The Long Arm of the Law: Classic Police Stories

by Martin Edwards (Editor)

In classic British crime fiction, dazzling detective work is often the province of a brilliant amateur - whereas the humble police detective cuts a hapless figure. The twelve stories collected here strike a blow for the professionals, with teasing mysteries to challenge a hard-working police officer's persistence and scrupulous attention to detail. As in his previous anthologies for the British Library Crime Classics series, Martin Edwards introduces readers to fascinating neglected gems of British crime writing as well as uncovering lesser-known stories by the great novelists of the golden age. Each of these stories combines realism with entertainment, skilfully blending the conduct of a criminal investigation with a compelling murder-mystery plot.

The mystery of Chenholt / Alice and Claude Askew --
The silence of PC Hirley / Edgar Wallace --
The mystery of a midsummer night / George R Sims --
The cleverest clue / Laurence W. Meynell --
The undoing of Mr. Dawes / Gerald Verner --
The man who married too often / Roy Vickers --
The case of Jacob Heylyn / Leonard R. Gribble --
Fingerprints / Freeman Wills Crofts --
Remember to ring twice / E.C.R. Lorac --
Cotton wool and cutlets / Henry Wade --
After the event / Christianna Brand --
Sometimes the blind / Nicholas Blake --
The chief witness / John Creasey --
Old Mr. Martin / Michael Gilbert --
The moorlanders / Gil North

Genres: Mystery, Short Stories, Fiction, Crime, Anthologies, Classics, British Literature

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1968

About the author

Martin 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.

Reviews

[Anissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked or really liked 9 of the 15 stories here, so 3.5 stars overall. My thoughts on each follow:

The Mystery of Chenholt by Alice and Claude Askew- in which a butler alerts the police that his employer is poisoning his wife. As there's no actual evidence, the officer calls his fiancee in to go undercover in the household as a maid to suss things out. I wasn't sure if she was a detective or some other law enforcement of just an adventurous sort. This had a tidy but somewhat predictable end but was well done.  

The Silence of PC Hirley  by Edgar Wallace- in which there's an example of how silence can improve your career through leverage, I guess. Just okay for me.

The Mystery of a Midsummer Night by George R. Sims- in which the solution to a child's murder is frighteningly close to home. According to the intro this was based on a real case. Quite grim but well done.

The Cleverest Clue by Laurence W. Meynell - in which a professor who is on the cusp of finishing a major scientific project he's giving to the government is kidnapped. The lesson being, the best security is having an attendant and observant assistant who knows your habits and quirks... in this case, the professor's impeccable grammar. The officer relating the story has about 4 pints over his recitation which made me chuckle and worry he was exaggerating. Good story. 

The Undoing of Mr. Dawes by Gerald Verner - in which a jewellery thief falls for a lie. Just okay for me.

The Man Who Married Too Often by Roy Vickers- in which a social-climbing wife kills to preserve her son's position. Her undoing was clever. I really enjoyed this one. A favourite.

The Case of Jacob Heylyn by Leonard R. Gribble- in which a man is found murdered in a curious way and the solution lay in that and some mail. An interesting story but a little belaboured.

Fingerprints by Freeman Wills Crofts- in which a meticulous nephew reveals himself to be the guilty party in his uncle's murder. I enjoyed this one also.

Remember to Ring Twice by E.C.R. Lorac- in which Chief Inspector Macdonald needs to figure out if an elderly woman's fall was misfortune or murder. This begins with things overheard in a bar which come in handy. A good story with a detective I like from other Lorac stories.

Cotton Wool and Cutlets by Henry Wade- in which a murder plot is truly a family affair. This was just okay for me.

After the Event by Christianna Brand- in which the tale of a murdered actress is told to Inspector Cockerill and he, of course, works it out before the teller can have his big reveal moment. Not a favourite but it was a good howdunnit.

Sometimes the Blind… by Nicholas Blake- in which an officer relates the story of a suspect that gets away with murder because there just isn't enough concrete evidence. A very well done story.

The Chief Witness by John Creasey- in which a woman murdered while her child is sleeping has suspicion fall on the likeliest person, her husband. This one was far more poignant than I anticipated going in and I really enjoyed it. I need to read more about the handsome (it's mentioned a few times), Roger West. Very well done.

Old Mr. Martin by Michael Gilbert- in which the hit and run of a kindly candy shop owner reveal a deeper more sinister crime spree. Very good story and I think one of the best in this volume. I was already familiar with & a fan of Gilbert from Smallbone Deceased .

The Moorlanders by Gil North- in which, I really didn't follow this one well and am going to just forget not enjoying it as I have two Sargeant Cluff novels on my TBR shelf.

As usual, the introductions by Martin Edwards are excellent and informative. I will of course continue reading my way through the British Library Crime Classics reissues. This isn't my favourite anthology in the series but it is good and I liked finding new to me authors to seek out.

Recommended.

[Stephen Robert Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love long lost classic SS that have been gathering dust in old out of date books in somebody's collection.
Martin finds those SS that we have not seen for years & not read in other collections which make these books worth reading because not rps from other books that can often happen & I hate that.
His into talks about The founding of The British Police forces in 1842 & The end of Famous Bow Street runners
Here we have Mystery about poison ,police offices beat ,a true case ,a case of logistics words
Only disspoment is that very few Weman in this book & very few female authors specialy as today is 100th anniversary of the Suffragette votes for women day my Mam was equality officer for NUJ in the 1970s & 1980s so brought with female point of view but it made me unpopular with men.
But this still great SS collection even if in today's society may be sexist but not when they were writen but if bring political views to books you never read any Bloody thing & never read John Norman's Gor books that's for sure or Conan.
The best stories Old Mr Martin, Fingerprints & The Cleverest Clue.

[Netta · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a modern reader, spoiled by intricate mysteries and sophisticated classic novels of the Golden Age of detective fiction, these short stories, written around the same age, would seem naïve and not very elaborate. It’s true and visible that the authors in this collection were not destined to be praised as highly as their contemporaries – Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh and many others. And yet this collection is charming in its own way.

Each story features brilliant professionals, quick-witted and intelligent men (ex-Inspector Joseph Morton now has a special place in my heart). In retrospect, this shift of attention from an extraordinary amateur to a qualified detective is very significant. It is rooted in the formation of the Detective Department at Scotland Yard in 1842 and, as Julian Symons put it, ”thankfulness felt by middle class at their [Detective Department] existence”. This thankfulness, in fact, changed the rules of portrayal of professionals. No longer they were depicted as brilliant amateur’s inept companions.

I’d divide this collection in two parts. The first one, up to the story called The Man Who Married Too Often, is rather clumsy. All that a modern reader could find in these stories – as they lack intrigue – is author’s style, and, sadly, it’s not very enjoyable. These stories seem to be too simple even for the time when authors of the genre were establishing rules and developing tools. However, the second part of the anthology is brilliant. It’s still quite plain and mostly uncomplicated in form, but it shows how skilfully some writers used those essential tools of murder mystery that had already been developed. These are the stories where, seeing through the mystery itself, you nonetheless can enjoy how it was crafted. I absolutely loved two stories, which I recommend in this collection. The first is previously mentioned The Man Who Married Too Often, which tells the story of a self-made woman and Marquess. The second is called The Chief Witness, and the handsome police officer and poor witness of a terrible crime (title says it all, in fact).

If you love the genre and don’t look for some complicated mystery or an investigation full of action and clever assumptions, you’ll certainly enjoy this collection of the lesser-known, but classically trained writers who, in their own way, contributed to the development of crime fiction as we know it now.

Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the copy.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars - An okay collection of short mystery stories, but not one of his better anthologies. Some of the more interesting stories:

"The Undoing of Mr Dawes" by Gerald Verner - a fence meets his match in the clever police detective, Robert "The Rose-bud" Budd. The story is clever and Budd is a sensible, easygoing detective with a sense of humor.

"The Man Who Married Too Often" by Roy Vickers - a double murderer gets her comeuppance in an inverted mystery story with a satirical air and a delightfully ironic ending.

"Fingerprints" - Freeman Wills Crofts - short, simple, and to the point. One of the best stories, if not the best, in the volume.

"The Chief Witness" by John Creasey - a young boy proves to be an important witness in the murder of his mother. A remarkably sensitive story of the type you don't often see in the mystery genre.

"Old Mr Martin" by Michael Gilbert - the hit-and-run death of the elderly manager of a sweet shop leads to the discovery of another crime. This story had a twist that I really did not see coming at all.

Note - "The Mystery of a Midsummer Night" by George R. Sims is a retelling of the true story of Constance Kent. A better and more informative treatment of it by John Rhode in The Anatomy of Murder.

[Alan (the Lone Librarian rides again) Teder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whatcha Gonna Do When They Come For You
A review of the Poisoned Pen Press eBook (January 2, 2018) of the British Library Crime Classics original (August 10, 2017) collecting stories originally published from 1908 to 1966.

[Average rating for the 15 stories = 3.4, rounded down for a GR 3]

Overall this was a fun series of police procedural short stories ranging from the Golden Age of Detection through to the 1960s. Editor Martin Edwards provides the excellent short author biographies and almost all of the original source information and dates. Most of these authors were previously unknown to me. The rating was only pulled down from a GR4 to a GR3 due to a single dud. My favourites were 4, 6, 9, 10, 11, 13 and 14.

The following individual story ratings and synopses include setups only, so I have not spoiler blocked them.
1. The Mystery of Chenholt *** by Alice Askew And Claude Askew (1897-1917) and (1865-1917), first published in The Adventures of Police Constable Vane M.A., on Duty and Off (1908). A butler comes to P.C. Reggie Vane saying that his mistress is being poisoned by her husband. Vane sends his fiancée Violet in undercover to discover the truth, which ends up being rather a turnabout.

2. The Silence of PC Hirley *** by Edgar Wallace (1875-1932), first published 1909 in a series featuring PC Lee. PC Lee observes the career of PC Hirley who advances through a remarkable series of self-induced confessions from criminals who can’t seem to keep their mouths shut. But then an even more remarkable event occurs. Dramatised by BBC Radio 4 in a series.

3. The Mystery of a Midsummer Night *** by George R. Sims (1848-1922), first published 19?? in The Sketch as part of the DI Chance series. Based on the real-life Road Hill House murder (1860). A young boy is murdered and the rest of the household is suspected. See Kate Summerscale's The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective (2008).

4. The Cleverest Clue **** by Laurence W. Meynell, (1899-1989), first published 19??. A professor is kidnapped by war profiteers who seek to delay his announcement of an anti-war invention. He leaves a vital clue behind in a letter. Grammar fans, or at least haters of the split infinitive, will love this one! 🤣

5. The Undoing of Mr. Dawes *** by Gerald Verner (1897-1980), first published in The Cleverness of Mr. Budd (1935). A fence and a jewelry thief are tricked by Inspector Budd into revealing their complicity and the location of their heist.

6. The Man Who Married Too Often **** by Roy Vickers (1889-1965), first published in The Fiction Parade (1936). The Marquis of Roucester and Jarrow has a tendency to marry a few too many times, which he will learn to his regret.

7. The Case of Jacob Heylyn *** by Leonard R. Gribble (1908-1985), first published possibly? in The Case-Book of Anthony Slade (1937). An old miser appears to have committed suicide but Inspector Slade of Scotland Yard has other ideas about the case.

8. Fingerprints *** by Freeman Wills Crofts (1879-1957), first published in the Evening Standard (1952). Sometimes the lack of fingerprints is a clue in and of itself.

9. Remember to Ring Twice **** by Edith Caroline Rivett as E. C. R. Lorac (1884-1959), first published in the Evening Standard (1950). An elderly woman appears to have fallen down the stairs when no one else was at home. But was it somehow a murder?

10. Cotton Wool and Cutlets ***** by Henry Wade (1887-1969) Police Constable John Bragg’s final story in The 20 Story Magazine (May, 1940). An excellent police procedural where the discovery of a few simple clues leads to the unveiling of the murder conspiracy behind an apparent suicide.

11. After the Event **** by Christianna Brand (1907-1988), first published in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine (1958). A retired warhorse detective loves retelling the story of one of his most famous cases. But then Inspector Cockerill is in the audience at a gathering and reveals the true solution to the crime.

12. Sometimes the Blind… *** by Nicholas Blake aka Cecil Day-Lewis (1904-1972), first published in the Evening Standard (1963). Blake’s regular private detective Nigel Strangeways does not appear in this one. The police figure out a murder culprit but find that it would be impossible to prove the case.

13. The Chief Witness **** by John Creasey (1908-1973), first published in The John Creasey Mystery Magazine (1957). A mother is murdered while her little boy was sleeping and the husband has disappeared after a quarrel which was overheard by the neighbours. But was he really the killer?

14. Old Mr. Martin **** by Michael Gilbert (1912-2006), first published in Argosy (1960). A seemingly innocuous elderly owner of a candy store is killed in a hit and run. But then there is the discovery of a secret in the store’s basement.

15. The Moorlanders * by Gil North (1916-1988), first published in the London Evening News (1966). This was very patchy and didn’t make a lot of sense. North’s regular character Sergeant Cluff appears in a cameo. Weakest entry in the book and very odd that it was used as the closer.

Trivia and Links
The British Library Crime Classics series are reprints of forgotten titles from the 1860's through to the 1950's. You can see a list at the British Library Crime Classics Shop (for North America they are reprinted by the publisher Poisoned Pen Press). There is also a Goodreads Listopia for the series which you can see here.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The British Library Crime Classics series rarely disappoints. This volume features police detectives, rather than private eyes or gifted amateurs, but the usual editor (and a really good author in his own right) Martin Edwards doesn't take that as a license for repetition. The stories are all different, and most of them are on the shorter side, which I appreciate, although a medium-long Christianna Brand is one of my personal favorites in this book. My other favorite is a slyly humorous and quite short item by none other than Edgar Wallace! But your picks might be quite different.

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Dame Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Margery Allingham and a few others, readers usually think of amateur sleuths when they think of mysteries. In editor Martin Edwards’ latest anthology, he gives the professionals a chance to shine.

Any anthology like this will be hit and miss. Edwards, an English solicitor and a mystery writer in his own right, included some authors who are deservedly forgotten; however, quite a few encouraged me to seek out other of their works. Before TV’s Colombo popularized the inverted mystery (where you discover the villain right away and the pleasure comes in how the detective solves the mystery), Roy Vickers’ 1936 gem “The Man Who Married Too Often” uses the same plot structure. Other excellent short stories include Laurence W. Meynell’s “The Cleverest Clue,” Nicholas Blake’s “Sometimes the Blind…,” Christianna Brand’s “After the Event,” E.C.R. Lorac’s “Remember to Ring Twice,” Michael Gilbert’s “Old Mr. Martin” (what a twist ending!) and Leo Grex’s “The Case of Jacob Heylyn.”

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Allo! 'Allo! 'Allo! Wot's going on 'ere, then?

Another of the British Library's collection of vintage detective stories, this one takes us away from the amateur detective beloved of Golden Age authors and gives the downtrodden policeman* his place in the spotlight.

(*Yup, no female police officers, of course, in these older stories, so I'm not going to attempt to be pointlessly politically correct with lots of he/she-ing, etc.)

The book is informatively introduced by Martin Edwards as usual, plus he gives a little introduction to each story telling the reader a little about the author. He points out that although policemen were somewhat overshadowed by their amateur rivals, they were still there throughout the period, and not always as the simple stooge or sidekick.

The stories in these collections always tend to be variable in quality, and that's the case in this one too, with several of the fifteen stories getting an individual rating of three stars (OK) or below from me. However, I also gave three stories four stars (liked it) while another four achieved the full five stars (loved it). Overall, that makes this one of the weaker collections for me, and I found I was having to plough through quite a lot of mediocre stuff to find the gems. Perhaps I've just read too many of these collections too close together, but my enthusiasm certainly wore a little thin halfway through this one.

There are fewer of the usual suspects among the authors, presumably because most of the well known ones who've shown up in previous collections concentrated on their gifted amateur 'tecs. But Edgar Wallace is there, along with Freeman Wills Croft, Nicholas Blake and Christianna Brand, among others. There are several I haven't come across before and one or two who I felt didn't succeed quite as well in short form as in their novels (always bearing in mind I'm no expert and am comparing tiny sample sizes – often one story versus one novel) – ECR Lorac, for example, or Gil North.

Here's a flavour of the stories I liked best:

The Man Who Married Too Often by Roy Vickers – an excellent “inverted” mystery where we know whodunit and the story revolves around how the police prove it. A fortune-hunting woman tricks a man into marriage only to discover he's a bigamist when his wife shows up. Murder ensues. It turns neatly on a fair-play clue and a quirk of the law, and it's perfectly possible for the reader to get the solution before it's revealed. But I didn't.

The Chief Witness by John Creasey – a story of secrets within families and their sometimes tragic consequences. A child lies in bed listening to his mother and father argue. Murder ensues. The motivation is a bit weak in this one, but the writing is good and it's very well told, especially the opening with the child discovering his mother's body. Plus I liked the policeman in this one – he's one of those ones who cares about the people as much as the puzzle.

Old Mr Martin by Michael Gilbert – Old Mr Martin is a sweet-shop owner, much loved by generations of children to whom he often gives free sweeties. (No, no, it's not what you're thinking, I promise!) But even so, murder ensues. When he dies and his premises are sold, a body is found buried in the cellar. The police assume it must have been a previous tenant, because it couldn't have been nice old Mr Martin. Could it? Again I liked the writing, and this one had an intriguing plot point based on how people sometimes disappeared without trace in the chaos of the wartime bombing of London.

After the Event by Christianna Brand – easily the highlight of the collection for me, starring Inspector Cockrill whom I'd met before in Green for Danger. In this story, an old detective is recounting one of his past cases to a group of admiring listeners, but Inspector Cockrill keeps chipping in and stealing his thunder. During rehearsals for a stage production of Othello, murder ensues. Othello's wife is strangled – that is to say, the wife of the actor playing Othello. The old detective charged someone for the crime but the accused got off. Cockrill then takes over to show where the old detective went wrong and to reveal who actually dunit. Lots of humour in this one, a nice plot with some good clues, and very well told.

So plenty here to interest vintage crime enthusiasts even if it wouldn't be the first of these collections I would recommend to newcomers. (Capital Crimes, since you ask, or Miraculous Mysteries.)

NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad selection of short stories but none of them really stood out for me. Martin Edwards' introductions to them were more interesting than most of stories themselves.

[Yibbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is as close to a perfect mystery anthology as I have ever read. Every story is enjoyable. Oh, there aren’t any great surprises. We know going in that they will always get their man (or will they?), but each story still has a surprise or two hidden neatly in plain sight. That’s the best part of this collection. If you watch carefully you might just catch the clues and solve the mystery first.
Edwards made excellent choices for the stories he included. As always, he introduced me to several new authors. Each is unique and entertaining in its own way. I also appreciate how clean they are. In the whole book, there were only two curse words. If you like police procedurals, this is the perfect book for you as it was for me.
Here are notes on a couple of the stories that stood out for me.
After the Event was fun, just because the format was so different. Dueling detectives made for a very fun read.
The Cleverest Clue was probably my favorite just because it was so unique. That clue was so neat I missed it and felt a bit ashamed for having done so. The whole tone of that little mystery is pure fun.
Old Mr. Martin was the spookiest. You won’t pick up on that until the very end, but what a twist happens then!
I received this book as a free ARC through NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Publishers. No favorable review was required, and these are my honest opinions.

[Judy Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the digital galley of this book.

Martin Edwards is the editor of this collection which features short mystery stories from the viewpoint of a professional in law enforcement. The British Library Crime Classics series has rescued many little remembered stories and gathered them together in a themed volume. The stories are almost presented in chronological order and it is very interesting to watch the style and language change through this collection from the early 1900s to the late 1960s. The amateur detective stories of the past have probably been more popular with readers, but it was enjoyable to read this collection which put the spotlight of attention on the professional in crime fighting. Edwards provides an Introduction to the book as well as specific information before each story to provide more background for the author and the short story. I have listed the fifteen authors, story titles, and publication date when it was provided.

Askew, Alice and Claude, "The Mystery of Chenholt", 1908
Wallace, Edgar, "The Silence of PC Hirley", 1909
Sims, George R., "The Mystery of a Midsummer Night"
Meynell, Laurence W. "The Cleverest Clue" (this might be Leonard Meynell)
Verner, Gerald, "The Undoing of Mr. Dawes", 1935
Vickers, Roy, "The Man Who Married Too Often", 1936
Gribble, Leonard R., "The Case of Jacob Heylyn"
Crofts, Freeman Wills, "Fingerprints", 1952
Lorac, E.C.R., "Remember to Ring Twice", 1950
Wade, Henry, "Cotton Wool and Cutlets", 1940
Brand, Christianna, "After the Event", 1958
Blake, Nicholas, "Sometimes the Blind...", 1963
Creasey, John, "The Chief Witness", 1957
Gilbert, Michael, " Old Mr. Martin", 1960
North, Gil, "The Moorlanders", 1966

I hope you find some favorite authors in this collection as well as some you want to find out more about. Some of the stories are quite short, only a few pages long and the Christianna Brand story is by far the longest in the collection.

[Susan in NC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of short mysteries featuring the police constables and inspectors made famous by Golden Age mystery writers. I really enjoy these collections from British Library Crime Classics, as they give me a chance to try out several new authors, reading a story or two at a time.

I’ve given a brief description of most of the stories as I read them, but overall I’d say I definitely enjoyed some more than others, but there were no bad ones. I’ve read several full-length ECR Lorac mysteries reissued by British Library Crime Classics, and enjoyed her story here, always welcoming a visit with her low-key Inspector Macdonald of Scotland Yard. I also enjoyed Freeman Wills Croft’s story featuring his Inspector French, a similarly diligent, dry-humored investigator. I would definitely recommend this book to Golden Age mystery fans, and look forward to reading more of these mystery collections.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has 15 short stories featuring professional British police officers. There is an Introduction by Martin Edwards which surveys the literature from Dickens to P D James.

The stories are:-

The Mystery of Chenholt- Alice and Claude Askew (1908)

Entertaining, if slight, variation on the classic theme of a rich wife being poisoned by her husband.The policeman, Reggie Vane, is assisted by his fiancee,Violet (is she a private detective?).A rarity by a writing duo with an interesting career.There is a good Wiki article about them.

The Silence of PC Hurley-Edgar Wallace (1909)

One of the PC Lee stories, short and nicely-written, but fairly obvious of solution. I much prefer the Mr J G Reeder tales.

The Mystery of a Midsummer Night- George R Sims (1911)

I am not sure why this was included as the Constance Kent/Road Hill House murder on which it is based is now so well-known and documented. This adds nothing to our understanding of the case.The story features Inspector Chance, rather than the author’s more popular Dorcas Dene.

The Cleverest Clue-Laurence W Meynell (?1931)

This is a neat little story told by ex-Inspector Morton of Scotland Yard- who does not spot the clever clue hidden in a letter.

The Undoing of Mr Dawes-Gerald Verner (1935)

Superintendent Budd, aka “Rosebud”, solves this case which turns on a factor which places the story very firmly in its period. Short and light entertainment.

The Man who Married Too Often-Roy Vickers (1936)

Superintendent Tarrant of the Department of Dead Ends, Scotland Yard is involved in this amusing inverted mystery tale which is thoroughly enjoyable apart from one piece of trickery in the conclusion.
Some tongue-in-cheek writing about social class.

The Case of Jacob Heylyn-Leonard R Gribble (1937)

A longer story in which Detective Inspector Anthony Slade of the Yard solves the murder of a miser. I enjoyed this very much.It is clearly written and, although I thought the murderer was fairly obvious, the plotting was good. The sparky exchanges between Slade and Divisional-Inspector Jarrod add spice.

Fingerprints-Freeman Wills Crofts (1952)

Very short 1952 appearance by inspector French. Rather flimsy story with no opportunity to show the detective’s real talents.

Remember to Ring Twice- E C R Lorac (1950)

There are a numerous books featuring Chief Inspector Robert Macdonald but few short stories. This, dating from 1950, is concisely written with an ingenious murder. The Times detective fiction reviewer, Torquemada, was a fan of Lorac’s early novels.

Cotton Wool and Cutlets- Henry Wade (1940)

Detective Constable John Bragg investigates a “head in the gas oven” suicide in which all is not as it seems. This is a competent, if unexciting, story in which Bragg’s motto “Notice and Remember” plays a part.

After the Event- Christianna Brand (1958)

This is one of a small number of stories to feature Inspector Cockrill. It is about a murder in a theatrical family. It had some points of interest interest but, overall , I found it a bit dull and rather laboured in execution.

Sometimes the Blind…- Nicholas Blake (1963)

Very short, but effective, story of accidental death /?murder narrated by an anonymous detective.

The Chief Witness- John Creasey

The very handsome Chief Inspector Roger West investigates a domestic murder.The evidence of the victim’s child plays a crucial part in this well-written tale of an eternal triangle.

Old Mr Martin- Michael Gilbert (1960)

Highly enjoyable Inspector Patrick Petrella murder investigation with a neat twist.

The Moorlanders- Gil North (1966)

Very short story of murder gone wrong.Sergeant Cluff is mentioned but does not do the detecting.

Overall, this was good reading although there were some weak stories. One thing puzzles me and that is the order in which the stories are given which is not quite chronological. I have given publication dates as provided by the editor or researched by me.

N.B. At the time or reviewing, the wrong cover is being displayed for the Kindle edition on Goodreads and Amazon UK.

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kindle Deal | As with all short story collections, quality varies. A couple of really good entries, a couple of pretty bad ones, mostly "okay". None I had read previously, which is both uncommon and gratifying. Content note: the story Sometimes the Blind mentions a dog being murdered. It's a short enough story not to tug the heartstrings, but just fyi for those who might want to skip it.

[Matt Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great little collection of short stories from in and around the golden age of detective crime fiction. Some authors that i was familiar with and some not so much but equally well written and entertaining in their own way.

[Vivien Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting book of short stories. Very well put together with useful introductions on each story s Author by Martin Edwards. Clever book.

[Lisa Kucharski · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining collection of short stories involving the police. The layout is oldest to most recent (meaning 1960's) and I found that I liked the first half of the book much more than the first. Though there were some good ones certainly in the later half. Also, something I loved was that the stories were all short stories vs long short stories. I could read a story on the way to work and one on the way back. If you shy away from police procedurals you may like this as the shortness of the stories tend to have a different type of layout.

[Tonstant Weader · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Long Arm of the Law is an well-chosen collection of short story mysteries collected and introduced by Martin Edwards who has a way of writing a short story introduction that makes me want to read more by the authors. I like short stories, I like mysteries, and so I love mystery anthologies like this.

The focus of The Long Arm of the Law is on police investigations. These are short stories from the archives of the golden era of detection when the forms of the genre were being defined. From these early writers come the traditions and tropes of the police procedural that continue to entertain in books and in TV series.

This is an excellent anthology with a variety of stories even when constrained by the police procedural theme. These are mostly genteel mysteries, solved by sound observation and flashes of intuition. These are not the noir mysteries with corrupt cops, police brutality, and flouting legalities in the pursuit of justice. These detectives think their way to success. Instead of bullying and brutalizing the answers from suspects, they lay verbal traps and do the hard work of investigating. This is policing the way we want it to be.

The Long Arm of the Law will be released January 2nd. I received an e-galley for review from the publisher through NetGalley.

The Long Arm of the Law at Poisoned Pen Press
Martin Edwards author site

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[KayKay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a fan of short stories myself but I did enjoy "The Long Arm of the Law" for majority of the time. There are just a few stale stories but the rest are pretty interesting. One cannot expect anything spectacular given the stories are only few pages long to no more than twenty-something. The motives, culprits, methods usually are quite obvious right at the beginnings for each story, and, somewhat disappointingly, lack of guessing work throughout. The whole purpose of "The Long Arm of the Law" is about the joy of "hearing" some of the anecdotes of the policemen/inspectors. Editor Martin Edwards, once again, compiles a decent collection of peculiar cases composed by some of the classic crime authors from the golden age detective fiction era, making "The Long Arm of the Law" one of the best complications in the mystery/crime genre.

The cover art is just so pretty to look at, too. Another must-have addition to my British Library Crime Classic series.

Thanks Poisoned Pen Press via Netgallery for providing me an advanced reading copy for review.

[Gregory Moses · Rating 3 out of 5]

Putting together a collection of crime stories featuring the police should be a piece of cake for an anthologist of Edwards's talent, but this collection feels off. Not that the stories are bad (mostly), and you'll certainly meet some major names from detective fiction, but a lot of these stories, especially the early ones, don't really seem to center the police, in spite of starring them.

“The Mystery of Chenholt” (1908) by Alice and Claud Askew immediately demonstrates what I mean; it's not bad, for its age and obscurity, but you could change the protagonist to a private detective and change nothing else about the story. The converse of this basically never occurs—you couldn't make Sherlock Holmes part of Scotland Yard without radically changing things.

“The Silence of PC Hirley” (1909) by Edgar Wallace is more like it. It's a very brief piece of fun about a murdered blackmailer.

“The Mystery of a Midsummer Night” (1911) by George R Sims is brief and not very interesting, but does technically feature a police detective, which is really more than can be said for ...

���The Cleverest Clue” (1937 according to Philsp, which would mean it's in the wrong place in the collection) by Laurence Meynell, where the police detective plays second fiddle to someone else. Also, the story flatly doesn't work as written—the idea is that a kidnapping victim slips a clue into a note he's being forced to write, but the kidnapper composes the note, not the victim.

“The Undoing of Mr Dawes” (1935) by Gerald Verner, is fine, but again, it doesn't feel like it's about a police detective. The protagonist seems to have no rank (he's referred to as “Mr.”) and the story itself winks at us and points out that the methods of Mr. Budd are pretty far afield from what actual cops are allowed to do.

“The Man Who Married Too Often” (1936) by Roy Vickers is fun (and has great character work), but Vickers's Department of Dead Ends verges on being a deconstruction of the detective genre, and is completely divorced from actual police work.

“The Case of Jacob Heylyn” (1937) by Leonard R. Gribble is the first story in this collection that feels to me like it really belongs—divisional inspects and medical examiners and people ordering subordinates about. Not at all bad, and not the author's fault that I instantly identified the killer—a much more contemporarily famous mystery writer would use the same trick about a decade later.

“Fingerprints” (1952) by Freeman Wills Crofts is brief enough that I didn't mind it, although I find Crofts, and his Inspector French, very dull. I do mean brief—it's an inverted mystery, and French has five lines of dialogue in total at the end.

“Remember to Ring Twice” (1950) E. C. R. Lorac is incredibly brief, but still irritates me. Lorac is a big name, but I've read two stories by her and disliked them both in the same way. Also, phonetically written out accents are always a bad idea.

“Cotton Wool and Cutlets” (1940) by Henry Wade is … fine? I feel like you can rummage through Ellery Queen magazines and find any number of stories of similar quality, and John Bragg, who the introduction tells us “likes playing his own hand, and has a penchant for looking for trouble,” never displays this alleged trait, with the result that he has little personality at all.

“After the Event” (1958) by Christianna Brand is back to being basically unrelated to real police work; it features a nameless Great Detective recounting a case where he failed to get a conviction, while Inspector Cockrill snipes at him, and ultimately reveals the truth. It may seem like it's making fun of the tradition, but this is the only story in the book that actually has a great detective making brilliant deductions … it just twists things a little by having it be a police inspector. This is a delightful story, and I'll seek out more of Brand's work.

“Sometimes the Blind” (1963) by Nicholas Blake is a very short story about someone poisoning a blind man's guide dog. A nasty and well-written little tale.

“The Chief Witness” (1957) by John Creasey is a domestic tragedy that sags a little around the middle, but has a vivid beginning. I understand wanting to be sensitive to child witnesses, but the fact that they apparently never questioned the child at all until the very end beggars belief, and makes everyone seem much more incompetent than they were probably meant to.

“Old Mr Martin” (1960) by Michael Gilbert is resolved by a deus ex machina, but has a real bite.

“The Moorlanders” (1966) by Gil North is extremely short, and occasionally confusing (phonetic dialects), but is good fun, even if the denouement seems more like divine revelation than actual policework.

So … an odd and kind of uneven collection, but it certainly has some gems, and few outright failures. Selecting them on their merit as stories, and not worrying about whether I think they belong here, my favorite are “The Silence of PC Hirley,” “The Man Who Married Too Often,” “After the Event,” “Sometimes the Blind,” and “Old Mr Martin.”

[Jay Maxfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another great collection of crime fiction short stories by the British Library Crime Classic's crew. I will list the stories below. These stories are all centred on the fact that the crime is investigated by the police/Scotland Yard rather than amateur sleuth - which means procedure and facts and less eccentric, wild, wonderful and sometimes over-the-top personalities. I very much enjoyed this collection - especially the Henry Wade & Alice & Claude Askew stories as these two stories are extremely hard to find and would have been lost to most readers had they not been re-issued. The book will introduce even to avid fans, authors that they haven't read before or got round to reading - in my case George R. Sims & Leonard R. Gribble. My favourite stories were by Nicholas Blake, John Creasey, Henry Wade, as I always like to come across new variations on a theme or twist that I haven't encountered before. My least favourite was the story by Gil North who for me is way too dour and dismal and doesn't offer me any kind of entertainment as well as the fact that I always feel his stories are dark and depressing. I would give this book 9 out of 10. My only gripe with this book is that Martin Edwards is not always consistent with his mini intro's of the author of each story - if you are also a collector of crime fiction it is also important to know where the story can be found e.g. which anthology or magazine etc - Edwards does this but not always.
The Mystery of Chenholt - Alice & Claude Askew
The Silence of PC Hirley - Edgar Wallace
The Mystery of a Midsummer Night - George R. Sims
The Cleverest Clue - Laurence W. Meynell
The Undoing of Mr Dawes - Gerald Verner
The Man Who Married Too Often - Roy Vickers
The Case of Jacob Heylyn - Leonard R. Gribble
Fingerprints - Freeman Wills Crofts
Remember to Ring Twice - E.C.R.Lorac
Cotton Wool and Cutlets - Henry Wade
After the Event - Christianna Brand
Sometimes the Blind... - Nicholas Blake
The Chief Witness - John Creasey
Old Mr. Martin - Michael Gilbert
The Moorlanders - Gil North

[Brian Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book to review.

I liked this mixed bag collection of short stories by Golden Age crime fiction writers. The common element in each story is that the mystery is solved by a policeman, rather than a private detective. In many Golden Age stories a private detective is the problem solver and the police are either relegated to the background, or are completely absent. The stories in this anthology show that policeman can match, or better, their private rivals.

It's a bonus that Martin Edwards is the editor selecting the stories and writing introductions to the individual stories. His introductions are a highlight for me in the British Library Classic Crime books. He provides background to both an author's work in general as well as the particular story. The depth of his knowledge is amazing. For me these introductions are the source of further reading suggestions, especially for some of the lesser known writers introduced in this anthology.
There are 15 stories in this collection, each of which is entertaining and some have surprise or amusing endings. Not all of the criminals are brought to justice even though they are identified as the one "whodunit". Some of the authors will be familiar to readers of Golden Age crime fiction, e.g. Freeman Wills Croft and Christianna Brand. John Creasey is known for writing under the pseudonym of J.J. Marric. Many of the others, despite being prolific writers, are relatively unknown.

All the stories are worth reading. "The Man Who Married Too Often" by Roy Vickers and "The Cleverest Clue" by Laurence Meynell are two particularly interesting and amusing stories that I can commend to readers of this anthology.

[Elaysee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was provided by the publisher and NetGalley for my honest review.

This is the second I’ve read from the British Library Crime Classics, and I’m increasingly glad to have encountered the series. I've read a bit from the pre-WW2 period of British mysteries, but mainly the "greats," and many of the authors in this collection are new to me.

I revisited the stories after I completed the book, and for me the "good story" ratio was high for an anthology. I’d be interested in reading more from seven of the authors, with specific plans to look up the work of Roy Vickers and Michael Gilbert. Only one story was a real disappointment to me, and I disliked that author’s work prior to this encounter.

The book includes stories from 60-100 years ago, and a range of styles, from the straightforward to Vickers’ inverted mysteries and Laurence W. Meynell’s spot-the-twist tale. Martin Edwards’ introductory essay and his individual capsules for each author add context (and more authors to investigate).

A high four stars for an above-average anthology, and one more for the additional information provided by the editor. I see that he’s put together a number of other anthologies, and I’ll be checking them out.

[EuroHackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fair-to-middling collection of stories. This was a better, more cohesive collection than Settling Scores, but, on the whole, not as good as The Measure of Malice. All of the stories in this collection feature professional police officers/inspectors/detectives; most of them are series characters, but there is the occasional standalone. The vast majority of these stories are very straightforward and a bit on the dull side, with cardboard characters being put through their paces, but there were some standouts:

"The Cleverist Clue" by Laurence W. Meynell, a standalone story
"Remember to Ring Twice" by ERC Lorac (1950), featuring her series character Inspector Macdonald
"Cotton Wool and Cutlets" by Henry Wade (1940), featuring series character DC John Bragg
"The Chrief Witness" by John Creavey (1957), featuring series character CID Roger West
"Old Mr. Martin" by Michael Gilbert (1960), featuring series character Inspector Patrick Petrella

This collection ends on a decidedly bad note IMO, as the last story is super-short and features a series character, but the story itself makes zero sense if you have no familiarity with the series. That rather ruins the point of writing short stories, if they can't stand by themselves.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. The Mystery of Chenholt - A & C Askew - 1908 - The butler to the Darnells of Chenholt believes the master is poisoning his wife.
2. The Silence of PC Hirley - E Wallace- 1909 - By staying silent Hirley catching criminals.
3. The Mystery of Midsummer Night - The kidnap and murder of four year old Eric West.
5. The Cleverest Clue - L.W. Meynell - Ex inspector Morton recalls a case with the cleverest clue.
6. The Undoing of Mr Dawe - Can Superintendent Budd catch fence Simon Dawes.
7. The Man who Married Too Often - R. Vickers - 1938 - Why does a Marchioness commit murder.
8. The Case of Jacob Heylyn - L.R. Gribbe - Did Heylyn commit suicide.
9. Fingerprints - F.W. Crofts - 1952 - Jim Croach and fingerprints convict him of murder.
10. Remember to Ring Twice - E.C.R.Lorac - 1950 - Do PC Tom Brandon suspicions prove correct.
11. Cotton Wool and Cutlets - H. Wade - 1940 - Detectives Hurst and Bragg are called out to a possible suicide.
12. After the Event - C. Brand - Actor James Dragon kills his actress wife, does he.
13. Sometimes the Blind - 1963 - N. Blake - A blind man's dog and his male cousin are killed.
14. The Chief Witness - J. Creasey - 1957 - Who killed Mrs Pirro.
15. Old Mr Martin - A body is found in the cellar of a sweet shop.
16. The Moorlanders - G. North - (1966) - Why was Sergeant Barker attacked.
Entertaining short stories

[Cindy Ladensack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting that many of these stories centered around cases where apparent suicides turn out to be murders...... I do love these collections, and this one is really solid (although, I have to say, the final story was my least favorite--it was like being dropped into the middle of a conversation about people you've never met; way too many names being thrown about with no context!). These police stories (even more so than some of the other Edwards-collected anthologies, I think) have a simplicity about them -- fewer characters, fewer plot twists, etc. -- which, instead of making them boring or plain, really make them more transparent. You really can see more of the idea that informed the story. Pretty cool.

[Adam Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This detective collection from BLCC focusses on actual police employees solving crimes, rather than amateurs. The stories range in time from 1908 to 1966, and as is typical for Edwards, includes both well-known authors and more obscure contributions. The first six stories were quite disappointing, but then things started to pick up with Leonard Gribble's "The Case of Jacob Heylyn", followed by F W Crofts' "Fingerprints" - a short inverted mystery where the means of discovery is announced at the start. The highlight of the book came with Christianna Brand's "After the Event", an excellent theatrical story with a fun inter-detective dynamic. I also especially enjoyed John Creasey's "The Chief Witness" and Michael Gilbert's "Old Mr Martin."

[Martin Pilkington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another very good addition to the British Library Crime Classics series. In this book are 15 stories written between 1908 and 1966 with a policeman, of some description, as the main solver of the crime.

Unlike some anthologies I didn't feel any of the stories were "duds". Of course, I enjoyed some of them more than others, in my mind that's only natural but all of the stories, for me, worked well. I will be searching out books by some of the authors that I haven't got in the collection already. Can there be any better praise for the stories than that?

Definitely recommended for readers of "classic" crime fiction.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

With most classic crime tales, the mystery is inevitably solved by an amateur sleuth and the good old trusted police detective is brushed to the side, watching some know-all gain all the glory for a case that he was responsible for. With ‘The Long Arm of the Law’ Martin Edwards celebrates the humble policeman, this collection sees the professionals come out on top and there are no amateurs in sight.

Usually with short story collections I tend to find there a few duds in the mix, however with this anthology I can say I enjoyed each and every story. However there were a couple of stand out stories that really made me smile. There’s the clever Superintendent Budd in ‘The Undoing of Mr Dawes’ by Gerald Verner who has the most ingenious way of getting a known criminal to drop himself in it. There’s the grisly discovery in the basement of a sweet shop in ‘Old Mr Martin’ by Michael Gilbert. And I just relished the grisly descriptions that feature in ‘The Case of Jacob Heylyn’ by Leonard R Gribble.

One of the main things that I enjoy about reading the classic crime series is the writing and language used. It immediately transports you back to an era of great fashion, great hats, manor houses and interesting characters. These books are a wonderful evocation of all things British.

This is another wonderful anthology of tales brought together by Martin Edwards and the British Library – enjoyable, highly entertaining and just full to bursting with colourful characters. I did see that in the near future a train-themed anthology will be appearing and like any classic crime buff, there is no greater setting for murder than a train! Keep these story collections coming!

[Colored Ink · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed these short mysteries--some with a surprising, or unexpected twist. Each story is a quick read. Background information is included about each of these much-awarded (and, it turns out, prolific and once-very-popular) authors-- that made me want to read more by most of them. This is really a collection of lost gems--and a great introduction to some almost-forgotten, great British mystery writers.

I'm sure any lover of classic and/or British mysteries would enjoy discovering these authors and this collection.