Rivals of Sherlock Holmes 2

by Alan K. Russell (Editor), Angus Evan Abbott, George Chetwynd Griffith

The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes Two by A. K. RUSSELL

502 pages

Published January 1, 1979

Reviews

[Anne Patkau · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://gaslight.mtroyal.ca/lequeux.ht... free online #16 for flavor of text, but pictures are the prime 5*. Phrasing easy to skim and still absorb flavor, feel. By nature, short stories condense, sacrifice character to plot.

Sketches are like companion https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... though not so dark, less shocked confrontation and discovery like https://www.goodreads.com/review/show.... Mostly full-length posed portraits. Artist signatures illegible. Even if faces are plastic/china doll-like, flower missing from button-hole, nose is properly small, dresses are opulently draped, millinery is magnificent, furnishings ornate. , only credits #1 suicide to Arthur Jule Goodman, #6 phone to A. Kemp Tebby, #15 smoker to J. Finnemmore, #22 red to Max Cowper.

The sight of a by-gone century and lifestyle is irreplaceable, even when plots improbable. Some fonts have ornate initial letters. Opening precision can be inexact #6 "exactly at eleven o'clock on the night of December 30th last winter" p 89. Summaries would be shorter without names. But what names? Amid ubiquitous John and Mary are amazingly long-gone patronyms.

"Do you think anything that is possible for a man is impossible for a woman?" p 395 has potential. But whatever gender narrator, Mrs Meade writes horror, at least with Eustace. Overall I prefer the drawings and flavor, ambience, to substance.

4* 1 Spawn of fortune by Jacques Futrelle - Arthur Brackenbridge buys gun, one-way ticket on train to Earl's Court to suicide until rude stranger intervenes. Gray's Inn murderer advises vain coward to face partner's false fraud charges, fiancée's ma claimed rejection, points out health, youth, strength, innocence. Arthur points out killers lose meaning of life - "self-respect .. manliness .. liberty .. ease of mind. Headlines note Arthur's arrest stranger's suicide.
2* 2 Further adventures of Romney Pringle by Clifford Ashdown
*1 Silkworms of Florence - Vicar burns title clue "weak pun" (what is pun?) from 1805 disgraced mayor and spies on Pringle locating treasure. My sailing navigation lessons forgotten - have bearings yearly variation? Pringle rows boat away. Chest holds gold Napoleons. "Florins?".
*2 Submarine boat - Overhearing traitor sell sub plans, Pringle intercepts buyer, but caught. If 10,000 francs = £400 ( 25 francs/£), 12,000 francs is only 500 francs less than asked £500? With overheard password, Pringle gets money, sees cops approach as draughtsman assaults spies for payment.
3* 3 Clue of the silver spoons by Robert Barr - Brain glitch, like depression, brought into the light. Eugine Valmont, narrator, seeks £500 stolen at dinner for host barrister Bentham Gibbes. His dear friend Lionel Dacre pointed out loss, was only guest bankrupt, now flush. Even Gibbes does not remember months ago magic trick "forks?" when Dacre conjured implement into pocket of billionaire Innis.Gibbes loaned Dacre £500 to clear debts. Dacre saw kleptomaniac pocket trinket, saw him staring at cash. Gibbes, to avoid embarrassment (of Innis or of Gibbes?), sends Valmont for cash "apologies .. unusually busy of late" to return.
4* 4 Counterfeit cashier by George A. Best - Dorrington Bank has "anti-whisker regulation" after 28 June 1881 incident with 'Automan' Thomas Darwin 45, bald, heavy mustache and mutton-chops. Kidnapped by plasterer and imposter, easily imitated, Darwin tosses breaks through plastered-over hole, tosses out reward notes and beer bottle holding candle, but not freed till after noon.
3-4* 5 Prince of swindlers by Guy Boothby - Glorifies clever hoaxer and loyal sidekick.
*1 Duchess of Wiltshire's diamonds - Fake hunchback Simon Carne secretly connects to next door, for appointments as advertised detective Klimo. He admires necklace box for loan so artificers from India can install mechanism. Clamps lift and hide chain under fake second leather cushion. Loyal Belton prints empty shoes so Klimo pretends to discover burglary method by rooftops.
*2 Imperial Finale - Toasted by society (no disability?) in Riviera, he fakes ankle sprain for alibi before last splash because pursuit nigh. Disguised as Emporer, Belton as attache, he bags royal dishes, only heavy gold, and swims back to yacht.
2* 6 Seven, seven, seven - city by Julius Chambers - On mismatched phone line, narrator overhears argument with woman, gunshot by jealous John. Probable victim is Dr Henry Stanage, found near "Hyde Park next morning" p 90. After year trailing leads, reporter finally trains as installer with the best. He recognizes both voices all along the way, but cannot prove. Gaspar in Kensington keeps wife.
1* 7 by Guy Clifford - Secret till final reveal. Lawyer Halton narrates, partner (in Holmes-Watson sense, not modern marital bond) chemist Dr Robert Graceman calculates.
Clever capture - Pair boat on river in Sunbury to help Scotland Yard Inspector catch burglar trio. Graceman decoded meetings from newspaper ads, railway station time and place. Halton responds to "Jim", in order to identify signator planner.
8 Wendall bank case - Weak. Depends on culprit dropping ticket, porter remembering, one person trailing. Banker Wendall cannot believe theft by nephew, cashier Frank or partner Holmes. Graceman trailed manager Charles Farnley, who took notes while he counted them in before, to Rotterdam where he exchanged.
2* 9 Strange studies from life by Arthur Conan Doyle
*1 Holocaust of Manor Place - July 1860 citified "egoist", psychopath in modern terms, William Godfrey Youngman confronts sweet country miss Mary Wells Streeter 20 when she rejects his suit. He repeatedly knifes dead her, his two brothers, mother. Hangs, still blaming defended self from mother.
*2 Love Affair of George Vincent Parker - Another rejected egoist by another Mary, Groves. He carries dying girl, neck slashed thrice, to father without apology "I told her I would kill her .. She knew my temper" p 139.
*3 Debatable Case of Mrs Emsley - Another Mary, grim old miser collects own rents, found dead holding wallpaper rolls. George Mullins 50, eager for reward, finds some of her articles in cottage of Emms. Mullins arrested, hanged, left statement that Emms innocent.
2* 10 Professor van Dusen's problems by Jacques Futrelle - Ugly brain dubbed "The Thinking Machine" by opponent in intro chess match, helped by reporter Hutchison Hatch. Silly on purpose. "I wouldn't convict a yellow dog of stealing jam on circumstantial evidence alone, even if he had jam all over his nose .. In the first place, well-behaved dogs don't eat jam" p 202
*1 The First Problem - Actress Irene Wallack 30 vanishes in costume tights from "dressing room in Springfield theatre during a performance" p 155, only two large trunks removed. Box of chocolates misses three pieces; her maid Gertrude Manning who ate two ill from strychnine. Photos of her suitor Langdon Mason, and jealous actor Stanley Wightman mark the perpetrator. Obviously trunk holds Irene, barely alive after two days, candy unmelted in mouth. Silly that Stanley has eyes of hypnotist in photo.
*2 Missing necklace - Bradley Cunningham Leighton "went everywhere" p 163 jewels vanish, but Scotland Yard DI Conway has no proof, even when 172 pearls gone after he helps up Lady Varron from dance floor. Jewels were up his sleeve using card-sharp mechanism. Why would only pockets be searched? From ship, Leighton tosses newspaper to Harry Cheshire aka H.C. Mannerling, nearby owner of pigeons identified by Prof.
*3 Green-eyed monster - Lingard van Safferd jealous of much younger wife whose alibis for day are false. Why waste Hatch trailing her around? She goes out front door, comes in back, or dawdles day away for attention she is accustomed to.
*4 Phantom motor car - Yarborough County (Special?) Constables Baker and Bowman confounded by The (speed) Trap losing headlights, obviously two motorcycles, but Prof sends prize-winning cyclist Jimmie Thalhauer in pursuit. At destination, Fordyce Bank, bonds are taken and returned by Marsh and three pals to get investors for "business venture which is ethically dishonest but which is within the law" p 191.
*5 Motor-boat - Craft crashes, but driver ~45 already deat 8-10 hours. Tanned, in odd naval uniform, blue 'D' tattooed on back of left hand, wound on left arm covered with court-plaster (bandage), hanky embroidered 'E.M.B.'. Who's Who and newspapers point to victim. Prof finds nearby rich Langham Dudley 51 attended costume ball last night. Bandage smells of Japanese poison, servant Osaka blurts out what he should not know, is guilty, revenge over "girl in Japan .. long-cherished project, such a one as revenge through love would have inspired" (odd sentence construction, typo?) p 201. Wife née Edith Marsden Belding is from Who's Who, dance in news.
*6 Stolen bank-notes - Detective Mallory finds safecracker Mort Dolan 20s at wife's sewing machine. To find spoil, Prof hears Dolan's request to wife. He asks her to fix brown coat, directions on paper wrapped under brown thread.
1* 11 I.D.B. by George Griffith - Illegal Diamond Buyers. Sad endings, jabber, clock "W-h-irrrr--bang-bang--ting-a-ling-a-ling--bang-bang--ting--bang--surrr-up" p 233.
*1 500 carats - Depends on confession. Pfooft. Narrator asks South African Inspector Lipinzki about two museum curios - balloon scrap, lead pipe. Blowing cigar smoke skyward, he spots an oddity drifting to hunting ground of Philip Marsden. De Beers misses huge diamond from weighing room where scales are next to window. Assistant Lomas replaced jewel with same weight, pipe, night before. Sent to clean scales, instead he hangs jewel on red balloon and floats out window. Marsden admits mailing map to Lomas, on the run, and suicides.
*2 Border gang - Johnny "little Hebrew accomplice" and Sandy Fraser bemoan little dog Tommy carved up for jewels in stomach. Salter, left for dead by cops, bribes some into gang for revenge. Bribed cops balk at murder but arrive too late. Both Salter and Lipinszki die shooting each other.
2* 12 Stolen cigar-case by Brett Harte - 3* Hemlock Jones, via Sherlock Holmes style disguises and trickery, accumulates evidence that faithful sidekick stole diamond-encrusted case, but narrator gave up smoking. Jones did not look in his own drawer, so alienated doctor renews practice, gets rich, and wonders if he did the deed "in some lapse of consciouness" p 242.
2* 13 At the pistol's point by E.W. Hornung - Some suspense. Samuel Fitch >60 dreads escape of Henry Cattermole, convicted of shooting gamekeeper James Savage 29 Nov 1887. Fitch faints after signing confession to murder for innocent poacher.
14 In the chains of crime - "Confessions of a late Prisoner of the Crown ['Bunny'], and sometime accomplice of the more notorious A.J. Raffles, Cricketer and Criminal, whose fate is unknown" p 253 by E.W. Hornung - No spoiler - narrator caught, AJ not. Suspense because AJ always keep pal in dark as con unfolds, dirty scary step by step, always pursued by DI Mackenzie.
*1 Ides of March - Threatening suicide after baccarat gambling losses, narrator ("fag" different meaning then) offers to do anything for rich former school mentor. First team exploit, AJ needed trustworthy pal, jewelry store theft that night before both their cheques bounce next morning.
*2 Costume piece - Boastful brute Reuben Rosenthall dangles diamond rings, bodyguard ex-boxer Purvis resists murder of masked pair. AJ runs, returns in cop disguise to rescue pal.
*3 Gentlemen and players - Bunny learns cricket for country party where other crooks also after old Lady Melrose's necklace. Mack is undercover, photographer. Save Mackenzie, shot; AJ gets necklace.
*4 9 points of the law - AJ answers Addenbrooke's ad to steal back painting from Craggs, but Bunny sees the Craggs still holding prize. AJ obviously left fake, so both have to flee to Queensland Australia.
*5 Return match - Villain Crawshay from #14.3 forces AJ to hide him, but Mack follows. AJ chloroforms self to enable Crawshay's getaway.
*6 Gift of the Emporer - AJ supplies tickets for cruise, then woos pretty Australian Miss Werner. Jealous Bunny wants Emporer's massive pearl on envoy Wilhelm von Heumann. Miss Werner passes on location of prize. Bunny helps AJ slip, naked (! cannot rate X just for that), oiled, through ventilation hatches. Mack catches them. AJ has to show hidden inside gun, jumps overboard to swim ashore when allowed to say farewell to girl.
2* 15 Tragedy of a third smoker by Cutcliffe Huyne - Grayson QC (Queen's Counsel defending lawyer) tells O'Malley (police detective?) case he solved. Guide, drain contractor, left foreman Andrew Walker stabbed through head in third-class smoking-permitted railway carriage after argument, claims passed out, accused of using pick. QC notes hole wrong shape. In Guide's bag of tools is weapon tipped in blood that Walker fell on by accident.
1-3* 16 Count's chauffeur by William Le Queux - George Ewart, mechanic narrator, drives fancy car for Count Bindo ~30, promises discretion "if you think I am a little peculiar sometimes, don't trouble your head about it" p 331. Convoluted cons, likable folk.
*1 Move on the 'Forty' - Slang for jewelry shop? street? Left to wait for Count's return, cops identify new boss as thief. Pals pretend to be cops chasing thief so owner does not call real cops.
*2 Sentimental swindle - Count flirts with old flame, until she spills wine on glove, shows wedding ring. Assures new rich old husband away so pals rob him. Not her?
*3 Story of a secret - Pretty Valentine pretends to be Countess Liane, wed to 'Gaston' aka George, flirts with German Otto until 'husband' catches them. When spy Otto reveals secrets he will sell to support her, all flee with goods.
*4 Run with Rosalie - Valentine pretends to be Princess, story supported by George as aristocrat, who dislikes her maid Rosalie sneaking around. Rosalie is a thief Count knows, so all co-operate for spoils.
*5 6 new novels - Count as Albert Conforth ingratiates into country party.Count hides spoils inside tied up shells of six hardcover books.
1* 17 Followed by L.T. Mead & Robert Eustace - Horror. Flower Dalrymple, narrator, marries David Rose, who shares strangely strong love with mother. Lady Sarah keeps deadly snakes and villainous Aussie aborigine servant Sambo. Sambo says flee across moor, but dabs boots with enraging potion. Sarah apologizes for fit of madness. Flower never tells David.
18 Secret of Emu Plain - Queensland Oct 1894 narrator Robert Bell visits childhood friend Rosamund, whose fiancé vanishes at 'haunted' mesa during sirocco, then so does Bell. Readers were invited to submit their own endings for 10 prizes. Experimenter with kites for military, "hereditarily tainted with criminal instincts" p 401 raises and kills victim atop rock, while hidden by dusty wind.
1* 19 Skin O'My Tooth by Baroness Orczy - 'Muggins', narrator Alexander Stanislau Mullins, confidential clerk, says employer lawyer Patrick Mulligan nicknamed for saving clients (before acronym SOT meant anything).
*1 Murder in Saltashe Woods - After Jeremiah Whidecoat utters dying words "letter, Kelly, Edward, other", his sister brings letter to coroner blaming employee Edward Kelly for defrauding firm. Sot questions Edward's sister-in-law Mrs Kelly, who unknowingly convicts her husband, who suicides.
*2 Polish prince - Body found mutilated on rail line, landlady Stockton killed, her son missing, suspected of killing lodger. Heiress Marion Calvert reports lodger was prince, she gave him her entire inheritance in cash. Obviously lodger stole money murdered Stockton and son, even fingerprints and tattoo removed.
*3 Major Gibson - Oops. 18 Oct 1901 midnight gives way to 19th at 1am. When lady in "shimmer of a green train" p 426 reluctantly gives Mrs Everard's valuable necklace away, Major grabs back jewels, but thief threatens to denounce Major's fiancée Marion, and flees. Everard sees Major, assumes he stole. Of course Mrs Everard gave necklace her brother Thornby Oakhurst, gambler in deep. Why not have Major identify him instead of rigmarole where Mrs tosses fake confession papers in fire?
*4 Duffield peerage - Legal son of Lord D is accused of killing lawyer Sibbald Thursby and stealing affadavits for Patricia O'Rourke, who claims to be first wife. Obviously claimants are fake, killers.
*5 Mrs Norris - Husband Adam found with throat cut, flat tossed, she hides her alibi. She was blackmailing Lady Ralph Morshampton for love letters from past affair. Obviously her jealous husband stole letters and killed Adam. Luckily Sot advertises for cabby, and he bears Lord Ralph's left "silk comforter" p 451 blood-stained scarf. Ralph suicides, instigating wife gets the fortune.
1* 20 Experiences of Loveday Broke, lady detective by C.L. Pirkis
*1 Princess's vengeance - Pretty Lucie Cunier, amanuensis to fad-loving Mrs Druce, vanishes along with her photo in drawer of Major Druce, son. Loveday observes glance to hat and Major's exotic dark fiancée, asks what church Lucie attended. Loveday checks with church verger, brings Major to marriage of Lucie to butler Lebrun. She found from milliner, latest talented apprentice Lucie leaves next day for Paris. Ladies conspired because Major had crush on Lucie, her heart with fellow Parisian.
*2 Drawn daggers - Rev Anthony Hawke fears notes from Ireland, first with one dagger, second with another added, sent Miss Monroe by father Sir George (that doesn't make her a Lady?) to break romance with Danvers. Obviously girl is not real heiress, but Irish girl from ship voyage, bribed. Mary O'Grady arranges room precisely, like servant, not employer. But how would we guess that Danvers' coat of arms has dagger-like image, so letters are codes for arrival then marriage of true Miss Monroe.
1* 21 Romance of the Secret Service Fund (Typo p 481 'Fund' on magazine header missing) Mazaroff rifle - Luck. Another Sir George, Morley this time, asks Newton Moore to War Office because inventor impersonator took plans. Script left in pocket, Moore knows theater bigwig "Jimmy Manningtree, an old young man" p 485, trails guilty actor by having assistant impersonate deaf big Emile Nobel "chief Rascal in the Rogue's Gallery of Europe" p 487. Stereotype ugly cold red "shark" "my nerfs are not as gombletely under gontrol as they might be. Is something wrong, my tear friendt?" p 489.
1* 22 A warning in red - Wish-wash woo-hoo improbably guesswork. Sunset and ink inscribed on ticket by stationmaster Monk is red. Colonel Ward "sees red" when pal Geoffrey Anstruthers is killed, calls narrator Forbes to investigate. Signs of struggle, no blood, missing wages in cash owed all workers for month, his habit everyone knows. Monk, in debt from racing, enlisted brakesman Sutton to move body. If scrap of letter torn from his pocket, would more likely be another's writing, from someone, than his own.

[Denise Spicer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book features 46 short magazine stories from the turn of the 20th century. Three of the stories are by A.C. Doyle himself: The Holocaust of Manor Place, The Love Affair Of George Vincent Parker, The Debatable Case Of Mrs. Emsley. Other authors include Brett Harte, Baroness Orczy and the book also includes two episodes of Loveday Brooke, Lady Detective, as well as several Raffles episodes.
The black and white period illustrations from the magazines that published these stories are evocative of the Victorian era related in them.

[Tim Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A mixed bag, as all collections are. But there's enough good stuff here for me to pass over the rubbish in silence.

[Cindy B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read-readable — and I do.