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Final Acts: Theatrical Mysteries
Behind the stage lights and word-perfect soliloquies, sinister secrets are lurking in the wings. The mysteries in this collection reveal the dark side to theatre and performing a world of backstage dealings, where unscrupulous actors risk everything to land a starring role, costumed figures lead to mistaken identities, and on-stage deaths begin to look a little too convincing... This expertly curated thespian anthology features 14 stories from giants of the classic crime genre such as Dorothy L. Sayers, Julian Symons and Ngaio Marsh, as well as firm favourites from the British Library Crime Classics Anthony Wynne, Christianna Brand, Bernard J. Farmer and many more. Mysteries abound when a player's fate hangs on a single performance, and opening night may very well be their last.
347 pages, Paperback
First published September 10, 2022
24 people are currently reading
219 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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February 27, 2023
Behind the curtain…
The latest of the British Library’s vintage crime anthologies, Final Acts contains fourteen stories all connected in some way to the theatre. There are on-stage murders, back-stage murders, off-stage murders! Lots of potential for disguises and make-up to fool the onlookers, and lots of dramatic reactions to events. And we all know about the loose morals of these actor types, so plenty of affairs, jealousies and betrayals to drive them all to become murderer or victim! I love the theatre as a setting for mysteries because the setting and characters are especially well suited to concealment and misdirection, and drama! What the audience sees is very different to the reality hidden behind the curtain.
There’s the usual mix of authors, some very well known, like Dorothy L Sayers and Ngaio Marsh, some who have become regulars in these anthologies, such as AEW Mason and Julian Symons, and a sprinkling of ones who are new to me. Of the fourteen stories, I rated twelve as good or excellent, and the other two weren’t complete duds either. That makes this one of my mostly highly rated of these anthologies to date. There’s the usual introduction from Martin Edwards, and little bios of the various authors preceding each story (I always read these after I read the story, because very occasionally they can be a bit spoilery).
As usual, here’s a flavour of some of the ones I enjoyed most:
The Affair at the Semiramis Hotel by AEW Mason – A struggling young singer is tempted to steal a string of pearls, but when she sneaks into the hotel room of the lady who owns them, she finds men already there, burgling the room. They are dressed for the masked ball that is taking place in the hotel that night, so she is unable to describe them clearly. Inspector Hanaud of the French police is in London visiting his friend Ricardo, and becomes unofficially involved in the investigation which will take him into the world of opera. This is a fairly substantial story at around 50 pages, and I grow fonder of Hanaud and Ricardo each time I meet them. Neither of them is particularly likeable – Hanaud is one of these insufferable know-it-alls who is very mean to poor, pompous Ricardo. But there’s usually a lot of humour in the stories, the writing is very good, and this one is particularly well told, I think.
Blood Sacrifice by Dorothy L Sayers – Garrick Drury is an actor-manager, a great romantic lead with his finger on the pulse of what the public wants. John Scales’ first play is a dark and brooding tale of the degrading impact of war on his protagonist’s character. He’s thrilled when Drury contracts to produce and perform in the play, knowing this will bring him instant success. But the contract gives Drury the right to make alterations, and he turns the play into a romantic sob-fest with a happy ending. Scales grows to hate him… I’m not a fan of Sayers’ Lord Peter Wimsey books, but I must say her short stories are excellent. This one is a great story with strong characterisation and motivation, and her description of Garrick Drury made me laugh – “Mr. Drury (forty-two in the daylight, thirty-five in the lamplight and twenty-five or what you will in a blond wig and the spotlight) was well fitted by nature to acquire girls…”
The Blind Spot by Barry Perowne – Annixter, a playwright, is in a club getting drunk because a woman dumped him. It’s when he’s drunk that his best ideas for plays come to him, and tonight it happens – a wonderful idea for a locked room murder mystery. He tells a man in the club all about it, in the way drunks do, then walks outside and gets hit by a taxi. When he comes to, he remembers everything about his plot except the solution to how the locked room element was done. He begins to hunt for the stranger from the club, but the man seems reluctant to be found… I thought this was a fantastic story, one of the best short mystery stories I’ve ever read. It starts out full of humour, then gradually the tension mounts and the denouement is beautifully paced so that the reader gets there just before Annixter does. I’ve only read two stories by Perowne and loved them both – must seek out more!
The Thirteenth Knife by Bernard J Farmer – Simone is a knife-thrower and each night she performs in a club, throwing her thirteen knives at Jean, the waiter to whom she’s engaged. But she has attracted the unwanted attentions of another man – a rich man, who’s used to getting what he wants. This is a very short story, so that’s as much as I can say without spoilers, but it’s very effective and manages to create real tension in such a short space. And a nice little twist in the tail!
So lots of variety, and loads of enjoyable stories – highly recommended!
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, the British Library.
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The latest of the British Library’s vintage crime anthologies, Final Acts contains fourteen stories all connected in some way to the theatre. There are on-stage murders, back-stage murders, off-stage murders! Lots of potential for disguises and make-up to fool the onlookers, and lots of dramatic reactions to events. And we all know about the loose morals of these actor types, so plenty of affairs, jealousies and betrayals to drive them all to become murderer or victim! I love the theatre as a setting for mysteries because the setting and characters are especially well suited to concealment and misdirection, and drama! What the audience sees is very different to the reality hidden behind the curtain.
There’s the usual mix of authors, some very well known, like Dorothy L Sayers and Ngaio Marsh, some who have become regulars in these anthologies, such as AEW Mason and Julian Symons, and a sprinkling of ones who are new to me. Of the fourteen stories, I rated twelve as good or excellent, and the other two weren’t complete duds either. That makes this one of my mostly highly rated of these anthologies to date. There’s the usual introduction from Martin Edwards, and little bios of the various authors preceding each story (I always read these after I read the story, because very occasionally they can be a bit spoilery).
As usual, here’s a flavour of some of the ones I enjoyed most:
The Affair at the Semiramis Hotel by AEW Mason – A struggling young singer is tempted to steal a string of pearls, but when she sneaks into the hotel room of the lady who owns them, she finds men already there, burgling the room. They are dressed for the masked ball that is taking place in the hotel that night, so she is unable to describe them clearly. Inspector Hanaud of the French police is in London visiting his friend Ricardo, and becomes unofficially involved in the investigation which will take him into the world of opera. This is a fairly substantial story at around 50 pages, and I grow fonder of Hanaud and Ricardo each time I meet them. Neither of them is particularly likeable – Hanaud is one of these insufferable know-it-alls who is very mean to poor, pompous Ricardo. But there’s usually a lot of humour in the stories, the writing is very good, and this one is particularly well told, I think.
Blood Sacrifice by Dorothy L Sayers – Garrick Drury is an actor-manager, a great romantic lead with his finger on the pulse of what the public wants. John Scales’ first play is a dark and brooding tale of the degrading impact of war on his protagonist’s character. He’s thrilled when Drury contracts to produce and perform in the play, knowing this will bring him instant success. But the contract gives Drury the right to make alterations, and he turns the play into a romantic sob-fest with a happy ending. Scales grows to hate him… I’m not a fan of Sayers’ Lord Peter Wimsey books, but I must say her short stories are excellent. This one is a great story with strong characterisation and motivation, and her description of Garrick Drury made me laugh – “Mr. Drury (forty-two in the daylight, thirty-five in the lamplight and twenty-five or what you will in a blond wig and the spotlight) was well fitted by nature to acquire girls…”
The Blind Spot by Barry Perowne – Annixter, a playwright, is in a club getting drunk because a woman dumped him. It’s when he’s drunk that his best ideas for plays come to him, and tonight it happens – a wonderful idea for a locked room murder mystery. He tells a man in the club all about it, in the way drunks do, then walks outside and gets hit by a taxi. When he comes to, he remembers everything about his plot except the solution to how the locked room element was done. He begins to hunt for the stranger from the club, but the man seems reluctant to be found… I thought this was a fantastic story, one of the best short mystery stories I’ve ever read. It starts out full of humour, then gradually the tension mounts and the denouement is beautifully paced so that the reader gets there just before Annixter does. I’ve only read two stories by Perowne and loved them both – must seek out more!
The Thirteenth Knife by Bernard J Farmer – Simone is a knife-thrower and each night she performs in a club, throwing her thirteen knives at Jean, the waiter to whom she’s engaged. But she has attracted the unwanted attentions of another man – a rich man, who’s used to getting what he wants. This is a very short story, so that’s as much as I can say without spoilers, but it’s very effective and manages to create real tension in such a short space. And a nice little twist in the tail!
So lots of variety, and loads of enjoyable stories – highly recommended!
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, the British Library.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
September 24, 2022
Patchy. Some of these are really good but too many felt like fillers.
March 16, 2024
An uneven collection of mysteries set in the world of the "legitimate" theater. Perhaps this collection suffered for being the last in a long string of short story collections on my plate, but I found it to be more of a mixed bag than usual. The stories from the "big" names (Sayers, Marsh, Brand) were drawn out and tedious - all misses for me, unfortunately. Plus, quite a few of these plots have been done again and again, in several different formats (theater, radio, television) so there wasn't much that was terribly new.
If you are a big fan of series characters, there are certainly plenty here: Inspector Hanaud (Mason), Dr Hailey (Wynne) Dr Morelle (Dudley), Inspector Alleyn (Marsh), DI Rason/Dept of Dead Ends (Vickers), Frances Quarles (Symons), Inspector Cockrill (Brand).
My favorites:
[+] The Thirteenth Knife (1950) by Bernard J. Farmer
[+] The Wrong Makeup (1941) by Brandon Fleming
If you are a big fan of series characters, there are certainly plenty here: Inspector Hanaud (Mason), Dr Hailey (Wynne) Dr Morelle (Dudley), Inspector Alleyn (Marsh), DI Rason/Dept of Dead Ends (Vickers), Frances Quarles (Symons), Inspector Cockrill (Brand).
My favorites:
[+] The Thirteenth Knife (1950) by Bernard J. Farmer
[+] The Wrong Makeup (1941) by Brandon Fleming
April 2, 2023
An enjoyable collection of short mysteries relating to the theatrical arts. Found some of these really interesting and some by authors I’ve not read before.
As with many of these collections there are some that I found better than others but overall really fun. Some also took on a macabre note: (In View of the Audience by Maguerite Steen, The Blind Spot by Barry Perowne, The Lady Who Laughed by Roy Vickers.)
The best thing about these British Crime Library Classics is that you can find out about all sorts of authors who really have not had their work re-printed for a long time. And you also can see some stories by authors you do like would be practically impossible (from the GAD time period) today.
As with many of these collections there are some that I found better than others but overall really fun. Some also took on a macabre note: (In View of the Audience by Maguerite Steen, The Blind Spot by Barry Perowne, The Lady Who Laughed by Roy Vickers.)
The best thing about these British Crime Library Classics is that you can find out about all sorts of authors who really have not had their work re-printed for a long time. And you also can see some stories by authors you do like would be practically impossible (from the GAD time period) today.
November 7, 2024
This collection from the British Library Crime Classics series focuses on crimes staged around the theatre, or by theatrical types. And you know theatrical types commit a lot of murder. It's the dramatic temperament, darling, they can't help themselves.
What's the most dangerous place in the theatre? The stage, naturally. In several of these stories, the victim is dun in on stage during a performance, because why not? The first is Marguerite Steen's 'In view of the audience', in which a man kills time waiting for his train by following a sinister man reminiscing creepily about a murder into an abandoned theatre. I'm confident Penguin would have been in business by then. He had better options. The creation of the atmosphere is good, but the outcome is fairly predictable. In 'The thirteenth knife', by Bernard J. Farmer, a rejected and thoroughly rejectable creep plots to sabotage a woman's knife-throwing act and kill his rival, her beautiful assistant. That's a very short piece, and a drama rather than a mystery, but still entertaining.
In two more stories, an actor is poisoned on-stage; the first is 'Drink for an actor', by John Appleby (not to be confused with Michael Innes' detective) and the second is 'Credit to William Shakespeare', by Julian Symons. The Queen of Denmark is supposed to drink poison, of course, but not so realistically. How is all this poison getting on the stage? Where's the props mistress? Where's Health and Safety? Both are short, simple tales, quickly solved. Immediately after 'Credit to William Shakespeare', the Bard inspires a murder again in 'After the event', by Christianna Brand. This time it's Othello - well, it couldn't be Macbeth, that would be too on the nose - and this time the solution is much more complicated. I very much liked 'Dear Mr Editor', in 'Murder by the Book', so I was pleased to see another Brand story.
The victim in 'After the event' dies in her dressing-room, also a very dangerous place to hang out when you're an actor. Ngaio Marsh's detective, Roderick Alleyn, appears in 'I can find my way out', wherein an objectionable actor finds his way out of his dressing room, via a gas leak. What a terrible accident. Also dying in his dressing-room, the leading man in 'The wrong make-up', by Brandon Fleming. He's found slumped in front of his mirror, three minutes before he's due to go on, with strange and hideous make-up applied. It's an interesting puzzle, but the solution fell short, and relied on Also ultimately succumbing in the dressing room, we have the victim of another well-known crime author, Dorothy L. Sayers. 'Blood sacrifice' was written for 'Six against the Yard', an anthology of 'perfect murders' by members of the Detection Club, which were then reviewed by a representative of Scotland Yard. Sounds fun! Sayers cheats, though, because her murder is criminally-negligent manslaughter, at best. Possibly not even that. She devotes her effort to setting up the psychological state and motive of the non-murderer, and she does it very well, but that still doesn't make it a proper murder.
In two more stories, something is stolen from a dressing-room. You can guess what goes missing in 'The case of the ventriloquist's doll', by Ernest Dudley. This was apparently originally intended for the radio, so the author's put in a lot of scope for sound effects and exaggerated accents. The other advantage of the radio format would be not having to endure the prose. In 'The affair at the Novelty Theatre', by Baroness Orczy - best known for creating the Scarlet Pimpernel - a precious string of pearls is stolen from an actress's dressing room, with a carefully-made replica left in their place.
I'm curious about how they ordered the stories in this one. There's quite a few works with striking similarities, but that's difficult to avoid in a themed anthology. However, there's a few cases where two stories with some major point of similarity come one after the other, which just emphasises the problem. Perhaps unwisely, the book opens with two stories that both feature the theft of a beautiful string of pearls and have very similar titles. Orczy's 'The affair at the Novelty Theatre' is the first, and then in 'The affair at the Semiramis Hotel', by A. E. W. Mason, a woman trying to steal the other string of pearls walks in on some more proactive thugs who are already doing it. That brings a risk of the stories blurring together. Fortunately for Orczy, hers is a much better-constructed mystery than her competitor's; although Mason has better characterisation, including a more entertaining Watson figure, the plot gets overcomplicated, and Mason's detective ultimately resorts to a dream and a hypnosis session to put the pieces together.
Where exactly is safe for luvvies in this anthology? Absolutely nowhere. In 'The lady who laughed', by Ray Vickers, the wife of a famous clown disappears in the space of fifteen minutes from a garden party, and after some time, the case is passed onto the 'Department of Dead Ends'. It's well-written, with good characterisation, but I'm not convinced it should really have taken that long to solve - if the police were suspicious enough to keep the case open to begin with, surely they would have investigated ? The anthology also fits in a murderous plot at a country house, that good old mainstay of crime fiction, in ''The dancing girl' by Anthony Wynne. There's a warning in the introduction; 'at times the author's use of his fiction as a platform for his pontificating counts against readability'. Accurate! 'It was his experience that women who spoke ill of men in general had usually disappointed the hopes or faith of some particular man. Their abuse of the opposite sex was a sop offered to their own consciences, or perhaps to their vanity.' Wynne came up with an interesting method of murder, but the prose is dull and the characterisation is worse.
Theatrical types might be tempted to lock themselves in a windowless room at this point, but that's not safe either, I'm afraid. In 'The blind spot', by Barry Perowne, a drunk playwright tells a stranger that he's finally devised the perfect crime; an absolutely foolproof way to pull off the locked-room murder. Don't spread that information around, people.
What's the most dangerous place in the theatre? The stage, naturally. In several of these stories, the victim is dun in on stage during a performance, because why not? The first is Marguerite Steen's 'In view of the audience', in which a man kills time waiting for his train by following a sinister man reminiscing creepily about a murder into an abandoned theatre. I'm confident Penguin would have been in business by then. He had better options. The creation of the atmosphere is good, but the outcome is fairly predictable. In 'The thirteenth knife', by Bernard J. Farmer, a rejected and thoroughly rejectable creep plots to sabotage a woman's knife-throwing act and kill his rival, her beautiful assistant. That's a very short piece, and a drama rather than a mystery, but still entertaining.
In two more stories, an actor is poisoned on-stage; the first is 'Drink for an actor', by John Appleby (not to be confused with Michael Innes' detective) and the second is 'Credit to William Shakespeare', by Julian Symons. The Queen of Denmark is supposed to drink poison, of course, but not so realistically. How is all this poison getting on the stage? Where's the props mistress? Where's Health and Safety? Both are short, simple tales, quickly solved. Immediately after 'Credit to William Shakespeare', the Bard inspires a murder again in 'After the event', by Christianna Brand. This time it's Othello - well, it couldn't be Macbeth, that would be too on the nose - and this time the solution is much more complicated. I very much liked 'Dear Mr Editor', in 'Murder by the Book', so I was pleased to see another Brand story.
The victim in 'After the event' dies in her dressing-room, also a very dangerous place to hang out when you're an actor. Ngaio Marsh's detective, Roderick Alleyn, appears in 'I can find my way out', wherein an objectionable actor finds his way out of his dressing room, via a gas leak. What a terrible accident. Also dying in his dressing-room, the leading man in 'The wrong make-up', by Brandon Fleming. He's found slumped in front of his mirror, three minutes before he's due to go on, with strange and hideous make-up applied. It's an interesting puzzle, but the solution fell short, and relied on Also ultimately succumbing in the dressing room, we have the victim of another well-known crime author, Dorothy L. Sayers. 'Blood sacrifice' was written for 'Six against the Yard', an anthology of 'perfect murders' by members of the Detection Club, which were then reviewed by a representative of Scotland Yard. Sounds fun! Sayers cheats, though, because her murder is criminally-negligent manslaughter, at best. Possibly not even that. She devotes her effort to setting up the psychological state and motive of the non-murderer, and she does it very well, but that still doesn't make it a proper murder.
In two more stories, something is stolen from a dressing-room. You can guess what goes missing in 'The case of the ventriloquist's doll', by Ernest Dudley. This was apparently originally intended for the radio, so the author's put in a lot of scope for sound effects and exaggerated accents. The other advantage of the radio format would be not having to endure the prose. In 'The affair at the Novelty Theatre', by Baroness Orczy - best known for creating the Scarlet Pimpernel - a precious string of pearls is stolen from an actress's dressing room, with a carefully-made replica left in their place.
I'm curious about how they ordered the stories in this one. There's quite a few works with striking similarities, but that's difficult to avoid in a themed anthology. However, there's a few cases where two stories with some major point of similarity come one after the other, which just emphasises the problem. Perhaps unwisely, the book opens with two stories that both feature the theft of a beautiful string of pearls and have very similar titles. Orczy's 'The affair at the Novelty Theatre' is the first, and then in 'The affair at the Semiramis Hotel', by A. E. W. Mason, a woman trying to steal the other string of pearls walks in on some more proactive thugs who are already doing it. That brings a risk of the stories blurring together. Fortunately for Orczy, hers is a much better-constructed mystery than her competitor's; although Mason has better characterisation, including a more entertaining Watson figure, the plot gets overcomplicated, and Mason's detective ultimately resorts to a dream and a hypnosis session to put the pieces together.
Where exactly is safe for luvvies in this anthology? Absolutely nowhere. In 'The lady who laughed', by Ray Vickers, the wife of a famous clown disappears in the space of fifteen minutes from a garden party, and after some time, the case is passed onto the 'Department of Dead Ends'. It's well-written, with good characterisation, but I'm not convinced it should really have taken that long to solve - if the police were suspicious enough to keep the case open to begin with, surely they would have investigated ? The anthology also fits in a murderous plot at a country house, that good old mainstay of crime fiction, in ''The dancing girl' by Anthony Wynne. There's a warning in the introduction; 'at times the author's use of his fiction as a platform for his pontificating counts against readability'. Accurate! 'It was his experience that women who spoke ill of men in general had usually disappointed the hopes or faith of some particular man. Their abuse of the opposite sex was a sop offered to their own consciences, or perhaps to their vanity.' Wynne came up with an interesting method of murder, but the prose is dull and the characterisation is worse.
Theatrical types might be tempted to lock themselves in a windowless room at this point, but that's not safe either, I'm afraid. In 'The blind spot', by Barry Perowne, a drunk playwright tells a stranger that he's finally devised the perfect crime; an absolutely foolproof way to pull off the locked-room murder. Don't spread that information around, people.
October 1, 2022
Crime/detective/mystery fiction is essentially theatrical, so it is unsurprising that this latest BLCC anthology, ably compiled by Martin Edwards, works rather well.
For the seasoned GADista, there are a few surprises and rare treats, while for the general reader there is comfort in well-known authors and stories of varied length. A useful new feature is the bold placing of the date of original publication of each item at the head of its individual introduction.
Sandwiched between a 1905 outing for Baroness Orczy's ever-welcome Old Man in the Corner and Christianna Brand's 1958 story with Inspector Cockrill in sardonic mode, are a further twelve tales from AEW Mason, Anthony Wynne, Marguerite Steen, DL Sayers, Brandon Fleming, Ernest Dudley, Barry Perowne, Ngaio Marsh, Roy Vickers, Bernard J Farmer, John Appleby and Julian Symons.
For me, some of the stories are very familiar, and the Mason is so readily-available that its inclusion, given its length, is a bit questionable. However there are starring roles by Barry Perowne, Marguerite Steen, and Roy Vickers which more than compensate for the odd hackneyed and lacklustre performance.
Overall, an enjoyable theatrical experience, recommended to newcomers and old hands alike.
For the seasoned GADista, there are a few surprises and rare treats, while for the general reader there is comfort in well-known authors and stories of varied length. A useful new feature is the bold placing of the date of original publication of each item at the head of its individual introduction.
Sandwiched between a 1905 outing for Baroness Orczy's ever-welcome Old Man in the Corner and Christianna Brand's 1958 story with Inspector Cockrill in sardonic mode, are a further twelve tales from AEW Mason, Anthony Wynne, Marguerite Steen, DL Sayers, Brandon Fleming, Ernest Dudley, Barry Perowne, Ngaio Marsh, Roy Vickers, Bernard J Farmer, John Appleby and Julian Symons.
For me, some of the stories are very familiar, and the Mason is so readily-available that its inclusion, given its length, is a bit questionable. However there are starring roles by Barry Perowne, Marguerite Steen, and Roy Vickers which more than compensate for the odd hackneyed and lacklustre performance.
Overall, an enjoyable theatrical experience, recommended to newcomers and old hands alike.
March 5, 2024
A strong collection of Golden Age crime fiction featuring the theatre and the amateurs and professionals who work there. There isn't a bad short story in this collection, but I felt that they got better and better as they proceeded. Among my favorites: "I Can Find My Way Out" by Ngaio Marsh, the New Zealand author who was also a theatre expert and professional, featuring her long-serving series detective, Inspector Roderick Alleyn; "The Thirteenth Knife" by Bernard J. Farmer, a very short story with a very clever twist in the final paragraph; "Drink for an Actor" by the relatively unknown John Appleby; "Credit to William Shakespeare" by crime fiction historian Julian Symons, in which the staging of Hamlet actually provides a clue to the murderer's identity; and "After the Event" by Christianna Brand, the plot of which is convoluted (in a good way) due to the tricks of costuming and makeup, as well as an excellent "Murder on the Orient Express"-style ensemble cast. I especially liked the framing story in this last tale, where Brand's series detective, Inspector Cockrill, is told the story of the crime by "The Great Detective," an elderly, presumably retired inspector who solved the case but never able to come up with the proof.
Another excellent entry in the British Library Crime Classics series.
Another excellent entry in the British Library Crime Classics series.
May 28, 2023
A collection of short stories for the Golden Age of mystery writing all on the theme of theatres and performances. A mixed bag written between 1905 & 1958. The best in this collection come from Ngaio Marsh, Christianna Brand, Baroness Orczy & Roy Vickers.
June 8, 2023
A decent anthology of mystery stories spanning from 1905 to 1958, connected (more or less) with the world on the stage. From theft to murder, both attempted and executed successfully in view of the audience, the usual mayhem of mystery stories is present, accentuated by the tantalising possibility of a once-in-a-lifetime performance of a master criminal. Sadly, the crème de la crème not always lives up to the high expectations, yet no story is a complete bore.
Baroness Orczy - The Affair at the Novelty Theatre - 3/5
Now, I could not shake off the feeling that I have read this particular story before. Perhaps it was another of the old man in the corner's armchair solutions I've come across. The solution is rather hypothetical, as it is wont to be, and overall it has a very "Mycroftian" feel.
A. E. W. Mason - The Affair at the Semiramis Hotel - 3/5
This one belongs to Inspector Hanaud series and it shows. It is a stand-alone novella, but it is painfully clear that there is some story preceding this one. Unfortunately, I found neither of the main characters very likeable. Nevertheless, it's got an interesting promise with several twists. Although the ending was a bit anticlimactic...
Anthony Wynne - The Dancing Girl - 4/5
Intriguing, perhaps a tad sexist, with lovely twists and turns. The deception paid out for me, as I did not expect the events to take such a turn. I also appreciate the intended use of for the murder plot - a rare occurrence indeed.
Marguerite Steen - In View of the Audience - 4/5
Enjoyable to read, ifa bit... more than a bit predictable. The atmosphere is pleasantly unsettling, and the abrupt ending only adds to it.
Dorothy L. Sayers - Blood Sacrifice - 5/5
The superb psychological piece, honestly by now I don't think that Sayers could ever disappoint in terms of detective fiction. Now I am rather interested in the Six Against the Yard anthology in which it was originally published.
Brandon Fleming - The Wrong Make-up - 2/5
The idea is not without intrigue, but... I found the style of the author lacking a certain, hm, ease, or shall I say, joy. It gives a bit of a clunky vibe, mainly because of the dry stylistic. That, I must admit, could be due to the stark contrast to the previous piece (which I personally consider the highlight of this collection).
Ernest Dudley - The Case of the Ventriloquist's Doll - 2/5
This piece belongs to Dr. Morelle Mystery Series, however, I severely did not like any of the characters in this story. Adding the fact that the mystery itself was not much of a mystery in the end, I certainly don't feel even a bit tempted to explore this series further.
Barry Perowne - The Blind Spot - 5/5
Perrowne's interpretation of Raffles is on my to-read list for quite a time now, so I was glad to come across a short story of his in this anthology. What a gem. I enjoyed that it went almost exactly as I expected, yet that it still left me questioning the "how".
Ngaio Marsh - I can find my Way out - 4/5
Once again a complimentary piece to a longer series - Inspector Alleyn - and thus perhaps a bit confusing in some aspects. Nevertheless, it is a very solid story.
Roy Vickers - The Lady who Laughed - 5/5
One of the stories from The Department of Dead Ends - a clever, I even daresay inverted crime mystery. I usually do not fancy when I know the perpetrator from the very start but this was intriguing and finely written.
Bernard J. Farmer - The Thirteenth Knife - 5/5
Short but lovely. I especially appreciate the switch of the traditional roles - a female knife thrower and her charming male assistant.
John Appleby - Drink for an Actor - 5/5
I had a blast reading this. Sure, it's short, but it reads well and it had a turn (quite literally) I did not expect.
Julian Symons - Credit to William Shakespeare - 3/5
Similar theme as the previous one, but - in my opinion - not as well executed.
Christianna Brand - After the Event - 3/5
Interesting premise, but the structure of a story within a story did not sit exactly well with me in this particular case.
This collection does a splendid job of introducing readers to mystery authors from the "golden age" and beyond, some of them quite obscure nowadays, and thus to certain very fine and intriguing detective series.
Baroness Orczy - The Affair at the Novelty Theatre - 3/5
Now, I could not shake off the feeling that I have read this particular story before. Perhaps it was another of the old man in the corner's armchair solutions I've come across. The solution is rather hypothetical, as it is wont to be, and overall it has a very "Mycroftian" feel.
A. E. W. Mason - The Affair at the Semiramis Hotel - 3/5
This one belongs to Inspector Hanaud series and it shows. It is a stand-alone novella, but it is painfully clear that there is some story preceding this one. Unfortunately, I found neither of the main characters very likeable. Nevertheless, it's got an interesting promise with several twists. Although the ending was a bit anticlimactic...
Anthony Wynne - The Dancing Girl - 4/5
Intriguing, perhaps a tad sexist, with lovely twists and turns. The deception paid out for me, as I did not expect the events to take such a turn. I also appreciate the intended use of for the murder plot - a rare occurrence indeed.
Marguerite Steen - In View of the Audience - 4/5
Enjoyable to read, if
Dorothy L. Sayers - Blood Sacrifice - 5/5
The superb psychological piece, honestly by now I don't think that Sayers could ever disappoint in terms of detective fiction. Now I am rather interested in the Six Against the Yard anthology in which it was originally published.
Brandon Fleming - The Wrong Make-up - 2/5
The idea is not without intrigue, but... I found the style of the author lacking a certain, hm, ease, or shall I say, joy. It gives a bit of a clunky vibe, mainly because of the dry stylistic. That, I must admit, could be due to the stark contrast to the previous piece (which I personally consider the highlight of this collection).
Ernest Dudley - The Case of the Ventriloquist's Doll - 2/5
This piece belongs to Dr. Morelle Mystery Series, however, I severely did not like any of the characters in this story. Adding the fact that the mystery itself was not much of a mystery in the end, I certainly don't feel even a bit tempted to explore this series further.
Barry Perowne - The Blind Spot - 5/5
Perrowne's interpretation of Raffles is on my to-read list for quite a time now, so I was glad to come across a short story of his in this anthology. What a gem. I enjoyed that it went almost exactly as I expected, yet that it still left me questioning the "how".
Ngaio Marsh - I can find my Way out - 4/5
Once again a complimentary piece to a longer series - Inspector Alleyn - and thus perhaps a bit confusing in some aspects. Nevertheless, it is a very solid story.
Roy Vickers - The Lady who Laughed - 5/5
One of the stories from The Department of Dead Ends - a clever, I even daresay inverted crime mystery. I usually do not fancy when I know the perpetrator from the very start but this was intriguing and finely written.
Bernard J. Farmer - The Thirteenth Knife - 5/5
Short but lovely. I especially appreciate the switch of the traditional roles - a female knife thrower and her charming male assistant.
John Appleby - Drink for an Actor - 5/5
I had a blast reading this. Sure, it's short, but it reads well and it had a turn (quite literally) I did not expect.
Julian Symons - Credit to William Shakespeare - 3/5
Similar theme as the previous one, but - in my opinion - not as well executed.
Christianna Brand - After the Event - 3/5
Interesting premise, but the structure of a story within a story did not sit exactly well with me in this particular case.
This collection does a splendid job of introducing readers to mystery authors from the "golden age" and beyond, some of them quite obscure nowadays, and thus to certain very fine and intriguing detective series.
March 12, 2024
Renton Library Fiction
I like these classic detective stores, mostly set in Britain, with valets and dinner dress and stuff.
I like these classic detective stores, mostly set in Britain, with valets and dinner dress and stuff.
November 27, 2022
Interesting coefttnnmmm
But
But
January 6, 2023
One of my personal reading challenges for 2023 is to read all the British Library Crime Classics titles and this is the first I have finished.
I very much enjoy short stories and there are several collections within the BLCC imprint; this particular collection is based around theatrical mysteries and, while quite enjoyable, is not the best of its kind. I very much enjoyed the Roy Vickers story and Christiana Brand finishes the collection off very nicely and one or two of the others are quite enjoyable but a good half seem rather perfunctory and others seem completely pointless.
Still not a bad introduction to the series, though
I very much enjoy short stories and there are several collections within the BLCC imprint; this particular collection is based around theatrical mysteries and, while quite enjoyable, is not the best of its kind. I very much enjoyed the Roy Vickers story and Christiana Brand finishes the collection off very nicely and one or two of the others are quite enjoyable but a good half seem rather perfunctory and others seem completely pointless.
Still not a bad introduction to the series, though
November 16, 2024
A range of murder mysteries all with some connection to the theatre. Some stick in the mind for various reasons, others feel run of the mill and a couple were a bit 'meh'. The Blind Spot was a nice twist on the locked room mystery and I've always liked the artistic angle on Sayers' tale of blood groups and saucers. A theatrical scenario lends itself to disguise and trickery far more readily than many others.
April 15, 2023
Fourteen stories, fourteen mysteries are selected by Martin Edwards for publication in the British Library Crime Classics series in this excellent volume. Like other anthologies in the series they share a common theme, this time being theatrical settings. In his fascinating Introduction, Edwards considers why the theatre is such a popular background for tales of murder and mystery, and some of the authors who have seized on the theme for some of their most successful novels. These include Ngaio Marsh whose love of the theatrical world is well known, and Agatha Christie whose work was not only successful on stage but who enjoyed writing about actors in her mysteries, as did other authors who appreciated the skills they used when involved in deceit and trickery. Life backstage provides a rich setting for murder and mystery; Edwards mentions the clever “Measure for Murder” by Clifford Witting which I have reviewed, in which an amateur drama group becomes an enclosed community for mystery. These fourteen stories range from 1905 to 1958, arranged in chronological order, and Edwards writes a short Introduction to each author, giving an outline of their writing career and where the selected story appears in the context of their writing as a whole. Beginning with Baroness Orczy, and working through to the subtlety of Christianna Brand, this is a collection of brilliant tales of actors and actresses, writers and performers, murder and mysteries. I was very pleased to have the opportunity to read and review this exciting book.
Like other stories of theatrical life, there are many possibilities in the stage props, costumes and make up that feature in these stories. Giving the impression of opulence with simple tricks is a standby in several of these stories. Actors and actresses are desperate to make their mark, get the best parts, dominate the stage. Sometimes that prompts them to desperate action, and in the confusion of entrances and exits audiences and others can be fooled. Dorothy L Sayers writes of a former actress who observes carefully the comings and goings of a theatre, but she cannot predict the intricacies of feelings involved in the story “Blood Sacrifice”. Another desperate writer features in the chilling “The Blind Spot” by Barry Perowne from 1945. An ambitious friend gives Roderick Alleyn problems in Ngaio Marsh’s “I Can Find My Way Out”. Ernest Dudley’s “The Case of the Ventriloquist’s Doll” features his ongoing characters Doctor Morelle and Miss Frayle in quite a forensic case with a demanding theatrical client. John Appleby’s 1950 story “Drink for an Actor” is set in one of Shakespeare’s plays being performed and is a subtle question of motives. Christianna Brand’s story is also set in the highly charged world of backstage to a production of Othello, though the recounting of the case is also a fascinating element to cover in a short story length.
Like the other anthologies in the series, this collection serves as a taster or introduction to some lesser known authors whose books are being reissued. It also includes strong favourites indulging in the rich opportunities presented by the atmosphere of theatrical productions. Tricks and deceptions, impressions and literal acts can deceive both the amateur and professional detective, and all of these authors excel at literary sleight of hand. I found much to enjoy in this book, with all the stories being based on original ideas freely adapted even though the endings were frequently not traditional. This collection will appeal to not only the classic mystery reader, but also those who enjoy the glitter and deliberate deceit of the theatrical world.
Like other stories of theatrical life, there are many possibilities in the stage props, costumes and make up that feature in these stories. Giving the impression of opulence with simple tricks is a standby in several of these stories. Actors and actresses are desperate to make their mark, get the best parts, dominate the stage. Sometimes that prompts them to desperate action, and in the confusion of entrances and exits audiences and others can be fooled. Dorothy L Sayers writes of a former actress who observes carefully the comings and goings of a theatre, but she cannot predict the intricacies of feelings involved in the story “Blood Sacrifice”. Another desperate writer features in the chilling “The Blind Spot” by Barry Perowne from 1945. An ambitious friend gives Roderick Alleyn problems in Ngaio Marsh’s “I Can Find My Way Out”. Ernest Dudley’s “The Case of the Ventriloquist’s Doll” features his ongoing characters Doctor Morelle and Miss Frayle in quite a forensic case with a demanding theatrical client. John Appleby’s 1950 story “Drink for an Actor” is set in one of Shakespeare’s plays being performed and is a subtle question of motives. Christianna Brand’s story is also set in the highly charged world of backstage to a production of Othello, though the recounting of the case is also a fascinating element to cover in a short story length.
Like the other anthologies in the series, this collection serves as a taster or introduction to some lesser known authors whose books are being reissued. It also includes strong favourites indulging in the rich opportunities presented by the atmosphere of theatrical productions. Tricks and deceptions, impressions and literal acts can deceive both the amateur and professional detective, and all of these authors excel at literary sleight of hand. I found much to enjoy in this book, with all the stories being based on original ideas freely adapted even though the endings were frequently not traditional. This collection will appeal to not only the classic mystery reader, but also those who enjoy the glitter and deliberate deceit of the theatrical world.
January 2, 2024
I don't always love mystery anthologies because they often seem to contain a lot of chaff. But Martin Edwards has (as expected!) put together a decent collection of vintage theatrical-themed mysteries. To be honest, what attracted me to the volume, aside from the subject matter, was the gorgeous cover art. BLCC always has wonderful covers, but this is the most stunning one I've seen.
The Dorothy Sayers story is head and shoulders above the rest--a good plot, but mostly she's by far the best writer in this group. The Brandon Fleming and Barry Perowne (both authors previously unknown to me) stories also were quite good. The only one I disliked was the Ernest Dudley story, as it was distractingly mannered and overwritten; I'm sure it was done deliberately, to reflect the detective's character, but it irritated me.
This volume provided a decent diversion at a busy time!
The Dorothy Sayers story is head and shoulders above the rest--a good plot, but mostly she's by far the best writer in this group. The Brandon Fleming and Barry Perowne (both authors previously unknown to me) stories also were quite good. The only one I disliked was the Ernest Dudley story, as it was distractingly mannered and overwritten; I'm sure it was done deliberately, to reflect the detective's character, but it irritated me.
This volume provided a decent diversion at a busy time!
May 25, 2023
Perhaps not the most exciting addition to the series as most of the short stories failed to grab me, but I still had fun with it. It is interesting since it was what originally drew me to starting the series - I just could not resist the cover using Karl Friedrich Schinkel's stage design for Mozart's "The Magic Flute" - a personal favourite.
Favourite stories: "The Dancing Girl" by Anthony Wynne, "In View of the Audience" by Marguerite Steen, "Blood Sacrifice" by Dorothy L. Sayers, "The Case of The Ventriloquist's Doll" by Ernest Dudley, "The Blind Spot" by Barry Perowne, "The Lady Who Laughed" by Roy Vickers, "Drink for an Actor" by John Appleby and "After the Event" by Christianna Brand
Favourite stories: "The Dancing Girl" by Anthony Wynne, "In View of the Audience" by Marguerite Steen, "Blood Sacrifice" by Dorothy L. Sayers, "The Case of The Ventriloquist's Doll" by Ernest Dudley, "The Blind Spot" by Barry Perowne, "The Lady Who Laughed" by Roy Vickers, "Drink for an Actor" by John Appleby and "After the Event" by Christianna Brand
November 12, 2022
I found this collection of tales of theatrical murder and mystery a bit hit and miss, sadly some just haven’t aged well and come across with a bit too much of the melodrama and a tad false in how it all gets tied up at the end. Some try to be too clever and some of the detectives are just as awful as the villains… the only really good stories that I thoroughly enjoyed was Dorothy L Sayers short and Nagaio Marsh’s one. The rest just fell a bit flat for me. But if you are into theatre and drama with a dash of murder this collection will be just right.
October 27, 2022
I've been dipping into this collection of theatrical mysteries throughout October. As with most of the British Library Crime anthologies that I've read, I seem to prefer the later stories! I especially liked the last one by Christianna Brand which featured Inspector Cockrill. I also enjoyed muchly the ones by Roy Vickers, John Appleby, Bernard J. Farmer and Dorothy L. Sayers.
A couple of duds but overall an entertaining collection.
A couple of duds but overall an entertaining collection.
September 30, 2023
Apparently it's extraordinarily difficult to write good mystery stories set in theatres - which is the organizing principle of the volume. Of the 14 stories here the ones by Barry Perowne, Dorothy Sayers, and Ngaio Marsh are best. Others are diverting before bed. But in all, I would not recommend reading this cover-to-cover, when there are so many other possibilities to choose from.
October 8, 2023
A real collection of hits and misses in this collection, and as I was listening to this on audiobook I wasn't pausing to rate each story individually so decided to round it off at 3 stars overall.
I'm not sure I'll be listening right through this one again, but I was pleased to discovered new, to me, short stories from Ngaio Marsh, Dorothy Sayers, and, Christiana Brand this listen through.
I'm not sure I'll be listening right through this one again, but I was pleased to discovered new, to me, short stories from Ngaio Marsh, Dorothy Sayers, and, Christiana Brand this listen through.
October 16, 2024
A collection of short stories and novellas from the first half of the twentieth century, all having to do with clever murders (or attempted murders) that occur among companies of actors onstage or backstage. Fine entertainment, cozy enough for bedtime reading; I particularly enjoyed the contributions from Ngaio Marsh, John Appleby, and the always remarkable Christianna Brand.
May 13, 2025
CONTENTS
●Introduction - Martin Edwards
●A Note from the Publisher
●Fiction
•"The Affair at the Novelty Theatre" - Baroness Orczy
•"The Affair at the Semiramis Hotel" -
A. E. W. Mason
•"The Dancing Girl" - Anthony Wynne
•"In View of the Audience" - Marguerite Steen
•"Blood Sacrifice" - Dorothy L. Sayers
•"The Wrong Make-Up" - Brandon Fleming
•"The Case of the Ventriloquist's Doll" - Ernest Dudley
•"The Blind Spot" - Barry Perowne
•'I Can Find My Way Out" - Ngaio Marsh
•"The Lady Who Laughed" - Roy Vickers
•"The Thirteenth Knife" - Bernard J. Farmer
•"Drink for an Actor" - John Appleby
•"Credit to William Shakespeare" - Julian Symons
•"After the Event" - Christianna Brand
I had read and enjoyed another anthology (Murder by the Book: Mysteries for Bibliophiles) in the British Library Crime Classics series which was also edited by Martin Edwards, so I found this less good collection rather disappointing.
Martin Edwards' Introduction deals with the subject of this anthology, stories about mysteries related to the theater. All the ones discussed in the Introduction are novels. This is fascinating, as is all Edwards' writing about mysteries that I have read; I wish it were longer. (For those who, like me, were not familiar with the phrase "am dram," it is short for "amateur dramatics.")
The entry "A Note from the Publisher" seems to be almost identical to the one in Murder by the Book. It states that all the stories "were written and published in a period ranging, for the most part, from the 1890s to the 1960s." It goes on to say that the stories "are presented as they were originally published with the inclusion of minor edits made for consistency of style and sense, and with pejorative terms of an extremely offensive nature partly obscured." It is not stated in the introduction, but almost all the authors represented here are, not surprisingly, British. (Baroness Orczy was born in Hungary but moved to Britain as a teenager. Ngaio Marsh was from New Zealand.)
Each story has a fine, informative introduction by Martin Edwards. The stories appear in the order of their individual publication. The oldest, "The Affair at the Novelty Theatre," does not have an original publication date listed, but it is stated that it was reprinted in a collection in 1905. The most recent, "After the Event," is from 1958.
I note that many of these stories are parts of series:
"The Affair at the Novelty Theatre" - "The Old Man in the Corner"
"The Affair at the Semiramis Hotel" - Inspector Hanaud
"The Dancing Girl" - Dr. Eustace Hailey
"The Case of the Ventriloquist's Doll" - Doctor Morelle
"I Can Find My Way Out" - Roderick Alleyn
"The Lady Who Laughed" - Department of Dead Ends
"Credit to William Shakespeare" - Francis Quarles
"After the Event" - Inspector Cockrill
I am not going to discuss each story in detail. Most of them seem to me to be acceptable, but not much more. The two that I think are genuinely poor are "The Wrong Make-Up" and "The Case of the Ventriloquist's Doll." The ones that I particularly like are "The Affair at the Semiramis Hotel" (the longest story in the book), "Blood Sacrifice," and "The Blind Spot."
Some notes about individual stories:
▪︎"In View of the Audience" borders on being a horror story.
▪︎If the name of the author of "Drink for an Actor," John Appleby, sounds familiar (as it did to me), "John Appleby" is also the name of the main character in a series of mysteries by Michael Innes (J. I. M. Stewart). This, Edwards explains, is not a coincidence. Innes knew Appleby and used Appleby's name for his fictional detective.
▪︎"After the Event" was originally published as "Rabbit out of Hat."
Not a terrible collection, but not one that I would recommend.
●Introduction - Martin Edwards
●A Note from the Publisher
●Fiction
•"The Affair at the Novelty Theatre" - Baroness Orczy
•"The Affair at the Semiramis Hotel" -
A. E. W. Mason
•"The Dancing Girl" - Anthony Wynne
•"In View of the Audience" - Marguerite Steen
•"Blood Sacrifice" - Dorothy L. Sayers
•"The Wrong Make-Up" - Brandon Fleming
•"The Case of the Ventriloquist's Doll" - Ernest Dudley
•"The Blind Spot" - Barry Perowne
•'I Can Find My Way Out" - Ngaio Marsh
•"The Lady Who Laughed" - Roy Vickers
•"The Thirteenth Knife" - Bernard J. Farmer
•"Drink for an Actor" - John Appleby
•"Credit to William Shakespeare" - Julian Symons
•"After the Event" - Christianna Brand
I had read and enjoyed another anthology (Murder by the Book: Mysteries for Bibliophiles) in the British Library Crime Classics series which was also edited by Martin Edwards, so I found this less good collection rather disappointing.
Martin Edwards' Introduction deals with the subject of this anthology, stories about mysteries related to the theater. All the ones discussed in the Introduction are novels. This is fascinating, as is all Edwards' writing about mysteries that I have read; I wish it were longer. (For those who, like me, were not familiar with the phrase "am dram," it is short for "amateur dramatics.")
The entry "A Note from the Publisher" seems to be almost identical to the one in Murder by the Book. It states that all the stories "were written and published in a period ranging, for the most part, from the 1890s to the 1960s." It goes on to say that the stories "are presented as they were originally published with the inclusion of minor edits made for consistency of style and sense, and with pejorative terms of an extremely offensive nature partly obscured." It is not stated in the introduction, but almost all the authors represented here are, not surprisingly, British. (Baroness Orczy was born in Hungary but moved to Britain as a teenager. Ngaio Marsh was from New Zealand.)
Each story has a fine, informative introduction by Martin Edwards. The stories appear in the order of their individual publication. The oldest, "The Affair at the Novelty Theatre," does not have an original publication date listed, but it is stated that it was reprinted in a collection in 1905. The most recent, "After the Event," is from 1958.
I note that many of these stories are parts of series:
"The Affair at the Novelty Theatre" - "The Old Man in the Corner"
"The Affair at the Semiramis Hotel" - Inspector Hanaud
"The Dancing Girl" - Dr. Eustace Hailey
"The Case of the Ventriloquist's Doll" - Doctor Morelle
"I Can Find My Way Out" - Roderick Alleyn
"The Lady Who Laughed" - Department of Dead Ends
"Credit to William Shakespeare" - Francis Quarles
"After the Event" - Inspector Cockrill
I am not going to discuss each story in detail. Most of them seem to me to be acceptable, but not much more. The two that I think are genuinely poor are "The Wrong Make-Up" and "The Case of the Ventriloquist's Doll." The ones that I particularly like are "The Affair at the Semiramis Hotel" (the longest story in the book), "Blood Sacrifice," and "The Blind Spot."
Some notes about individual stories:
▪︎"In View of the Audience" borders on being a horror story.
▪︎If the name of the author of "Drink for an Actor," John Appleby, sounds familiar (as it did to me), "John Appleby" is also the name of the main character in a series of mysteries by Michael Innes (J. I. M. Stewart). This, Edwards explains, is not a coincidence. Innes knew Appleby and used Appleby's name for his fictional detective.
▪︎"After the Event" was originally published as "Rabbit out of Hat."
Not a terrible collection, but not one that I would recommend.
January 17, 2023
Christiana Brand's story (After The Event), already appears in another collection (The Long Arm Of The Law). Other then that, I felt this to be an ok selection, with the standout in my opinion being: The Case Of The Ventriloquist Doll by Ernest Dudley.
not-finishing
March 13, 2024An anthology of short stories all having to do with a mystery involving a theater. The stories range from 1905 - 1950 by a variety of authors. It is an uneven collection. But overall the stories are included more for their fitting the theme rather than being well crafted solidly good mysteries.
October 17, 2024
I’m not a huge fan of short stories and this collection was more miss than hit for me. The two stories I most enjoyed were the ones by Roy Vickers and Bernard J Farmer but I drew a bit of a blank with many of the others. A mixed bag.
October 7, 2025
Published in 2022, 'Final Acts' is an anthology of 14 murder mystery short stories originally published over the years 1905-1958. As is often the case, the style is a little variable but the tales are nonetheless entertaining irrespective of whether they are clever plots or daft plots.
November 14, 2022
A very good selection of theatre based or connected short stories.
The stories date from 1905 to 1958.
The stories date from 1905 to 1958.
January 11, 2023
Love the stories in this anthology
September 2, 2023
Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.
October 5, 2023
I've read most of the British Library Crime Classics but this was the weakest by a long way.
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