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Called Back
The first in a new series of classic detective stories from the vaults of HarperCollins involves a blind man who stumbles across a murder. As he has not seen anything, the assassins let him go, but he finds it is impossible to walk away from murder.
“The Detective Story Club”, launched by Collins in 1929, was a clearing house for the best and most ingenious crime stories of the age, chosen by a select committee of experts. Now, almost 90 years later, these books are the classics of the Golden Age, republished at last with the same popular cover designs that appealed to their original readers.
“By the purest of accidents the man who is blind accidentally comes on the scene of a murder. He cannot see what is happening but he can hear. He is seen by the assassins who, on discovering him to be blind, allow him to go without harming him. Soon afterwards he recovers his sight and later falls in love with a mysterious woman who is in some way involved in the crime…. The mystery deepens and only after a series of memorable thrills is the tangled skein unravelled.”
Called Back by Hugh Conway, a pseudonym for Frederick John Fargus, was first published in 1883. It was a huge success, selling 350,000 copies in its first year, leading to a highly acclaimed stage play the following year. This new edition is introduced by novelist and crime writing expert, Martin Edwards, author of The Golden Age of Murder.
“The Detective Story Club”, launched by Collins in 1929, was a clearing house for the best and most ingenious crime stories of the age, chosen by a select committee of experts. Now, almost 90 years later, these books are the classics of the Golden Age, republished at last with the same popular cover designs that appealed to their original readers.
“By the purest of accidents the man who is blind accidentally comes on the scene of a murder. He cannot see what is happening but he can hear. He is seen by the assassins who, on discovering him to be blind, allow him to go without harming him. Soon afterwards he recovers his sight and later falls in love with a mysterious woman who is in some way involved in the crime…. The mystery deepens and only after a series of memorable thrills is the tangled skein unravelled.”
Called Back by Hugh Conway, a pseudonym for Frederick John Fargus, was first published in 1883. It was a huge success, selling 350,000 copies in its first year, leading to a highly acclaimed stage play the following year. This new edition is introduced by novelist and crime writing expert, Martin Edwards, author of The Golden Age of Murder.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1883
7 people are currently reading
123 people want to read
About the author
Hugh Conway
91 booksHugh Conway, the pen name of Frederick John Fargus, was an English novelist born in Bristol, the son of an auctioneer.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 20, 2015
After its first publication, in 1885, ‘Called Back’ was a great success. It sold in huge quantities, it was adapted for the stage; and yet it vanished into obscurity quite quickly. Maybe because the author died young, and maybe because there were other authors who wrote this kind of story – a mixture of sensation and detection – very well.
Wilkie Collins is the first name that comes to mind; and I have to say that Hugh Conway wasn’t quite in his league. But he clearly knew how to spin a yarn and how to keep readers turning pages.
‘Called Back’ was reissued by the publisher Collins, under the banner of ‘The Detective Club’, in 1929; and recently Harper Collins, the twenty-first century publishing house that Collins grew into, has picked up that banner and has sent this book – and others – out into the world again.
The story is set up very well.
Gilbert Vaughan, the teller of the tale, was an independently wealthy man who had suffered a great misfortune. At the age of 25, he had been struck blind. He had hopes of an operation that would restore his sight, and in the meantime he had managed to live quite independently, even going out walking, carefully counting his steps so that he would always know where he was and how many steps he needed to take in the opposite direction to get home again.
One day something went wrong. He didn’t panic, he asked a passer-by to guide him to the end of his street, so that he could count himself back to his own house, independently.
But something went wrong again, and he found himself in a strange house. When he heard voices he prepared himself to apologise, explain, and ask for assistance. But he realised that he was hearing a murder taking place, and a young woman desperately weeping. He tried to escape but, in a strange environment, he stumbled and was caught. It was only because he was blind – because he passed the test that he was set to prove that – that he was spared and delivered to his own doorstep.
He wanted to do something, but there was nothing he could do because he had no idea where he had been.
The story moved forward a few years. That operation had been a success, Vaughan had regained his sight, and he was touring Italy, thrilling to everything he could see. One day he saw an exquisitely beautiful girl outside a church, and he fell completely and utterly in love. His advances were rejected at first, but when he saw her again in London he tried again her uncle and guardian, Dr Manuel Ceneri, agreed that he may court Pauline. In fact, he said that they should marry as swiftly as possible.
He was much too happy to wonder why.
And it was only after the wedding that he realised that his lovely wife was not simply quiet and sensitive, she was deeply traumatised by an unnamed event in her past.
I realised straight away that Pauline must have been the young woman weeping on the night of the murder, but it would take a little while for her husband to add two and two together.
When he did he decided that he had to uncover the truth of that night, in the hope that he would be able to help his wife to come to terms with what had happened, and so he set out to travel to the wilds of Siberia, where Dr Ceneri was being held as a political prisoner, to tell him that he had heard the events of that night, and to demand to know exactly what had happened and why.
By this time the coincidences, the melodrama, and the unlikeliness of the whole thing were beginning to bother me, but I didn’t let them bother me too much.
The hero was engaging, and I found it very easy to empathise with him.
He explained in the first chapter that he was setting down the facts to discourage speculation about what had happened, and he did just that. The story moved along at a very nice pace.
Crucially, the solution made sense, and it was no more elaborate than it needed to be.
Back in England, the grand finale was a little overwrought, and yet it was exactly right.
I put the book down feeling that I was been entertained very well indeed.
And now I’m very interested to see how this series of books advances.
Wilkie Collins is the first name that comes to mind; and I have to say that Hugh Conway wasn’t quite in his league. But he clearly knew how to spin a yarn and how to keep readers turning pages.
‘Called Back’ was reissued by the publisher Collins, under the banner of ‘The Detective Club’, in 1929; and recently Harper Collins, the twenty-first century publishing house that Collins grew into, has picked up that banner and has sent this book – and others – out into the world again.
The story is set up very well.
Gilbert Vaughan, the teller of the tale, was an independently wealthy man who had suffered a great misfortune. At the age of 25, he had been struck blind. He had hopes of an operation that would restore his sight, and in the meantime he had managed to live quite independently, even going out walking, carefully counting his steps so that he would always know where he was and how many steps he needed to take in the opposite direction to get home again.
One day something went wrong. He didn’t panic, he asked a passer-by to guide him to the end of his street, so that he could count himself back to his own house, independently.
But something went wrong again, and he found himself in a strange house. When he heard voices he prepared himself to apologise, explain, and ask for assistance. But he realised that he was hearing a murder taking place, and a young woman desperately weeping. He tried to escape but, in a strange environment, he stumbled and was caught. It was only because he was blind – because he passed the test that he was set to prove that – that he was spared and delivered to his own doorstep.
He wanted to do something, but there was nothing he could do because he had no idea where he had been.
The story moved forward a few years. That operation had been a success, Vaughan had regained his sight, and he was touring Italy, thrilling to everything he could see. One day he saw an exquisitely beautiful girl outside a church, and he fell completely and utterly in love. His advances were rejected at first, but when he saw her again in London he tried again her uncle and guardian, Dr Manuel Ceneri, agreed that he may court Pauline. In fact, he said that they should marry as swiftly as possible.
He was much too happy to wonder why.
And it was only after the wedding that he realised that his lovely wife was not simply quiet and sensitive, she was deeply traumatised by an unnamed event in her past.
I realised straight away that Pauline must have been the young woman weeping on the night of the murder, but it would take a little while for her husband to add two and two together.
When he did he decided that he had to uncover the truth of that night, in the hope that he would be able to help his wife to come to terms with what had happened, and so he set out to travel to the wilds of Siberia, where Dr Ceneri was being held as a political prisoner, to tell him that he had heard the events of that night, and to demand to know exactly what had happened and why.
By this time the coincidences, the melodrama, and the unlikeliness of the whole thing were beginning to bother me, but I didn’t let them bother me too much.
The hero was engaging, and I found it very easy to empathise with him.
He explained in the first chapter that he was setting down the facts to discourage speculation about what had happened, and he did just that. The story moved along at a very nice pace.
Crucially, the solution made sense, and it was no more elaborate than it needed to be.
Back in England, the grand finale was a little overwrought, and yet it was exactly right.
I put the book down feeling that I was been entertained very well indeed.
And now I’m very interested to see how this series of books advances.
December 6, 2022
I struggled with this one despite doing my best to remember that it was published in late Victorian England. The characters were very thinly drawn and just seemed like vessels to propel the story. As a lover of crime and mystery fiction, you expect a certain number of coincidences in any book, but here they are piled one on top of another in a relentless fashion. Very little is believable, even allowing for changes in literary fashion and taste. Apparently, this book was a bestseller when originally published and was something of a sensation, but I can't see why. Clearly, many people think otherwise, so it could be that I just didn't get the allure of this one. Not for me.
© Koplowitz 2022
© Koplowitz 2022
May 9, 2017
In reading the Emily Dickinson biography, this book was mentioned as being very popular in her time. It certainly is an interesting story that moves along quickly, with plenty of mystery, some jaw-dropping coincidence, and even a little mysticism thrown in. An entertaining read.
June 22, 2025
3 Stars/
70%
An incredibly popular book back in the 1880s however, with sensibilities and styles of storytelling having been much changed since then, this is one of the books that simply doesn't hold up. It was a great little mystery don't get me wrong, with an excellent plot - but it did have the trope of a Victorian novel where everything kind of just happens to our protagonist, and ultimately a bloke just tells him the answer. It is a mystery story where the characters find themselves accidentally - which is a shame because this could have been exceptional.
Honestly the less said about the treatment of women in this book the better - let's just say consent and the subject of the ownership of women is very much a leading theme. Although our main character does in fact come around at the end to be slightly less creepy - and adds a romantic flair to the ending. This is said understanding context is important when addressing historical topics with a modern view.
70%
An incredibly popular book back in the 1880s however, with sensibilities and styles of storytelling having been much changed since then, this is one of the books that simply doesn't hold up. It was a great little mystery don't get me wrong, with an excellent plot - but it did have the trope of a Victorian novel where everything kind of just happens to our protagonist, and ultimately a bloke just tells him the answer. It is a mystery story where the characters find themselves accidentally - which is a shame because this could have been exceptional.
Honestly the less said about the treatment of women in this book the better - let's just say consent and the subject of the ownership of women is very much a leading theme. Although our main character does in fact come around at the end to be slightly less creepy - and adds a romantic flair to the ending. This is said understanding context is important when addressing historical topics with a modern view.
January 4, 2020
Called Back was a classic in its day, although the author died young before he could achieve the fame he probably deserved. It tells the tale of a blind man who "witnesses" a murder and then becomes curiously involved with one of the characters. Although published as a Detective Club reprint, this is more of an adventure-with-romance than a mystery. And so despite the intriguing setup and evocative writing at the beginning, I soon lost interest in the melodrama and romance. So, I'm sure this is a good book for a lot of people, but not for me. Sorry Hugh.
September 17, 2021
Very well-written for a first book, it's a shame that Conway died so young as he had talent.
Somewhat melodramatic and perhaps a bit too romantic in parts, the book flows quite well overall.
One thing - the style is typical of it's time (with the writer/narrator virtually speaking to us). So be prepared to get used to it which I did very quickly. Read in this context, it's fine. Comparing it to today's style of writing is foolhardy and will only disappoint. Likewise some of the character's outlooks. This was 1883, not 2021...
4.4/5
Somewhat melodramatic and perhaps a bit too romantic in parts, the book flows quite well overall.
One thing - the style is typical of it's time (with the writer/narrator virtually speaking to us). So be prepared to get used to it which I did very quickly. Read in this context, it's fine. Comparing it to today's style of writing is foolhardy and will only disappoint. Likewise some of the character's outlooks. This was 1883, not 2021...
4.4/5
February 19, 2019
This a good story but the role of women or the main character's love interest around whom the mystery swirls is a one-dimensional woman viewed through the narrator's male gaze. To me, it's more of an adventure story than a mystery......
September 22, 2025
Çok tatlı bir kitaptı. Konusunu okuduğumda ana karakterimizin körlüğünün kitabın daha büyük bir kısmını kaplayacağını düşünmüştüm ama oldukça azdı aslında. Ve kitap polisiyeden çok aşk içeriyordu. Sanki karşıma oturmuş anlatıyormuş gibiydi yazar. O yüzden okuması çok kolaydı. Puanım 3.5/5
August 2, 2022
Fantastico, lo leí en una primera edición 😍
February 16, 2025
I really enjoyed this mystery. Nothing psychological, just pure murder, amnesia, who did it and will we have a happy ending.
September 19, 2025
Poor Hugh. Not my style of book. A mystery, blindness cured, characters that didn't engage me. I read the beginning and then the end and ruled out Hugh from my library in future.
February 6, 2010
Written in the typical style of the late 1800's. This Poe-like novel has an interesting storyline and descriptive passages through pre-communist Russia.
June 15, 2017
To read my full review click on the link below:
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
June 4, 2016
Fabulous Victorian melodrama, I loved every minute of it!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews