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The Traitor
A novella that introduces book detective Benny Morgan from the acclaimed, multiple award-winning author of the Lake District Mystery series.
Book collecting seems a rather harmless hobby--unless it's someone like Felix de Lisle doing the collecting. He's rumored to have ties to the mob. What's been proven is that he has a penchant for the spy novels of Simon Verity. Some might call it an obsession . . .
It's this passion--and a bag of cash--that draws book scout Benny Morgan into his circle. De Lisle has gotten wind of a dust jacket that was commissioned for his favorite Verity title. It was never used and supposedly destroyed, but if there is a copy that exists, de Lisle must have it. As Benny searches for this elusive art in his world of collectors and dealers, he discovers the missing jacket and a dreadful secret that will put his honor--and quite possibly his life--on the line . . .
Praise for the mysteries of Martin Edwards
"Superb--a pitch-perfect blend of Golden Age charm and sinister modern suspense, with a main character to die for. This is the book Edwards was born to write." --Lee Child, #1 New York Times-bestselling author on Gallows Court
"[A] triumph . . . impressively channels Agatha Christie." --Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Mortmain Hall
"A wonderful, absorbing a crime deeply rooted in the past, a beautifully evoked sense of the Lake District." --Peter Robinson, New York Times-bestselling author on The Coffin Trail
"A poignant atmospheric, haunting, and so tactile you can almost smell the moist air." --Booklist on The Coffin Trail
Book collecting seems a rather harmless hobby--unless it's someone like Felix de Lisle doing the collecting. He's rumored to have ties to the mob. What's been proven is that he has a penchant for the spy novels of Simon Verity. Some might call it an obsession . . .
It's this passion--and a bag of cash--that draws book scout Benny Morgan into his circle. De Lisle has gotten wind of a dust jacket that was commissioned for his favorite Verity title. It was never used and supposedly destroyed, but if there is a copy that exists, de Lisle must have it. As Benny searches for this elusive art in his world of collectors and dealers, he discovers the missing jacket and a dreadful secret that will put his honor--and quite possibly his life--on the line . . .
Praise for the mysteries of Martin Edwards
"Superb--a pitch-perfect blend of Golden Age charm and sinister modern suspense, with a main character to die for. This is the book Edwards was born to write." --Lee Child, #1 New York Times-bestselling author on Gallows Court
"[A] triumph . . . impressively channels Agatha Christie." --Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Mortmain Hall
"A wonderful, absorbing a crime deeply rooted in the past, a beautifully evoked sense of the Lake District." --Peter Robinson, New York Times-bestselling author on The Coffin Trail
"A poignant atmospheric, haunting, and so tactile you can almost smell the moist air." --Booklist on The Coffin Trail
- GenresMysteryShort Stories
70 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 8, 2022
23 people are currently reading
41 people want to read
About the author
Martin Edwards
358 books812 followersMartin Edwards has been described by Richard Osman as ‘a true master of British crime writing.’ He has published twenty-three novels, which include the eight Lake District Mysteries, one of which was shortlisted for the Theakston’s Prize for best crime novel of the year and four books featuring Rachel Savernake, including the Dagger-nominated Gallows Court and Blackstone Fell, while Gallows Court and Sepulchre Street were shortlisted for the eDunnit award for best crime novel of the year. He is also the author of two multi-award-winning histories of crime fiction, The Life of Crime and The Golden Age of Murder. He has received three Daggers from the Crime Writers’ Association and two Edgars from the Mystery Writers of America and has also been nominated three times for Gold Daggers. In addition to the CWA Diamond Dagger (the highest honour in UK crime writing) he has received four other lifetime achievement awards: for his fiction, short fiction, non-fiction, and scholarship. He is consultant to the British Library’s Crime Classics, a former Chair of the CWA, and since 2015 has been President of the Detection Club.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 23, 2023
A tale of missing book jackets, buried secrets and murder.
An obsessed book collector commissions our protagonist to find a missing book cover; but what our hero finds is more than a book jacket.
An obsessed book collector commissions our protagonist to find a missing book cover; but what our hero finds is more than a book jacket.
January 17, 2025
Betrayed vs Betrayer - Bibliomysteries #40
A review of the Mysterious Press/Open Road eBook (March 8, 2022).
I have mostly known author Martin Edwards through his excellent work as editor and introduction writer for the British Library Crime Classics series. I recently enjoyed his contribution to Christmas Crimes at the Mysterious Bookshop (2024), so I was happy to discover his entry in the same publisher's Bibliomysteries series.
The Traitor features book detective Benny Morgan, who is tasked to track down an elusive rejected cover illustration for the title book. His patron Felix de Lisle is an obsessive collector of the writer Simon Verity, who would have commissioned the cover painting based on the success of the same artist's cover for his earlier breakthrough novel The Agent. But both the collector and the writer have a dark side which Morgan is about to discover and which may lead him to question his loyalties.
This was yet another terrific short story/novella by Martin Edwards and I plan to seek out some of his own novels in the future. I'll probably start with something from the Lake District Mysteries (2004 - ongoing) depending on availability.
Trivia and Links
The Bibliomysteries series are short stories / novellas commissioned by Otto Penzler's The Mysterious Press to be written around the theme of deadly books. They are individually published in limited edition signed hardcovers followed by paperbacks and ebooks, and periodically collected in anthology editions such as Bibliomysteries (2013, containing stories 1-15) and Bibliomysteries: Volume Two (2018, containing stories 16-30). There does not appear to be a Goodreads Listopia for them, but at the Mysterious Bookshop the current listing (as mid-January 2025) includes 42 volumes Note that book #31 Christopher Fowler's Reconciliation Day (2017) seems to have been accidentally dropped from that list.
A review of the Mysterious Press/Open Road eBook (March 8, 2022).
I have mostly known author Martin Edwards through his excellent work as editor and introduction writer for the British Library Crime Classics series. I recently enjoyed his contribution to Christmas Crimes at the Mysterious Bookshop (2024), so I was happy to discover his entry in the same publisher's Bibliomysteries series.
The Traitor features book detective Benny Morgan, who is tasked to track down an elusive rejected cover illustration for the title book. His patron Felix de Lisle is an obsessive collector of the writer Simon Verity, who would have commissioned the cover painting based on the success of the same artist's cover for his earlier breakthrough novel The Agent. But both the collector and the writer have a dark side which Morgan is about to discover and which may lead him to question his loyalties.
This was yet another terrific short story/novella by Martin Edwards and I plan to seek out some of his own novels in the future. I'll probably start with something from the Lake District Mysteries (2004 - ongoing) depending on availability.
Trivia and Links
The Bibliomysteries series are short stories / novellas commissioned by Otto Penzler's The Mysterious Press to be written around the theme of deadly books. They are individually published in limited edition signed hardcovers followed by paperbacks and ebooks, and periodically collected in anthology editions such as Bibliomysteries (2013, containing stories 1-15) and Bibliomysteries: Volume Two (2018, containing stories 16-30). There does not appear to be a Goodreads Listopia for them, but at the Mysterious Bookshop the current listing (as mid-January 2025) includes 42 volumes Note that book #31 Christopher Fowler's Reconciliation Day (2017) seems to have been accidentally dropped from that list.
November 12, 2022
So good. For all who love to read and love books this 82 page book is a delight. A book collector hires a book runner to retrieve a book by his favorite author. The puzzle begins from there and continues until the last page. "No one is truly innocent ".
March 13, 2022
Oh my goodness, persevere for an exceptional ending
The fist part of 'The Traitor' was frustrating, and somewhat hard to follow, with many British terms etc. However, all falls into place for an exceptional ending.
The fist part of 'The Traitor' was frustrating, and somewhat hard to follow, with many British terms etc. However, all falls into place for an exceptional ending.
February 12, 2024
Again, I hate taking credit for reading a short story and getting credit for a book.
Haiku reviews:
I need Loyalty
Says rich man. His collection
Is almost complete.
Does cash equal trust?
Nobody is innocent.
Bloody book cover.
Secret Agent man!
Writer hides guilty secret
but artist reveals.
Haiku reviews:
I need Loyalty
Says rich man. His collection
Is almost complete.
Does cash equal trust?
Nobody is innocent.
Bloody book cover.
Secret Agent man!
Writer hides guilty secret
but artist reveals.
October 31, 2022
A slow burn
This modern attempt at old school Noir almost hits the mark a bit slow but it hits the right spot for those who like their mysteries done twisted an excellent entry in. The Biblomysteries series great homage to writers of the genre
This modern attempt at old school Noir almost hits the mark a bit slow but it hits the right spot for those who like their mysteries done twisted an excellent entry in. The Biblomysteries series great homage to writers of the genre
October 28, 2022
I liked this very much until the last 10 or 15 pages or so which made no sense to me.
February 23, 2023
Reminds one a little bit of Joseph Conrad’s “Secret Agent.” That’s high praise.
November 3, 2023
This was enjoyable enough but the very ending was a bit off. The whole idea that a woman, a foreigner, would get a fair trial in terms of killing a rich man is a bit questionable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 15, 2024
3.5 stars. An entertaining quick read.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews