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False Scent: A British Murder Mystery
Stevenege, of the Scotland Yard Criminal Investigation Department, has just finisched a strenuous case and is taking a well-earned holiday in the historic little town of Alanschester, in Yorkshire, to pursue his favourite hobby of painiting.
Miss Lansale watches him sketching one morning and offers to show him some interesting spots not generally known to the tourist. As they are walking throught a wood they come across the body of a murdered man.
The police are summoned. It is discovered, too, that the famous Alanschester siege coins, for which an American millionaire has offered a large sum, have disappeared from the local museum.
Was the murdered man the thief, and who murdered him?
Stevenege is forced to lay down his brush and palette to solve the mystery.
From J. S. Fletcher, one of the leading writers of detective fiction in the Golden Age, a compelling mystery story rich in plot twists. An evergreen classic worth rediscovering.
Miss Lansale watches him sketching one morning and offers to show him some interesting spots not generally known to the tourist. As they are walking throught a wood they come across the body of a murdered man.
The police are summoned. It is discovered, too, that the famous Alanschester siege coins, for which an American millionaire has offered a large sum, have disappeared from the local museum.
Was the murdered man the thief, and who murdered him?
Stevenege is forced to lay down his brush and palette to solve the mystery.
From J. S. Fletcher, one of the leading writers of detective fiction in the Golden Age, a compelling mystery story rich in plot twists. An evergreen classic worth rediscovering.
Kindle Edition
First published November 19, 2013
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11 people want to read
About the author
J.S. Fletcher
544 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 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 19, 2023
This could be a 3.5 book, but it does have a few flaws, one of which is the detective's name--Stevenege which just does not cut it. His first name, James, is not used for some unfathomable reason. It sounds like a law firm or something formal. He gets involved with one of the suspects--not seriously but enough to be a no-no. It's too long and could easily lose some of the extensive explanations. It's quite a coincidence that he finds the body, and then assumes he should take over the case. Frankly, I think he should have stuck to painting. One thing I did like, he made sure he got plenty to eat unlike most detectives who seem to starve during a case.
May 16, 2024
Young James Stevenege, of the Scotland Yard Criminal Investigation Department, has just finished a strenuous case and is taking a well-earned holiday in the little town of Alanschester in Yorkshire to pursue his painting hobby and recover. In seeking interesting spots not generally known to the tourist to paint, he comes across the body of a murdered man. It is soon discovered, that the famous Alanschester siege coins, have disappeared from the local museum. Was the murdered man the thief, and who murdered him? Stevenege becomes involved in efforts to solve the mystery which includes a convoluted trail.
January 31, 2023
With a prolific author such as Fletcher there are bound to be highs and lows, and for me, this 1924 tale of robbery and murder falls into the latter category. The edition is also marred by numerous typos/scannos.
The setting is in a rather generic Yorkshire town and most of the "detection" consists of fruitless theorising about the crimes and possible suspects, until a piece of unsolicited information comes via a letter. This leads to a rushed and abrupt denouement which leaves much unexplained.
A disappointing read.
The setting is in a rather generic Yorkshire town and most of the "detection" consists of fruitless theorising about the crimes and possible suspects, until a piece of unsolicited information comes via a letter. This leads to a rushed and abrupt denouement which leaves much unexplained.
A disappointing read.
July 6, 2024
Another good one by JS Fletcher
This is a good mystery. Typical of its time, it rambles a little bit and there's always some degree of romance. This story has very little romance, almost none. There are always twists and turns in the detective stories of this era and this one is no exception. A man is murdered and some historic coins are stolen. I'd say in this particular story, the writer played fair because many of the clues are there. Sometimes in this era of the detective story, not all of the clues are clearly given to the reader. I enjoyed this and I recommend it.
This is a good mystery. Typical of its time, it rambles a little bit and there's always some degree of romance. This story has very little romance, almost none. There are always twists and turns in the detective stories of this era and this one is no exception. A man is murdered and some historic coins are stolen. I'd say in this particular story, the writer played fair because many of the clues are there. Sometimes in this era of the detective story, not all of the clues are clearly given to the reader. I enjoyed this and I recommend it.
September 28, 2023
I Never Tire Of J. S. Fletcher’s Books
A very interesting read. I will admit that it wasn’t too hard to decide who the murderer (or murderers) most likely was or were. Basically the question was were the two crimes connected or totally separate. I do wish, however, that the author would have extended the book and covered the trial. The title definitely describes the story.
A very interesting read. I will admit that it wasn’t too hard to decide who the murderer (or murderers) most likely was or were. Basically the question was were the two crimes connected or totally separate. I do wish, however, that the author would have extended the book and covered the trial. The title definitely describes the story.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews