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The Case of the Lamp That Went Out
Joseph Mueller's first mystery.
102 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1899
46 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
About the author
Auguste Groner
64 books6 followersAuguste Groner (née Kopallik ) was an Austrian writer from Vienna. In english-speaking countries she often is known as Augusta Groner. She sometimes wrote under the masculine pseudonym August Groner, and also published under the pseudonyms Olaf Björnson, A. of the Paura, Renorga and Metis.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
January 19, 2020
The Case of the Lamp That Went Out is a mystery novel by Auguste Groner. This is the very little I now know about the author, I didn't even know the writer was a woman until I finished the book and looked her up. Anyway, here it is:
Auguste Groner was an Austrian writer internationally notable for detective fiction. She also published under the pseudonyms Olaf Björnson, A. of the Paura, Renorga, and Metis.
Auguste Groner was born in Vienna in 1850, the daughter of an accountant. One of her brothers was the painter Franz Kopallik, and another was the theologian Josef Kopallik. She was educated in Vienna, both at the painting school at the Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna and at the Vienna woman's teacher training institute. From 1876 to 1905 she worked as a primary school teacher in Vienna. In 1879 she married Richard Groner, a journalist and lexicographer. Around 1882 she began writing, initially juvenile fiction and historical fiction. Around 1890, she turned to crime fiction, creating the first serial police detective in German crime literature, Joseph Müller, who appears for the first time in the novella The Case of the Pocket Diary Found in the Snow, which was published in 1890. Outside of Austria, she is most known for her crime stories.
I'm outside of Austria and I didn't know she existed, crime novels included. I read a surprising amount of old books written by people I never heard of, I have a stack of them here right now. Lots of people come here at Christmas, lots of people know I love old books, lots of people clean out their attics and shelves before they come and bring me their old books which is how I end up reading so many I've never heard of. This is one of them.
I never heard of it before but I'm certainly glad I did now. I loved this book, it was a good old murder mystery. We had a dead body found in an alley, we have lots of people who knew the dead guy well but didn't like him, and lots of people who barely knew him at all and they didn't like him either. We had a dead guy without a watch and his wallet was gone, but there was still quite a bit of money in his back pocket. Most of the police think he was shot and robbed, they even find the guy who has his wallet and is out on a spending spree in a used clothing store, too bad he didn't take all the money he may have been able to go to a new clothing store. He also could have stayed in a nice hotel, not sleep in an empty shed next to that dark, not quite empty alley. Of course if he did that he wouldn't have seen the body or seen the murderer or been in the book at all. Most of the police think he did it of course. It's good we have detective Joseph Muller to figure it all out or we'd still be there. I would anyway, I had no idea who did it for the longest time, and when I did, or thought I did, all I could do was keep hoping I was wrong, I was willing to let the guy in the shed take the blame. I'm not sure I ever cried over a little mystery story before, but I did yesterday. Then again, once Christmas is over and I am in the middle of putting everything away again I do tend to cry more than usual. I loved this book, I'm going to look for another by the same author, there has to be one or two out there in the internet world somewhere. And since I'm doing this on my phone, which I hate, I'm going to quit now and go start my next never heard of before book. Happy reading.
Auguste Groner was an Austrian writer internationally notable for detective fiction. She also published under the pseudonyms Olaf Björnson, A. of the Paura, Renorga, and Metis.
Auguste Groner was born in Vienna in 1850, the daughter of an accountant. One of her brothers was the painter Franz Kopallik, and another was the theologian Josef Kopallik. She was educated in Vienna, both at the painting school at the Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna and at the Vienna woman's teacher training institute. From 1876 to 1905 she worked as a primary school teacher in Vienna. In 1879 she married Richard Groner, a journalist and lexicographer. Around 1882 she began writing, initially juvenile fiction and historical fiction. Around 1890, she turned to crime fiction, creating the first serial police detective in German crime literature, Joseph Müller, who appears for the first time in the novella The Case of the Pocket Diary Found in the Snow, which was published in 1890. Outside of Austria, she is most known for her crime stories.
I'm outside of Austria and I didn't know she existed, crime novels included. I read a surprising amount of old books written by people I never heard of, I have a stack of them here right now. Lots of people come here at Christmas, lots of people know I love old books, lots of people clean out their attics and shelves before they come and bring me their old books which is how I end up reading so many I've never heard of. This is one of them.
I never heard of it before but I'm certainly glad I did now. I loved this book, it was a good old murder mystery. We had a dead body found in an alley, we have lots of people who knew the dead guy well but didn't like him, and lots of people who barely knew him at all and they didn't like him either. We had a dead guy without a watch and his wallet was gone, but there was still quite a bit of money in his back pocket. Most of the police think he was shot and robbed, they even find the guy who has his wallet and is out on a spending spree in a used clothing store, too bad he didn't take all the money he may have been able to go to a new clothing store. He also could have stayed in a nice hotel, not sleep in an empty shed next to that dark, not quite empty alley. Of course if he did that he wouldn't have seen the body or seen the murderer or been in the book at all. Most of the police think he did it of course. It's good we have detective Joseph Muller to figure it all out or we'd still be there. I would anyway, I had no idea who did it for the longest time, and when I did, or thought I did, all I could do was keep hoping I was wrong, I was willing to let the guy in the shed take the blame. I'm not sure I ever cried over a little mystery story before, but I did yesterday. Then again, once Christmas is over and I am in the middle of putting everything away again I do tend to cry more than usual. I loved this book, I'm going to look for another by the same author, there has to be one or two out there in the internet world somewhere. And since I'm doing this on my phone, which I hate, I'm going to quit now and go start my next never heard of before book. Happy reading.
February 4, 2025
That was a good mystery.
I loved Detective Müller, so not full of himself!
It's easy enough to figure out who did it but the why can be a bit tricky until more info's given.
I loved Detective Müller, so not full of himself!
It's easy enough to figure out who did it but the why can be a bit tricky until more info's given.
July 22, 2015
Too much to do between now and the end of the month, so this'll be quick . . .
Until recently, I knew nothing at all about the 19th-/early-20th-century Austrian writer Augusta/Auguste Groner and her series detective Joseph Muller, and I'd still be almost as ignorant had I not stumbled across her page on Project Gutenberg and a wonderfully informative page about her at biblodaze. Gutenberg has this novella and a few short stories; having read the novella, I'm now ettling to try the stories.
A man is found shot dead in a ditch in a small Austrian town. The cops are soon content to pin the crime on a wastrel caught with some of the dead man's property. The only cop who believes the wastrel's story that he came across the corpse and fleeced it in the belief that it was a sleeping drunk is Joseph Muller, a maverick whom the other cops despise because he's intelligent and has the unfortunate habit of being correct. He's correct here, too, digging out a far more complicated truth -- in terms not just motivational but ethical -- than the one his superiors were prepared to accept.
This is really quite a short book and its ambience is quiet but, the more I read of it, the more I enjoyed it. Muller is a wonderful fictional creation, and I look forward to reading more of his outings.
Until recently, I knew nothing at all about the 19th-/early-20th-century Austrian writer Augusta/Auguste Groner and her series detective Joseph Muller, and I'd still be almost as ignorant had I not stumbled across her page on Project Gutenberg and a wonderfully informative page about her at biblodaze. Gutenberg has this novella and a few short stories; having read the novella, I'm now ettling to try the stories.
A man is found shot dead in a ditch in a small Austrian town. The cops are soon content to pin the crime on a wastrel caught with some of the dead man's property. The only cop who believes the wastrel's story that he came across the corpse and fleeced it in the belief that it was a sleeping drunk is Joseph Muller, a maverick whom the other cops despise because he's intelligent and has the unfortunate habit of being correct. He's correct here, too, digging out a far more complicated truth -- in terms not just motivational but ethical -- than the one his superiors were prepared to accept.
This is really quite a short book and its ambience is quiet but, the more I read of it, the more I enjoyed it. Muller is a wonderful fictional creation, and I look forward to reading more of his outings.
October 9, 2022
A neat take on the detective cozy; nothing to write home about, but entertaining and enjoyable in a quiet way, just as one would want it to be.
February 4, 2025
The Case of the Lamp That Went Out is an enjoyable and well-written mystery. As a fan of classic literature, this was my first encounter with an author from this region, making it an interesting discovery.
The attention to detail was remarkable. Joseph Müller reminded me of Sherlock Holmes, but with a notable difference—Müller is far more humble in his approach, never seeking the spotlight. While the mystery itself may not be particularly challenging for seasoned crime fiction readers, the novel focuses more on the psychological aspects of the detective, the culprit, and the crime rather than just the case itself.
It was truly engaging to see how Müller methodically pieced everything together, solving the crime with precision and insight.
Overall, it was a good read, and I wouldn’t mind picking up another book by the author. This one was recommended by my partner in crime reading , and as always, whose suggestions never fail to entertain!
The attention to detail was remarkable. Joseph Müller reminded me of Sherlock Holmes, but with a notable difference—Müller is far more humble in his approach, never seeking the spotlight. While the mystery itself may not be particularly challenging for seasoned crime fiction readers, the novel focuses more on the psychological aspects of the detective, the culprit, and the crime rather than just the case itself.
It was truly engaging to see how Müller methodically pieced everything together, solving the crime with precision and insight.
Overall, it was a good read, and I wouldn’t mind picking up another book by the author. This one was recommended by my partner in crime reading , and as always, whose suggestions never fail to entertain!
December 31, 2023
"read" via audiobook.
A detective in the vein and of similar vintage of Poirot and Holmes, but with his own, unassuming charm. Part of the fun is that this one is based solely in Vienna. I get used to British crimes and British settings, so having this one set on the continent, with its own flavors and intrigues was a delight in and of itself. A fun little listen on a few lazy afternoons.
A detective in the vein and of similar vintage of Poirot and Holmes, but with his own, unassuming charm. Part of the fun is that this one is based solely in Vienna. I get used to British crimes and British settings, so having this one set on the continent, with its own flavors and intrigues was a delight in and of itself. A fun little listen on a few lazy afternoons.
January 20, 2022
A good, old murder mystery.
Cleverly written!
Likeable, intelligent, relatable, brilliant main character.
A charming, enjoyable, pleasant read!
Enjoy!
Cleverly written!
Likeable, intelligent, relatable, brilliant main character.
A charming, enjoyable, pleasant read!
Enjoy!
March 17, 2025
Not a bad read although I will not be looking at other works by this author . The writing shows it's age .
August 9, 2025
Librivox Edition: Aside from poor German word pronunciation, this is a well narrated tale of crime and mystery.
January 24, 2009
In "The Case of the Lamp That Went Out," Frau. Auguste Groner and Grace Isabel Colbron give us a detective a bit different than his predecessor Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock Holmes is brimming with self-confidence; Joseph Muller doubts his instincts with some regularity. Holmes has everyone's respect; Muller, despite a sterling record, has to repeatedly win his superiors' confidence. Holmes, while not completely lacking in feeling, cares far more about the facts of a criminal case than about the feelings of the people involved; Muller is concerned with people as people, why they do what they do, and whether they are doing those things for the right reasons or the wrong ones.
In short, Holmes focuses almost solely on solving the case, while Muller also wants to see justice done.
Aside from the enjoyment offered by Muller as a character -- and there's quite a bit to enjoy -- "Lamp"'s story also is good. It's a fairly basic police procedural in many ways, but it's still fun to watch Muller put together the puzzle pieces of both the mystery itself and the motives of its players. And to a modern-day American reader so used to seeing most police detectives in books (as well as on television and in the movies) show little respect to criminal suspects, rich or poor, it's refreshing to watch Muller show such deference to his suspects.
"Lamp" is entertaining, well-crafted, and a brisk read. It doesn't hurt that it's also widely available for free on the Internet as an e-book.
In short, Holmes focuses almost solely on solving the case, while Muller also wants to see justice done.
Aside from the enjoyment offered by Muller as a character -- and there's quite a bit to enjoy -- "Lamp"'s story also is good. It's a fairly basic police procedural in many ways, but it's still fun to watch Muller put together the puzzle pieces of both the mystery itself and the motives of its players. And to a modern-day American reader so used to seeing most police detectives in books (as well as on television and in the movies) show little respect to criminal suspects, rich or poor, it's refreshing to watch Muller show such deference to his suspects.
"Lamp" is entertaining, well-crafted, and a brisk read. It doesn't hurt that it's also widely available for free on the Internet as an e-book.
November 20, 2012
This fin-de-siecle Viennese novel (first published in 1899) is charming for a few reasons. For one, it introduces us to the first detective hero of German literature, Joseph Mueller. It also offers insight into the struggle between codes of honor that had guided some in the upper classes when they run counter to the law as it has been established. Although Auguste Groner, the woman creating this fiction, had not reasoned out the best strategy for sharing clues without giving away their meaning so that readers might have the pleasure of vicariously playing the role of detective themselves, she did make a hero we can sympathize with, to a certain extent, in a way we cannot with Sherlock Holmes. Mueller is a little man, the type who blends in and most people ignore or overlook. He draws upon incredible powers of perception, however, has a resolute stick-to-it-iveness once settled into a case, and, having spent some time in prison himself, has a sympathy for the marginalized or downtrodden that is very appealing. I found the things the author takes for granted in day to day human relationships, and the various character interactions, a pleasant way to get a glimpse of life in the Austria of Emperor Franz Joseph. Oh, and to whet your appetite, the story begins upon a pleasant suburban morning, and we travel along with a milkmaid, happy enough, following her route—until she discovers a dead body in a ditch near a private garden.
October 24, 2014
Enjoyable, often beautifully written, even gentle by comparison with others in the same genre. The mystery itself was ho-hum (I'm easily flummoxed, but I had a reasonable certainty of the culprit from early on). Exposition was often clumsy, with little attempt made to fool the readers; more of a standard novel than a true detective novel.
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December 10, 2016Aku baca terbitan bhs indonesianya.
The Case of the Lamp that Went Out (Misteri Pembunuhan di Hietzing)
Augusta Groner & Grace Isabel Colborn
Yogyakarta: Quills Book Publisher, 2005
260 hal.
Rp. 27.500,00
The Case of the Lamp that Went Out (Misteri Pembunuhan di Hietzing)
Augusta Groner & Grace Isabel Colborn
Yogyakarta: Quills Book Publisher, 2005
260 hal.
Rp. 27.500,00
January 17, 2015
Circumstances of mercy and integrity
The style of writing is delicate and lyrical. This book has no evil darkness, which propels the characteristics of humanism so lacking in today's cultural identification into the forefront. Pleasant read.
The style of writing is delicate and lyrical. This book has no evil darkness, which propels the characteristics of humanism so lacking in today's cultural identification into the forefront. Pleasant read.
September 8, 2012
Very good mystery.
April 10, 2013
Again, Muller is not Holmes nor is Groner able to compete with Doyle, the story is an easy enjoyable read with enough twists and turns to keep the reader interested.
April 8, 2013
Fairly straighforward story, but with an unexpected dilemma for our hero towards the end.
January 4, 2015
enjoyed the writing
April 24, 2017
Never I felt compassion for any case before this. Was really moved when I knew the reason the victim was murdered. This shows that not all crimes are done out of hatred. Love, faithfulness, care and ignorance can also lead to that sad horrible road. And no matter how heavy you fell, justice must take place, for their own good and the society or others will pay a wrong they didn't commit.
For me, as the doer, it was a duty done right but for the rest of the world - just another killer. Joseph Muller, solves the mystery with sorrow that can be felt by the reader. At the end, justice did right for everyone. I actually enjoyed this book so much that I finished it in just one day!!! I was kinda behind schedule anyway, so I had to push myself to catch up - but you will love this book nonetheless and maybe finish it as fast as me.
For me, as the doer, it was a duty done right but for the rest of the world - just another killer. Joseph Muller, solves the mystery with sorrow that can be felt by the reader. At the end, justice did right for everyone. I actually enjoyed this book so much that I finished it in just one day!!! I was kinda behind schedule anyway, so I had to push myself to catch up - but you will love this book nonetheless and maybe finish it as fast as me.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews