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The Paradise Mystery
A quiet cathedral town in England, full of gossips and people who are not quite who they seem to be, is the setting for this murder mystery.
214 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1921
135 people are currently reading
214 people want to read
About the author
J.S. Fletcher
543 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 58 reviews
May 6, 2016
3.5★
But, it came very close to 4★ as it was a well written story in many ways with lots of twists & turns.
What I didn't like;
► Dr Ransford talking to himself at the beginning to show his feelings
► Some pages could have done with a bit of pruning
► Above all, I don't think Fletcher played fair with the reader. There was no way I could have guessed the solution to the mystery.
But (& even with spoiler tags, gentle reader, I can't tell you why!) what I loved was the character of Boyce! The way the book was structured around him was the most novel literary device I have seen in a long time. Even though this book is nearly 100 years old this was such a fresh approach & will have me seeking out more of Fletcher's work.
Read with Reading the Detectives Group.
But, it came very close to 4★ as it was a well written story in many ways with lots of twists & turns.
What I didn't like;
► Dr Ransford talking to himself at the beginning to show his feelings
► Some pages could have done with a bit of pruning
► Above all, I don't think Fletcher played fair with the reader. There was no way I could have guessed the solution to the mystery.
But (& even with spoiler tags, gentle reader, I can't tell you why!) what I loved was the character of Boyce! The way the book was structured around him was the most novel literary device I have seen in a long time. Even though this book is nearly 100 years old this was such a fresh approach & will have me seeking out more of Fletcher's work.
Read with Reading the Detectives Group.
April 22, 2016
I have never read anything by J.S. Fletcher before this was chosen by a book group I belong to, and, as it is a very early mystery – even by Golden Age standards – first published in 1921, I was worried that I would find it very dated. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how good this was and, actually, how relevant the themes are – not only for then, but also for now – with love, greed and revenge raising their heads.
The ‘paradise’ of the title refers to a piece of land near Wrychester Cathedral. Also nearby is a close of houses, which are a hotbed of local gossip. In one house lives Dr Mark Ransford, who is the guardian of Mary and Dick Bewery. When Dr Ransford’s assistant, Pemberton Bryce, makes unwelcome advances to Mary Bewery, Dr Ransford tells him to leave. That morning, Mr Bryce also meets a man who comes to Dr Ransford’s house and is later killed – apparently thrown from the Cathedral to his death.
What follows is largely Bryce’s investigation into the events, as he suspects Dr Ransford of being involved in the death. He hopes that his suspicions will make Mary more likely to marry him and works hard to cause suspicion and discord between Mary and her guardian. We gradually uncover what happened, but the plot is actually more involved and convoluted than first appears. I enjoyed this mystery a lot and am glad that I have discovered this author. As he was very prolific and many of his books are now free on kindle, I look forward to reading more.
The ‘paradise’ of the title refers to a piece of land near Wrychester Cathedral. Also nearby is a close of houses, which are a hotbed of local gossip. In one house lives Dr Mark Ransford, who is the guardian of Mary and Dick Bewery. When Dr Ransford’s assistant, Pemberton Bryce, makes unwelcome advances to Mary Bewery, Dr Ransford tells him to leave. That morning, Mr Bryce also meets a man who comes to Dr Ransford’s house and is later killed – apparently thrown from the Cathedral to his death.
What follows is largely Bryce’s investigation into the events, as he suspects Dr Ransford of being involved in the death. He hopes that his suspicions will make Mary more likely to marry him and works hard to cause suspicion and discord between Mary and her guardian. We gradually uncover what happened, but the plot is actually more involved and convoluted than first appears. I enjoyed this mystery a lot and am glad that I have discovered this author. As he was very prolific and many of his books are now free on kindle, I look forward to reading more.
May 19, 2019
This was my introduction to the work of J.S. Fletcher and it was not bad at all. I enjoyed the mystery very much. My quibble would be that a little too much time was spent on side issues, but overall, a nice weekend read.
What I found rather different about this story was that most of it was told from the perspective of, not the villain, but a villainous sort of person. He is out to solve the mystery, who murdered a stranger who visited the village, but for his own nefarious ends. This is the first mystery novel I've read that had the mystery unfold through the eyes of an evil person, although not the actual murderer.
To conclude: a worthwhile read.
What I found rather different about this story was that most of it was told from the perspective of, not the villain, but a villainous sort of person. He is out to solve the mystery, who murdered a stranger who visited the village, but for his own nefarious ends. This is the first mystery novel I've read that had the mystery unfold through the eyes of an evil person, although not the actual murderer.
To conclude: a worthwhile read.
May 22, 2022
A really good early 'golden age' murder story from an author I hadn't come across before. There are lots of plot twists but I don't think Fletcher played fair with his readers, it was impossible really to work out the exact solution to the mystery. That is why I only gave it 3 instead of 4 stars. I shall definitely be reading more of his books now that they are available
March 12, 2017
At times I seemed to lose the story but never for very long. And it certainly enthused toward the end.
March 30, 2023
Dnf.... I literally fell asleep listening to it, then couldn't really get into it when I tried to pay attention. The audiobook is great background noise, though..
November 8, 2021
I have never before wanted the primary character to be killed off as much as I did with this one.
Also, the romantic pairing? 🤮
Also, the romantic pairing? 🤮
November 27, 2013
Fletcher certainly knows how to spin a good mystery. Written in 1921 this mystery is of course dated, but that is part of the charm and reading delight of this book. A wonderful intricate plot that at times had me taking a step back so that I could take a few minutes to tie the strings together. Absolutely no way to be my own detective in solving the deaths that happen and yet the wrapping up in the final pages is all based on a solid story. A shocking ending that I never saw coming, likeable and quirky characters, a great book to pick up and get lost in.
June 19, 2016
This was my second book by J.S.Fletcher, and I will definitely be reading more. There's a man flung from the top of a cathedral, then another murder (supposedly to cover up the first one), lots of behind the scenes investigation into burial and marriage records, questionable parentage, questionable motives, changed names, poisonings, twists and turns galore. Quite an exciting mystery.
October 23, 2015
What a puzzler! It's fast moving, have a multitude of twists, and a really good solution. The perfect book for a long trip.
March 29, 2019
What secrets lie under the sheen of respectability in Wrychester. When a body of a stranger is discovered, it leads several people to seek out the truth, but what are their motives.
An enjoyable and interesting mystery, originally written in 1921
An enjoyable and interesting mystery, originally written in 1921
November 19, 2021
Good twists in the classic puzzle style but disappointing and unbelievable ending. Libby via Brighton
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 28, 2018
Fletcher doing what he does best - hidden identities, mysterious secrets, grasping characters you love to hate...
July 23, 2025
Znacznie lepsza niż poprzednia książka tego autora, na którą trafiłam. Bardzo podobało mi się zbudowanie fabuły wokół takiej okropnej postaci (celowo okropnej, nie że źle napisanej, wręcz przeciwnie). Myślałam nawet, żeby dać 4 gwiazdki ale zmieniłam zdanie, bo końcówka była zbyt przekombinowana. Ogólnie jednak, to była niezła lektura z dawnych lat.
August 1, 2022
In many ways this is quite typical of Fletcher's mysteries. It is set in an English cathedral city, the main characters are well-to-do professionals and men who have made fortunes in the colonies, there are family secrets, dramatic deaths, detectives - professional, private and amateur, and a lot of reticence which prolongs the plot to no great effect. Here there is also an old jewel theft and a very diffident romance.
What gives it a slight twist is that one of the main protagonists and amateur detectives, Dr Bryce, is an an obnoxious and would-be-machiavellian creep who main aim in life is to force marriage on the beautiful Mary Bewery. His machinations and investigations are the mainstay of the plot.
Although the solution, albeit with a few loose ends, relies on some very last minute revelations and does come out of nowhere, I did have a vague suspicion about one of the villains, but it was no more than that.
Averagely entertaining.
3.25 stars.
What gives it a slight twist is that one of the main protagonists and amateur detectives, Dr Bryce, is an an obnoxious and would-be-machiavellian creep who main aim in life is to force marriage on the beautiful Mary Bewery. His machinations and investigations are the mainstay of the plot.
Although the solution, albeit with a few loose ends, relies on some very last minute revelations and does come out of nowhere, I did have a vague suspicion about one of the villains, but it was no more than that.
Averagely entertaining.
3.25 stars.
October 22, 2017
Characters whim you may not like give this mystery a unique quality and brings you to the 1920s with such fidelity you might actually be there. The Paradise is not what you'd think, reading the title. "Paradise" is the ancient name for an enclosure in the Close of Wrychester, one of Britain's most beautiful medieval Cathedrals. The "Paradise" close is otherworldly, full of ancient tombs and gravestones. Among the houses in the Close is that of bachelor Dr. Mark Ransford and his two twenty-year-old wards, whose parentage is mysterious to most. But Ransford must tell his wards the truth of their heritage. Before he can do that, an unwelcome visitor is found nearby from a broken neck due to a forty-foot fall, mystery thickens.
I can say no more without revealing details which you'll learn from yourself when reading "The Paradise Mystery."
I can say no more without revealing details which you'll learn from yourself when reading "The Paradise Mystery."
November 16, 2013
Another provincial town story set in a cathedral close much beloved of English crime writers of the period and their readers alike.
An unusual story with no particular detective or main protagonist. This seemed a bit strange but I enjoyed it nevertheless.
I would have given it four stars if there hadn't been some quite key elements of the story left glaringly unexplained. To detail these would go a long way to giving the game away.
I think J.S. Fletcher is sadly neglected these days especially as his books all appear to be in the public domain and can mostly be downloaded for free. Some of them are really very good.
An unusual story with no particular detective or main protagonist. This seemed a bit strange but I enjoyed it nevertheless.
I would have given it four stars if there hadn't been some quite key elements of the story left glaringly unexplained. To detail these would go a long way to giving the game away.
I think J.S. Fletcher is sadly neglected these days especially as his books all appear to be in the public domain and can mostly be downloaded for free. Some of them are really very good.
June 28, 2015
Secret longings for a character you may despise while reading this book, no matter how artfully devious he may be, to meet with his own reward eventuates. When does that happen? This was just my second Fletcher mystery and he did not show quite as much humor, but it broke out now and then when describing certain characters. I shall keep reading his mystery books since I downloaded quite a few from Amazon, all free. Great reading!
March 27, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. However, I thought the ending was a bit disappointing - once the mysteries had been solved, there was nothing left to do but bring a couple of characters together. I was intrigued and excited up until the final page. Also, I was left wondering about a couple of twists that I thought could have been explained a little more, feeling that they were dropped in passing. Overall a good read.
October 22, 2012
A rather interesting and quite complex classic mystery encompassing a murder which occurs in a quiet cathedral town and involving a myriad of characters all of which keep the reader quite puzzled throughout...
November 3, 2009
audio Librivox
Someone dies. Murder? Someone knew too much so he gets bumped off. All signs seem to point to the doctor.
Someone dies. Murder? Someone knew too much so he gets bumped off. All signs seem to point to the doctor.
Want to read
August 11, 2014Read this book for free through Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/5308/5...
October 31, 2017
This book has one of those main characters that you"love to hate." Bryce is egotistical, self-centered, feels he can do no wrong, and that if he tries hard enough and is ruthless enough, he can get anything he wants - including a woman who has no interest in him.
There are two murders in this book, both difficult and almost impossible for a mid-19th century village policeman to solve and the help of a a Scotland Yard Detective is of little help, although the actual murder is right in front of their nose! But since this takes place in a very class-conscious, small village society, no one looks for the obvious killer, but instead their intention is focused mainly on the village doctor, because he has only lived in the village of Wrychester for about a dozen years.
The ending of the book is a bit deux ex machina, a Greek phrase I learned when studying Greed theatre. It means that a god comes from a machine and solves the problem. (As their were many gods in classical Greek times and they constantly solved problems for ordinary people, this made sense in that time.) However, here in our modern context the ending seemed artificial.
There are two murders in this book, both difficult and almost impossible for a mid-19th century village policeman to solve and the help of a a Scotland Yard Detective is of little help, although the actual murder is right in front of their nose! But since this takes place in a very class-conscious, small village society, no one looks for the obvious killer, but instead their intention is focused mainly on the village doctor, because he has only lived in the village of Wrychester for about a dozen years.
The ending of the book is a bit deux ex machina, a Greek phrase I learned when studying Greed theatre. It means that a god comes from a machine and solves the problem. (As their were many gods in classical Greek times and they constantly solved problems for ordinary people, this made sense in that time.) However, here in our modern context the ending seemed artificial.
February 8, 2021
J. S. Fletcher was no Agatha Christie or Dorothy L. Sayers, but his "humdrum" mysteries have an interesting, antiquated flavor. The "Paradise" of the title refers to a stretch of graveyard between the walls of the cathedral and some trees, in a quiet, peaceful cathedral town. Dr. Mark Ransford and his two wards, Mary and Dick Bewery, live a peaceful, useful life, marred only by the fact that he has had to dismiss his assistant, Dr. Bryce, because of this man's unwelcome advances to Mary. Then a mysterious visitor, one Mr. Braden, falls to his death from the cathedral, and Dr. Bryce is on the spot to retrieve a slip of paper from the dead man's pocket. And so begins a complicated story of ex-convicts, stolen diamonds, fraud, men who made good in Australia and came back.. .and the mysterious background of Mary and Dick Bewery.
Dr. Bryce is an interesting character, a charming but conniving man, gifted with the gift of plausibility, whose insinuations and machinations all strive towards forcing Mary Bewery to marry him. I am glad to say he gets his comeupppance.
Dr. Bryce is an interesting character, a charming but conniving man, gifted with the gift of plausibility, whose insinuations and machinations all strive towards forcing Mary Bewery to marry him. I am glad to say he gets his comeupppance.
March 29, 2023
1921 in the quiet English cathedral town in England of Wrychester. It may be quiet and small, but it is full of gossip and people who are not quite who they seem to be. The core characters are forty something Dr Mark Ransford, guardian of 20 year old Mary and 17 year old Dick Bewery and Ransford's assistant, Pemberton Bryce. There are early hints that the backgrounds of Ransford and his wards are murky and mysterious. If there is an evil person in the story, it is Bryce who is making very unwanted advances to Mary which leads to his dismissal by Ransford. He is also an arrogant scheming person who will do whatever to obtain what he wants. A stranger who Bryce encounters is found murdered. Bryce undertakes to investigate as he suspects Dr Ransford of being involved in the death, and hopes that his suspicions will make Mary more likely to marry him and works hard to cause suspicion and discord between Mary and her guardian. Much of the story focuses upon Bryce's efforts to manipulate everything to obtain what he wants.
October 16, 2022
Found this one to be a little off. Don't misunderstand me, for the mystery was a fairly okay one. But where it started going wrong for me was right at the moment when they introduced Dr Bryce.
Now come on! Most readers will latch on to him as the protagonist, the one from whose viewpoint the story is largely told. And yet, not for a single moment will most readers take a liking to him. What an immense risk Mr. Fletcher took in creating an MC in which readers were most unlikely to invest in! Take note - this MC lies, conspires, purloins, befuddles the police, attempts to emotionally blackmail the woman he likes, and pursues her repeatedly despite her dislike of him!
So distracted was I by this extremely strange deviation from the usual pattern of the heroic hero that I had little time to spare for the mystery and the other characters.
Now come on! Most readers will latch on to him as the protagonist, the one from whose viewpoint the story is largely told. And yet, not for a single moment will most readers take a liking to him. What an immense risk Mr. Fletcher took in creating an MC in which readers were most unlikely to invest in! Take note - this MC lies, conspires, purloins, befuddles the police, attempts to emotionally blackmail the woman he likes, and pursues her repeatedly despite her dislike of him!
So distracted was I by this extremely strange deviation from the usual pattern of the heroic hero that I had little time to spare for the mystery and the other characters.
April 5, 2024
2,5 stars. The plot is too wordy, there are too many coincidences and the romantic story is tacky.
SYNOPSIS: "The enclosure of the ancient cathedral at Wrychester was a picturesque setting of half ruined, ivy covered walls, an expanse of turf with old cypress and yew and studded with tombs and gravestones. It was known to the locals by the time-honored name of Paradise. A peaceful scene until a stranger is found dead, having fallen from the cathedral gallery. Who was he? Did he fall, or was he pushed? Suspicion falls on a local physician, on whom the stranger had called minutes before he met his death. But there are many more secrets lurking behind..."
(www.amazon.com.br)
SYNOPSIS: "The enclosure of the ancient cathedral at Wrychester was a picturesque setting of half ruined, ivy covered walls, an expanse of turf with old cypress and yew and studded with tombs and gravestones. It was known to the locals by the time-honored name of Paradise. A peaceful scene until a stranger is found dead, having fallen from the cathedral gallery. Who was he? Did he fall, or was he pushed? Suspicion falls on a local physician, on whom the stranger had called minutes before he met his death. But there are many more secrets lurking behind..."
(www.amazon.com.br)
September 20, 2020
I am certain J.S. Fletcher did not write The Paradise Mystery back in 1921 for future generations. However, this tale of avarice, revenge, probity and love brought me back in time one hundred years with its vivid portrayals of the varied characters, and the world in which they lived and interacted. The plot was superb and the resolution beyond my guessing until the very end. This is the fifth novel in the mammoth J.S. Fletcher anthology that contains seventeen novels and twenty-eight short stories. Well worth the read.
August 28, 2018
This book is hard for me to rate. It started out really interesting but after a bit it wandered around and I was unsure if it was worth the effort to continue. I stuck it out and the closer it got to the end the better it got. There ended up being quite a few characters to keep track of and some of the clues seem to come out of nowhere. I would actually rate this book 3.5 stars but that would prevent me from reading another book by J. S. Fletcher so I will give it 4 stars.
November 27, 2021
Entertaining mystery listening 🔰😀
Another will written British romantic thriller adventure mystery by J. S. Fletcher with interesting will developed characters good 👍and bad 👎. The story line is set in a small town in England. Where a man 🚹 and his two wards live. Then there is a death, is it murder? Or is it an accident? I would recommend this novel to readers of mysteries. Enjoy the adventure of reading👓 or 🎶 listening to books 🔰 2021🏰🏡
Another will written British romantic thriller adventure mystery by J. S. Fletcher with interesting will developed characters good 👍and bad 👎. The story line is set in a small town in England. Where a man 🚹 and his two wards live. Then there is a death, is it murder? Or is it an accident? I would recommend this novel to readers of mysteries. Enjoy the adventure of reading👓 or 🎶 listening to books 🔰 2021🏰🏡
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews