The Mazaroff Murder

by J.S. Fletcher

• ‘No living story-teller handles a mysterious crime more cleverly than J.S. Fletcher’ THE TIMES. • First republication in the USA for almost a century. • J.S. Fletcher was a best-selling detective story novelist of the ‘Golden Age of Crime’. • By the author of THE MIDDLE TEMPLE MURDER, 134 Amazon.com reviews, averaging 4.5 stars. Whilst touring the North of England in a chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce, Salim Mazaroff and Mervyn Holt depart from the Great North Road at Marrasdale Moor and reach a solitary inn. Mazaroff mysteriously disappears while walking the moors alone. His dead body is discovered in Reiver’s Den. Was it an accident, or was it murder? Where is the victim’s money, rings and tie-pin? Who killed Salim Mazaroff? ABOUT THE AUTHOR Joseph Smith Fletcher was a highly successful English novelist of the early twentieth-century and Yorkshire’s most prolific author. An almost exact contemporary of Arthur Conan Doyle, he went on to become one of the leading exponents of crime-writing’s ‘Golden Age’. Among the characters he created were the clerical detective Reverend Francis Leggatt, vicar of Meddersly, the young newspaperman detective Frank Spargo and most famously of all, Ronald Camberwell, private investigator, who stared in an eleven book series. He rose top prominence for his crime novel THE MIDDLE TEMPLE MURDER (‘One of the most enjoyable crime novels of its period… skilfully constructed’ MARTIN EDWARDS) and due to President Woodrow Wilson’s publicly-proclaimed admiration for his work. A native Yorkshireman, he also wrote extensively on the history and landscape of the northern England county, work for which he was made Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. His regional writing led him to being called ‘the Yorkshire Hardy’. He died in 1935. PRAISE FOR J.S. FLETCHER ‘No living story-teller handles a mysterious crime more cleverly than J.S. Fletcher’ THE TIMES ‘My favourite mystery writer’ PRESIDENT WOODROW WILSON ‘J.S. Fletcher is one of the cleverest spinners of a detective yarn’ THE SCOTSMAN ‘J. S. Fletcher’s unravelling of a murder plot keeps the reader guessing all the time’ EVENING STANDARD

Genres: Mystery

234 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1923

About the author

Joseph 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 .

Reviews

[Anissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one. It caught my eye as the cover is much like the British Library Crime Classics reissues (that series introduced me to J.S. Fletcher).

Oddly enough, I have this under two titles, The Mazaroff Mystery and The Mazaroff Murder . I apparently bought a copy of each from Amazon Kindle overtime & didn't realize it's the same book. They aren't linked here on Goodreads either.

I won't give major spoilers about the murder of Mazaroff but it was a great puzzle and I enjoyed following along and trying to work it out. An assumed identity, diamonds, a fortune to be claimed, a good number of possible motives and suspects and questions that span continents all helped this to be a very good yarn. Holt, the narrator was very well done and I enjoyed his recitation of the case. I found his insta-love with Sheila to be thin but I understood the purpose of it in the plot. The additional characters were well done and so was the setting. Overall, this was well done.

Also, I feel I should mention that there is an instance in the book, in the final chapter of the n-word. It mars an otherwise fun mystery & reminds once again how casually racism was woven into so much. It has never been okay, no matter the times (because the people it's been used against always had feelings and worth and were due respect and dignity) but I'm glad this work hasn't been sanitized (it's in both titled versions). It should stand as a detraction of an otherwise fine work.

[Anissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one. It caught my eye as the cover is much like the British Library Crime Classics reissues (that series introduced me to J.S. Fletcher).

Oddly enough, I have this under two titles, The Mazaroff Mystery and The Mazaroff Murder . I apparently bought a copy of each from Amazon Kindle overtime & didn't realize it's the same book. They aren't linked here on Goodreads either.

I won't give major spoilers about the murder of Mazaroff but it was a great puzzle and I enjoyed following along and trying to work it out. An assumed identity, diamonds, a fortune to be claimed, a good number of possible motives and suspects and questions that span continents all helped this to be a very good yarn. Holt, the narrator was very well done and I enjoyed his recitation of the case. I found his insta-love with Sheila to be thin but I understood the purpose of it in the plot. The additional characters were well done and so was the setting. Overall, this was well done.

Also, I feel I should mention that there is an instance in the book, in the final chapter of the n-word. It mars an otherwise fun mystery & reminds once again how casually racism was woven into so much. It has never been okay, no matter the times (because the people it's been used against always had feelings and worth and were due respect and dignity) but I'm glad this work hasn't been sanitized (it's in both titled versions). It should stand as a detraction of otherwise a fine work.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me this was rather tepid. When a mysterious rich man from the colonies turns up in London and hires a personable Oxford - educated ex-soldier as a highly remunerated companion for a jaunt by Rolls Royce around England, and gives him a five hundred pound note for his birthday, one's expectations are raised high.

However, all that arises is a moorland murder and some low key investigation which digs up family secrets, a surprising will and a bit of diamond dealing.

The plot was totally devoid of thrills,and, while the whodunnit was a tad unexpected and completely unclued, there were plenty of trails leading nowhere.

I was underwhelmed. Towards the end I suspected a huge twist which would really have lifted the solution out of the mundane, but it did not materialise.

Not JS Fletcher in inspired mode.

Barely 3 stars.

[Pamela Mclaren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mervyn Holt, a recent war veteran looking over what his future looks like, sees an advertisement about becoming a companion to an older man traveling across the country. Holt meets up with Salim Mazaroff and the two hit it off, come to terms and agree to travel together.

The two men get along well and visit several areas and eventually, land in one area that Mazaroff specifically wanted to go to, and eventually tells Holt why. The revelation is shocking but it adds a spin to the rest of the story as shortly afterward, Mazaroff decides to take a walk after dinner, and disappears. A search is begun and eventually the police in the form of Sgt. Manners.

Needless to say, his body is found two days later. Mazaroff has been murdered. Enter Lincoln Crole, Mazaroff's solicitor and Frank Maythorne, a private enquiry agent, and these three men set out to ferret out the clues to the dead man's death. Why was he killed is the question that is uppermost — was it simple robbery — after all, Mazaroff seemed to almost flaunt his ready wealth — or could it be something from his past?

I found the tale engrossing with plenty of suspects and reasons for the murder. Characters were well drawn, the process clear and my interest was maintained throughout. There are plenty of reasons and viable suspects who could have killed this man with lots of secrets, but which one was it that resulted in the crime? Good story, well written and lots of twists. The ending is solid and logical but I do have to admit, I was a bit disappointed.

[Leila Mota · Rating 3 out of 5]

Outro livro da coleção da British Library, que reedita histórias de autores dedicados ao gênero do crime e investigação no estilo Agatha Christie, porém não tão famosos nos dias atuais. Excelente ideia, por sinal, ainda mais para quem já leu e releu todos os livros de Christie e é aficionado do gênero. Gostei da história, embora não tanto como de outros da mesma coleção. Recentemente li sobre uma característica (na qual nunca tinha prestado atenção) do gênero e época, que consistia em os autores irem dando "dicas" ao longo do texto, para dar a chance ao leitor de descobrir o responsável pelo crime. Considerava-se como uma espécie de regra, embora houvesse quem não desse a mínima para isso. Aliás, vou até tentar observar se isso ocorre, mesmo a estatística me sendo até o momento quase que totalmente desfavorável (raríssimo eu conseguir descobrir quem foi até o finalzinho). Então, depois de algumas voltas e reviravoltas, só posso dizer que o final foi um tanto surpreendente. Não que isso tenha me deixado insatisfeita. O que me incomodou mais foi a amarração desse final, sobre a qual não vou falar nada, para não arruinar a experiência de quem se dispuser a ler o livro.

[Lawrence Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad. Fletcher is very at home using a Yorkshire moors setting, the place where he grew up, and where many of his best novels are set. You'll notice that the crime detection procedures are pretty ad hoc by today's standards. The main characters trudge around as an ensemble -- police, witnesses, associates, even villains -- sharing and exploring information without discretion. While this makes it easy for the author in the telling of the story, it does require a hefty suspension of disbelief on the part of today's reader. No mind -- the characters are great, the moors landscape and London streets (the second theatre of action) are great, and the sense of "period" (circa 1919-20) intriguing. Like one of his contemporaries, Patricia Wentworth, Fletcher crosses the murder mystery with the romance novel, so things are never completely black.

[Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

An OK British mystery. It has the set-up of a good yarn : a mysterious man, returned to England after having made his fortune abroad. A younger man, veteran of the Great War, casting about for something to do in peacetime. Priceless diamonds. Desolate moors. A pretty young girl. A possible case of bigamy. But the ending does not make too much sense and seems tacked-on, as if the author forgot to weave a sufficient motive and backstory for the villain into this otherwise choc-full tapestry of connections and red herrings.

[John Keeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful Book

This is the second book I have read by this author. He is an author I was not familiar with and so glad to have discovered, thanks to Amazon. And thanks to the publisher who has been reprinting his works. The plot is so interesting and the characters are so well crafted. I was sure I knew who the murderer was but, not surprisingly, I was totally wrong. If you are not familiar with this author and really enjoy a well written mystery I strongly urge you to check these out. I certainly plan to read everything this author has written.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

A 1923 vintage British murder mystery.

September, 1919 and WWI British officer army veteran Mervyn Holt, is hired by wealthy eccentric diamond merchant, Salim Mazaroff (recently returned from South Africa), as his paid companion on a self guided motor tour of Northern England. Traveling northward their trip is interrupted when Mazaroff is found murdered on Marrasdale Moor an area he was raised in. Was this really a case of opportunistic robbery with violence or could the answer lie in the dead man's mysterious past? It is up to Holt to discover the truth.

[Jack S Parker Jr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Formulaic Fletcher

I read Mazaroff Murder because it was on Amazon for .99 and wasn't in my Fletcher collection. Definitely Fletcher following his usual mystery rubric: mysterious stranger, called hero, lovely damsel and of course murder. Does every Fletcher have a corpse or other evidence discovery in a broker's storage bin? Anyway couldn't put it down -- thoroughly enjoyed. Very much like the unusual and now archaic word usages.

[Linda Dotson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What's not to like about this book!

Many mysteries have sporadically held my interest. This book had me enthralled throughout! The writing is too drawer - weaving a fascinating tale and developing characters of genuine substance.

[Beth Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing

Way too long. But interesting plot. I’ll recommend. Good ending made me smile and I’ll others by the same author.

[Tina Benagh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too many complications

Typical Fletcher layer after layer with neat solutions clearing away the suspicions he just built. This needs five more words.

[Mindy Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

A winner

J. S. Fletcher is one of those top notch writers you can't go wrong with when you're looking for a good traditional detective mystery.

[Erik · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid mystery, though nothing spectacular. A bit meandering at times though with a surprise ending.

[sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

read because my coworker gave me a copy of this book printed in 1924(!), had fun but nothing crazy

[K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought this book was pretty fun until the end. The culprits are completely unexpected, because the author's choice of culprits makes no sense and totally ruined it for me.

[Jeff Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mervyn Holt joins friend/employee diamond merchant Salim Mazaroff on a journey to York. When Mazaroff is found dead in Marrasdale Moor his valuables including a rare blue diamond has been stolen. Holt soon discovers that Mazaroff real name is Mosgrave and he had unwittingly fallen for his daughter Sheila, Marrasdale Manor and her mother Jean had re-married and now known as Elphinstone. I found "The Mazaroff Mystery" an overly complicated drama in which numerous characters appear from nowhere and who's role often remained unclear. Not a book for some light reading.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A real golden-age yarn replete with country houses, moors, diamonds, a mysterious visitor from the Empire, servants galore and an engaging plot.

Good fun, in a Sunday matinée sort of way, with lots of twists, turns and red herrings.

[NR COLBURN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clever yarn

Well written plenty of red herrings,easy to read,very enjoyable.the characters are extremely well drawn it keeps on making you turn the pages.