Who Killed Zebedee? and John Jago's Ghost

by Wilkie Collins, Martin Jarvis (Foreword)

Undisputed master of “sensation fiction” and forefather of the modern crime story, Wilkie Collins was also a supreme chronicler of the dark underside of Victorian London.

Chilling in the extreme, these three short stories of murder and suspense are outstanding examples of his craft. Setting himself in front of the station fire, a young policeman is little prepared for the account of bloody murder that will be relayed that night. It seems that Mrs. Crosscapel’s lodging house is a place of dark secrets and buried passions—emotions that will soon cloud even his own judgement.

As with the other short stories included here, 'Who Killed Zebedee?' is a brilliant and highly original tale of horror and the macabre.

Genres: Classics, Mystery, Short Stories, Fiction, Crime, Audiobook, British Literature

105 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1880

About the author

Wilkie Collins was an English novelist and playwright, best known for The Woman in White (1860), an early sensation novel, and The Moonstone (1868), a pioneering work of detective fiction. Born to landscape painter William Collins and Harriet Geddes, he spent part of his childhood in Italy and France, learning both languages. Initially working as a tea merchant, he later studied law, though he never practiced. His literary career began with Antonina (1850), and a meeting with Charles Dickens in 1851 proved pivotal. The two became close friends and collaborators, with Collins contributing to Dickens' journals and co-writing dramatic works.
Collins' success peaked in the 1860s with novels that combined suspense with social critique, including No Name (1862), Armadale (1864), and The Moonstone, which established key elements of the modern detective story. His personal life was unconventional—he openly opposed marriage and lived with Caroline Graves and her daughter for much of his life, while also maintaining a separate relationship with Martha Rudd, with whom he had three children.
Plagued by gout, Collins became addicted to laudanum, which affected both his health and later works. Despite declining quality in his writing, he remained a respected figure, mentoring younger authors and advocating for writers' rights. He died in 1889 and was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery. His legacy endures through his influential novels, which laid the groundwork for both sensation fiction and detective literature.

Reviews

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two short tales from Wilkie Collins that capture both atmosphere and sensation. In the first a dying policeman tells a tale of revenge and mercy which literally haunts him to the grave, in the second a thwarted suitor takes his revenge on two brothers who are cruel to him and leads them to the foot of the gallows

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Collins can tell a good story and certainly knew his audience! If I'd been a bored Victorian lady with nothing more than a card game or embroidery to do til a rich bloke showed up, I'd have devoured these 'sensationalist' stories of romantic rivalry, murder and desperation. One set in low life London, the other on a farm in New England. Really interesting contemporary details make them 'real', and therefore, convincing.

[☯Emily Ginder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two short stories by Wilkie Collins were delightful and fast reads. Even though one story took place in England and the other in America, they both dwelt with thwarted love. The American short story actually was based on a real trial in Vermont. If you thought The Moonstone or Woman in White were too long and wordy, you will be delighted with Collins' short stories.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This slim book also contains a 2nd longer short-story called "John Jago's Ghost." Both are page-turners that keep you questioning. I enjoyed them both. These are the first short stories I've read by Collins, I think (I've read 3 of his novels) and they are 'full' despite their length.

[Bettie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bettie's Books

[Ahmed Imad Jawad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meeeh Nothing interesting in this book

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story, must have been fascinating when it was written. The story flowed nicely.

[Tess · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a short story focused on a stabbing death and the memory of a dying former police officer as he relates the case to the priest giving him last rites. No heavy reading here, just an enjoyable 30-45 minutes. 37 pages

[eyupcan · Rating 4 out of 5]

the man who left police force years ago recalls a murder which he left intentionally unsolved even though he knew who was the murderer.Mr zebedes stays with his wife in the lodgers,stabbed to death while his wife thinks she killed him while she sleepwalked.His wife does not remember much except the last moment before shewent to sleep.she read a book which is about a man who kills her wife during his sleepwalk.police suspects first the man living in the same lodgers who recently insulted mrs zebedee because she did not let him kiss her.there is a knife with missing part of inscription on it.the dedective talkes to the cook,pricilla,later he discovers her the murderer.dedective gets close to her,proposes to marry her.when the dedective comes across a shop where he finds the mystery of the inscription on the knife he goes to pricilla,tells her everything,she confesses with a letter.the dedective throws the inscription which is the proof of the murder into the fire before the eyes of pricilla he lets her go

[Cristian Herrera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, captivating story, with an unexpected ending...

[Anthony Peter · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted something short to read from the Library and this looked a good bet, but it wan't for me.

I find reading Collins something of a cross between and wallow and a wade, and wonder if the chances of my enjoying him would be enhanced by time travel. Perhaps Victorian readers would have been in the 'sensationalist' groove and have found these early whodunnits exciting and relatively novel. But for me, these stories were rather more a case of a writer spinning out his yarn further than it can really be borne.

The second of the two -'John Jago's Ghost' - is more spun out than the former. An English barrister, suffering form workaholic stress goes on holiday with relatives in America and narrates the events that took place there. The farmer's sons are arrested for murdering John Jago, the farm overseer. Their cousin, Naomi, living on the farm with them (loved by both the overseer and one of the sons - and by the narrator) is convinced that Ambrose, the son she loves, is innocent. Is he? Isn't he? Collins is over-reliant on stories that reveal conversations and events in the past as the tale plods long-windedly to its conclusion.

'Who Killed Zebedee?' is more convincing - a death bed confession in which a former detective reveals the solution to an unsolved case. In this instance, the denouement after a series of investigation has revealed nothing is snappier, even though it's one of those based on evidence that the reader was not privy to - not an unusual device, but I prefer a whodunnit that offers the clues and allows readers a chance to crack it for themselves.

Nevertheless, the introduction to this edition is by Martin Jarvis who (over?)enthusiastically imagines them as film scripts offering roles to Jude Law, Kate Winslett, Tom Cruise, Gwyneth Paltrow et al. Jarvis lays emphasis on Collins' development of character and in this respect I'm on his wavelength. From that point of view, I enjoyed the stories: the two brothers, Silas and Ambrose, in 'Jago' are distinctively drawn, each consumed by loathing of Jago but each differently constituted, one surly, one affectionate, but both cowardly. Their sister, however, is much more sinister - a spinster feeling her age and eaten up by religion and powerlessness. Cousin Naomi, the young love interest, I found more enigmatic - is she playing the field, is she a minx, is she believable at face value? And in 'Zebedee', the minor character of Mr Scorrier, the knife-engraver, is a neat miniature.

So things to enjoy here, but overall I found the stories rather drawn out.

[Chrystyna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who Killed Zebedee? & John Jago's Ghost by Wilkie Collins - Good

A couple of short mystery stories. Wilkie Collins is one of those authors that just seems to get away from me. I was all set to read The Moonstone from the school library aged 11 when we suddenly moved and I changed school. I've been meaning to read it ever since and actually have a copy on the bookstand in my bedroom. I just never seem to 'get there'. Anyway, my ballet teacher lent me these two short stories and I've broken my duck.

Who Killed Zebedee? is just 30ish pages. A woman bursts into a police station claiming that a young woman in a boarding house has killed her husband in her sleep. The police investigate, but it doesn't seem that clear cut - just which of the residents is guilty? They all seem to have something about them to suggest that they are not completely innocent.

John Jago's ghost is a longer story centred around a family in America. John Jago is an employee on a ranch but is generally hated by the owner's sons. One day he is sent into town but never arrives....then scraps of his clothing and bones are found in the lime pit. Just what has happened and who is the culprit?

Nice little stories. I expect that when they were written they were fresh and mysterious but as a regular reader of crime stories I did work out what was going on before finishing each story. That didn't stop me enjoying them and wondering if there would be a twist and I'd be wrong. Beautifully written.

#review

[Jason Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who Killed Zebedee?
by Wilkie Collins

John Jago’s Ghost and Who Killed Zebedee?
Two crisp dark murder mysteries to please:
The first a London stabbing none could see,
With guesthouse cast of suspects poised to tease;
The next a prairie puzzle filled with hate,
Tangled passions, moonlight, burning lime,
When foreman Jango’s due return’s so late
A trial ensues - but has there been a crime?

Satisfying page-turners are these,
No word wasted, cunning well applied,
Late products of the author's expertise,
Intrepid manly sleuths in each our guide,
And characters, most notably the sisters,
That breathe rich life into this pair of twisters.

[Paul Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Hesperus Press Limited] (2002). SB. 105 Pages.

Also contains “John Jago’s Ghost”; this actually accounts for two thirds of the text (and is rooted in fact).

Both stories are excellent.

I’d suggest skipping over Martin Jarvis’ inane Introduction.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved both of these short stories / novellas. For being written in the late 19th century, they both hold up remarkably well to a modern reading. I couldn’t put either down until I’d finished them.

[Benjamin Stahl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Collins turns in a murder mystery that is characteristically enjoyable.

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but very good!

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contained 2 short stories by Wilkie Collins. This is my first experience reading this author and it will definitely not be my last. Both short stories were enjoyable.

[Jim Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few clever plot twists, but overall not a great detective novel.

[M. G. A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy read.

[Rob · Rating 2 out of 5]

At just 28 pages long there's not much of it. I was interested but suddenly I realized that the story was finished.

[Miriam · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Andre Torrejón) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do love Wilkie Collins.
His mysteries, his heroines, his plots.

I thought this book was one story, but it happened to be two, "Who Killed Zebedee?" and "John Jago's Ghost".

The first one is a murder story about revenge. I thought it was longer, but then it ended and it was a bit startling. But it was ok. The resolution was quite expected.

"John Jago's Ghost" is the longer story of the two, and I think, more interesting. Wilkie Collins was inspired to write it by an event he read on a newspaper, and that makes it even cooler.
A story about a murder with no body, and the trial.

Note to self: I need to get my hands on a big, fat, Wilkie Collins short stories compilation.

[Aubrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a short Wilkie Collins read, the book consisting of two stories. The subject material was of his typical work and had the stories been longer, Collins would have had an easier time illustrating the details of his characters. However trivial this book might seem though, the author still left his impression on me. As I started up another book after finishing this one, I missed experiencing Collins's extraordinary talent of story telling.

[Ffiamma · Rating 3 out of 5]

due raccontini per svagarsi: il primo, "who killed zebedee?" è poco più di un divertimento, il secondo, "the ghost of john jago" ha più corpo e ambizione. sono chiaramente opere minori, ma collins sa intrattenere anche nella brevità e le storie hanno quel pizzico di suspence che impedisce di annoiarsi.

[Robert Hepple · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short book containing the very short story ‘Who Killed Zebedee?’ and the longer novella length story ‘John Jago’s Ghost’, which is also known by the title ‘The Dead Alive’. I found these stories very enjoyable, written in Wilkie Collins usual economical no-nonsense style and containing themes which readers of Collins will find very familiar.

[Susan Jo Grassi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contained 2 short stories, "Who Killed Zebedee" and "John Jago's Ghost". They were both easy reads. The latter was based on a true happening in the USA in the 1870s. I like Collins' writing although it does differ in language from our more modern authors.

[Aleks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains two typical Wilkie novellas--fast-paced and enjoyable, though not on the level of his great novels. John Jago's Ghost was interesting in that it took place in the US, in the midwest and contained Wilkie's ideas about Americans.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

On order - 30th March 2009

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short story murder mysteries by a fantastic author.