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Continental Crimes
A man is forbidden to uncover the secret of the tower in a fairy-tale castle by the Rhine. A headless corpse is found in a secret garden in Paris – belonging to the city’s chief of police. And a drowned man is fished from the sea off the Italian Riviera, leaving the carabinieri to wonder why his socialite friends at the Villa Almirante are so unconcerned by his death.
These are three of the scenarios in this new collection of vintage crime stories. Detective stories from the golden age and beyond have used European settings – cosmopolitan cities, rural idylls and crumbling chateaux – to explore timeless themes of revenge, deception, murder and haunting.
Including lesser-known stories by Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle, G.K. Chesterton, J. Jefferson Farjeon and other classic writers, this collection reveals many hidden gems of British crime.
These are three of the scenarios in this new collection of vintage crime stories. Detective stories from the golden age and beyond have used European settings – cosmopolitan cities, rural idylls and crumbling chateaux – to explore timeless themes of revenge, deception, murder and haunting.
Including lesser-known stories by Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle, G.K. Chesterton, J. Jefferson Farjeon and other classic writers, this collection reveals many hidden gems of British crime.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2017
76 people are currently reading
483 people want to read
About the author
Martin Edwards
356 books829 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 85 reviews
September 18, 2017
Netgalley Arc received by the Publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, in exchange for an honest review.
"... crime writers had long understood that foreign settings fascinated their readers. People who had little or no prospect of ever being able to afford to travel extensively took pleasure in experiencing something of the appeal of exotic locales while devouring a good mystery. this was so even in the Victorian and Edwardian eras."
Here you have a book to enlighten as well as to entertain. :)
In this collection of British vintage crime stories, dating from the 1890s to the 1960s, we are leaving "parochial England" behind, visiting continental settings such as France, Germany, Italy, Belgium and more.
The collection includes 14 short stories by well-known authors such as Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, G.K. Chesterton and Arnold Bennett and -to me at least- less familiar writers like J. Jefferson Farjeon, H. de Vere Stacpoole, F. Tennyson Jesse & al.
The book starts with a concise, but interesting introduction by the editor, Martin Edwards, about the history of British crime fiction writers "borrowing" continental locations for some of their works. As a big plus, we are offered a short commentary about the author and the story at the beginning of each piece, which I found very helpful for getting the "right" perspective.
Despite it being an anthology of crime fiction, I don't really take any risks by calling it lovely and recommend the stories as an easy read for the summer and for all seasons.
"... crime writers had long understood that foreign settings fascinated their readers. People who had little or no prospect of ever being able to afford to travel extensively took pleasure in experiencing something of the appeal of exotic locales while devouring a good mystery. this was so even in the Victorian and Edwardian eras."
Here you have a book to enlighten as well as to entertain. :)
In this collection of British vintage crime stories, dating from the 1890s to the 1960s, we are leaving "parochial England" behind, visiting continental settings such as France, Germany, Italy, Belgium and more.
The collection includes 14 short stories by well-known authors such as Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, G.K. Chesterton and Arnold Bennett and -to me at least- less familiar writers like J. Jefferson Farjeon, H. de Vere Stacpoole, F. Tennyson Jesse & al.
The book starts with a concise, but interesting introduction by the editor, Martin Edwards, about the history of British crime fiction writers "borrowing" continental locations for some of their works. As a big plus, we are offered a short commentary about the author and the story at the beginning of each piece, which I found very helpful for getting the "right" perspective.
Despite it being an anthology of crime fiction, I don't really take any risks by calling it lovely and recommend the stories as an easy read for the summer and for all seasons.
March 23, 2022
I'm a big fan of the British Library Crime Classics reissues but this one was a bit meh for me (2.75 stars). The stories were fine but none of them was the sort I'll keep in mind much longer than it takes me to read my next book. The gem and other heists in particular had a sameness that surprised me. They can't all be stunners but YMMV. Still, the Introduction and Forwards to each story that Martin Edwards gives were all great (I wasn't surprised). The Christie was one I hadn't come across before so that was nice.
Overall, I think if this one is skipped, you'll still have lived a full life reading through the collection. I will of course continue reading these as there are far more wonderful than middling.
Overall, I think if this one is skipped, you'll still have lived a full life reading through the collection. I will of course continue reading these as there are far more wonderful than middling.
November 1, 2017
Another interesting collection of largely Golden Age mystery stories, edited by Martin Edwards, this time featuring British tourists, travelers or detectives with at least part of the action occurring on the continent rather than entirely in Britain. This change of scenery often changes the tone or pace of the story but in most cases leaves the sparkle of the story intact. The authors continue British, or of mixed heritage, I.e. French-English.
In one exemplary section, Marie Belloc Lowndes wrote stories about one Hercules Popeau, who was created before Christie's Hercules Poirot mysteries became famous. I enjoyed "Popeau Intervenes", which does not seem to have all of the quirkiness that has always bothered me with Poirot. Lowndes obviously didn't achieve the success of Christie and I have always been out of step with the vast majority of the reading public regarding M. Poirot.
My second example is "Petit-Jean", written by Ian Hay, the pen name of Major General John Hay Beith, a mystery story actually set just behind the front lines during WWI. Hay/Beith was a decorated veteran of the Battle of Loos so knew the reality of the Belgian war zone. Makes for a story with an interesting feel to it.
Once again these are largely Golden Age mystery stories that will be enjoyed by anyone who likes classic mysteries. For me, there may have been slightly fewer of the top notch stories than in some other of Edwards' collections but just the two I mention here remind me of the quality of the overall book. I do recommend this book to mystery lovers.
Rating 3.5 raised to 4 *
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
In one exemplary section, Marie Belloc Lowndes wrote stories about one Hercules Popeau, who was created before Christie's Hercules Poirot mysteries became famous. I enjoyed "Popeau Intervenes", which does not seem to have all of the quirkiness that has always bothered me with Poirot. Lowndes obviously didn't achieve the success of Christie and I have always been out of step with the vast majority of the reading public regarding M. Poirot.
My second example is "Petit-Jean", written by Ian Hay, the pen name of Major General John Hay Beith, a mystery story actually set just behind the front lines during WWI. Hay/Beith was a decorated veteran of the Battle of Loos so knew the reality of the Belgian war zone. Makes for a story with an interesting feel to it.
Once again these are largely Golden Age mystery stories that will be enjoyed by anyone who likes classic mysteries. For me, there may have been slightly fewer of the top notch stories than in some other of Edwards' collections but just the two I mention here remind me of the quality of the overall book. I do recommend this book to mystery lovers.
Rating 3.5 raised to 4 *
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
May 7, 2018
3.5
Continental Crimes is a collection of classic crime/mystery short stories edited by Martin Edwards.
Some of the stories were really interesting, but some dragged on and fell short.
I specially liked the first story The New Catacomb by Arthur Conan Doyle.
Overall this was an enjoyable and cozy read.
Continental Crimes is a collection of classic crime/mystery short stories edited by Martin Edwards.
Some of the stories were really interesting, but some dragged on and fell short.
I specially liked the first story The New Catacomb by Arthur Conan Doyle.
Overall this was an enjoyable and cozy read.
June 20, 2020
As editor Martin Edward explains in his introduction to this anthology, there is a prevalent but mistaken impression that British crime fiction of the "Golden Age" is invariably set in the familiar landscapes of home. It is a view which is reinforced by TV and movie adaptations of "cozy mysteries". If what they portray were anything near to reality, the mind-boggling levels of violent criminality in sleepy, pastoral English hamlets would be enough to make any sociologist or criminologist go wild.
This enjoyable collection sets the record straight by presenting the reader with a generous selection of stories set on the Continent. The reasons for the protagonists finding themselves away from the British Isles are varied - holidaying, work, war, or the necessities of the investigation itself. The nature of the crimes are equally diverse, ranging from murder most foul (through poisoning and beheading, just to mention a couple of morbid examples) to theft and espionage. It makes for a deliciously assorted bag.
What I particularly liked, however was the well-judged balance between familiar crime writers and characters (Agatha Christie's Parker Pyne, Chesterton's Father Brown, to give an example) and lesser-known (at least to me) authors and characters such as Marie Belloc Lowndes and her Hercules Popeau (the unwitting prototype of Christie's Poirot). Arthur Conan Doyle, who obviously needs no introduction is, interestingly, represented by a story which is generally classified amongst his "dark" or "weird" tales - The New Catacomb. It features no investigator and its setting is deliciously Gothic. As a fan of the latter genre, I also enjoyed the spooky melodrama of J. Jefferson Farjeon's "The Room in the Tower" as well as H.C. Bailey's "The Long Dinner". Bailey's investigator - Reggie Fortune - is rather irritating, but the windswept Breton landscape and the echoes of "folk horror" still made this a worthwhile read.
This anthology's publication date was, quite cannily, set for August. It is indeed the perfect holiday read for mystery lovers: a book to carry on a trip abroad or to use as accompaniment to some armchair travelling - to the Continent, of course.
This enjoyable collection sets the record straight by presenting the reader with a generous selection of stories set on the Continent. The reasons for the protagonists finding themselves away from the British Isles are varied - holidaying, work, war, or the necessities of the investigation itself. The nature of the crimes are equally diverse, ranging from murder most foul (through poisoning and beheading, just to mention a couple of morbid examples) to theft and espionage. It makes for a deliciously assorted bag.
What I particularly liked, however was the well-judged balance between familiar crime writers and characters (Agatha Christie's Parker Pyne, Chesterton's Father Brown, to give an example) and lesser-known (at least to me) authors and characters such as Marie Belloc Lowndes and her Hercules Popeau (the unwitting prototype of Christie's Poirot). Arthur Conan Doyle, who obviously needs no introduction is, interestingly, represented by a story which is generally classified amongst his "dark" or "weird" tales - The New Catacomb. It features no investigator and its setting is deliciously Gothic. As a fan of the latter genre, I also enjoyed the spooky melodrama of J. Jefferson Farjeon's "The Room in the Tower" as well as H.C. Bailey's "The Long Dinner". Bailey's investigator - Reggie Fortune - is rather irritating, but the windswept Breton landscape and the echoes of "folk horror" still made this a worthwhile read.
This anthology's publication date was, quite cannily, set for August. It is indeed the perfect holiday read for mystery lovers: a book to carry on a trip abroad or to use as accompaniment to some armchair travelling - to the Continent, of course.
October 12, 2017
The Brits abroad...
This is another in the British Library's series of anthologies of vintage crime stories edited by Martin Edwards. This time, the focus is on Continental Europe as the authors take us to casinos in Monte Carlo, catacombs in Rome, castles on the Rhine, in search of the usual murder, mystery and mayhem. To be clear, this is British authors visiting the Continent – I believe there's a new anthology coming along soon containing stories by non-Brits translated into English, some for the first time, which should be fun.
I found this collection quite variable in quality. Although there were certainly enough 4 and 5 star stories to keep me entertained, there were also several stories that didn't quite cut it as far as I'm concerned. Partly this is to do with the settings – I freely admit I prefer the traditional English manor house or village, or the foggy streets of London, as the setting for my vintage crime fix. But also it's because sometimes I felt the setting wasn't really brought to life terribly well, or there was a touch too much of that British condescension towards all foreigners.
Oddly there were also a couple of stories where the attitude towards (lower-class) women goes well over the out-dated line towards outright misogyny – not a thing I'm normally aware of in vintage crime. Something about going abroad seems to bring out the worst in Brits, I think! I hasten to add that one of these stories was written by a woman, Josephine Bell, who clearly felt that her young female murder victim had brought her fate on herself by her unladylike behaviour in pursuing a man - it actually contains the line “She was asking for it!” The other one was by Michael Gilbert who rounds his story off with the equally astonishing line: “Many a successful marriage has been founded on a good beating.” Well, Mr Gilbert, should you ever propose to me, I'll be sure to give you a sound thrashing before I reply...
There's also plenty of good stuff, though. There's the usual mix of well known and more obscure names among the authors, and a nice mix of crimes, from 'impossible' mysteries to revenge murders, blackmail, theft, greed and even the occasional haunting. Here's a little selection of some of the ones I enjoyed most...
The New Catacomb by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – I know I nearly always select the Conan Doyle story, but that's because he's such a great storyteller. This one is a lovely little revenge tale which climaxes in a catacomb in Rome. An interesting story well told, and with some effective touches of horror – make sure you don't read it if there's any danger of a power outage...
A Bracelet at Bruges by Arnold Bennett – While Kitty is showing her her new expensive bracelet to another woman, it somehow gets dropped into a canal in Bruges and is lost. Or is it? This is more of a howdunit with a neat solution and has a rather charming little romance thrown in. But the reason I enjoyed it so much is that it reminded me of the sheer quality of Arnold Bennett's writing – an author I loved when I was young, though for his fiction rather than crime, and had more or less completely forgotten. Must revisit him!
The Room in the Tower by J Jefferson Farjeon – our narrator, a writer, goes to stay in a castle on the Rhine looking for inspiration and atmosphere for his book. Perhaps he gets more atmosphere than he anticipated though when he gets lost in the gloomy corridors and ends up in the haunted tower. The story in this one is a bit weird but Farjeon builds up the tension well and there are some genuinely spooky moments.
So even though this isn't my favourite of these anthologies, there's still plenty to enjoy. And I haven't even mentioned the Agatha Christie story...
3½ stars for me, so rounded up.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
This is another in the British Library's series of anthologies of vintage crime stories edited by Martin Edwards. This time, the focus is on Continental Europe as the authors take us to casinos in Monte Carlo, catacombs in Rome, castles on the Rhine, in search of the usual murder, mystery and mayhem. To be clear, this is British authors visiting the Continent – I believe there's a new anthology coming along soon containing stories by non-Brits translated into English, some for the first time, which should be fun.
I found this collection quite variable in quality. Although there were certainly enough 4 and 5 star stories to keep me entertained, there were also several stories that didn't quite cut it as far as I'm concerned. Partly this is to do with the settings – I freely admit I prefer the traditional English manor house or village, or the foggy streets of London, as the setting for my vintage crime fix. But also it's because sometimes I felt the setting wasn't really brought to life terribly well, or there was a touch too much of that British condescension towards all foreigners.
Oddly there were also a couple of stories where the attitude towards (lower-class) women goes well over the out-dated line towards outright misogyny – not a thing I'm normally aware of in vintage crime. Something about going abroad seems to bring out the worst in Brits, I think! I hasten to add that one of these stories was written by a woman, Josephine Bell, who clearly felt that her young female murder victim had brought her fate on herself by her unladylike behaviour in pursuing a man - it actually contains the line “She was asking for it!” The other one was by Michael Gilbert who rounds his story off with the equally astonishing line: “Many a successful marriage has been founded on a good beating.” Well, Mr Gilbert, should you ever propose to me, I'll be sure to give you a sound thrashing before I reply...
There's also plenty of good stuff, though. There's the usual mix of well known and more obscure names among the authors, and a nice mix of crimes, from 'impossible' mysteries to revenge murders, blackmail, theft, greed and even the occasional haunting. Here's a little selection of some of the ones I enjoyed most...
The New Catacomb by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – I know I nearly always select the Conan Doyle story, but that's because he's such a great storyteller. This one is a lovely little revenge tale which climaxes in a catacomb in Rome. An interesting story well told, and with some effective touches of horror – make sure you don't read it if there's any danger of a power outage...
A Bracelet at Bruges by Arnold Bennett – While Kitty is showing her her new expensive bracelet to another woman, it somehow gets dropped into a canal in Bruges and is lost. Or is it? This is more of a howdunit with a neat solution and has a rather charming little romance thrown in. But the reason I enjoyed it so much is that it reminded me of the sheer quality of Arnold Bennett's writing – an author I loved when I was young, though for his fiction rather than crime, and had more or less completely forgotten. Must revisit him!
The Room in the Tower by J Jefferson Farjeon – our narrator, a writer, goes to stay in a castle on the Rhine looking for inspiration and atmosphere for his book. Perhaps he gets more atmosphere than he anticipated though when he gets lost in the gloomy corridors and ends up in the haunted tower. The story in this one is a bit weird but Farjeon builds up the tension well and there are some genuinely spooky moments.
So even though this isn't my favourite of these anthologies, there's still plenty to enjoy. And I haven't even mentioned the Agatha Christie story...
3½ stars for me, so rounded up.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
June 10, 2017
I received an e-ARC of this collection of short mystery stories through NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press. This book is part of the British Library Crime Classics series. Thank you for the opportunity to read this collection.
3.5 stars
One of the interesting aspects of this collection of short stories featuring crime scenes taking place in locations other than “standard” British areas was how many of the authors I was not familiar with. If you enjoy trying out the writings of new authors, these short stories might give you new avenues of exploration. I enjoyed most of the stories so would give the collection a 3.5 star rating; it was too good for just three neutral stars, but not quite enough to round up to four so I was stuck in star rating limbo-land.
There are fourteen stories. Here they are listed in the order in which they appear in the book with title and author plus any additional information I found most interesting to me.
The New Catacomb by Arthur Conan Doyle – written during the time when Holmes had “died” so this does not feature the famous pair
A Bracelet at Bruges by Arnold Bennett
The Secret Garden by G. K. Chesterton – a Father Brown "impossible" story
The Secret of the Magnifique by E. Phillip Oppenheim
Petit-Jean by Ian Hay
The Lover of St. Lys by F. Tennyson Jesse – first appeared in a magazine in 1919
Popeau Intervenes by Marie Belloc Lowndes – created her Belgian ex-policeman, ex-spy Hercules Popeau before Agatha Christie began writing about her own extremely similar character. Quite interesting don’t you think?
The Perfect Murder by Stacy Aumonier – a favorite author for me, Christopher Fowler, states Aumonier’s stories should be considered classics. Story first appeared in The Strand magazine in 1926.
The Room in the Tower by J. Jefferson Farjeon
The Ten-Franc Counter by H. de Vere Stacpoole – first appeared in a magazine in 1926
Have You Got Everything You Want? By Agatha Christie – main character is Parker Pyne with the initial appearance in 1933
The Long Dinner by H. C. Bailey – a Reggie Fortune story in a collection from 1935
The Packet-Boat Murder by Josephine Bell
Villa Almirante by Michael Gilbert
There is definitely something here for most readers who have a decided fondness for the Classic Age of mystery novels. Once again Martin Edwards has put together a themed collection, this time to delight lovers of both short stories and continental European locations as well.
3.5 stars
One of the interesting aspects of this collection of short stories featuring crime scenes taking place in locations other than “standard” British areas was how many of the authors I was not familiar with. If you enjoy trying out the writings of new authors, these short stories might give you new avenues of exploration. I enjoyed most of the stories so would give the collection a 3.5 star rating; it was too good for just three neutral stars, but not quite enough to round up to four so I was stuck in star rating limbo-land.
There are fourteen stories. Here they are listed in the order in which they appear in the book with title and author plus any additional information I found most interesting to me.
The New Catacomb by Arthur Conan Doyle – written during the time when Holmes had “died” so this does not feature the famous pair
A Bracelet at Bruges by Arnold Bennett
The Secret Garden by G. K. Chesterton – a Father Brown "impossible" story
The Secret of the Magnifique by E. Phillip Oppenheim
Petit-Jean by Ian Hay
The Lover of St. Lys by F. Tennyson Jesse – first appeared in a magazine in 1919
Popeau Intervenes by Marie Belloc Lowndes – created her Belgian ex-policeman, ex-spy Hercules Popeau before Agatha Christie began writing about her own extremely similar character. Quite interesting don’t you think?
The Perfect Murder by Stacy Aumonier – a favorite author for me, Christopher Fowler, states Aumonier’s stories should be considered classics. Story first appeared in The Strand magazine in 1926.
The Room in the Tower by J. Jefferson Farjeon
The Ten-Franc Counter by H. de Vere Stacpoole – first appeared in a magazine in 1926
Have You Got Everything You Want? By Agatha Christie – main character is Parker Pyne with the initial appearance in 1933
The Long Dinner by H. C. Bailey – a Reggie Fortune story in a collection from 1935
The Packet-Boat Murder by Josephine Bell
Villa Almirante by Michael Gilbert
There is definitely something here for most readers who have a decided fondness for the Classic Age of mystery novels. Once again Martin Edwards has put together a themed collection, this time to delight lovers of both short stories and continental European locations as well.
April 30, 2022
Woofda! I've read several books in the British Library Crime Classics series, including two other collections of short stories, but this volume was something else. This volume includes 14 stories published between 1898 and 1953, spanning a wide range of genres, from a penny dreadful ( The New Catacomb), to a gothic horror (The Room in the Tower) to a psychological drama (The Perfect Murder), to a classic locked room mystery (The Secret Garden). The balance of the 300+ pages were enjoyable to read, but several stories "resolved' in ways that were incredibly unsatisfying to a modern reader (and usually really misogynist). Apparently, the authors didn't anticipate the following resolutions to be upsetting or baffling to their audiences:
1) A victim of attempted rape who pushes her assaulter off a cliff has "of course, behaved stupidly. But as well desire the world to stop in it's course, as desire girls of seventeen to behave sensibly. Umberto, as soon as he got her alone, would beat her for lying to him, and would then marry her. Many a successful marriage has been founded on a good beating." (This is from the most modern story in the collection, published 1953!)
2) A man who is being blackmailed on (false) suspicion of cheating on his wife is advised to tell his wife he actually did cheat on her. "It is a fundamental axiom of married life that you /must/ lie to a woman. She likes it!" (This one is written by a woman.)
3) A man who has cheated on his wife, and whose mistress collaborates with a doctor to try to kill the wife, is assisted by the detective to cover up the attempt. Both the mistress and the doctor are also helped to escape without consequences. (Also written by a woman.)
4) A woman who is murdered by a lover was "asking for it. The French often take love too seriously."
There are several other examples I could write up but that's enough to get the flavor. I'm just struck by how much further from modern perspectives this volume seems to be compared to the others in the series I've read. A weird and somewhat off-putting foray into the mindset of the era. Whew!
1) A victim of attempted rape who pushes her assaulter off a cliff has "of course, behaved stupidly. But as well desire the world to stop in it's course, as desire girls of seventeen to behave sensibly. Umberto, as soon as he got her alone, would beat her for lying to him, and would then marry her. Many a successful marriage has been founded on a good beating." (This is from the most modern story in the collection, published 1953!)
2) A man who is being blackmailed on (false) suspicion of cheating on his wife is advised to tell his wife he actually did cheat on her. "It is a fundamental axiom of married life that you /must/ lie to a woman. She likes it!" (This one is written by a woman.)
3) A man who has cheated on his wife, and whose mistress collaborates with a doctor to try to kill the wife, is assisted by the detective to cover up the attempt. Both the mistress and the doctor are also helped to escape without consequences. (Also written by a woman.)
4) A woman who is murdered by a lover was "asking for it. The French often take love too seriously."
There are several other examples I could write up but that's enough to get the flavor. I'm just struck by how much further from modern perspectives this volume seems to be compared to the others in the series I've read. A weird and somewhat off-putting foray into the mindset of the era. Whew!
May 30, 2017
This is another wonderful collection of short stories edited by Martin Edwards. It’s a well compiled and very broad variety of mysteries. Some rely on their setting for a solution, and others are just your ordinary mystery set in another country. It was very enjoyable.
On the stories themselves…
The New Catacomb, The Secret Garden, The Ten Frank Counter, Petit-Jean & The Long Dinner rely the most on their foreign setting. They just wouldn’t work anywhere else.
A Bracelet at Burges is a wonderfully light mystery by an author new to me.
The Room in the Tower , It’s the only one that didn’t fit with the rest of the collection.
Popeau Intervenes by Marie Belloc Lowndes and Have You Got Everything You Want? by Agatha Christie were my least favorite. I could actually say I didn’t like them. The first I disliked because it focused on the affair more than on the solution of the crime. For the second, I’ve never thought the Parker Pyne stories were very clever, and since the solution always includes lying to a spouse I dislike them even more.
I was a little apprehensive about this collection because some of them are more modern than what I usually read. I thought there might be more curse words than in the other collections, but I was pleasantly surprised at how clean it is.
I received this as a free ARC from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press. It was my pleasure to write a review.
On the stories themselves…
The New Catacomb, The Secret Garden, The Ten Frank Counter, Petit-Jean & The Long Dinner rely the most on their foreign setting. They just wouldn’t work anywhere else.
A Bracelet at Burges is a wonderfully light mystery by an author new to me.
The Room in the Tower , It’s the only one that didn’t fit with the rest of the collection.
Popeau Intervenes by Marie Belloc Lowndes and Have You Got Everything You Want? by Agatha Christie were my least favorite. I could actually say I didn’t like them. The first I disliked because it focused on the affair more than on the solution of the crime. For the second, I’ve never thought the Parker Pyne stories were very clever, and since the solution always includes lying to a spouse I dislike them even more.
I was a little apprehensive about this collection because some of them are more modern than what I usually read. I thought there might be more curse words than in the other collections, but I was pleasantly surprised at how clean it is.
I received this as a free ARC from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press. It was my pleasure to write a review.
January 28, 2018
Great little collection from some of the biggest names from the Golden Age of British Crime and Mystery writing. It is an amazing feat to be able to cram character, plot, location, atomsphere, clues, murder or mystery plus the solving all in such a few short pages without the reader feeling short changed. Superb writing. I take my hat off to them. Sheer genius.
Toast
Toast
July 28, 2017
There is a lot of really good material in this book, even though some of it appears rather dated.
January 25, 2024
Enjoyed reading the short stories, some more than others. Has given me some new authors from the past to try.
December 20, 2019
Obviously the quality of the stories is variable but there's only one that's outright *bad* or offensively break my suspension of disbelief. At the same time none are really "wow" either. The bad one is The Secret Garden by GK Chesterton, which I admit I didn't read this time because when I first read it years ago I thought it was the worst mystery story I'd ever read. Chesterton doesn't think atheists are human and can't imagine human motives for them so the denouement is purely ludicrous and to be honest I cannot understand why anyone would think this story was good.
Probably the best stories are The New Catacomb by Arthur Conan Doyle - which is highly predictable and yet the payoff is still satisfyingly macabre - and Have You Got Everything You Want? by Agatha Christie - which doesn't have the sparkle of her best writing yet the solution is the most clever *and* satisfying of the book. The other interesting one is The Perfect Murder by Stacy Aumonier, which like the Conan Doyle story is macabre and avoids issues of justice in favour of a grimly satisfying dramatic twist. Other stories are alright but just don't have that special something to elevate them. The Long Dinner by HC Bailey has a highly unusual murder method and crime but somehow doesn't really feel like a "wow" ending like it should. Petit-Jean by Ian Hay is on the poorer side in my opinion but it's at least interesting as an example of a war time story.
At the same time I do really love these compilations, even if individually the stories aren't brilliant, and I'll definitely keep reading them. I really appreciate the range of the stories chosen and how most of them are a bit unusual and admire the editing work. Also I'll admit reading this around the UK election kind of soured my mood
Probably the best stories are The New Catacomb by Arthur Conan Doyle - which is highly predictable and yet the payoff is still satisfyingly macabre - and Have You Got Everything You Want? by Agatha Christie - which doesn't have the sparkle of her best writing yet the solution is the most clever *and* satisfying of the book. The other interesting one is The Perfect Murder by Stacy Aumonier, which like the Conan Doyle story is macabre and avoids issues of justice in favour of a grimly satisfying dramatic twist. Other stories are alright but just don't have that special something to elevate them. The Long Dinner by HC Bailey has a highly unusual murder method and crime but somehow doesn't really feel like a "wow" ending like it should. Petit-Jean by Ian Hay is on the poorer side in my opinion but it's at least interesting as an example of a war time story.
At the same time I do really love these compilations, even if individually the stories aren't brilliant, and I'll definitely keep reading them. I really appreciate the range of the stories chosen and how most of them are a bit unusual and admire the editing work. Also I'll admit reading this around the UK election kind of soured my mood
January 7, 2019
This is a varied collection of crimes both committed and detected, not necessarily mysterious, but always nefarious. As is the case with all the British Library Crime Classics, the authors are a mix of Golden Age writers, with a few earlier and later. I was impressed by the quality of the writing of most of the stories, even when the plot wasn't stellar.
The stories are as follows:
"The New Catacomb" by Arthur Conan Doyle 4/5 stars
"A Bracelet at Bruges" by Arnold Bennett 4/5 stars
"The Secret Garden" by G.K. Chesterton 5/5 stars
"The Secret of the Magnifique" by E. Phillips Oppenheim 4/5 stars
"Petit-Jean" by Ian Hay 5/5 stars
"The Lover of St. Lys" by F. Tennyson Jesse 4/5 stars
"Popeau Intervenes" by Marie Belloc Lowndes 3/5 stars
"The Perfect Murder" by Stacy Aumonier 4/5 stars
"The Room in the Tower" by J. Jefferson Farjeon 4/5 stars
"The Ten-Franc Counter" by H. deVere Stacpoole 3/5 stars
"Have You Got Everything You Want?" by Agatha Christie 4/5 stars
"The Long Dinner" by H. C. Bailey 5/5 stars
"The Packet-Boat Murder" by Josephine Bell 4/5 stars
"Villa Almirante" by Michael Gilbert 3/5 stars
The book deserves five stars for the motley collection of authors and crimes. The stories themselves average to four, making the book four and one half stars, which I rounded up to five.
The stories are as follows:
"The New Catacomb" by Arthur Conan Doyle 4/5 stars
"A Bracelet at Bruges" by Arnold Bennett 4/5 stars
"The Secret Garden" by G.K. Chesterton 5/5 stars
"The Secret of the Magnifique" by E. Phillips Oppenheim 4/5 stars
"Petit-Jean" by Ian Hay 5/5 stars
"The Lover of St. Lys" by F. Tennyson Jesse 4/5 stars
"Popeau Intervenes" by Marie Belloc Lowndes 3/5 stars
"The Perfect Murder" by Stacy Aumonier 4/5 stars
"The Room in the Tower" by J. Jefferson Farjeon 4/5 stars
"The Ten-Franc Counter" by H. deVere Stacpoole 3/5 stars
"Have You Got Everything You Want?" by Agatha Christie 4/5 stars
"The Long Dinner" by H. C. Bailey 5/5 stars
"The Packet-Boat Murder" by Josephine Bell 4/5 stars
"Villa Almirante" by Michael Gilbert 3/5 stars
The book deserves five stars for the motley collection of authors and crimes. The stories themselves average to four, making the book four and one half stars, which I rounded up to five.
March 9, 2020
Always a favourite of mine the British Classic Crime series. I think it should be classified as a separate genre. Dignified even in murder, detectives slowly go about their daily work with precision and class.
Set in cities, idyllic countrysides and in the Riviera the stories change the tone with the change of scenery.
A lovely read for all seasons
Set in cities, idyllic countrysides and in the Riviera the stories change the tone with the change of scenery.
A lovely read for all seasons
September 24, 2023
Loved every single one of these short stories !
July 23, 2017
My sincere gratitude to Poisoned Pen Press via Netgallery for the advanced reading copy in exchange of my honest opinion. The British Library Crime Classics series never disappoints, and the new title, "Continental Crimes," has proven, once again, another awesome collection of classic crime stories that would keep their readers entertained for years to come.
Short stories are not easy to compose given writers need to equip with great skill to put together the concise facts, believable characters, and reasonable developments of plots in the absence of great length to build up their stories. The 14 stories included in this compilation, I'm glad to say, represent some of the finest classic crime stories from the golden age of crime fiction period. As the title indicates, the settings of the stories are all located in the romantic continent of Europe. Crime motives ranging from war, scientific experiment, vengeance, greed and passion at settings from the exotic archaeology dig site, remote European countries to the romantic cities across Europe make "Continental Crimes" such a delectable read. In short, readers might not enjoy all 14 stories in this collection, but the vast array of quality choices in this title would not disappoint any serious crime/mystery lovers.
I love the fact that there is a foreword about the theme of the book and as well short introductions about the authors of the chosen pieces. Editor Martin Edwards, given his profound knowledge on the British crime genre, provides great insights for readers to expand their choices of the authors they could choose from. Classic British crime novelists no longer just about Agatha Christie or Arthur Conan Doyle but others who were once popular in the good old times but have been long forgotten by the general public. Authors included in the collections are: Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle, Arnold Bennett, G.K. Chesterton, E. Phillips Oppenheim, Ian Hay, F. Tennyson Jesse, Marie Belloc Lowndes, Stacy Aumonier, J. Jefferson Farjeon, H. de Vere Stacpoole, H.C. Bailey, Josephine Bell and Michael Gilbert.
And as always, the beautiful cover arts of the British Library Crime Classics series are to-die-for in my opinion.
Thanks Poisoned Pen Press, once again, for your generous offer to such a great title. Release date, Aug 01, 2017.
Short stories are not easy to compose given writers need to equip with great skill to put together the concise facts, believable characters, and reasonable developments of plots in the absence of great length to build up their stories. The 14 stories included in this compilation, I'm glad to say, represent some of the finest classic crime stories from the golden age of crime fiction period. As the title indicates, the settings of the stories are all located in the romantic continent of Europe. Crime motives ranging from war, scientific experiment, vengeance, greed and passion at settings from the exotic archaeology dig site, remote European countries to the romantic cities across Europe make "Continental Crimes" such a delectable read. In short, readers might not enjoy all 14 stories in this collection, but the vast array of quality choices in this title would not disappoint any serious crime/mystery lovers.
I love the fact that there is a foreword about the theme of the book and as well short introductions about the authors of the chosen pieces. Editor Martin Edwards, given his profound knowledge on the British crime genre, provides great insights for readers to expand their choices of the authors they could choose from. Classic British crime novelists no longer just about Agatha Christie or Arthur Conan Doyle but others who were once popular in the good old times but have been long forgotten by the general public. Authors included in the collections are: Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle, Arnold Bennett, G.K. Chesterton, E. Phillips Oppenheim, Ian Hay, F. Tennyson Jesse, Marie Belloc Lowndes, Stacy Aumonier, J. Jefferson Farjeon, H. de Vere Stacpoole, H.C. Bailey, Josephine Bell and Michael Gilbert.
And as always, the beautiful cover arts of the British Library Crime Classics series are to-die-for in my opinion.
Thanks Poisoned Pen Press, once again, for your generous offer to such a great title. Release date, Aug 01, 2017.
June 5, 2017
Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for my advance copy.
The format for these anthologies is now well-established.There is an Introduction by Martin Edwards, in this instance giving a potted history of classic British crime writing set on the European continent from 1886 to 1970. The stories chosen are a mix of the readily-available and the obscure, by writers familiar and less-known, varied in length, style and quality.Each piece is prefaced by brief biographical and bibliographic information.
This volume contains 14 stories, the earliest from 1896, the most recent published in 1959.The crimes are mostly murder or theft. The majority take place in France.
I had previously read 5, those by Conan Doyle, Bennett, Chesterton, Ian Hay and Christie, all of which are good quality, although the Conan Doyle is very transparent.
Of the others, I thought the Oppenheim and H C Bailey were over-long, the Tennyson Jesse and Belloc Lowndes both interesting, but slight and dated.
Stacy Aumonier’s 1926 tale “The Perfect Murder” is a real gem. Aumonier is widely admired and it is easy to see why on the evidence of this well-crafted tale. I shall seek out more.
Farjeon’s contribution is not, I would suggest, principally a crime story and was a bit “theatrical”. H de Vere Stacpoole is not a writer I am familiar with and I was not too impressed with the story here which was a bit dull.New to me also was Josephine Bell represented here by a very short example of her writing .The story was not of the best. Finally, Michael Gilbert’s “The Villa Almirante” set in Italy and a good tale from a prolific writer
.
For me, the outstanding stories are Ian Hay’s “Petit Jean” and Stacy Aumonier’s “The Perfect Murder”.
Overall this is a reasonably good collection with sufficient “winners” to make it recommendable.
The format for these anthologies is now well-established.There is an Introduction by Martin Edwards, in this instance giving a potted history of classic British crime writing set on the European continent from 1886 to 1970. The stories chosen are a mix of the readily-available and the obscure, by writers familiar and less-known, varied in length, style and quality.Each piece is prefaced by brief biographical and bibliographic information.
This volume contains 14 stories, the earliest from 1896, the most recent published in 1959.The crimes are mostly murder or theft. The majority take place in France.
I had previously read 5, those by Conan Doyle, Bennett, Chesterton, Ian Hay and Christie, all of which are good quality, although the Conan Doyle is very transparent.
Of the others, I thought the Oppenheim and H C Bailey were over-long, the Tennyson Jesse and Belloc Lowndes both interesting, but slight and dated.
Stacy Aumonier’s 1926 tale “The Perfect Murder” is a real gem. Aumonier is widely admired and it is easy to see why on the evidence of this well-crafted tale. I shall seek out more.
Farjeon’s contribution is not, I would suggest, principally a crime story and was a bit “theatrical”. H de Vere Stacpoole is not a writer I am familiar with and I was not too impressed with the story here which was a bit dull.New to me also was Josephine Bell represented here by a very short example of her writing .The story was not of the best. Finally, Michael Gilbert’s “The Villa Almirante” set in Italy and a good tale from a prolific writer
.
For me, the outstanding stories are Ian Hay’s “Petit Jean” and Stacy Aumonier’s “The Perfect Murder”.
Overall this is a reasonably good collection with sufficient “winners” to make it recommendable.
December 31, 2017
There is such an other worldliness about placing your story in another country. You take your readers out of their comfort zones in the first break of the story. Without the creature comforts of their own lives, readers are automatically put on edge. Throw in a mystery and suddenly we are simultaneously wishing for our own beds and looking or shoulders for the next crime. Martin Edwards has put together a lovely collection of short crime stories. This anthology has all the best thrills a fan of Poirot and Marple could ask for. You have damsels, socialites, rogues, lovers and of course the police.
If you are tired of the same old villages or the noise of London is too much and leaves you longing for Golden Age mysteries that still have a bit of a surprise to them, then I highly recommend this collection. It gives you just what you need. Beautifully put together and spaced out so that you are not in France forever and then in Italy forever. You are bounced around the continent which I feel adds a whirlwind sense to match the characters. I don’t typically like antholigies as I have an unhealthy distrust of short stories. This one however has opened me back up to honoring the short and long stories. It introduces you to new author and new viewpoints. Even if you do not particuarly like one story there is bound to be a dozen more that you will enjoy.
*This eBook was provided by NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for honest feedback**
If you are tired of the same old villages or the noise of London is too much and leaves you longing for Golden Age mysteries that still have a bit of a surprise to them, then I highly recommend this collection. It gives you just what you need. Beautifully put together and spaced out so that you are not in France forever and then in Italy forever. You are bounced around the continent which I feel adds a whirlwind sense to match the characters. I don’t typically like antholigies as I have an unhealthy distrust of short stories. This one however has opened me back up to honoring the short and long stories. It introduces you to new author and new viewpoints. Even if you do not particuarly like one story there is bound to be a dozen more that you will enjoy.
*This eBook was provided by NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for honest feedback**
May 30, 2017
Yet again the British Library and Martin Edwards have produced another wonderful short story anthology – this time the theme is crime in Europe. And for the first time a forgotten Agatha Christie tale is included, so of course I had to read that little treat first! ‘Have You Got Everything You Want?’ features the lesser known Parker Pyne, he is more an emotional problem solver than a detective, but he always solves the case.
There are some real gems in this collection, we see the revenge of a jilted lover, a jewellery con, a particularly gruesome discovery in the garden of a French country house, a castle tower with a secret and a murder plot that back fires.
There is one particular tale that chilled me to the bone ‘The Long Dinner’ by H.C Bailey. But I won’t say any more about it for fear of spoiling the story for other readers. I also thoroughly enjoyed ‘Popeau Intervenes’ by Marie Belloc Lowndes. Could Hercules Popeau be the inspiration behind Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot?? We will never know but it’s certainly fun to spot the similarities in Lowndes story!
A great collection of stories that is a celebration of crime in foreign climes. A selection of perfectly sized mystery treats that will provide an antidote to our British summer. Enjoyable, readable and delightful.
There are some real gems in this collection, we see the revenge of a jilted lover, a jewellery con, a particularly gruesome discovery in the garden of a French country house, a castle tower with a secret and a murder plot that back fires.
There is one particular tale that chilled me to the bone ‘The Long Dinner’ by H.C Bailey. But I won’t say any more about it for fear of spoiling the story for other readers. I also thoroughly enjoyed ‘Popeau Intervenes’ by Marie Belloc Lowndes. Could Hercules Popeau be the inspiration behind Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot?? We will never know but it’s certainly fun to spot the similarities in Lowndes story!
A great collection of stories that is a celebration of crime in foreign climes. A selection of perfectly sized mystery treats that will provide an antidote to our British summer. Enjoyable, readable and delightful.
July 5, 2017
This is a collection of short stories written near the beginning of the twentieth century. Many of the authors were new to me and it was exciting to find them. The stories are written in styles which are precise and detailed.
One of the things which became evident to me, human nature has not changed in the last 100 years. There were villains, there were people who are talented puzzle solvers and there were victims. The authors have created characters who were generally well developed and people who may not always be nice but they were always interesting.
It is evident that Martin Edwards lovingly presented each of these stories for the reader's enjoyment. He has done an excellent job of introducing authors from another era.
I am a fan of Chesterton's Father Brown, and for me that was the one I enjoyed the most. But nearly every story was interesting and entertaining. If you are a fan of classic mysteries, this is a book you will enjoy.
I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are my own.
One of the things which became evident to me, human nature has not changed in the last 100 years. There were villains, there were people who are talented puzzle solvers and there were victims. The authors have created characters who were generally well developed and people who may not always be nice but they were always interesting.
It is evident that Martin Edwards lovingly presented each of these stories for the reader's enjoyment. He has done an excellent job of introducing authors from another era.
I am a fan of Chesterton's Father Brown, and for me that was the one I enjoyed the most. But nearly every story was interesting and entertaining. If you are a fan of classic mysteries, this is a book you will enjoy.
I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are my own.
August 25, 2017
Each one a little gem
I must admit to not really liking short stories; no sooner have you begun than you have reached the end, but these I did rather enjoy. For the time written, they would have seemed quite exotic as few people travelled beyond our shores in the early part of the twentieth century.
Offerings are included from Agatha Christie, Conan Doyle, G K Chesterton and Arnold Bennett, as well as lesser-known authors. Most are quite short at around 30 minutes reading time and so each fits excellently into a coffee break.
All are set on the Continent, mostly in France, Belgium and Italy and each takes the reader back to more simple times when the crime genre confined itself to fairly unpretentious plotlines and detectives were restricted to the upper classes. As such they are quite comforting and easy to read as you know you are not going to be faced with blood and gore, bad language or complicated IT crime with which we are more familiar.
In all these are charming and an antidote to the horrors of today's crime fiction. Yes, they are dated, but that is part of their appeal.
Pashtpaws
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
I must admit to not really liking short stories; no sooner have you begun than you have reached the end, but these I did rather enjoy. For the time written, they would have seemed quite exotic as few people travelled beyond our shores in the early part of the twentieth century.
Offerings are included from Agatha Christie, Conan Doyle, G K Chesterton and Arnold Bennett, as well as lesser-known authors. Most are quite short at around 30 minutes reading time and so each fits excellently into a coffee break.
All are set on the Continent, mostly in France, Belgium and Italy and each takes the reader back to more simple times when the crime genre confined itself to fairly unpretentious plotlines and detectives were restricted to the upper classes. As such they are quite comforting and easy to read as you know you are not going to be faced with blood and gore, bad language or complicated IT crime with which we are more familiar.
In all these are charming and an antidote to the horrors of today's crime fiction. Yes, they are dated, but that is part of their appeal.
Pashtpaws
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
July 28, 2017
Continental Crimes is a panacea of intrigue, offering readers a variety of lesser known stories from mystery greats both famous and forgotten. The machinations of thieves, con artists and murderers are pitted against detectives both professional and amateur. What all have in common is their European setting - not a single cozy English village to be found. Like all of Poisoned Press’s anthologies, Continental Crimes prefaces each story with a short biography of the author and an explanation of their place in mystery history. I enjoyed the variety of puzzles, as as always liked learning about lesser known authors and their works. It is a bit like finding hidden treasure. These anthologies make for the perfect 10 minute escape - a story in the time it takes to relax with a cup of coffee or tea. Of course you can binge read them which is almost as fun.
5 / 5
I received a copy of Continental Crimes from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
--Crittermom
5 / 5
I received a copy of Continental Crimes from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
--Crittermom
November 3, 2017
One of the many nice and pleasant collections of short stories edited by Martin Edwards and written by both famous and less famous authors.
In this case, one of the surprises was to learn of Hercules Popeau, created by Marie Belloc Lowndes before Agatha Christie had the chance of creating Hercule Poirot. There are differences though, as Popeau is French, not Belgian, and he doesn't seem to have all those idiosyncrasies that make Poirot's charm.
As usual, Martin Edwards' introductions are sometimes surprisingly informative. Here we learn that Doris Bell Collier had to write under a pseudonym simply because she was a doctor and the laws were that stupid: "Hiding her identity behind a pen-name ... was unavoidable, because the rules governing medical practitioners forbade any form of advertising."
Well, this "British Library Crime Classics" series includes 46 books, and I've only read two of them so far...
In this case, one of the surprises was to learn of Hercules Popeau, created by Marie Belloc Lowndes before Agatha Christie had the chance of creating Hercule Poirot. There are differences though, as Popeau is French, not Belgian, and he doesn't seem to have all those idiosyncrasies that make Poirot's charm.
As usual, Martin Edwards' introductions are sometimes surprisingly informative. Here we learn that Doris Bell Collier had to write under a pseudonym simply because she was a doctor and the laws were that stupid: "Hiding her identity behind a pen-name ... was unavoidable, because the rules governing medical practitioners forbade any form of advertising."
Well, this "British Library Crime Classics" series includes 46 books, and I've only read two of them so far...
February 1, 2021
Today I have another try with a Martin Edwards compilation. The theme of the day is that all the mysteries are set outside England.
As is usual for the series, the collection begins with a story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but this time it's one published in 1898. That puts it neatly between Reichenbach and Baskerville, in the period where reader outcry hadn't yet brought Sherlock Holmes back to life. The New Catacomb is a delightful tale of a pair of student archeologists investigating a freshly discovered but unpublished Christian catacomb. Less of a mystery and more of a Poe-style revenge plot, it's made me interested in finding more Holmes-free works from the author.
A Bracelet at Bruges by Arnold Bennett is one I've read before, and one I'm still not terribly impressed with. A lady loses an expensive bracelet and its return is miraculous. There are a great number of characters in and out of the story considering its length, and I didn't care for any of them nor did I care for the mystery. It was fairly obvious what had happened, simply because the situation at the starting gate was so ridiculous that it could only have one solution. No woman in their right mind would examine a priceless piece of jewellery over a large body of water without a reason to do so. Hell, I won't even go on a dock without making sure my valuables are secure and my glasses aren't slipping. Of course, my little sister lost a very expensive pair of sunglasses this way, so maybe this common sense isn't so common.
In The Secret Garden there is a corpse, but how did he get in when the only route to the walled yard is through a busy dinner party? G.K. Chesterson’s Father Brown short story is a decent introduction to a serial character I’ve never actually read before (but am frequently hearing about). The characters are lively, the murder is a good puzzle, and the solution was a solid one.
The Secret of Magnifique (by E. Phillips Oppenheim) is one of national importance, and thus coveted by all the wrong sorts. A trio of ne'er-do-wells decide to take their games to a higher level. We never actually find out what they did before, but it’s a fair guess that they’re involved in some sort of criminal mischief. They make out well in this story, though one of the characters is missing for the entire Magnifique plot and I can’t figure out what part he played in obtaining ‘the secret’. The story started slow and it took some time before things started coming together, but the slow part spends it's time in establishing the three characters' personalities and roles in their little enterprise, and it did a very impressionable job of it.
Petit-Jean is caught and tried for the theft of care packages from soldiers' families, but the story quickly takes a left turn and becomes about German spies. Ian Hay's story was perfectly fine, there was just a lot of characters named (the officers) who maybe could have been cut down a bit. It got confusing and I quickly stopped bothering to keep them straight.
The Lover of St Lys was the closest I've seen so far to an enjoyable read, and the only one I've found myself interested in maybe seeing more of with the same detective. In F. Tennyson Jesse's story, a young woman pays a visit to a family with an unsettling dynamic that only becomes more disturbing months later when one of the members dies unobserved. It seems to be a clichéd case, but the twist is quite good and the detective of the story has all of Sherlock Holmes's powers of observation and none of his impulse to rub it in other people's faces. Instead she stands by quietly and intervenes only when someone is about to be hurt. This mystery was harmless if underhanded, so she minded her own business for most of it. It was a refreshing change of pace. Plus, the blurb at the beginning highlighted an impressive list of accomplishments for Tennyson Jesse.
Speaking of the starting blurbs, this one for Marie Belloc Lowndes was amusing. Her French character, Hercules Popeau, appeared in her work before Agatha Christie created the Belgian Hercule Poirot. I can't help but wonder what the copyright laws of the era were like. Popeau Intervenes in a doomed love triangle and saves one life and two victims. Popeau may have served as inspiration in more than name, for his cleverness and desire for criminals to correct their own wrongs are recognizable traits of Poirot's, but so are Hercule's laziness and pompousness and these are unshared inventions of Christie. I’d be delighted to dig up more Popeau stories to read.
Stacy Aumonier’s blurb had me suspicious – it was all accolades and name dropping. Luckily it was all well-deserved. The Perfect Murder is in the running for the best of the book. More a crime story than a detective story, two brothers find themselves down on their luck and their fates in the hands of an appealing victim. The story caught my attention from the start, and the POV lingers around the brothers in a way that made me forget it was told in third person. You feel as though you're sitting around the table with them, conspiring against their eccentric old aunt. This sensation is amplified at the climax where events swirl through a haze at rapid speed. Plus, I’m a fan of crime stories told via the failed/successful criminal. Detectives, after a while of reading cozies, start to either sound full of themselves or rich with dumb luck.
A writer takes rooms in a crumbling castle for a lark, and finds himself secluded but enchanted. But despite his host’s warnings, The Room in the Tower proves too tempting to avoid. Not quite a mystery, J. Jefferson Farjeon’s story is about a haunted castle and the fates of the formerly living residents. I liked the author’s moments of trying to write (his excuses were very familiar: the room is too big, there is too much atmosphere, etc.), and the story of the ghosts was simple and tragic, but the plot wasn’t very interesting. It’s like the old classics: the plot is meandering or non-existent, but the prose is velvety and lush enough to nest in.
The Ten-Franc Counter catches the attention of H. de Vere Stacpoole's detective and goes a long way to solving a case of murder. While the story was good, I felt for the poor police chief as the detective kept dragging him back to that casino chip. It did break the case and he had a clear reason to be suspicious of its presence, but for every fact the police chief brought up the detective just went, "True... but then there's the ten-franc counter." Like, either tell the poor man what your theory is or let him finish his run trough. It wasn't annoying, just funny when I don't feel it was intending to be. The Long Dinner, below, does something similar, though it's debatable if it was done better or worse.
Despite not owning any Parker Pyne books, the Agatha Christie character is one of my favorite indulgences. He trades in happiness, and at the end of his stories no one is dead and everyone is comfortable and pleased. Here, he finds himself wondering after a young bride who’s intercepted a strange message of her husband’s. Have You Got Everything You Want? ends as all Parker Pyne stories do – happily.
The Long Dinner turned out to take a few days, during which Mr. Fortune keeps finding himself dragged away by his frustration with his associates' inability to locate a missing man. H.C. Bailey's story, despite the issue I'll be mentioning in a moment, is one of the better ones of the book. I loved it as a short story, and I would have thoroughly enjoyed it as a novel. The crime was far-reaching, and the criminal gloriously unrepentant. I only mention that H.C. Bailey does something similar to The Ten-Franc Counter with his detective character repeatedly bringing up a minor clue. While this story uses the repetition to greater effect, having the character trying to figure out what the missing man's connection was to the town of Brittany and having the other characters poke fun at him for it since none of the clues turning up were taking them there, making the repetition feel more natural and less naggy, it also failed in giving any importance to the clue. The Brittany connection was discovered through a menu found with the missing man's belongings, where the dishes are identified as being fare typical to the area. But other than the fact that he ate there once there's no reason to connect any sort of importance with the town and no other clue comes back to it. Yet the detective won't drop it.
Maybe it was the simplicity of it, but The Packet-Boat Murder by Josephine Bell is one of my favorites of the collection. There's no great mystery to solve; the villain has already paid the price and the conclusion and its regrets are all told over a meal with friends. A young woman was found dead from a broken neck and her English lover was rounded up and executed, but there is one minor detail that points to a story that didn't quite conclude where the court had been told it had.
A man is missing from the Villa Almirant and his friends don’t seem terribly surprised when his corpse is fished out of the sea. Michael Gilbert has created an open and shut case with a different, though equally simple explanation. It also demonstrated the curious effect of how your impression of a character can be formed by the language the author uses:
Curious how much a single word could imply. To walk was one thing. To walk out was another.
(p.298)
-says that the detective understands and shares my admiration of the nuances of language. He’s observant. I love that line.
Many a successful marriage has been founded on a good beating.
(p.313)
This one considerably less so. Christie. I get that it can be argued that it’s a ‘passionate culture’ or a ‘different time’ or the obvious ‘not the author’s opinion, but the character’s’, but it still cooled me on this detective fast no matter how good the story was.
EDITING:
No problems as far as I could see.
ENJOYABILITY:
I wasn’t impressed with the first half but enjoyed the last few.
THEME:
Yeah, I guess. It's so broad that it's not really a hard one to pull off. Just set a story outside England and BAM, you've got this section covered.
THE VERDICT?
I may need to rethink the categories. Despite the high score, I’m sad to say that I’m losing my favorable impression of Edwards and his anthologies. I’d at least hoped that Continental Crimes managed to capture some of the holiday charm that Resorting to Murder has in spades, but alas. At least the last few stories were enjoyable.
As is usual for the series, the collection begins with a story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but this time it's one published in 1898. That puts it neatly between Reichenbach and Baskerville, in the period where reader outcry hadn't yet brought Sherlock Holmes back to life. The New Catacomb is a delightful tale of a pair of student archeologists investigating a freshly discovered but unpublished Christian catacomb. Less of a mystery and more of a Poe-style revenge plot, it's made me interested in finding more Holmes-free works from the author.
A Bracelet at Bruges by Arnold Bennett is one I've read before, and one I'm still not terribly impressed with. A lady loses an expensive bracelet and its return is miraculous. There are a great number of characters in and out of the story considering its length, and I didn't care for any of them nor did I care for the mystery. It was fairly obvious what had happened, simply because the situation at the starting gate was so ridiculous that it could only have one solution. No woman in their right mind would examine a priceless piece of jewellery over a large body of water without a reason to do so. Hell, I won't even go on a dock without making sure my valuables are secure and my glasses aren't slipping. Of course, my little sister lost a very expensive pair of sunglasses this way, so maybe this common sense isn't so common.
In The Secret Garden there is a corpse, but how did he get in when the only route to the walled yard is through a busy dinner party? G.K. Chesterson’s Father Brown short story is a decent introduction to a serial character I’ve never actually read before (but am frequently hearing about). The characters are lively, the murder is a good puzzle, and the solution was a solid one.
The Secret of Magnifique (by E. Phillips Oppenheim) is one of national importance, and thus coveted by all the wrong sorts. A trio of ne'er-do-wells decide to take their games to a higher level. We never actually find out what they did before, but it’s a fair guess that they’re involved in some sort of criminal mischief. They make out well in this story, though one of the characters is missing for the entire Magnifique plot and I can’t figure out what part he played in obtaining ‘the secret’. The story started slow and it took some time before things started coming together, but the slow part spends it's time in establishing the three characters' personalities and roles in their little enterprise, and it did a very impressionable job of it.
Petit-Jean is caught and tried for the theft of care packages from soldiers' families, but the story quickly takes a left turn and becomes about German spies. Ian Hay's story was perfectly fine, there was just a lot of characters named (the officers) who maybe could have been cut down a bit. It got confusing and I quickly stopped bothering to keep them straight.
The Lover of St Lys was the closest I've seen so far to an enjoyable read, and the only one I've found myself interested in maybe seeing more of with the same detective. In F. Tennyson Jesse's story, a young woman pays a visit to a family with an unsettling dynamic that only becomes more disturbing months later when one of the members dies unobserved. It seems to be a clichéd case, but the twist is quite good and the detective of the story has all of Sherlock Holmes's powers of observation and none of his impulse to rub it in other people's faces. Instead she stands by quietly and intervenes only when someone is about to be hurt. This mystery was harmless if underhanded, so she minded her own business for most of it. It was a refreshing change of pace. Plus, the blurb at the beginning highlighted an impressive list of accomplishments for Tennyson Jesse.
Speaking of the starting blurbs, this one for Marie Belloc Lowndes was amusing. Her French character, Hercules Popeau, appeared in her work before Agatha Christie created the Belgian Hercule Poirot. I can't help but wonder what the copyright laws of the era were like. Popeau Intervenes in a doomed love triangle and saves one life and two victims. Popeau may have served as inspiration in more than name, for his cleverness and desire for criminals to correct their own wrongs are recognizable traits of Poirot's, but so are Hercule's laziness and pompousness and these are unshared inventions of Christie. I’d be delighted to dig up more Popeau stories to read.
Stacy Aumonier’s blurb had me suspicious – it was all accolades and name dropping. Luckily it was all well-deserved. The Perfect Murder is in the running for the best of the book. More a crime story than a detective story, two brothers find themselves down on their luck and their fates in the hands of an appealing victim. The story caught my attention from the start, and the POV lingers around the brothers in a way that made me forget it was told in third person. You feel as though you're sitting around the table with them, conspiring against their eccentric old aunt. This sensation is amplified at the climax where events swirl through a haze at rapid speed. Plus, I’m a fan of crime stories told via the failed/successful criminal. Detectives, after a while of reading cozies, start to either sound full of themselves or rich with dumb luck.
A writer takes rooms in a crumbling castle for a lark, and finds himself secluded but enchanted. But despite his host’s warnings, The Room in the Tower proves too tempting to avoid. Not quite a mystery, J. Jefferson Farjeon’s story is about a haunted castle and the fates of the formerly living residents. I liked the author’s moments of trying to write (his excuses were very familiar: the room is too big, there is too much atmosphere, etc.), and the story of the ghosts was simple and tragic, but the plot wasn’t very interesting. It’s like the old classics: the plot is meandering or non-existent, but the prose is velvety and lush enough to nest in.
The Ten-Franc Counter catches the attention of H. de Vere Stacpoole's detective and goes a long way to solving a case of murder. While the story was good, I felt for the poor police chief as the detective kept dragging him back to that casino chip. It did break the case and he had a clear reason to be suspicious of its presence, but for every fact the police chief brought up the detective just went, "True... but then there's the ten-franc counter." Like, either tell the poor man what your theory is or let him finish his run trough. It wasn't annoying, just funny when I don't feel it was intending to be. The Long Dinner, below, does something similar, though it's debatable if it was done better or worse.
Despite not owning any Parker Pyne books, the Agatha Christie character is one of my favorite indulgences. He trades in happiness, and at the end of his stories no one is dead and everyone is comfortable and pleased. Here, he finds himself wondering after a young bride who’s intercepted a strange message of her husband’s. Have You Got Everything You Want? ends as all Parker Pyne stories do – happily.
The Long Dinner turned out to take a few days, during which Mr. Fortune keeps finding himself dragged away by his frustration with his associates' inability to locate a missing man. H.C. Bailey's story, despite the issue I'll be mentioning in a moment, is one of the better ones of the book. I loved it as a short story, and I would have thoroughly enjoyed it as a novel. The crime was far-reaching, and the criminal gloriously unrepentant. I only mention that H.C. Bailey does something similar to The Ten-Franc Counter with his detective character repeatedly bringing up a minor clue. While this story uses the repetition to greater effect, having the character trying to figure out what the missing man's connection was to the town of Brittany and having the other characters poke fun at him for it since none of the clues turning up were taking them there, making the repetition feel more natural and less naggy, it also failed in giving any importance to the clue. The Brittany connection was discovered through a menu found with the missing man's belongings, where the dishes are identified as being fare typical to the area. But other than the fact that he ate there once there's no reason to connect any sort of importance with the town and no other clue comes back to it. Yet the detective won't drop it.
Maybe it was the simplicity of it, but The Packet-Boat Murder by Josephine Bell is one of my favorites of the collection. There's no great mystery to solve; the villain has already paid the price and the conclusion and its regrets are all told over a meal with friends. A young woman was found dead from a broken neck and her English lover was rounded up and executed, but there is one minor detail that points to a story that didn't quite conclude where the court had been told it had.
A man is missing from the Villa Almirant and his friends don’t seem terribly surprised when his corpse is fished out of the sea. Michael Gilbert has created an open and shut case with a different, though equally simple explanation. It also demonstrated the curious effect of how your impression of a character can be formed by the language the author uses:
Curious how much a single word could imply. To walk was one thing. To walk out was another.
(p.298)
-says that the detective understands and shares my admiration of the nuances of language. He’s observant. I love that line.
Many a successful marriage has been founded on a good beating.
(p.313)
This one considerably less so. Christie. I get that it can be argued that it’s a ‘passionate culture’ or a ‘different time’ or the obvious ‘not the author’s opinion, but the character’s’, but it still cooled me on this detective fast no matter how good the story was.
EDITING:
No problems as far as I could see.
ENJOYABILITY:
I wasn’t impressed with the first half but enjoyed the last few.
THEME:
Yeah, I guess. It's so broad that it's not really a hard one to pull off. Just set a story outside England and BAM, you've got this section covered.
THE VERDICT?
I may need to rethink the categories. Despite the high score, I’m sad to say that I’m losing my favorable impression of Edwards and his anthologies. I’d at least hoped that Continental Crimes managed to capture some of the holiday charm that Resorting to Murder has in spades, but alas. At least the last few stories were enjoyable.
March 25, 2018
From the British Library Crime Classics series of book edited by Martin Edwards. These stories written by British authors are set in places on the Continent, rather than in British home territory. The intent of this volume is to demonstrate that Golden Age/Classic crime novels by British authors were not always set at home. A wide range of authors, many of whom are less well known in the US, but others who are extremely well known. I enjoy having these short stories to dip into when I have only a bit of reading time.
Martin Edwards introduces each story with information about these authors, and the types of writing each did. Fascinating material and I've included some of the, to me, important bits in some cases.
First up Arthur Conan Doyle, with a story set in Rome, involving two archaeologists, one English and one German, both working in the Catacombs throughout that city. "A New Catacomb" was first published in 1898 and is a 'dark little story' as Edwards describes it in his introduction. A fun non-Sherlock tale, but I saw the outcome early. : {
2. A Bracelet at Bruges by Enoch Arnold Bennett. An author I was not familiar with. Active in the late 19th-early 20th century with stories set in his native Staffordshire and also in London, and Paris where he moved in 1903. This is a puzzler and quite clever.
3. G. K. Chesterson, The Secret Garden. Well familiar with Chesterson's Father Brown stories from many years back, and enjoyed the more recent tv series based on his character too. This is one of the 'impossible crimes' beloved of crime puzzlers which was originally published in 1910. The story is set in Paris. Unfortunately, I found this dated, both in language and in the facts guiding the plot. Confusing and thus not a favorite.
4. E. Phillips Oppenheim, The Secret of the Magnifique. A story of espionage, set within the luxury of 1912 Cote d'Azure. Multiple countries and causes create an intriguing game of cat and mouse.
5. Ian Hay, Petit-Jean. 1931 saw publication of a story written during WWI. I really enjoyed this story. Well developed, clever, and humorous as well.
6. Fryniwyd Tennyson Jesse, The Lover of St Lys. Jesse was a writer but also a criminologist, publishing books on trials and also a study of homicidal motivation. This story was first in print in 1919. Set in the mountain area near the Riviera, the story examines more the impulses for crime and the limits within individuals toward crime. Interesting examination of early 20th century attitudes. I found it intriguing.
7. Marie Belloc Lowndes, Popeau Intervenes. Author of 'The Lodger', a 1913 crime novel (which the historical mystery book group read), and other fiction . Born in London, raised in France, she was as interested in the different thinking of the people of each country. Hercules Popeau, her main character in this story, was created before Agatha Christie made Hercule Poirot a household name.
8. Stacy Aumonier, The Perfect Murder, published in The Strand magazine in 1926. I really enjoyed this story very much. The perfect murder indeed!
9. J. Jefferson Farjeon, The Room in the Tower. This is almost more a ghost story as it may be a murder mystery. I really really liked it. The hairs on the back of my neck were standing on end! Yikes!
10. H. de Vere Stacpoole, The Ten-Franc Counter, published in Munsey's Magazine in 1926. Monte Carlo, a murder, and the question of a casino's ten-franc counter.
11. Agatha Christie, Have You Got Everything You Want? This story was first published in a magazine in 1933, but was later part of a book of short stories featuring one of her less well known characters, Parker Pyne. I remember reading that collection probably in the 1960s. Pyne is very clever but his advice at the end will strike almost anyone today as over the top sexist, even laughable! When I read the stories so many years ago I don't recall having that reaction then. Things change.....
12. H. C. Bailey, The Long Dinner, published in 1935 in one of the collections, Mr. Fortune Objects. His main character, Reggie Fortune, was in short story collections and novels as well. Have to say that this was probably my least favorite story in the collection. The author's writing is referred to as 'mannered' but I found the style far more 'dated' than most of the stories.
13. Josephine Bell, The Packet-Boat Murder. Bell was the pseudonym of a medical doctor, elected to the Detection Club and joined the Crime Writers' Association in the latter 1940s and early 1950s. This story was first in the Evening Standard and then in 1951 in the second series of detective stories published by the newspaper. Well crafted short story with a twisty ending... Nice...
14. Michael Gilbert, Villa Almirante. Gilbert, a well regarded solicitor, was also one of the 'finest British crime writers of his generation.' This 1959 short story published in Argosy, is set in Italy where Gilbert was himself a prisoner of war during WW II. Liked this story but was struck by the attitude expressed by a character about women. What was normal (?) in the 50s, would definitely not play well today!
Martin Edwards introduces each story with information about these authors, and the types of writing each did. Fascinating material and I've included some of the, to me, important bits in some cases.
First up Arthur Conan Doyle, with a story set in Rome, involving two archaeologists, one English and one German, both working in the Catacombs throughout that city. "A New Catacomb" was first published in 1898 and is a 'dark little story' as Edwards describes it in his introduction. A fun non-Sherlock tale, but I saw the outcome early. : {
2. A Bracelet at Bruges by Enoch Arnold Bennett. An author I was not familiar with. Active in the late 19th-early 20th century with stories set in his native Staffordshire and also in London, and Paris where he moved in 1903. This is a puzzler and quite clever.
3. G. K. Chesterson, The Secret Garden. Well familiar with Chesterson's Father Brown stories from many years back, and enjoyed the more recent tv series based on his character too. This is one of the 'impossible crimes' beloved of crime puzzlers which was originally published in 1910. The story is set in Paris. Unfortunately, I found this dated, both in language and in the facts guiding the plot. Confusing and thus not a favorite.
4. E. Phillips Oppenheim, The Secret of the Magnifique. A story of espionage, set within the luxury of 1912 Cote d'Azure. Multiple countries and causes create an intriguing game of cat and mouse.
5. Ian Hay, Petit-Jean. 1931 saw publication of a story written during WWI. I really enjoyed this story. Well developed, clever, and humorous as well.
6. Fryniwyd Tennyson Jesse, The Lover of St Lys. Jesse was a writer but also a criminologist, publishing books on trials and also a study of homicidal motivation. This story was first in print in 1919. Set in the mountain area near the Riviera, the story examines more the impulses for crime and the limits within individuals toward crime. Interesting examination of early 20th century attitudes. I found it intriguing.
7. Marie Belloc Lowndes, Popeau Intervenes. Author of 'The Lodger', a 1913 crime novel (which the historical mystery book group read), and other fiction . Born in London, raised in France, she was as interested in the different thinking of the people of each country. Hercules Popeau, her main character in this story, was created before Agatha Christie made Hercule Poirot a household name.
8. Stacy Aumonier, The Perfect Murder, published in The Strand magazine in 1926. I really enjoyed this story very much. The perfect murder indeed!
9. J. Jefferson Farjeon, The Room in the Tower. This is almost more a ghost story as it may be a murder mystery. I really really liked it. The hairs on the back of my neck were standing on end! Yikes!
10. H. de Vere Stacpoole, The Ten-Franc Counter, published in Munsey's Magazine in 1926. Monte Carlo, a murder, and the question of a casino's ten-franc counter.
11. Agatha Christie, Have You Got Everything You Want? This story was first published in a magazine in 1933, but was later part of a book of short stories featuring one of her less well known characters, Parker Pyne. I remember reading that collection probably in the 1960s. Pyne is very clever but his advice at the end will strike almost anyone today as over the top sexist, even laughable! When I read the stories so many years ago I don't recall having that reaction then. Things change.....
12. H. C. Bailey, The Long Dinner, published in 1935 in one of the collections, Mr. Fortune Objects. His main character, Reggie Fortune, was in short story collections and novels as well. Have to say that this was probably my least favorite story in the collection. The author's writing is referred to as 'mannered' but I found the style far more 'dated' than most of the stories.
13. Josephine Bell, The Packet-Boat Murder. Bell was the pseudonym of a medical doctor, elected to the Detection Club and joined the Crime Writers' Association in the latter 1940s and early 1950s. This story was first in the Evening Standard and then in 1951 in the second series of detective stories published by the newspaper. Well crafted short story with a twisty ending... Nice...
14. Michael Gilbert, Villa Almirante. Gilbert, a well regarded solicitor, was also one of the 'finest British crime writers of his generation.' This 1959 short story published in Argosy, is set in Italy where Gilbert was himself a prisoner of war during WW II. Liked this story but was struck by the attitude expressed by a character about women. What was normal (?) in the 50s, would definitely not play well today!
June 4, 2025
Гарна збірка детективних історій кінця дев'ятнадцятого століття і першої половини двадцятого, такий зріз тогочасних трендів.
The New Catacomb: майже жахливчик від Конан Дойля. Бо якщо двоє мужиків заходять вночі в катакомби, то хтозна що там може трапитися.
A Bracelet At Bruges: вже читала, але воно прекрасне. Красуня-актриса губить браслет у каналі, але не все так просто.
His bow was a vertebrate poem, his smile a consolation for all misfortunes (c)
The Secret of the Magnifique: і тут в нас торпеда, which will be the end of all naval warfare. Гм, гм! Трохи дивний мільярдер, проноза-дипломат і трійця авантюристів приперлися відпочити в готелі коло морської бази, тому бал буде з додатковими активностями.
Petit-Jean: чарівна історія про те, як віднайти шпигуна у першій світовій. Ну й хлопець на фермі такий засинає під бабахи трохи віддаленішої артилерії, як наче нічого не сталося. Сама вчора така була, тільки дрони поближче літають.
The Lover of St. Lys: академічна дослідниця злочинності спостерігає за збіднілою аристократичною парою, а там і юна підопічна приїхала. Наче й непогано, але важкий стиль, і текст виходить заболоченим.
Popeau Intervenes: попередник Пуаро в Парижі запобігає вбивству англійської леді, а фатальна жінка в нас російсько-грузинська княгиня. Непогано, хоча схематично, якщо порівнювати з Пуаро.
The Perfect Murder: моторошненька історія про братів, які хочуть вбити тітку, а зрештою та всіх переживе. І папуга теж. В цілому видно, звідки йде купа подальших сюжетних прийомів у детективах.
The Room in the Tower: приїжджає письменник до німецького замку, а там привиди. Або ні, але нормальна ванна є, і на тому спасибі. Таке щось, якщо чесно, недокрутив.
The Ten Frank Counter: про те, що казіно - зло, і в Монте-Карло теж вбивають багатих дам через коштовності. Ну в цілому не заперечиш, але досить стандартна історія.
Have You Got Everything You Want?: про подружню пару і брильянти. Оскільки тут Крісті і її менш знаний герой, то сюжет гарний, а от моральні висновки, еее... переважно застаріли.
The Long Dinner: трохи розхристане про такого собі найманого вбивцю. Герої біга��ть між Британією і Францією, цікаво вплели місцеву бретонську легенду.
Packet-Boat Murder: трохи невиразна історія про вбиту на поромі дівчину і колишнього командо, який вигулькує взагалі з глибин. Гм, коротше.
Villa Amirante: італійський поліцейський розслідує смерть англійського туриста, не забуваючи похизуватися знанням жіночої психології. Якби просто розслідував, то ціни б йому не було ще більше.
The New Catacomb: майже жахливчик від Конан Дойля. Бо якщо двоє мужиків заходять вночі в катакомби, то хтозна що там може трапитися.
A Bracelet At Bruges: вже читала, але воно прекрасне. Красуня-актриса губить браслет у каналі, але не все так просто.
His bow was a vertebrate poem, his smile a consolation for all misfortunes (c)
The Secret of the Magnifique: і тут в нас торпеда, which will be the end of all naval warfare. Гм, гм! Трохи дивний мільярдер, проноза-дипломат і трійця авантюристів приперлися відпочити в готелі коло морської бази, тому бал буде з додатковими активностями.
Petit-Jean: чарівна історія про те, як віднайти шпигуна у першій світовій. Ну й хлопець на фермі такий засинає під бабахи трохи віддаленішої артилерії, як наче нічого не сталося. Сама вчора така була, тільки дрони поближче літають.
The Lover of St. Lys: академічна дослідниця злочинності спостерігає за збіднілою аристократичною парою, а там і юна підопічна приїхала. Наче й непогано, але важкий стиль, і текст виходить заболоченим.
Popeau Intervenes: попередник Пуаро в Парижі запобігає вбивству англійської леді, а фатальна жінка в нас російсько-грузинська княгиня. Непогано, хоча схематично, якщо порівнювати з Пуаро.
The Perfect Murder: моторошненька історія про братів, які хочуть вбити тітку, а зрештою та всіх переживе. І папуга теж. В цілому видно, звідки йде купа подальших сюжетних прийомів у детективах.
The Room in the Tower: приїжджає письменник до німецького замку, а там привиди. Або ні, але нормальна ванна є, і на тому спасибі. Таке щось, якщо чесно, недокрутив.
The Ten Frank Counter: про те, що казіно - зло, і в Монте-Карло теж вбивають багатих дам через коштовності. Ну в цілому не заперечиш, але досить стандартна історія.
Have You Got Everything You Want?: про подружню пару і брильянти. Оскільки тут Крісті і її менш знаний герой, то сюжет гарний, а от моральні висновки, еее... переважно застаріли.
The Long Dinner: трохи розхристане про такого собі найманого вбивцю. Герої біга��ть між Британією і Францією, цікаво вплели місцеву бретонську легенду.
Packet-Boat Murder: трохи невиразна історія про вбиту на поромі дівчину і колишнього командо, який вигулькує взагалі з глибин. Гм, коротше.
Villa Amirante: італійський поліцейський розслідує смерть англійського туриста, не забуваючи похизуватися знанням жіночої психології. Якби просто розслідував, то ціни б йому не було ще більше.
July 8, 2018
This short story anthology is based on stories that are written by British authors but have their settings in Continental Europe. Some of the 14 stories that are contained in this volume are written by world famous authors and others are written by long forgotten authors. The quality is varied as with any anthology - my own personnel favourites are Bracelet at Bruges by Arnold Bennett & The New Catacomb by Arthur Conan Doyle & The Secret Garden by G.K. Chesterton all of which can be read innumerable times and still be enjoyable & memorable. There are however two stories which in my opinion could have left out and two other stories inserted instead of these two - The Secret of the Magnifique by E. Phillips Oppenheim & The Long Dinner by H.C. Bailey - both stories are long winded and very rambling - The Bailey story although having a good end plot also suffers from a mannered (dated) style of writing which can be very irritating. All in all, the collection of stories is worth reading even if you are an avid reader of crime short stories and have encountered some of the stories before. I would give this book 7 out of 10. I thought the previous volume’s short stories (Miraculous Mysteries) were selected with more care or perhaps they just appealed to me more?
The stories contained in this anthology are:
The New Catacomb – Arthur Conan Doyle
A Bracelet at Bruges – Arnold Bennett
The Secret Garden – G.K.Chesterton
The Secret of the Magnifique – E. Phillips Oppenheim
Petit-Jean – Ian Hay
The Lover of St. Lys – F. Tennyson Jesse
Popeau Intervenes – Marie Belloc Lowndes
The Perfect Murder – Stacy Aumonier
The Room in the Tower – J. Jefferson Farjeon
The Ten-Franc Counter – H. de Vere Stacpoole
Have you got everything you want? – Agatha Christie
The Long Dinner – H.C. Bailey
The Packet-Boat Murder – Josephine Bell
Villa Almirante – Michael Gilbert
The stories contained in this anthology are:
The New Catacomb – Arthur Conan Doyle
A Bracelet at Bruges – Arnold Bennett
The Secret Garden – G.K.Chesterton
The Secret of the Magnifique – E. Phillips Oppenheim
Petit-Jean – Ian Hay
The Lover of St. Lys – F. Tennyson Jesse
Popeau Intervenes – Marie Belloc Lowndes
The Perfect Murder – Stacy Aumonier
The Room in the Tower – J. Jefferson Farjeon
The Ten-Franc Counter – H. de Vere Stacpoole
Have you got everything you want? – Agatha Christie
The Long Dinner – H.C. Bailey
The Packet-Boat Murder – Josephine Bell
Villa Almirante – Michael Gilbert
May 1, 2023
Another collection of short stories from the British Library.
All the stories in this collection are set outside the UK but they are all written by British authors. Given that thay all fall roughly into the Golden Age era of crime writing or just before, some of the attitudes displayed make one a little uncomfortable. The story by F. Tennyson Jesse The Lover of St Lys made me particularly uneasy in its attitude to women - particularly egregious when written by a woman.
I did enjoy the first story by Conan Doyle The New Catacomb and the Agatha Christie offering Have You Got Everything You Want, even though it is a Parker Pyne story which has probably never been out of print.
On the other hand I wondered, as I do whenever they are included in these collections, just why H.C.Bailey's Reginald Fortune was so popular even 60 years ago. The one included here, The Long Dinner is pretty bad - Fortune as always rambles on, apparently solving the case by magic while his policemen sidekicks do all the work and get none of the credit. It doesn't even particularly fit the brief for this collection, being set in the UK for much of the time.
Overall this collection passed the time nicely enough but it is far from being my favourite.
All the stories in this collection are set outside the UK but they are all written by British authors. Given that thay all fall roughly into the Golden Age era of crime writing or just before, some of the attitudes displayed make one a little uncomfortable. The story by F. Tennyson Jesse The Lover of St Lys made me particularly uneasy in its attitude to women - particularly egregious when written by a woman.
I did enjoy the first story by Conan Doyle The New Catacomb and the Agatha Christie offering Have You Got Everything You Want, even though it is a Parker Pyne story which has probably never been out of print.
On the other hand I wondered, as I do whenever they are included in these collections, just why H.C.Bailey's Reginald Fortune was so popular even 60 years ago. The one included here, The Long Dinner is pretty bad - Fortune as always rambles on, apparently solving the case by magic while his policemen sidekicks do all the work and get none of the credit. It doesn't even particularly fit the brief for this collection, being set in the UK for much of the time.
Overall this collection passed the time nicely enough but it is far from being my favourite.
May 15, 2017
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley.
This is an interesting collection of crime stories dating back to early in the twentieth century. All are set in Europe. There are well know authors as well as not so well known ones. There are thefts of jewels, the discovery of murdered bodies and some very spooky happenings in a fairy tale castle on the Rhine.
I enjoyed the Agatha Christie story which features J Parker Pyne rather than the much better known Hercule Poirot. I thought it was interesting to see that there is a story featuring a retired French detective called Hercules Popeau who has many similarities to Christie's later creation of Poirot. The story's author was apparently not very impressed when she came across Christie's creation.
If you enjoy Golden Age detective fiction then you will probably enjoy this interesting collection of short stories which has something for everyone.
This is an interesting collection of crime stories dating back to early in the twentieth century. All are set in Europe. There are well know authors as well as not so well known ones. There are thefts of jewels, the discovery of murdered bodies and some very spooky happenings in a fairy tale castle on the Rhine.
I enjoyed the Agatha Christie story which features J Parker Pyne rather than the much better known Hercule Poirot. I thought it was interesting to see that there is a story featuring a retired French detective called Hercules Popeau who has many similarities to Christie's later creation of Poirot. The story's author was apparently not very impressed when she came across Christie's creation.
If you enjoy Golden Age detective fiction then you will probably enjoy this interesting collection of short stories which has something for everyone.
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