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A.B.C. Solves Five
‘The stories have an engaging cosmopolitan flavour’ Martin Edwards‘A really ingenious method of homicide’ The GuardianSelected by Martin Edwards as one of the hundred classic crime novels in The Story of Classic Crime in 100 BooksThis 2025 Spitfire Publishers ebook and paperback edition represent the first republication of this classic of the ‘Golden Age of Crime’ in almost a century
At one of Berlin’s smartest hotels on Unter den Linden, distinguished scientist-sleuth A.B.C. Hawkes and his friend and confidant, Johnstone, are preparing to explore the Mitte district when a Miss Lal pleads for an audience. Her father, a biologist, strict Hindu and former colleague of ‘A.B.C.’, has just died. The German police say natural causes, but Miss Lal is certain her father has been murdered. Can A.B.C. resolve the conflicting evidence? Will the red-headed eccentric crack the case using his mobile laboratory? Or did Mohan Lal actually die a natural death? A.B.C. Solves Five is the first of A.B.C. Hawkes casebooks and includes five curious, gruesome and ingenious crimes which A.B.C. investigates through minute, scientific detection.
About the Author
Born Carl Erich Bechhöfer in London, but of German heritage, C.E. Bechhofer Roberts was a writer, barrister and expert on revolutionary Russia. He used a variety of names across his varied career and would add Roberts to his surname and drop the umlaut from Bechhofer. He practised at the Bar as ‘F.E. Smith’ and adopted the pen-name, ‘Ephesian’ for his six crime novels. Four of these he co-wrote with prolific writer of detective stories, George Goodchild. He also wrote non-fiction and plays. Nurse Cavell, A Play in Three Acts was co-written with C.S. Forester. His one crime-series character was the cosmopolitan scientist-sleuth, A.B.C. Hawkes. ‘A.B.C.’ was independently wealthy and in possession of a country house in Sussex, a pied-à-terre in Mayfair and a laboratory on his private yacht, Daedalus. Alongside his sidekick, Johnstone, A.B.C. appeared in three books in the 1930s, a standalone novel, A.B.C.’s Test Case and in two casebook collections, A.B.C. Solves Five and A.B.C. Investigates. C.E. Bechhofer Roberts died in 1949.
Praise for C.E. Bechhofer Roberts
A.B.C. Solves Five
‘The stories have an engaging cosmopolitan flavour’ Martin Edwards
Selected by Martin Edwards as one of the hundred classic crime novels in The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books
A.B.C.’s Test Case
‘A really ingenious method of homicide’ The Guardian
The Jury Disagree (with George Goodchild)
‘A brilliant tour de force… an extremely ingenious dénouement’ Compton Mackenzie
The Dear Old Gentleman (with George Goodchild)
‘A work of genius’ The Observer
‘A story of absorbing interest’ New York Times
We Shot an A Detective Story (with George Goodchild)
‘When two clever pens like George Goodchild and C.E. Bechhofer Roberts come together in a story we expect something unusual’ The Daily Telegraph
‘George Goodchild and C.E.
At one of Berlin’s smartest hotels on Unter den Linden, distinguished scientist-sleuth A.B.C. Hawkes and his friend and confidant, Johnstone, are preparing to explore the Mitte district when a Miss Lal pleads for an audience. Her father, a biologist, strict Hindu and former colleague of ‘A.B.C.’, has just died. The German police say natural causes, but Miss Lal is certain her father has been murdered. Can A.B.C. resolve the conflicting evidence? Will the red-headed eccentric crack the case using his mobile laboratory? Or did Mohan Lal actually die a natural death? A.B.C. Solves Five is the first of A.B.C. Hawkes casebooks and includes five curious, gruesome and ingenious crimes which A.B.C. investigates through minute, scientific detection.
About the Author
Born Carl Erich Bechhöfer in London, but of German heritage, C.E. Bechhofer Roberts was a writer, barrister and expert on revolutionary Russia. He used a variety of names across his varied career and would add Roberts to his surname and drop the umlaut from Bechhofer. He practised at the Bar as ‘F.E. Smith’ and adopted the pen-name, ‘Ephesian’ for his six crime novels. Four of these he co-wrote with prolific writer of detective stories, George Goodchild. He also wrote non-fiction and plays. Nurse Cavell, A Play in Three Acts was co-written with C.S. Forester. His one crime-series character was the cosmopolitan scientist-sleuth, A.B.C. Hawkes. ‘A.B.C.’ was independently wealthy and in possession of a country house in Sussex, a pied-à-terre in Mayfair and a laboratory on his private yacht, Daedalus. Alongside his sidekick, Johnstone, A.B.C. appeared in three books in the 1930s, a standalone novel, A.B.C.’s Test Case and in two casebook collections, A.B.C. Solves Five and A.B.C. Investigates. C.E. Bechhofer Roberts died in 1949.
Praise for C.E. Bechhofer Roberts
A.B.C. Solves Five
‘The stories have an engaging cosmopolitan flavour’ Martin Edwards
Selected by Martin Edwards as one of the hundred classic crime novels in The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books
A.B.C.’s Test Case
‘A really ingenious method of homicide’ The Guardian
The Jury Disagree (with George Goodchild)
‘A brilliant tour de force… an extremely ingenious dénouement’ Compton Mackenzie
The Dear Old Gentleman (with George Goodchild)
‘A work of genius’ The Observer
‘A story of absorbing interest’ New York Times
We Shot an A Detective Story (with George Goodchild)
‘When two clever pens like George Goodchild and C.E. Bechhofer Roberts come together in a story we expect something unusual’ The Daily Telegraph
‘George Goodchild and C.E.
- GenresMystery
Paperback
Published January 1, 1937
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June 1, 2025Synopsis: we find scientist sleuth A.B.C. Hawkes with his sidekick Johnstone facing five different crimes in this casebook.
July 7, 2018
This is 1 of 100 books used by Martin Edwards in his forth coming book - The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books - that show the development of the crime novel between 1901 - 1950 . I had never heard of C.E. Bechhofer Roberts and have never come across any of his short stories in any crime/detective anthology. The book is a paperback (with 2 artistic illustrations) published by Hodder & Stoughton in 1937 as part of their New at Ninepence illustrated Thrillers - obtaining a copy of this book is difficult as I doubt if it was ever reprinted and paperbacks seldom fair well over time and tend to be disguarded. There are 5 untitled short stories in the book (perhaps why they are not anthologised). The main protagonist is ABC Hawkes a scientific man with a home in Mayfair, country house in Sussex, Laboratory in Cambridge as well as a mobile Lab. on his large private yacht. He is assisted by Johnstone (surname? - his first name is not given) who like Watson narrates the stories. This couple (who may be bachelors or gay) always seem to be in each others company - the reason for this is never explained - Johnstone refers to the country home as "our place in the country" and ABC says on page 72 "Johnstone, sweet companion of my travels, permit me ...." as well as "...., much as I value your company, I fear I must temporarily deprive myself of it. If you love me, Johnstone, you'll make no demur ...." from page 90 & 91. Stories Part IV & V both have female characters that are masculine in facial features and dress sense - Lady Janet & Bunty Sykes. The stories themselves are somewhat like a lesser scientific version of a Thorndyke (Austin Freeman) short story - all but Part IV are murder related stories. They are written in a fluid and easy to comprehend manner - although the characters are somewhat wooden and even the reoccurring characters of ABC & Johnstone are not really fleshed out. ABC Hawkes however is like Sherlock but on a grander scale - he is a well recognised scientific figure (even by ordinary folk that live in other countries!) - he is fluent in several European languages and can see the solutions to any given problem relatively quickly - sometimes without giving any real explanation for his solution. I found the first four stories to be enjoyable (but not memorable) and they would quite easily fit into a British Library Crime Classic series anthologies - however story Part V is very weak and unbelievable - perhaps this was the final story for ABC (the name obviously didn't help as it doesn't role off the tongue). I would give the book nearly 7 out 10 (however Part 5 only scores 4 out of 10).
Part 1 (Set in Berlin about a Hindu Scientist's murder)
Part 2 (Set in Seville - set around Bull Fighting)
Part 3 (Set in Sussex - rich Colonel Uncle)
Part 4 (Set initially in Constantinople then in the Trans-Caucasus area - mad Russians Scientists!)
Part 5 (Set in the London Theatreland)
Part 1 (Set in Berlin about a Hindu Scientist's murder)
Part 2 (Set in Seville - set around Bull Fighting)
Part 3 (Set in Sussex - rich Colonel Uncle)
Part 4 (Set initially in Constantinople then in the Trans-Caucasus area - mad Russians Scientists!)
Part 5 (Set in the London Theatreland)
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews