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Classic Tales of Mystery
Eleven classic whodunits starring master sleuths such as Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, and Father Brown.
A superstar lineup of detectives—including Sherlock Holmes, C. Auguste Dupin, and Hercule Poirot—headlines this elegant leather-bound edition of classic mystery stories. Short stories such as Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” and G. K. Chesterton’s “The Blue Cross” are ideal for a cozy evening by the fire, while novels like Agatha Christie’s The Murder on the Links and Jules Verne’s An Antarctic Mystery will keep you engrossed for days. The eleven works in this volume are preceded by a scholarly introduction that explores the origins of the genre, as well as the development of the modern mystery story and the contributions made by each author.
Works Included
Short
"The Murders in the Rue Morgue," Edgar Allan Poe
"The Adventure of the Creeping Man," Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
"The Blue Cross," G. K. Chesterton
"The Coin of Dionysius," Ernest Bramah
"The Anthropologist at Large," R. Austin Freeman
"The Most Dangerous Game," Richard Connell
The Murder on the Links , Agatha Christie
Whose Body? , Dorothy Sayers
The Thirty-nine Steps , John Buchan
An Antarctic Mystery , Jules Verne
Room 13 , Edgar Wallace
A superstar lineup of detectives—including Sherlock Holmes, C. Auguste Dupin, and Hercule Poirot—headlines this elegant leather-bound edition of classic mystery stories. Short stories such as Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” and G. K. Chesterton’s “The Blue Cross” are ideal for a cozy evening by the fire, while novels like Agatha Christie’s The Murder on the Links and Jules Verne’s An Antarctic Mystery will keep you engrossed for days. The eleven works in this volume are preceded by a scholarly introduction that explores the origins of the genre, as well as the development of the modern mystery story and the contributions made by each author.
Works Included
Short
"The Murders in the Rue Morgue," Edgar Allan Poe
"The Adventure of the Creeping Man," Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
"The Blue Cross," G. K. Chesterton
"The Coin of Dionysius," Ernest Bramah
"The Anthropologist at Large," R. Austin Freeman
"The Most Dangerous Game," Richard Connell
The Murder on the Links , Agatha Christie
Whose Body? , Dorothy Sayers
The Thirty-nine Steps , John Buchan
An Antarctic Mystery , Jules Verne
Room 13 , Edgar Wallace
784 pages, Leather Bound
First published April 14, 2020
87 people are currently reading
597 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
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August 14, 2023Not a big fan of anthologies but it was cool to see the different styles belonging to the literary geniuses of the mystery genre side by side
August 30, 2024
Ranking the boots
1.) The Blue Cross
2.) The Thirty-nine Steps
3.) Whose Body
4.) The Murder on the Links
5.) The Adventure of the Creeping Man
6.) The Coin of Dionysius
7.) The Anthropologist at Large
8.) The Murders on the Rue Morgue (sorry ed)
p.s. Thanks Charlotte !
1.) The Blue Cross
2.) The Thirty-nine Steps
3.) Whose Body
4.) The Murder on the Links
5.) The Adventure of the Creeping Man
6.) The Coin of Dionysius
7.) The Anthropologist at Large
8.) The Murders on the Rue Morgue (sorry ed)
p.s. Thanks Charlotte !
September 24, 2024
I am a little biased, maybe, since my wife bought this on our honeymoon and we've been slowly reading through it outloud for the last 2 years, but this is a great collection.
May 27, 2025
Anthologies can often be hit or miss for various reasons. This one in particular is a 2.5 out of 5 for me. Although I really like the author selection, I do believe that not all these works are a good representation of each author. I added my ratings for each work and a suggestion where I saw fit to do.
Short
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Murders in the Rue Morgue - Edgar Allan Poe
⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Adventure of the Creeping Man - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Blue Cross - G. K. Chesterton
⭐️⭐️ The Coin of Dionysius - Ernest Bramah
⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Anthropologist at Large - R. Austin Freeman
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Most Dangerous Game - Richard Connell
Novel
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Murder on the Links - Agatha Christie
⭐️ Whose Body? - Dorothy Sayers
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Thirty-nine Steps - John Buchan
⭐️⭐️⭐️ An Antarctic Mystery - Jules Verne
⭐️⭐️ Room 13 - Edgar Wallace
--- mild spoilers ahead ---
Short
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Murders in the Rue Morgue - Edgar Allan Poe
Published in 1841 and considered by many the first detective story. Dupin a Parisian detective has to solve the brutal murder of two women. While several witnesses heard a suspect, no one was able to clearly define the language and to add to the mystery the hair left at the crime scene as evidence isn't human. You can't go wrong with this short story by Poe as it is a really good pick for this anthology.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Adventure of the Creeping Man - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Quite an interesting story and much different from Arthur Conan Doyle's usual analytical Holmes stories. It is a science fiction story with a mystery twist. I do understand how this short story fits into this anthology but I don't think it properly represents Sherlock Holmes as the story deviates from the style found in almost all the other Holmes stories. A better pick would have been "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" or "The Hound of the Baskervilles".
⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Blue Cross - G. K. Chesterton
Father Brown, a detective, chases Hercule Flambeau, a master of disguise who may appear to be anyone. This is a good pick and I recommend reading more of the Father Brown stories. However, I think that "The Queer Feet" would have been an even better pick.
⭐️⭐️ The Coin of Dionysius - Ernest Bramah
A blind detective solving mysteries is definitely a rare occasion and as much as I wanted to like the story I just found the story to be too unbelievable.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Anthropologist at Large - R. Austin Freeman
--- WARNING --- This is probably the most racist story in this anthology
An extensive robbery has taken place and the only piece of evidence is a hat which our detective analyzes in a very Holmes like way to catch the culprit. Freeman is controversial and if his works had been published recently they would have faced a lot of backlash I'm sure. Racism apart, the story reads similar to Sherlock Holmes. Another pick could have been "The Singing Bone".
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Most Dangerous Game - Richard Connell
Sanger Rainsford, a hunter, travels by ship to the Amazon rainforest to hunt Jaguars. At night, he hears gun shots which makes him rush to the deck but in the darkness he accidentally falls overboard and has to swim to the closest island. On the island, he meets Zaroff, another hunter, who invites him to dinner. During the dinner, Zaroff explains to Rainsford that he has been hunting animals since he was a boy but that killing big game has become boring for him (oh boy). Zaroff reveals that he lures passing by ships in the hope to take survivors captive. He feeds them, clothes them and then releases them to hunt them for thrill. Rainsford has 3 days to escape from Zaroff and his hunting dogs. An excellent pick for this anthology.
Novel
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Murder on the Links - Agatha Christie
Poirot and Hastings travel to meet Paul Renauld, who has requested their help. When they arrive, Renauld was found dead, stabbed in the back with a knife and left in a newly dug grave adjacent to a local golf course. His wife, Eloise Renauld, claims masked men broke into the villa at 2 am, tied her up, and took her husband away with them. Agatha Christie is again another great pick and you could have picked so many of her novels without going wrong.
⭐️ Whose Body? - Dorothy Sayers
A unexpected dead body is found in the bath of Thipps London flat. Our detective, Lord Peter Wimsey, a nobleman, decides to privately investigate the case. At the same time, Reuben Levy, a financier, has disappeared which leads the investigators to assume that the dead body must be him. However, it quickly becomes clear that it is not him. Nearby is a teaching hospital and Wimsey believes this might have been a practical joke (a little extreme don't you think ?). Neurologist Freke quickly disproves this theory claiming that no subject was missing from his dissecting room. The night before a prostitute happened to meet by chance with Reuben Levy and reveals some important details to our detective. The story was rather boring and easy to decipher.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Thirty-nine Steps - John Buchan
Richard Hannay arrives in London after having made a modest fortune as a mining engineer. Scudder, a freelance journalist, knocks on his door claiming to have uncovered a plot against the Premier of Greece, Constantine Karolides in the hope that it will trigger war in Europe. Scudder faked his own death and tries to hide in Hannay's flat but is soon found and assassinated. Hannay fears that he will be arrested for murder. He escapes to the countryside where a cat-and-mouse chase ensues as he evades both the plotters and the police while at the same time trying to decipher Scudder's notes. Upon deciphering his notes, he discovers that the plotters are German spies and that they have a plan to cross the Channel back to Germany.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ An Antarctic Mystery - Jules Verne
Written as a continuation of Poe's "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket". After about 10 years, Jeorling, a wealthy American who studies wild life on the Kerguelen Islands, travels aboard the Halbrane with captain Len Guy to Tristan da Cunha. Midway, they meet a stray iceberg with a dead body of a sailor from Jane with a note saying that he and several others including Jane's captain William Guy had survived the assassination attempt at Tsalal and are still alive. Captain Len Guy reveals that he is the brother of William Guy. After taking on provisions on Tristan da Cunha and the Falklands, they head South and a long rescue mission starts. The first half of the story is rather boring as very little happens and everything is a build up.
⭐️⭐️ Room 13 - Edgar Wallace
Johnny Gray has been framed and sentenced to prison. As his term of imprisonment drew closer to its end he receives a letter from Peter Kane, his mentor, letting him know that his love, Marney Kane was to marry another man. A few days later his early release has been granted. Now that he is free he seeks revenge from Jeff Legge, the mysterious man who framed and handed him over to the authorities. Johnny quickly discovers that Legge wasn't just an ordinary crook but a big player who forges counterfeit banknotes eluding the police for years. It turns out that he deceived Peter Kane and his daughter Marney Kane by pretending to be another man and marrying Marney.
Closing thoughts
If I had to make changes to this anthology, I would swap the works I mentioned. I would have also eliminated "Whose Body ?" entirely and probably added "Arsène Lupin" by Maurice Leblanc as I believe it would have fitted perfectly in this anthology.
Short
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Murders in the Rue Morgue - Edgar Allan Poe
⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Adventure of the Creeping Man - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Blue Cross - G. K. Chesterton
⭐️⭐️ The Coin of Dionysius - Ernest Bramah
⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Anthropologist at Large - R. Austin Freeman
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Most Dangerous Game - Richard Connell
Novel
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Murder on the Links - Agatha Christie
⭐️ Whose Body? - Dorothy Sayers
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Thirty-nine Steps - John Buchan
⭐️⭐️⭐️ An Antarctic Mystery - Jules Verne
⭐️⭐️ Room 13 - Edgar Wallace
--- mild spoilers ahead ---
Short
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Murders in the Rue Morgue - Edgar Allan Poe
Published in 1841 and considered by many the first detective story. Dupin a Parisian detective has to solve the brutal murder of two women. While several witnesses heard a suspect, no one was able to clearly define the language and to add to the mystery the hair left at the crime scene as evidence isn't human. You can't go wrong with this short story by Poe as it is a really good pick for this anthology.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Adventure of the Creeping Man - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Quite an interesting story and much different from Arthur Conan Doyle's usual analytical Holmes stories. It is a science fiction story with a mystery twist. I do understand how this short story fits into this anthology but I don't think it properly represents Sherlock Holmes as the story deviates from the style found in almost all the other Holmes stories. A better pick would have been "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" or "The Hound of the Baskervilles".
⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Blue Cross - G. K. Chesterton
Father Brown, a detective, chases Hercule Flambeau, a master of disguise who may appear to be anyone. This is a good pick and I recommend reading more of the Father Brown stories. However, I think that "The Queer Feet" would have been an even better pick.
⭐️⭐️ The Coin of Dionysius - Ernest Bramah
A blind detective solving mysteries is definitely a rare occasion and as much as I wanted to like the story I just found the story to be too unbelievable.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Anthropologist at Large - R. Austin Freeman
--- WARNING --- This is probably the most racist story in this anthology
An extensive robbery has taken place and the only piece of evidence is a hat which our detective analyzes in a very Holmes like way to catch the culprit. Freeman is controversial and if his works had been published recently they would have faced a lot of backlash I'm sure. Racism apart, the story reads similar to Sherlock Holmes. Another pick could have been "The Singing Bone".
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Most Dangerous Game - Richard Connell
Sanger Rainsford, a hunter, travels by ship to the Amazon rainforest to hunt Jaguars. At night, he hears gun shots which makes him rush to the deck but in the darkness he accidentally falls overboard and has to swim to the closest island. On the island, he meets Zaroff, another hunter, who invites him to dinner. During the dinner, Zaroff explains to Rainsford that he has been hunting animals since he was a boy but that killing big game has become boring for him (oh boy). Zaroff reveals that he lures passing by ships in the hope to take survivors captive. He feeds them, clothes them and then releases them to hunt them for thrill. Rainsford has 3 days to escape from Zaroff and his hunting dogs. An excellent pick for this anthology.
Novel
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Murder on the Links - Agatha Christie
Poirot and Hastings travel to meet Paul Renauld, who has requested their help. When they arrive, Renauld was found dead, stabbed in the back with a knife and left in a newly dug grave adjacent to a local golf course. His wife, Eloise Renauld, claims masked men broke into the villa at 2 am, tied her up, and took her husband away with them. Agatha Christie is again another great pick and you could have picked so many of her novels without going wrong.
⭐️ Whose Body? - Dorothy Sayers
A unexpected dead body is found in the bath of Thipps London flat. Our detective, Lord Peter Wimsey, a nobleman, decides to privately investigate the case. At the same time, Reuben Levy, a financier, has disappeared which leads the investigators to assume that the dead body must be him. However, it quickly becomes clear that it is not him. Nearby is a teaching hospital and Wimsey believes this might have been a practical joke (a little extreme don't you think ?). Neurologist Freke quickly disproves this theory claiming that no subject was missing from his dissecting room. The night before a prostitute happened to meet by chance with Reuben Levy and reveals some important details to our detective. The story was rather boring and easy to decipher.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Thirty-nine Steps - John Buchan
Richard Hannay arrives in London after having made a modest fortune as a mining engineer. Scudder, a freelance journalist, knocks on his door claiming to have uncovered a plot against the Premier of Greece, Constantine Karolides in the hope that it will trigger war in Europe. Scudder faked his own death and tries to hide in Hannay's flat but is soon found and assassinated. Hannay fears that he will be arrested for murder. He escapes to the countryside where a cat-and-mouse chase ensues as he evades both the plotters and the police while at the same time trying to decipher Scudder's notes. Upon deciphering his notes, he discovers that the plotters are German spies and that they have a plan to cross the Channel back to Germany.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ An Antarctic Mystery - Jules Verne
Written as a continuation of Poe's "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket". After about 10 years, Jeorling, a wealthy American who studies wild life on the Kerguelen Islands, travels aboard the Halbrane with captain Len Guy to Tristan da Cunha. Midway, they meet a stray iceberg with a dead body of a sailor from Jane with a note saying that he and several others including Jane's captain William Guy had survived the assassination attempt at Tsalal and are still alive. Captain Len Guy reveals that he is the brother of William Guy. After taking on provisions on Tristan da Cunha and the Falklands, they head South and a long rescue mission starts. The first half of the story is rather boring as very little happens and everything is a build up.
⭐️⭐️ Room 13 - Edgar Wallace
Johnny Gray has been framed and sentenced to prison. As his term of imprisonment drew closer to its end he receives a letter from Peter Kane, his mentor, letting him know that his love, Marney Kane was to marry another man. A few days later his early release has been granted. Now that he is free he seeks revenge from Jeff Legge, the mysterious man who framed and handed him over to the authorities. Johnny quickly discovers that Legge wasn't just an ordinary crook but a big player who forges counterfeit banknotes eluding the police for years. It turns out that he deceived Peter Kane and his daughter Marney Kane by pretending to be another man and marrying Marney.
Closing thoughts
If I had to make changes to this anthology, I would swap the works I mentioned. I would have also eliminated "Whose Body ?" entirely and probably added "Arsène Lupin" by Maurice Leblanc as I believe it would have fitted perfectly in this anthology.
Read
June 12, 2023Some are hit, some are miss, and not bad but took me more time for some stories because they were kinda boring. The Pior one and the Sherlock one were the best!
April 23, 2022
Contains about five stories worth reading. "Murder on the Links" by far remains my favorite, followed by "The Blue Cross", "Most Dangerous Game", "Murder in the Rue Morgue" and "An Antarctic Mystery".
The other stories range from forgettable to downright terrible (I'm looking at you "Room 13" and "Whose Body"...)
The other stories range from forgettable to downright terrible (I'm looking at you "Room 13" and "Whose Body"...)
August 30, 2022
Most of them were good but some of them were wild racist
January 2, 2023
As with most collections some stories were great whilst others were decidedly average. But there is certainly something for everyone.
April 20, 2025
An excellent selection, I especially enjoyed the 39 Steps.
Want to read
August 31, 2024Table of Contents (Leatherbound)
The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe
The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie
Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers
The Adventure of the Creeping Man by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Blue Cross by G.K. Chesterton
The Coin of Dionysius by Ernest Bramah
The Anthropologist at Large by R. Austin Freeman
The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan
The Antarctic Mystery by Jules Verne
The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell
Room 13 by Edgar Wallace
The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe
The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie
Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers
The Adventure of the Creeping Man by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Blue Cross by G.K. Chesterton
The Coin of Dionysius by Ernest Bramah
The Anthropologist at Large by R. Austin Freeman
The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan
The Antarctic Mystery by Jules Verne
The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell
Room 13 by Edgar Wallace
May 30, 2022
Some great stories are overshadowed by incredibly mediocre ones. Poirot shines as always, but this has probably the worst Sherlock Holmes story out there. Whose Body? was fantastically charming but countered by the frankly boring Thirty-Nine Steps. All in all the charms of this book probably juuuust about outweigh the negatives.
October 29, 2024
Some dandies here!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews