering a "vacation" mind only to have it interrupted by murder! The Sherlock and Freeman and Bruce stories felt that way to me and I enjoyed their crisp use of the short story format. The others felt a bit more meandering. One thing I did find interesting was that I got to read some work of authors that are harder to find so that was something. Other books in this series I have found enjoyable.
August 15, 2025
An assortment of short stories taking place in vacational resorts, from the seaside to the mountains. They’re all quite different, and some of them are not strictly “criminal stories”; one can even be considered a ghost story. Nevertheless, I found them entertaining; as always happens in anthologies of this sort, some of the stories are better than others, but this was to be expected. What I certainly didn’t expect was the abominable story by G.K. Chesterton, both ridiculous and outlandish. It has been a huge disappointment.
May 26, 2022
My quest through the British Library crime classics continues with this collection of short stories around the theme of murder while on vacation.
As usual with these short story collections, we get a mixed bag of quality, length, and style (some are quite humorous, some are quite serious). There are some well-known authors, including G.K. Chesterton and Arthur Conan Doyle, as well as many that are not known at all or that have fallen out of favor. Of course the Sherlock Holmes story shines, but there are some others that capture one's attention, including a daughter searching for her missing mother (who people insist doesn't exist), a Swiss mystery involving a rockslide, and a poor English lady caught up in a spy scandal.
Enjoy the sampling from the golden age of mystery.
As usual with these short story collections, we get a mixed bag of quality, length, and style (some are quite humorous, some are quite serious). There are some well-known authors, including G.K. Chesterton and Arthur Conan Doyle, as well as many that are not known at all or that have fallen out of favor. Of course the Sherlock Holmes story shines, but there are some others that capture one's attention, including a daughter searching for her missing mother (who people insist doesn't exist), a Swiss mystery involving a rockslide, and a poor English lady caught up in a spy scandal.
Enjoy the sampling from the golden age of mystery.
September 9, 2025
KU Free Trial | A good collection, with few I've read previously. I do think one should have been left out, it's not a murder, it's not a mystery, so it doesn't fit in the collection. It's only very mildly amusing and even that is at the expense of a perfectly nice woman, and it only makes sense if you read French or are reading with the Kindle translator. Aside from that, though, worth getting the book.
Read
September 9, 2024I was hoping for atmospheric summer vibes but the stories did not really match up with the idea of the collection, and most kind of fell flat for me!
September 5, 2025
This was a great collection of short stories from some of the best authors of the time of golden age detective fiction.
Very well presented as always by the excellent Martin Edwards.
Very well presented as always by the excellent Martin Edwards.
June 23, 2025
Short stories by an assortment of crime writers and as usual for such things a mixed bag. Some of the stories were clever mysteries, some were a little bit silly and a couple were chilling.
May 3, 2019
It is a really cute collection with a very nice idea. The stories overall were not outstanding, but most of them are really good (I liked particularly Doyle's one). I would say 80% of the stories are definitely worth reading and chances are that you have never seen them before. The introduction of the authors by the editor was very informative. It seems that the holiday in the 30s means going to Switzerland or to the seaside; that is the only downside of the book. The series it belongs to seems like a very nice collection, I will read others in it.
May 31, 2024
Resorting to Murder: Holiday Mysteries is a collection of fourteen vintage crime stories, edited and introduced by Martin Edwards, whom I learned to be a renowned expert on the golden age of British detective fiction. The theme of this anthology is summer holidays, occasions when people seek relaxation away from their homes and escape their worries. But as far as these stories go, holidays can also be a source of mystery, danger, and murder. The places and settings of each story are varied but not always peaceful. The stories range from the early 1900s to the 1950s and feature some of the most famous authors in crime fiction, but only two of them, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and G. K. Chesterton, the creators of Sherlock Holmes and Father Brown, are known to me. From the editor's notes, some of the stories are rare and hard to find, while others are classics and well-known. All the stories are entertaining and intriguing, with clever plots and surprising twists. The stories included in this collection are:
1. The Adventures of the Devil's Foot by Sir Arthur Conan DoyleThanks to Martin Edwards for his informative and helpful introductions prior to each story, providing some background information on the author, the context, and the story's significance. Resorting to Murder: Holiday Mysteries is a delightful book for fans of classic crime fiction. I found this collection accidentally while browsing the Kindle Unlimited lists. Furthermore, this book is part of the British Library Crime Classics series, which has a very good collection of rediscovered and republished forgotten gems of the genre, which I really want to explore.
2. A Schoolmaster Abroad by E. W. Hornung
3. Murder! by Arnold Bennett
4. The Murder on the Golf Links by M. McDonnell Bodkin
5. The Fingers of Stone by G. K. Chesterton
6. The Vanishing of Mrs. Fraser by Basil Thomson
7. A Mystery of the Sand Hills by R. Austin Freeman
8. The Hazel Ice by H. C. Bailey
9. Razor Edge by Anthony Berkeley
10. Holiday Task by Leo Bruce
11. A Posteriori by Helen Simpson
12. Where is Mr. Manetot? by Phyllis Bentley
13. The House of Screams by Gerald Findler
14. Cousin Once Removed by Michael Gilbert
June 4, 2015
Insightful introductions by Martin Edwards guide readers through this collection of fourteen short stories written by some of the most popular crime fiction writers in England's golden age of mysteries (1910-1953). The theme of detectives on holiday provides the framework of the collection, and the stories take place in many vacation spots throughout the United Kingdom, France and Switzerland.
Of the fourteen authors, I was familiar with only three: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Arnold Bennett, and G.K. Chesterton.
One thing I remembered as I read each story was that, during this time, crime fiction was in its purest form. If something did not advance the story, the writer did not include it. If you're a fan of more contemporary crime fiction in which in-depth characterization and the story's setting usually take on very important roles, this collection may not be for you. But if you're interested in reading the work of other crime fiction authors besides Agatha Christie who were popular and have fallen into (sometimes undeserved) obscurity, Resorting to Murder is right up your alley.
Of all the stories in this book, I enjoyed the ones by the two women most: "A Posteriori" by Helen Simpson, and "Where Is Mr. Manetot?" by Phyllis Bentley, due to their plots and for Helen Simpson's sense of humor. I also enjoyed the feeling of slipping back into the past to read the popular fiction of the day.
I applaud the British Library Crime Classics series and its US publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for bringing these writers and their works back to the reading public.
Of the fourteen authors, I was familiar with only three: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Arnold Bennett, and G.K. Chesterton.
One thing I remembered as I read each story was that, during this time, crime fiction was in its purest form. If something did not advance the story, the writer did not include it. If you're a fan of more contemporary crime fiction in which in-depth characterization and the story's setting usually take on very important roles, this collection may not be for you. But if you're interested in reading the work of other crime fiction authors besides Agatha Christie who were popular and have fallen into (sometimes undeserved) obscurity, Resorting to Murder is right up your alley.
Of all the stories in this book, I enjoyed the ones by the two women most: "A Posteriori" by Helen Simpson, and "Where Is Mr. Manetot?" by Phyllis Bentley, due to their plots and for Helen Simpson's sense of humor. I also enjoyed the feeling of slipping back into the past to read the popular fiction of the day.
I applaud the British Library Crime Classics series and its US publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for bringing these writers and their works back to the reading public.
June 7, 2015
I received a digital copy of this title from the publisher via Netgalley.
Ten Second Synopsis:
A collection of short stories featuring summer holiday as a theme from classic British writers of crime fiction.
I really enjoyed this anthology, for the fun trip through classic British murder mysteries, as much as getting to dip my toe into the writing styles of a bunch of mystery writers from the first half of the twentieth century without having to commit to reading a whole novel. The opening tale by Arthur Conan Doyle set the tone nicely, with a typical “locked room” type mystery that helped me to warm up to the task of solving multiple, unrelated murders by the end of the book. There are also a veritable slew of detectives to acquaint one’s self with, so if you were under the impression that Poirot was the only one getting freelance and solving murders, this book will really open your eyes!
I particularly enjoyed Murder! by Arnold Bennett (as much for the exclamation mark in the title, as for the twist in the story), while The Vanishing of Mrs Fraser by Basil Thomson was simultaneously ridiculously far-fetched and utterly compelling. In fact, I think Thomson’s mystery was my favourite of the lot.
There are more in this anthology series (two just in time for Christmas, apparently!) so I suspect these will find their way onto my TBR list. If you are in the mood for a holiday of the mind that involves skullduggery in bite-sized chunks, I would definitely recommend packing this one in your bedside drawer.
Ten Second Synopsis:
A collection of short stories featuring summer holiday as a theme from classic British writers of crime fiction.
I really enjoyed this anthology, for the fun trip through classic British murder mysteries, as much as getting to dip my toe into the writing styles of a bunch of mystery writers from the first half of the twentieth century without having to commit to reading a whole novel. The opening tale by Arthur Conan Doyle set the tone nicely, with a typical “locked room” type mystery that helped me to warm up to the task of solving multiple, unrelated murders by the end of the book. There are also a veritable slew of detectives to acquaint one’s self with, so if you were under the impression that Poirot was the only one getting freelance and solving murders, this book will really open your eyes!
I particularly enjoyed Murder! by Arnold Bennett (as much for the exclamation mark in the title, as for the twist in the story), while The Vanishing of Mrs Fraser by Basil Thomson was simultaneously ridiculously far-fetched and utterly compelling. In fact, I think Thomson’s mystery was my favourite of the lot.
There are more in this anthology series (two just in time for Christmas, apparently!) so I suspect these will find their way onto my TBR list. If you are in the mood for a holiday of the mind that involves skullduggery in bite-sized chunks, I would definitely recommend packing this one in your bedside drawer.
May 23, 2015
What an amazing collection of classic mysteries. Each different and entertaining in their own way. I even got to read a few that I'd never encountered before as well as learn of some mystery writers that I was unaware of. The perfect book for a short getaway, whether actually away from home, or merely escaping on the couch!
April 22, 2015
A great collection of short stories from the golden age of detection, all with a common theme of holidays. Some real gems here from little known authors as well as from some of the greats. Would make a wonderful holiday read.
May 27, 2015
Excellant! More great mysteries.
December 2, 2020
Cracking collection of mysteries by a wide range of well-known and lesser known authors. Unusually for a compendium they were all great stories with no duds
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