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The Middle Temple Murder
An intrepid young journalist investigates the murder of an unknown man in this spellbinding mystery from the Golden Age of detective fiction On his way home after a long night’s work, newspaper editor Frank Spargo stumbles across a crime scene on Middle Temple Lane in the heart of London’s legal district. An elderly man lies dead in an entryway, his nose bloodied. He wears an expensive suit and a fashionable gray cap, but the police find nothing of value in his pockets, and no identifying documents of any kind. Unable to sleep, Spargo pays a visit to the mortuary in the early hours of the morning and learns that a crumpled piece of paper has been recovered from a hole in the dead man’s waistcoat. Strangely, the name and address it bears are familiar to Spargo. Succumbing to his reporter’s instincts, he vows to get the story and help Scotland Yard uncover the identities of both victim and killer. President Woodrow Wilson greatly admired The Middle Temple Murder, and his public praise of the novel helped to popularize J. S. Fletcher’s books in the United States. This ebook features a new introduction by Otto Penzler and has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1919
220 people are currently reading
618 people want to read
About the author
J.S. Fletcher
545 books56 followersJoseph Smith Fletcher was an English journalist, writer, and fellow of the Royal Historical Society. He studied law before turning to journalism.
His literary career spanned approximately 200 books on a wide variety of subjects including fiction, non-fiction, histories, historical fiction, and mysteries. He was known as one of the leading writers of detective fiction in the Golden Age .
His literary career spanned approximately 200 books on a wide variety of subjects including fiction, non-fiction, histories, historical fiction, and mysteries. He was known as one of the leading writers of detective fiction in the Golden Age .
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews
June 1, 2024
Confused & Confusing.
I enjoyed the first two thirds of the book, even though a lot of it didn't make much sense, but became very impatient by the end. & the characters I had forgotten one character so that part was confusing (I'm not even sure if he did appear earlier?)
I'd be glad to have the killer's motivation explained to me.
Edit: The killer's possible motivation has been explained to me
Other than that the book was fine! 😁
The positives were that the book was well written (although I think the later part of the book needed a judicious pruning) & conversations appeared natural. But even though I enjoyed a previous Fletcher book (The Paradise Mystery) more than this one, I don't think I'll be seeking out any more of this author's work.
I enjoyed the first two thirds of the book, even though a lot of it didn't make much sense, but became very impatient by the end. & the characters I had forgotten one character so that part was confusing (I'm not even sure if he did appear earlier?)
I'd be glad to have the killer's motivation explained to me.
Edit: The killer's possible motivation has been explained to me
Other than that the book was fine! 😁
The positives were that the book was well written (although I think the later part of the book needed a judicious pruning) & conversations appeared natural. But even though I enjoyed a previous Fletcher book (The Paradise Mystery) more than this one, I don't think I'll be seeking out any more of this author's work.
https://wordpress.com/view/carolshess...
July 31, 2020
“‘All stories are quite plain – when they come out,’ observed Spargo.”
Before reading The Middle Temple Murder I had never heard of Joseph Smith Fletcher before but a quick look at Wikipedia told me that the man was an extremely industrious writer in his time and had tried his hand in several genres, namely poetry, historical novels and detective fiction, and roughly in this order. Now I must say that I do not really brook historical novels at all, but detective fiction, especially the old authors, usually finds favour with me, and since Wikipedia also told me that Joseph Smith was a contemporary of the great Arthur Conan Doyle and that he wrote more than a hundred detective novels, I bought a little collection of Fletcher’s fiction for my E-reader and started with The Middle Temple Murder.
This is what we get: When the journalist Frank Spargo, who has recently risen to be a sub-editor of his paper, The Watchman, walks home one night, he witnesses how some policemen find the body of a dead man in the Temple Buildings. At first sight, there is no clue as to the victim’s identity, but in the man’s pocket, in the lining, there is a crumpled paper with the name and address of a young barrister, a Mr. Breton, who has no idea why the dead man should carry his address through London with him. Together with Breton, and the Scotland Yard detective Rathbury, Spargo nows embarks on the enterprise of solving this murder mystery, Spargo making good use of his newspaper’s resources to elicit information from the public. Quite soon, they come across one suspect, a Mr. Aylmore, M.P., who admits to having known the dead man, a Mr. Marbury, in his earlier years, but who steadfastly declines giving any more particulars about the attending circumstances of their relationship. Whereas Rathbury tries to prove that Mr. Aylmore must have killed Marbury in order to prevent him from splitting on him, Spargo and Breton are convinced that Aylmore must be innocent, their conviction probably arising from the fact that the suspect has two charming daughters who are as yet unmarried, and their joint endeavours are dedicated to clearing the man’s – and the daughters’ – names.
There are many things to like in this murder mystery, the foremost of which was, for me, the protagonist Frank Spargo, who is a no-nonsense, outspoken young man, whose rough-and-ready attitude is also mirrored in Fletcher’s writing style, which is terse and action-driven. The narration presents us with a cast of interesting characters as the story unfolds, e.g. the spry Mr. Quarterpage, a nonagenarian auctioneer, or the somewhat Puritan Miss Baily and her bibulous former housekeeper, Miss Gutch. At the same time, we are carried through the nightly streets of London, then hurry to a dying countryside town where boredom and gossip rule, and finally visit the rough fells of Yorkshire (where Fletcher grew up, by the way). I sometimes could not help wondering that the police would so readily share their knowledge with a reporter, but then I gave Fletcher, who was a journalist himself, the benefit of the doubt, deciding that maybe in former times the police was not so particular about sharing their information with the press. The relationship between Spargo and Rathbury is also quite different from that between Sherlock Holmes and the representatives of the police force in that Rathbury, although he is barking up the wrong tree all in all, is not such a blundering fool like Inspectors Lestrade or Jones, although he tends to be quite boastful at times. Fletcher has a good hand at writing the dialogue between his investigators and the people they come across and also at giving impressions of the places where the story is set – all in all, this makes for very lively and entertaining reading. Additionally, the author has quite a bagful of surprises for his readers without relying too heavily on coincidence and stretching his points too forcefully.
Towards the end, however, Fletcher’s hold over the story disintegrates and you get the impression that he had overwritten the novel and was forced to hurry towards a solution, because you will get the decisive bit of evidence as to the identity of the murderer in a half-sentence, which is simply disappointing and a major let-down. One can say that ironically, Spargo’s statement that all stories are plain as soon as they come out is exemplified to a T by the story itself.
All in all, the story had so many strong points that I will definitely read more of that author, but one must still say that the execution of the ending was unfortunately poor.
Before reading The Middle Temple Murder I had never heard of Joseph Smith Fletcher before but a quick look at Wikipedia told me that the man was an extremely industrious writer in his time and had tried his hand in several genres, namely poetry, historical novels and detective fiction, and roughly in this order. Now I must say that I do not really brook historical novels at all, but detective fiction, especially the old authors, usually finds favour with me, and since Wikipedia also told me that Joseph Smith was a contemporary of the great Arthur Conan Doyle and that he wrote more than a hundred detective novels, I bought a little collection of Fletcher’s fiction for my E-reader and started with The Middle Temple Murder.
This is what we get: When the journalist Frank Spargo, who has recently risen to be a sub-editor of his paper, The Watchman, walks home one night, he witnesses how some policemen find the body of a dead man in the Temple Buildings. At first sight, there is no clue as to the victim’s identity, but in the man’s pocket, in the lining, there is a crumpled paper with the name and address of a young barrister, a Mr. Breton, who has no idea why the dead man should carry his address through London with him. Together with Breton, and the Scotland Yard detective Rathbury, Spargo nows embarks on the enterprise of solving this murder mystery, Spargo making good use of his newspaper’s resources to elicit information from the public. Quite soon, they come across one suspect, a Mr. Aylmore, M.P., who admits to having known the dead man, a Mr. Marbury, in his earlier years, but who steadfastly declines giving any more particulars about the attending circumstances of their relationship. Whereas Rathbury tries to prove that Mr. Aylmore must have killed Marbury in order to prevent him from splitting on him, Spargo and Breton are convinced that Aylmore must be innocent, their conviction probably arising from the fact that the suspect has two charming daughters who are as yet unmarried, and their joint endeavours are dedicated to clearing the man’s – and the daughters’ – names.
There are many things to like in this murder mystery, the foremost of which was, for me, the protagonist Frank Spargo, who is a no-nonsense, outspoken young man, whose rough-and-ready attitude is also mirrored in Fletcher’s writing style, which is terse and action-driven. The narration presents us with a cast of interesting characters as the story unfolds, e.g. the spry Mr. Quarterpage, a nonagenarian auctioneer, or the somewhat Puritan Miss Baily and her bibulous former housekeeper, Miss Gutch. At the same time, we are carried through the nightly streets of London, then hurry to a dying countryside town where boredom and gossip rule, and finally visit the rough fells of Yorkshire (where Fletcher grew up, by the way). I sometimes could not help wondering that the police would so readily share their knowledge with a reporter, but then I gave Fletcher, who was a journalist himself, the benefit of the doubt, deciding that maybe in former times the police was not so particular about sharing their information with the press. The relationship between Spargo and Rathbury is also quite different from that between Sherlock Holmes and the representatives of the police force in that Rathbury, although he is barking up the wrong tree all in all, is not such a blundering fool like Inspectors Lestrade or Jones, although he tends to be quite boastful at times. Fletcher has a good hand at writing the dialogue between his investigators and the people they come across and also at giving impressions of the places where the story is set – all in all, this makes for very lively and entertaining reading. Additionally, the author has quite a bagful of surprises for his readers without relying too heavily on coincidence and stretching his points too forcefully.
Towards the end, however, Fletcher’s hold over the story disintegrates and you get the impression that he had overwritten the novel and was forced to hurry towards a solution, because you will get the decisive bit of evidence as to the identity of the murderer in a half-sentence, which is simply disappointing and a major let-down. One can say that ironically, Spargo’s statement that all stories are plain as soon as they come out is exemplified to a T by the story itself.
All in all, the story had so many strong points that I will definitely read more of that author, but one must still say that the execution of the ending was unfortunately poor.
February 11, 2017
Classic murder mystery (written in 1919) that's a real page turner. Fast-paced, with great characters. Recommended. Ebook versions can be found free at Project Gutenberg here: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10373 .
August 18, 2019
A mysterious victim...
When young newspaper editor Frank Spargo happens upon a murder scene late one night, his journalistic instincts lead him to follow the story. Fortunately the police detective in charge of the case doesn’t seem to have a problem with sharing all the evidence with a journalist and soon Spargo is taking the lead in the investigation. The first thing is to identify the victim, but this turns out not to be as easy as might be expected. The man’s wallet and papers have been removed from his body, and even when they begin to trace him, he seems to have a mysterious past. Spargo will have to go back into that past to find out who the man is, what he was doing in Middle Temple late at night and who had the motive and opportunity to kill him.
All that is found on the victim’s body is a scrap of paper with the name and address of a young barrister, Ronald Breton. Breton has never met the man, but since he’s just starting his first case and is yet to make his name in legal circles, it seems unlikely the victim would have been looking for him in his professional capacity. When it turns out the man had met Stephen Aylmore the evening before – an MP and the father of Breton’s fiancée – it all begins to look like the motive is more likely to be personal, and Aylmore quickly becomes the chief suspect. Fortunately for Aylmore he has two daughters and Spargo finds himself falling for the other one, giving him an incentive to clear Aylmore’s name.
It took me a while to really get into this one but after a slowish start it begins to rattle along at a good pace, and the plot is that great combination of being twisty and complicated without ever becoming hard to follow. Spargo does his detection the old fashioned way – by talking to people, noticing discrepancies between the stories of various witnesses and using those to prise open the secrets that some of them are hiding. First published in 1919 in the age of the gifted amateur detective, the idea of a journalist being so closely involved in a police investigation doesn’t seem as unbelievable as it would today, and Spargo mostly shares all the information he finds, although eventually he and Rathbury, the police detective, find themselves on opposite sides – Rathbury trying to prove the guilt of Aylesbury and Spargo trying to prove his innocence.
Most of the action takes place in London, around Fleet Street and the Middle Temple, but the story takes Spargo out of the city too, first to a small market town where he uncovers some long past scandals that seem to have a bearing on the case, and then up to Yorkshire for a finale deep in the moors. Fletcher describes each setting well, giving a real feeling for the different ways of life in the various places. None of the characterisation is particularly in-depth, but it’s done well enough so that I soon found myself rooting for some of the characters to be cleared while others I was prepared to see go to the gallows. Fletcher, anticipating the Golden Age style, gave me a solution that meant I could feel justice had been done. I must say it’s a sudden solution, though! Boom – here’s the final piece that makes it all fall into place, and we’re done. My brain could have done with an extra three or four pages to give me time to process what just happened! But I didn’t think it was unfair or illogical – just abrupt.
All-in-all, I enjoyed this one a lot. It does feel rather dated in style (which I don’t mind, but some people might) and frankly could have done with a stiff edit to get rid of one or two little discrepancies, but they weren’t enough of a problem to bother me nor to affect the overall outcome. I was disappointed to read in Martin Edward’s entry in his The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books that Fletcher never revisited the Spargo character in later books – I reckon he could have made a good series detective. However apparently Fletcher did create another series detective later, Ronald Camberwell, and I’d happily try one or two of those if I can get hold of them. Meantime, this one is recommended as well written, cleverly plotted and entertaining. 4½ stars for me, so rounded up.
NB I downloaded this one from wikisource. The formatting is very good.
When young newspaper editor Frank Spargo happens upon a murder scene late one night, his journalistic instincts lead him to follow the story. Fortunately the police detective in charge of the case doesn’t seem to have a problem with sharing all the evidence with a journalist and soon Spargo is taking the lead in the investigation. The first thing is to identify the victim, but this turns out not to be as easy as might be expected. The man’s wallet and papers have been removed from his body, and even when they begin to trace him, he seems to have a mysterious past. Spargo will have to go back into that past to find out who the man is, what he was doing in Middle Temple late at night and who had the motive and opportunity to kill him.
All that is found on the victim’s body is a scrap of paper with the name and address of a young barrister, Ronald Breton. Breton has never met the man, but since he’s just starting his first case and is yet to make his name in legal circles, it seems unlikely the victim would have been looking for him in his professional capacity. When it turns out the man had met Stephen Aylmore the evening before – an MP and the father of Breton’s fiancée – it all begins to look like the motive is more likely to be personal, and Aylmore quickly becomes the chief suspect. Fortunately for Aylmore he has two daughters and Spargo finds himself falling for the other one, giving him an incentive to clear Aylmore’s name.
It took me a while to really get into this one but after a slowish start it begins to rattle along at a good pace, and the plot is that great combination of being twisty and complicated without ever becoming hard to follow. Spargo does his detection the old fashioned way – by talking to people, noticing discrepancies between the stories of various witnesses and using those to prise open the secrets that some of them are hiding. First published in 1919 in the age of the gifted amateur detective, the idea of a journalist being so closely involved in a police investigation doesn’t seem as unbelievable as it would today, and Spargo mostly shares all the information he finds, although eventually he and Rathbury, the police detective, find themselves on opposite sides – Rathbury trying to prove the guilt of Aylesbury and Spargo trying to prove his innocence.
Most of the action takes place in London, around Fleet Street and the Middle Temple, but the story takes Spargo out of the city too, first to a small market town where he uncovers some long past scandals that seem to have a bearing on the case, and then up to Yorkshire for a finale deep in the moors. Fletcher describes each setting well, giving a real feeling for the different ways of life in the various places. None of the characterisation is particularly in-depth, but it’s done well enough so that I soon found myself rooting for some of the characters to be cleared while others I was prepared to see go to the gallows. Fletcher, anticipating the Golden Age style, gave me a solution that meant I could feel justice had been done. I must say it’s a sudden solution, though! Boom – here’s the final piece that makes it all fall into place, and we’re done. My brain could have done with an extra three or four pages to give me time to process what just happened! But I didn’t think it was unfair or illogical – just abrupt.
All-in-all, I enjoyed this one a lot. It does feel rather dated in style (which I don’t mind, but some people might) and frankly could have done with a stiff edit to get rid of one or two little discrepancies, but they weren’t enough of a problem to bother me nor to affect the overall outcome. I was disappointed to read in Martin Edward’s entry in his The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books that Fletcher never revisited the Spargo character in later books – I reckon he could have made a good series detective. However apparently Fletcher did create another series detective later, Ronald Camberwell, and I’d happily try one or two of those if I can get hold of them. Meantime, this one is recommended as well written, cleverly plotted and entertaining. 4½ stars for me, so rounded up.
NB I downloaded this one from wikisource. The formatting is very good.
February 4, 2017
Frank Spargo is a young journalist who has just finished his shift as dawn breaks across London and plans to make his way home for breakfast and a good, long sleep. As he passes Middle Temple Lane, home to various barristers and the like, he notices Driscoll, a policeman of his acquaintance, looking about him and signalling to another policeman nearby. Sensing a possible story he approaches Driscoll to find out what's up.
A porter has found the body of an elderly man on the steps leading to one of the chambers in the Middle Temple. Spargo hooks up with Detective Sergeant Rathbury who arrives to take charge of the case and they soon find that there is nothing at all on the man to identify him.The only lead is a piece of paper that had slipped into the lining of a pocket and which has the name and address of a young barrister, Ronald Breton. Spargo has recently made the barrister's acquaintance through a newspaper article. Breton, when questioned, claims no knowledge of the man but he becomes interested in the case and he, Spargo, and Rathbury work--sometimes in tandem and sometimes along separate lines--towards the solution.
I first read The Middle Temple Murder (1919) by J. S. Fletcher over twenty-five years ago (back before I did any sort of review on what I read) and when the library finally purged its copy and put it up for sale in its Friends of the Library Used Bookstore I snatched it up so I could own it and read it again. Fortunately, from the mystery-puzzle stand-point, I had very little memory of the story and was able to enjoy myself without knowing the solution beforehand. Fletcher provides us with a very nice early detective novel. His policeman is neither antagonistic towards the amateur detective work of Spargo nor is Rathbury incompetent (as so many fictional policemen are portrayed). Each of the men follow up the clues they find and pool their knowledge. If anyone keeps information up their sleeves, it's Spargo--all in the effort to get a big scoop.
This is a fast-moving story which follows our investigators from one adventure to the next, from one witness to another. There are several features that would become standard in mystery stories--mysterious man from the past killed for unknown reasons, wealthy man of business with mysterious background, the missing child--but here, because it is such an early example, they seem fresh. The main disappointment I have with the book is the denouement. The reveal of the culprit at the end comes much too quickly and with too little explanation. One can just see the motive for the murder, but Fletcher gives the wrap-up very little effort. It's as if he said--"Well, X did it. That's all you need to know." Other than the ending, this is a fine example of an early mystery story and, from what I read on the internet, one of Fletcher's better efforts. ★★★★ (I gave it five stars previously.)
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
A porter has found the body of an elderly man on the steps leading to one of the chambers in the Middle Temple. Spargo hooks up with Detective Sergeant Rathbury who arrives to take charge of the case and they soon find that there is nothing at all on the man to identify him.The only lead is a piece of paper that had slipped into the lining of a pocket and which has the name and address of a young barrister, Ronald Breton. Spargo has recently made the barrister's acquaintance through a newspaper article. Breton, when questioned, claims no knowledge of the man but he becomes interested in the case and he, Spargo, and Rathbury work--sometimes in tandem and sometimes along separate lines--towards the solution.
I first read The Middle Temple Murder (1919) by J. S. Fletcher over twenty-five years ago (back before I did any sort of review on what I read) and when the library finally purged its copy and put it up for sale in its Friends of the Library Used Bookstore I snatched it up so I could own it and read it again. Fortunately, from the mystery-puzzle stand-point, I had very little memory of the story and was able to enjoy myself without knowing the solution beforehand. Fletcher provides us with a very nice early detective novel. His policeman is neither antagonistic towards the amateur detective work of Spargo nor is Rathbury incompetent (as so many fictional policemen are portrayed). Each of the men follow up the clues they find and pool their knowledge. If anyone keeps information up their sleeves, it's Spargo--all in the effort to get a big scoop.
This is a fast-moving story which follows our investigators from one adventure to the next, from one witness to another. There are several features that would become standard in mystery stories--mysterious man from the past killed for unknown reasons, wealthy man of business with mysterious background, the missing child--but here, because it is such an early example, they seem fresh. The main disappointment I have with the book is the denouement. The reveal of the culprit at the end comes much too quickly and with too little explanation. One can just see the motive for the murder, but Fletcher gives the wrap-up very little effort. It's as if he said--"Well, X did it. That's all you need to know." Other than the ending, this is a fine example of an early mystery story and, from what I read on the internet, one of Fletcher's better efforts. ★★★★ (I gave it five stars previously.)
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
May 10, 2024
This was a lively story with some good twists. The dialogue style is a bit jerky and abrupt, and the behavior of a newspaper reporter and various police officers is implausible to say the least, but I enjoyed the puzzle.
Spargo works for one of the newer style of London newspaper (new at least in 1919, when the book was published)—not quite a tabloid but not above sensationalism or paying informants. When he happens across a murder, he drops his usual beat to unravel the mystery. For no apparent reason a bobby and even a Scotland Yard inspector play along with him, allowing him to accompany them to interviews, sharing leads, etc. The victim has no identification but his identity is at last tracked down, though that’s only the start of what Spargo has to unravel. I identified the perpetrator pretty much as soon as that person was introduced, but there were some satisfying misdirections along the way. One character seemed to exist only to provide crucial revelations, he was otherwise completely unmotivated.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed the rest of the characters and the situations. It was odd that a book published in 1919 would completely ignore the Great War and have so many young men apparently untouched by that conflict.
Spargo works for one of the newer style of London newspaper (new at least in 1919, when the book was published)—not quite a tabloid but not above sensationalism or paying informants. When he happens across a murder, he drops his usual beat to unravel the mystery. For no apparent reason a bobby and even a Scotland Yard inspector play along with him, allowing him to accompany them to interviews, sharing leads, etc. The victim has no identification but his identity is at last tracked down, though that’s only the start of what Spargo has to unravel. I identified the perpetrator pretty much as soon as that person was introduced, but there were some satisfying misdirections along the way. One character seemed to exist only to provide crucial revelations, he was otherwise completely unmotivated.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed the rest of the characters and the situations. It was odd that a book published in 1919 would completely ignore the Great War and have so many young men apparently untouched by that conflict.
May 17, 2024
This murder mystery was written in 1919, and obviously the ethics and regulations of both journalists and the law have changed since then, but this is still a strong mystery with plenty of twists and turns, and a couple of likeable protagonists.
Frank Spargo is a reporter who finds himself involved in a murder case when an elderly man is found dead in a lane in the Middle Temple. The man has been robbed of all his possessions but has the address of Ronald Breton, a barrister and friend of Spargo, in his pocket. As they try to find out who the man is and why he was killed, Spargo and Breton begin to uncover secrets from the past.
I enjoyed this a lot, although it was rather odd that the journalist conducted the investigation, much of it through columns in his newspaper, while just checking in with the police every now and then. Still, the story was a strong one and I was intrigued throughout, and the eventual climax is satisfying, if slightly far fetched.
Frank Spargo is a reporter who finds himself involved in a murder case when an elderly man is found dead in a lane in the Middle Temple. The man has been robbed of all his possessions but has the address of Ronald Breton, a barrister and friend of Spargo, in his pocket. As they try to find out who the man is and why he was killed, Spargo and Breton begin to uncover secrets from the past.
I enjoyed this a lot, although it was rather odd that the journalist conducted the investigation, much of it through columns in his newspaper, while just checking in with the police every now and then. Still, the story was a strong one and I was intrigued throughout, and the eventual climax is satisfying, if slightly far fetched.
April 27, 2024
رواية بوليسية كلاسيكية، تدور معظم أحداثها في لندن عام 1912م، ذات حبكة بوليسية من الطراز الرفيع، يتلاعب بك الكاتب رغم الأوراق المكشوفة، فكلما وصلت إلى تخمين لشخصية القاتل و دوافعه، يظهر قاتل محتمل جديد، الكل لديه دافع، الكل سهل تواجده مكان و زمان الجريمة، بل و توجد قبل كل هذا مرحلة أولية أهم، من هو الضحية؟ نعم، شخصية المجني عليه هي لغزٌ بحد ذاتها.
رغم أني في مرحلة ما شككت بطريقة صحيحة في شخصية الجاني، بل على الأرجح عرفت من هو تقريباً من الوهلة الأولى، إلا أن الكاتب إستطاع تشتيت انتباهي، و كيف لا و هو -كما علمت ببعض البحث- أحد الكتاب المشهورين في عصره بتميزه في العديد من أنواع الكتابة أحدها الروايات البوليسية؟
الرواية رائعة، الحبكة عبقرية، السرد سلس و سريع و ممتع، العصر التي تحدث فيه رائع و هو المفضل لدي، أرشحها لكل هواة قراءة الروايات البوليسية.
تقييمي 4.5⭐
رغم أني في مرحلة ما شككت بطريقة صحيحة في شخصية الجاني، بل على الأرجح عرفت من هو تقريباً من الوهلة الأولى، إلا أن الكاتب إستطاع تشتيت انتباهي، و كيف لا و هو -كما علمت ببعض البحث- أحد الكتاب المشهورين في عصره بتميزه في العديد من أنواع الكتابة أحدها الروايات البوليسية؟
الرواية رائعة، الحبكة عبقرية، السرد سلس و سريع و ممتع، العصر التي تحدث فيه رائع و هو المفضل لدي، أرشحها لكل هواة قراءة الروايات البوليسية.
تقييمي 4.5⭐
January 15, 2023
Some parts were really good, but some parts were hard to get into. Lots of people who changed their name to hide their past.
December 13, 2016
As the year-end drive to clean out my e-book pile continues, I came across this one that had mysteriously wormed its way into my possession. "Mysteriously" because, as a general rule, I don't like murder mysteries. I've read a couple and the twists and turns, happenstance, etc., just don't appeal to me. I can't get involved in any of the characters and end up feeling that I've lost hours of my life I can't recover simply to read about an imaginary person dying. So the fact that this one gets three stars from me (rather than the two or one I would normally give this genre) is telling.
The plot is a typical murder mystery. One night, Frank Spargo, a newspaper reporter, is alerted to the dead body of an unidentified man. Along with a detective from Scotland Yard, Spargo works to find out the man's identity and just why he was murdered. The tale takes a number of twists and turns, each one leading to characters who each seem to have opportunity and motive. And while the murder happened on one night, the real mystery and solution lies in the events of decades long past.
I nearly put this book down a couple times. As I said, I don't care for murder mysteries. But I kept on, slogging through the first two-thirds of the book before it really picked up and grabbed my attention. And while some things were easier to figure out, there were a couple surprises that made the resolution quite the reveal. As with most murders I do not feel "satisfied" with the ending of the book (it's hard for me to feel satisfied when someone has been murdered), and the very end of the book hit me out of left field, but I do have the sense of closure after hitting the words "The End."
If I were a lover of murder mysteries I would probably give this book four stars. The mystery unfolds smoothly and, mostly, realistically. And because it takes nearly all of the book to reach the same conclusion as Spargo, the reader isn't left flipping pages just to get to the end. Everything about the book is rather good except...except that there's no reason to get emotionally involved. Spargo is efficient but not likeable. In fact, none of the characters engender any sympathy. There are some you want to like, but you never know enough about them to really care. It's a lot like hearing a story on the news about an arrest for a murder that happened a thousand miles away. You say to yourself, "Good!" and then go one with your life.
If you like murder mysteries (and you don't even have to worry about the time period of this as it holds up fairly well despite the fact it was written almost a century ago!), you could do a lot worse than this one. Even if you just fancy a taste of a murder mystery that isn't as gory or violent or sexually charged as many are nowadays, this is a good read. In that vein, I can recommend this book. But if these types of tales leave you, like they do me, going "meh" at the end, go ahead and pass on this one.
The plot is a typical murder mystery. One night, Frank Spargo, a newspaper reporter, is alerted to the dead body of an unidentified man. Along with a detective from Scotland Yard, Spargo works to find out the man's identity and just why he was murdered. The tale takes a number of twists and turns, each one leading to characters who each seem to have opportunity and motive. And while the murder happened on one night, the real mystery and solution lies in the events of decades long past.
I nearly put this book down a couple times. As I said, I don't care for murder mysteries. But I kept on, slogging through the first two-thirds of the book before it really picked up and grabbed my attention. And while some things were easier to figure out, there were a couple surprises that made the resolution quite the reveal. As with most murders I do not feel "satisfied" with the ending of the book (it's hard for me to feel satisfied when someone has been murdered), and the very end of the book hit me out of left field, but I do have the sense of closure after hitting the words "The End."
If I were a lover of murder mysteries I would probably give this book four stars. The mystery unfolds smoothly and, mostly, realistically. And because it takes nearly all of the book to reach the same conclusion as Spargo, the reader isn't left flipping pages just to get to the end. Everything about the book is rather good except...except that there's no reason to get emotionally involved. Spargo is efficient but not likeable. In fact, none of the characters engender any sympathy. There are some you want to like, but you never know enough about them to really care. It's a lot like hearing a story on the news about an arrest for a murder that happened a thousand miles away. You say to yourself, "Good!" and then go one with your life.
If you like murder mysteries (and you don't even have to worry about the time period of this as it holds up fairly well despite the fact it was written almost a century ago!), you could do a lot worse than this one. Even if you just fancy a taste of a murder mystery that isn't as gory or violent or sexually charged as many are nowadays, this is a good read. In that vein, I can recommend this book. But if these types of tales leave you, like they do me, going "meh" at the end, go ahead and pass on this one.
June 26, 2015
from my Amazon review: What a great find here on Amazon. I only found it as a recommendation due to my taste profile, and the likelihood of ever seeing it at the library would be nil to none. Published 1919. No computerized data banks with information for detectives so all hands on deck to solve the mystery in this book. There were so many humorous accounts and descriptions in this book causing many interruptions of laughter on my part. The newsman takes train trip from London out to a very small town where he checks out the hotel bar where he has checked in, and he sees a surprisingly modern looking barmaid alone, working on her needlework who "looked at Spargo when he entered as Andromeda may have looked at Perseus when he made arrival at her rock." Their initial comments to each other covered how quiet the town was. "It makes you thankful to see a funeral go by here." I loved this book and will now look for more by this author. It is greatly entertaining.
February 18, 2013
A dead man is found on Middle Temple Lane and the one clue, a piece of paper with the address of a young lawyer on it, seems to have no connection to the death whatsoever...
This young lawyer however, and Spargo a journalist longing for a big story and an adventure, decide to solve the mystery...
This young lawyer however, and Spargo a journalist longing for a big story and an adventure, decide to solve the mystery...
July 9, 2016
Another intriguing murder mystery by J. S. Fletcher. Nice variety of characters, none of whom was overtly portrayed as a bad guy until late in the story. This time the police department worked hand in hand with a bright young journalist who was investigating the mystery for his newspaper.
First published in 1920, it's fun to see how different the detective work would have been done before computers and cell phones.
I listened to this novel as a free audio download from LibriVox.org. Some of the LibriVox books are entirely read by one author, and others, like this one, are read by different people each chapter, with some repeats. Since all of the readers donate their work for free, it is surprising how enjoyable almost all of the reading is! Some are very professional, while others are just like listening to your teacher, friend, or Mom reading to you; all very comforting. Some readers are American, others have interesting accents from all over the world. I especially enjoyed one of the readers in this book, an American, who, not having a British accent, gave a farmer from outside of London a rural American accent. I loved it.
First published in 1920, it's fun to see how different the detective work would have been done before computers and cell phones.
I listened to this novel as a free audio download from LibriVox.org. Some of the LibriVox books are entirely read by one author, and others, like this one, are read by different people each chapter, with some repeats. Since all of the readers donate their work for free, it is surprising how enjoyable almost all of the reading is! Some are very professional, while others are just like listening to your teacher, friend, or Mom reading to you; all very comforting. Some readers are American, others have interesting accents from all over the world. I especially enjoyed one of the readers in this book, an American, who, not having a British accent, gave a farmer from outside of London a rural American accent. I loved it.
September 6, 2012
I listened to the audiobook version of this at work. It was a really great story, full of twists and turns that I honestly didn't expect. It wasn't the usual murder mystery. It might not have been good enough to keep my attention if I had just been reading it, but as an audiobook to keep me entertained while working, it was a great find.
March 13, 2025
Fletcher was a journalist, which is probably why the journalist who is the hero of this story, and solves the case, is so exemplary. He's empathetic to people who could be hurt if he reveals everything he knows, and keeps some things out of his paper in consequence, though admittedly they are friends and a potential love interest.
The pacing worked well for me, and never bogged down in a lack of progress; the journalist and (less frequently) the police detective were constantly discovering new clues and facts that progressed towards a solution, and those facts revealed a complex and engaging story, involving fraud, false identities, theft, blackmail and murder.
I was engaged enough that I'm not even demoting it by one tier in my annual recommendation list for relying on coincidence for the plot to happen. The core cast of nine people turn out to have multiple connections to one another, a good many of them completely coincidental, and the murder itself is the result of at least three coincidences. But given that those coincidences happened, it does all make sense, and the process of unravelling it all was enjoyable.
The pacing worked well for me, and never bogged down in a lack of progress; the journalist and (less frequently) the police detective were constantly discovering new clues and facts that progressed towards a solution, and those facts revealed a complex and engaging story, involving fraud, false identities, theft, blackmail and murder.
I was engaged enough that I'm not even demoting it by one tier in my annual recommendation list for relying on coincidence for the plot to happen. The core cast of nine people turn out to have multiple connections to one another, a good many of them completely coincidental, and the murder itself is the result of at least three coincidences. But given that those coincidences happened, it does all make sense, and the process of unravelling it all was enjoyable.
April 1, 2024
Really liked this book. This begins with a newspaper editor going home from a nightshift at the paper, and meeting a police constable who informs him of a murder. Frank Spargo, the news man, accompanies the constable to look at the murdered man. It seems the murdered man had been robbed and there was nothing to identify him left on the body. The only clue is from a small scrap of paper, found in the lining of his coat, with the name and address of a young new barrister. It seems the unknown man had found an old acquaintance of his, who happened to be the future father-in-law of the new barrister. Spargo develops a relationship with the Scotland Yard detective who is in charge of the case, and the pair share whatever knowledge comes to light. It seems the victim had only recently entered the country from a long period of living in Australia.
The book really takes off from then with Spargo and the detective finding various clues, as to the identity and past of the victim.
A really enjoyable detective story with a superb ending
The book really takes off from then with Spargo and the detective finding various clues, as to the identity and past of the victim.
A really enjoyable detective story with a superb ending
April 12, 2020
For something so old this stands up to the modern world. A man is found murdered within the are of middle temple London. not quite first on the scene but a close second or third is Frank Sprago a journalist. The police are represented by a solid but somewhat unimaginative Rathbury. They agree to pool Resources to find the perpetrator. Whilst the police eventually pick on one man who has been economical wight he truth regarding his place in the events Sprago continues to investigate and uncovers a convoluted history. It is very easy to read and follow the workings of Sprago's mind. The characterisation is diverse and it remind me a little of The 39 Steps in its story telling.
I hadn't heard of the author before but he is quite prolific and I would definitely read more from him.
I hadn't heard of the author before but he is quite prolific and I would definitely read more from him.
August 23, 2022
Young London newspaper editor Frank Spargo happens upon a murder scene in the early morning hours walking home from his night shift newspaper job. He becomes involved both as a journalist and detective trying to solve the murder mystery. Working with the Scotland Yard investigator as they are starting from scratch as the victim initially is unidentified and the investigators will have to go back 20 years in order to learn the motive and who is responsible.
May 17, 2020
3 1/2 stars. A clever mystery with plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the end. The beginning is a bit slow, written in a wordy style that was common around the early 1900s, but it seemed to become more streamlined as the action picked up--or I was more caught up in the book and didn't notice the wordiness. Very enjoyable.
May 30, 2023
Good story
Although at times, I felt like this story was jumping all over the place, Spargo did finally make sense of it all and put it together for me, the reader. Made for a good story with plenty of twists and turns.
Although at times, I felt like this story was jumping all over the place, Spargo did finally make sense of it all and put it together for me, the reader. Made for a good story with plenty of twists and turns.
April 8, 2024
No great feat of detection, just prompt and dogged following-up of clues.
Old sins cast long shadows, and elephants can remember.
Old sins cast long shadows, and elephants can remember.
May 14, 2025
Easy read murder mystery set in London. The real crime was that shockingly rushed ending.
January 8, 2020
Interesting, quite old fashioned and not many women in it and those that were in it hardly said anything but it was an excellent mystery and honestly a wild ride!
April 30, 2024
A fine early mystery with intriguing characters, an intricate plot and investigation into the earlier lives of the victim and suspects. The Scotland Yard detective takes a back seat and allows the journalist free access to the investigation: not very realistic but makes for an interesting book. The young hero writes front page stories, solves the mystery and wins the hand of the fair maiden. I stayed up to finish the book, always a good sign.
July 30, 2012
When Spargo, the reporter for the Watchman, happens upon a man who has just found a dead body, he stumbles into a shocking story of murder and intrigue in the heart of the wealthy (and presumed safe) Middle Temple neighborhood. A few thoughts:
- Unlike a lot of mysteries from this era, the inspector at New Scotland Yard (Rathburn) is neither excessively antagonistic toward the reporter/detective nor is he excessively incompetent. Instead, he and Spargo work the case in tandem, sharing vital clues as they uncover them. Of course Spargo, our intrepid protagonist, gets out ahead of most everyone on the case.
- Also like many stories of the era, the connections between people grow fast and furious. In particular, the book seems concerned with changed identities and the hauntings of the past.
- My biggest complaint is how easy Spargo has it in his investigation. Each time he goes somewhere to look for something, as with the rural town where he goes to learn the history of an object he finds, the exact person or object he needs is there waiting for him. He also has a 100% success rate in seeding information in the paper and getting accurate results from it.
- The mystery itself holds up throughout the book, neither too obvious nor outrageous. Alas, like many such stories, the novel withholds the key piece of information until the end. Fortunately, the narrative wasn't contrived so that the hero uncovered the clue but hid it from us (as at the end of nearly every novel in the Hamish Macbeth series).
- I can't help but wonder if J.S. Fletcher inspired the writer who created Angela Lansbury's famous English teacher turned novelist, J.B. Fletcher. Seems likely!
The Librivox recording of this book is good, but not great. Some of the readers are excellent, while some stumble a bit or have mediocre sound quality. None of the accents was too overwhelming, but the multiple author format does take some getting used to.
Overall, a solid classic mystery. Enjoyable but not amazing.
- Unlike a lot of mysteries from this era, the inspector at New Scotland Yard (Rathburn) is neither excessively antagonistic toward the reporter/detective nor is he excessively incompetent. Instead, he and Spargo work the case in tandem, sharing vital clues as they uncover them. Of course Spargo, our intrepid protagonist, gets out ahead of most everyone on the case.
- Also like many stories of the era, the connections between people grow fast and furious. In particular, the book seems concerned with changed identities and the hauntings of the past.
- My biggest complaint is how easy Spargo has it in his investigation. Each time he goes somewhere to look for something, as with the rural town where he goes to learn the history of an object he finds, the exact person or object he needs is there waiting for him. He also has a 100% success rate in seeding information in the paper and getting accurate results from it.
- The mystery itself holds up throughout the book, neither too obvious nor outrageous. Alas, like many such stories, the novel withholds the key piece of information until the end. Fortunately, the narrative wasn't contrived so that the hero uncovered the clue but hid it from us (as at the end of nearly every novel in the Hamish Macbeth series).
- I can't help but wonder if J.S. Fletcher inspired the writer who created Angela Lansbury's famous English teacher turned novelist, J.B. Fletcher. Seems likely!
The Librivox recording of this book is good, but not great. Some of the readers are excellent, while some stumble a bit or have mediocre sound quality. None of the accents was too overwhelming, but the multiple author format does take some getting used to.
Overall, a solid classic mystery. Enjoyable but not amazing.
March 15, 2013
I think in some respects you've got to take this for what it is; because by today's standards this murder mystery is very tame and twee. But it was written in 1919 or so - it's kicking on 100 years - and there is something rather warm and comforting about it, like coming home. It's a wonderful melodrama style mystery, with lots of twists, sudden discoveries and good eggs and bad sorts.
It's the second of Fletcher's books I've read. Honestly I prefered the other, Scarhaven Keep, to this. Sometimes this felt just a little too contrived by how witnesses kept on coming forward, the police are quite happy for the journalist Spargo to come and see the post mortem, find out about all breaking evidence etc... Spargo, the hero, was a bit of a arrogant irritation to be honest - I don't think that was the intention, but I didn't take to him!
Mostly set in London, it's about an unidentified body found one morning in Middle Temple, and the growing mystery surrounding it as the clues gradually surface.
It's the second of Fletcher's books I've read. Honestly I prefered the other, Scarhaven Keep, to this. Sometimes this felt just a little too contrived by how witnesses kept on coming forward, the police are quite happy for the journalist Spargo to come and see the post mortem, find out about all breaking evidence etc... Spargo, the hero, was a bit of a arrogant irritation to be honest - I don't think that was the intention, but I didn't take to him!
Mostly set in London, it's about an unidentified body found one morning in Middle Temple, and the growing mystery surrounding it as the clues gradually surface.
August 1, 2016
What a great little classic audio read I found on books should be free web site. For those that enjoy a cozy mystery with as little romance as possible, this was excellent in that slot. NONE!!! Pure mystery, Pure cozy. This book proves you do not need sex, immature cussing, and characters acting foolish to make a good read. Oh my , I just recalled there was a drop of attraction between the protagonist and one of the two minor lead characters in the book and the book ended with them together, but was so slight it would make about 1/2 a page and the book was about 30 chapters. The action in this book is steady and the main plot does not deviate off course. A newspaper reporter becomes involved to get a big story and also out of curiosity and because he likes mysteries, to discover who killed a body found in Middle Temple.
March 12, 2013
Not a great classic but a pretty good story and I found it very enjoyable. He keeps the story going right up the rather abrupt ending. This is another that is quite difficult to review without giving the game away. The hero is a newspaper reporter rather than a police detective and he diligently follows up every lead. The usual wealthy tycoon type with an unknown past and beautiful daughters, much beloved by the impoverished heroes, scenario. I really liked the inquest scenes. Recommended to Golden Age fans but not quite in the Sayers/Marsh/Crofts league.
August 5, 2018
Fletcher lets me down again. This one is far better than the last I read by him (Dead Men's Money) in that at least the protagonist is not an utter moron, and for most of the read I was enjoying the story. But then it ends so abruptly...one piece of evidence, hardly conclusive, comes to light and suddenly a particular person is declared the murderer with no information about how that was proven or indeed how the crime was carried out. Was this guy able to make a living writing this stuff? 'Cause he could have used a few classes.
March 24, 2011
I think this is the best so fat that I have read of JS Fletchers mysteries. The usual formula from the Golden Age of Mystery books has been used to great effect with the reader kept on tenderhooks until the last few pages.
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